NID 2027 Entrance Exam: Application, Pattern, Syllabus and Other Details

The National Institute of Design is one of the best institutes for Design. It holds the top ranks in many rankings. To get admission in NIDs, candidates need to clear the NID DAT entrance exam conducted every year in December-January. Let's see all about NID 2027 in detail.

NID DAT 2027

National Institute of Design conducts NID DAT Entrance Exam to provide admission to its NID B.Des and NID M.Des Institutes. The NID is expected to have an intake of 425 seats for the B.Des program and 347 seats for the M.Des program in the NID Institutes. The exam is conducted in two stages: NID DAT Prelims and NID DAT Mains. NID DAT consists of written exam and NID DAT Mains has Studio Test and Interview. The mains exam is given by students who have cleared the NID Prelims Exam.

The application opens in the second week of September and closes in December. The exam is also held in the third week of December in offline mode.

Overview of NID Entrance Exam 2027

The important highlights for NID DAT 2027 are listed in the table below.

NID Registration Form 2027 

NID Registration opens around the second week of September. NID Application can be filled online only, and the registration fee is around INR 2,000. The application will be available at admissions.nid.edu. Candidates must check the eligibility criteria before filling the Application form.

NID Eligibility Criteria for UG and PG 

The following table shows the eligibility criteria for NID B.Des and M.Des:

NID DAT Entrance Test 2027

The NID Entrance Exam is conducted offline at the NID DAT Test Centres. The exam for B.Des and M.Des is conducted on the same day. The exam is of 3 hours. The reporting time for the NID DAT design exam will be around 8:00 AM and the gate closing time for the NID entrance exam will be 9:30 AM. Aspirants will not be allowed to enter the NID exam centre 30 minutes after the Design Aptitude Test (DAT) starts. Candidates who qualify NID DAT (Prelims), which is a written exam, have to appear in NID DAT (Mains), which comprises a Studio Test and Interview round. 

NID DAT Syllabus 2027

NID DAT Syllabus is different for NID DAT Prelims and NID DAT Mains. The written paper consists of Design aptitude test, logical reasoning, mental reasoning, language, general knowedge and current affairs.

In the Studio Test, material will be provided and candidates have to make a model and provide solution to the question asked. 

Before starting the preparation for NID B.Des or M.Des, candidates must have proper knowledge of the NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT) syllabus. The NID DAT Syllabus for Prelims and Mains is different. 

1. First Phase: NID DAT Prelims (B.Des and M.Des)

DAT Prelims syllabus for the B.Des and M.Des programs will include topics like color terminology, principles of composition, design theory, lettering, optical illusion, picture analysis, theme development, etc.

To get a good score in the exam, it is important to prepare for all the topics. However, during the preparation, if the candidate is not able to complete a topic even after trying hard, it is wise to move to the next topic or get help. Once the candidate has completed the other topics, he or she can always come back and complete the pending topic.

2. Second Phase: NID DAT Mains (B.Des and M.Des)

Candidates who get shortlisted based on their DAT Prelims have to next appear in the DAT Mains exam. 

• DAT Mains for the B.Des program will include a Studio Test
• However, M.Des applicants will also have to appear in a Personal Interview in addition to the Studio Test.

The Studio Test will be conducted in offline mode. On the other hand, the personal interview will be held online.

3. Important Instructions for DAT Mains:

1. Candidates will be included in the final NID DAT merit list only if they take both the DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.
2. The weightage for DAT Prelims and DAT Mains will be announced before the declaration of NID DAT (Final) Results.
3. Requests for rescheduling the Studio Test will not be entertained
4.  Admit cards will be issued separately for the NID Studio Test and Online Interview.
5. If a candidate fails to appear in the online interview, admit cards will not be generated for the Studio Test.
6. On the day of the Studio Test, the candidate must bring with them a hard copy of the admit card and a valid photo ID proof.
7. Simply appearing in the DAT Mains does not guarantee admission.

DAT Mains 2026 Components

The NID DAT Mains test for the M.Des program has two test components:

1. Studio Test
2. Personal Interview

However, the DAT Mains for the B.Des program has only one test component: Studio Test. 

Statement of Purpose and Portfolio Review for DAT Mains

1. Candidates who get shortlisted for the DAT Mains will have to upload a Statement of Purpose (SoP) and Portfolio during the given window.
2. The specific time/window for uploading SoPs and Portfolio will be intimated to the candidate by the National Institute of Design through the registered email ID/ result page.
3. The candidate has to upload SoPs and Portfolios separately for each discipline they are shortlisted for.
4. Format of the SoP - The Statement of Purpose should not contain more than 100 words for each question. The SoP should be uploaded as a single file (maximum size - 2 MB).
5. Format of the Portfolio - The candidate has to upload a digital copy of their Portfolio in a single file (maximum size - 10 MB).

NID DAT Exam Pattern 2027

NID DAT Entrance Exam will have two parts. The first is NID DAT Prelims, and the other is NID DAT Mains. Candidates will be eligible for NID Mains only if they clear the NID DAT Prelims 2026. The FINAL result of NID DAT 2026 will be prepared by giving weightage to DAT Mains. The NID Pattern will be released on the official website.

NID DAT Exam Pattern - DAT Prelims (Overview)

The following table shows the DAT Prelims Overview.

NID DAT Exam Pattern for the DAT Mains (Studio Test)

The NID DAT Mains for the B.Des will comprise a Studio Test, whereas for the M.Des, it will also include a Personal Interview.

Weightage for the B.Des Program

The Weightage for the B.Des Program is as follows:

Weightage for the NID DAT Final results 2027: M.Des Program 

The Weightage for the M.Des Program is as follows:

NID DAT 2026 Participating Colleges

NID offers admissions in UG and PG programmes in the NID campuses.

Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) is offered in the following campuses:

1. National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad
2. National Institute of Design, Andhra Pradesh
3. National Institute of Design, Haryana
4. National Institute of Design, Madhya Pradesh
5. National Institute of Design, Assam

Master of Design (M.Des.) is offered in the following campuses:

Des is offered in the following campuses:

1. National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad (Main Campus)
2. National Institute of Design, Bengaluru (Extension Campus)
3. National Institute of Design, Gandhinagar (Extension Campus)

NID Result and Scorecard 2027 

NID DAT Result is released online. It is released separately for NID UG and PG programmes. The result is released twice, the first time for NID Prelims and the second time for NID Mains. NID result is released on the website of NID.

NID Counselling 2027

The counselling of NID DAT is held online. After the declaration of the result, NID open the option of NID Seat allotment, campus selection and counselling. NID Seat Allotment is held in multiple rounds. Candidates who are allotted a seat have to confirm by 

• Paying the NON-REFUNDABLE token fees and

• Uploading the required documents.