NID DAT 2019 Paper Analysis

NID Entrance Exam is of three hours duration. Candidates need to attempt both objective as well as subjective questions in NID DAT Prelims 2019. Take a look at subject-wise paper analysis of NID 2019 for Bachelor of Design (BDes) and Master of Design (MDes) exam papers for NID admissions 2019.

NID DAT 2019 Paper Analysis – After 5 years of consistency in its pattern, NID did it again and how! A switch in its weightages of General Aptitude and Creative aptitude in its NID DAT (Prelims) 2019. In a sudden departure from its expected pattern, this year National Institute of Design gave a 30 mark general aptitude section which had 22 questions based on verbal and non-verbal reasoning and general awareness with a sprinkle of quantitative.

The clincher this year is certainly the Design Aptitude section, a good 70 marks!

In NID Entrance Exam 2019 BDes Paper, the DAT segments consisted of four questions, with six drawings to be done as Q4 had three parts to it. The focus this year was clearly on testing the students on their technical drawing skills besides their visualisation and also their comprehension ability in terms of interpreting a clever twist in the play of words of a common phrase. Of course not to forget the time management skills as the six drawings needed to be managed in 2.5 hours as the GAT segment needed 30 minutes.

NID DAT Paper Analysis 2019

The first question in NID Entrance Exam 2019 had a composition in black & white showing a scene of an old creaky room with details like a man sprawled on the carpet, a curtain, a muffler, a tea cup, a sofa, a barking dog facing the window on the front wall having a hanging and photo frame of a man, a cupboard on the side with rat poison bottle. There was a ladder reaching up the window in front. The students were asked to imagine themselves peeping in to the room having climbed up the ladder and redraw the same from their perspective. Here, one point perspective drawing with visualisation of the wall now in front (not shown) and attention to details is what was being tested.

The NID DAT (Prelims) 2019 next question was an interesting twist of the common phrase - all that glitters is not gold. The question asked the students to draw a real life situation depicting the phrase, “All that is gold does not glitter”, in the most meaningful way possible, with a 5 line explanation to the interpretation of the same. The students needed to get the twist of the meaning due to the word play and depict. Eg: A disciplinarian mother’s demeanour may not be welcome sight but her intent and love is precious and unadulterated like gold. A visual depiction of the same can answer the question.

The next question asked the students to design and illustrate in colour a circular postal stamp, worth Rs 20, to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Here design and rendering was important aspect with country and value mentioned on the stamp.

The fourth question comprised of three parts:

Part A: ‘Visualise and draw a person sitting at a table with a plate and a stainless steel spoon and a stainless steel fork laid in front of him/ her.

Part B: There’s an ant sitting on the tip of the handle of the stainless steel spoon. Draw the table from its perspective.

Part C: Visualise and draw, the stainless steel spoon and the stainless steel fork are tied in a knot at their handle. Here, the stainless steel rendering and the perspective both were important aspect along with detailing.

Part A and Part B should corroborate in their details besides the change in perspective. Also the stiffness of the knot should also suggest the moulding of the steel.

The MDes Common NID DAT segment again had lot of reasoning and some quantitative analysis questions besides art based awareness. The DAT segment was based on specific faculty as the students had applied to. For Eg: Those who applied to communication design, had a paper that comprised of the field specific questions as listed below.

One of the questions was based on critical thinking and perspective drawing. It said, ‘You are trapped in a building that caught fire. Show three ways how will you save yourself and others’.  Here the building perspective and critical thinking both were at test.

The next question asked the candidates to draw and use pictograms for the given words:

(a) Use dustbins              

(b) Fire extinguisher      

(c) Slippery surface        

(d) Recycle         

(e) Photography not allowed

Here, the innovative pictograms and the choice of a scenario where all can be used is important. Eg: A multiplex, an art museum, a Factory premises.

The third question asked the students to list 5 ideas to do a campaign for gender equality for a college/ organisation. They had then to illustrate one of the ideas through a poster.

The next question asked the students to write a story using the attributes/ nature of given images of loud speakers, bulb, drum, a bowl of hot soup. Here the attributes chosen could be tangible and intangible both like boxy shape, cylinder, a hemisphere, high decibel, the shaking of the ground, public address, light, quick reflex, comfort, cold, steam, health and many more interpretations could be drawn. A story needed to be woven around it with characters and a plot in a certain genre of choice.

The drawing segment varied for different faculties similarly.

NID Entrance Exam results are expected around February 15, 2019 for Masters and March 19, 2019 for BDes and GDPD courses. After this, stage two, that is, NID DAT (Mains) would be conducted between March mid-week to May mid 2019. The final result is expected around mid-May 2019 with the joining by June 2019. Candidates can view NID entrance exam dates here.

Wishing All the Luck once again!

About the Author:

Shipra Anand is the Founder Director of Academy for Fashion Careers in Lucknow.