The National Institute of Design conducted NID DAT 2026 today, December 21, 2025, for M.Des at 10 AM. NID DAT Prelims exam was conducted offline. Read on to know about the difficulty level of the exam.
NID DAT M.Des 2026 Exam Analysis
NID DAT 2026 exam analysis is released here. The exam started at 10 AM and ended at 1 PM. The reporting time was 8:30 AM. NID conducted the NID DAT 2026 exam offline in pen-and-paper mode. Candidates who appeared for NID DAT 2026 exam Prelims for M.Des programme can check all the exam analysis, questions, and student reactions here. NID DAT Exam was conducted today, on December 21, 2025 for M.Des programme.
Latest Update:
- NID DAT 2026 LIVE Updates: Reporting/Bell Timing, Exam Day Guidelines, Analysis, Paper Difficulty, Student Review
- NID DAT 2026 Exam Tomorrow: Reporting Time and Things to Carry at Exam Centre
NID DAT 2026 M.Des Exam Analysis: Overview
Candidates should check the overview of NID DAT Prelims exam.
| Particulars | NID DAT Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | NID Entrance Exam 2026 |
| Full Form | National Institute of Design Entrance Exam |
| Exam Level | Undergraduate (M.Des) & Postgraduate (M.Des) |
| Exam Frequency | Once a year |
| Courses Offered | B.Des, M.Des |
| NID 2026 Registration Start Date | September 11, 2025 |
| Last Date to Apply | December 01, 2025 |
| Application Form Fee | INR 3,000 (General/OBC), INR 1,500 (SC/ST/PWD) |
| Admit Card Release Date | December 11, 2025 |
| Exam Mode | DAT Prelims: Pen-and-Paper, DAT Mains: Studio Test/Interview |
| Exam Date | December 21, 2025 for M.Des and M.Des |
| Exam Duration | 3 Hours |
| Exam Centers | Across major cities in India |
| Counseling Process Start Date | June 2026 |
| Seat Intake | 425 seats for M.Des and 347 seats for M.Des |
| Official Website | www.nid.edu |
Candidates should check the NID M.Des exam pattern. NID DAT 2026 will be held in pen-and-paper mode. The question paper may include textual and visual questions. The NID DAT exam pattern 2026 is given in the table below.
| Particulars |
Description |
|---|---|
| Sections |
There will be TWO sections.
These two tests will together evaluate the Design Aptitude of the candidate. |
| Total Marks |
100 |
| Types of questions asked |
A mixture of objective and subjective |
| Medium of the paper |
English |
| Test duration |
2 hours 30 minutes |
| Negative Marking |
There will be no negative marking |
Go through the expected exam analysis of NID DAT prelims M.Des.
| Section/part | Weightage (expected) | Difficulty Level | Sections/Topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part A | - | - | - |
| Part B | 100% | Moderate to Difficult | 6 drawing question with 2-3 sub parts; Color theory, Scene creation, scene creation, 1.2.3. Perspective drawing, draw Instagram post. |
- Students View: on NID DAT Paper 2026
- Good Attempts in NID DAT M.Des 2026
- NID DAT M.Des Section-Wise Exam Analysis 2024
Students View: on NID DAT Paper 2026
Student 1: There were no aptitude questions. GAT section was not present at all.
- Question 1: Make a 3-story scene.
- Question 2: A spec was given, make three conventional use of it.
- Question 3: A bottle was given. Draw it when it three different situations: When kept in hospital near bedside; When it is in a restaurant, When it is to be used in a get-together in your house.
Student 2: There were 6 drawing questions. Candidates have to draw 14 drawing altogether in 3 hours.
Students 3: More focus was on drawing, sketching and writing part.
- Question 4: Solar panel, was given. Make three Instagram posts for this. Give title, content and draw.
- Question 5: With the help of a hand given. Interpret and draw, rope, plant, hammer with hand.
- Question 6: There is a bus, and students are inside the bus. Draw how you will protect yourself in the bus when the brake is applied.
Commonly asked questions
If you want to get a good rank in NID DAT, sketching is very important. Practice live sketching daily. Sketch daily objects. Sketch from the previous year question paper.
Candidates need around 6 months to prepare for NID DAT Exam. In this time, focus should be on preparing syllabus given by NID. Candidates should make a plan and divide syllabus to study.
Admission to the NIDs is conducted through the NID Entrance Examination. The NID exam has two stages - the candidate first appears in the DAT Prelims. Scores of the NID DAT Prelims are used to then shortlist candidates for DAT Mains. The final merit list for NID DAT 2026 will be prepared by giving weightage to Mains.
As per NID DAT exam pattern, the design entrance test is conducted in two stages: NID Prelims and NID Mains.
To prepare for the B. Des and M.Des programme, candidates need to follow these tips.
- Follow NID syllabus
- Get familiar with the exam pattern, including the types of questions asked, section-wise and topic-wise weightage, mode of exam, marking scheme, etc.
- Prepare a study plan taking into account time left for the exam.
- Practice mock tests and solve previous year's papers.
Good Attempts in NID DAT M.Des 2026
Attempt all the questions. Please do not leave any questions, as there is no negative marking. Read the questions carefully and break them down to understand.
Explore more Design exams with upcoming dates
11 Jun '26
10 Jun '26 - 14 Jun '26
1 Sep '25 - 30 Jun '26
1 Nov '25 - 30 Jun '26
1 Jul '26
1 Nov '25 - 30 Jun '26
NID DAT M.Des Section-Wise Exam Analysis 2024
GO through the analysis of M.Des 2024. There were total 36 questions of 100 marks.
| Total | 26 Questions |
| Duration | 2.5 Hours |
| Negative Marking | No |
| Part 1 | Question 1 -22 (Aptitude) |
| Part 2 | Question 23 to 26 (Drawing) |
| Question Number | Marks |
|---|---|
| Questions 1 - 14 | 1 marks |
| Question 15- 22 | 2 marks |
| Question 23 | 15 marks |
| Question 24 | 20 marks |
| Question 25 | 15 marks |
| Question 26 | 20 marks |
News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
10 Jun '26 - 14 Jun '26 | Seat Allotment Round III |
10 Mar '26 - 31 Jul '26 | UCEED 2026 Score Card |
24 Jun '26 - 1 Jul '26 | NIFT Registration for e-Counse... |
3 Jun '26 | NIFT Final Result |
Nov '25 | UID DAT 2026 Application: UID ... |
25 Mar '26 - 5 Apr '26 | UID Tier 2: Situation Test for... |
15 Jun '26 | AIEED 2026 Batch Starts |
6 Apr '26 - 18 Apr '26 | AIEED Examination (Situation T... |
27 Jan '26 | ISDI Challenge 2026: Result |
15 Dec '25 | ISDI Challenge 2026: Last date... |
1 Jul '26 | SEED B.Des Commencement of the... |
15 May '26 | Declaration of First Merit Lis... |
Jan '26 | PESSAT DAT 2026 Exam START Dat... |
Oct '25 | PESSAT DAT 2026 Application ST... |
9 Jun '26 - 10 Jun '26 | Pearl Academy Personal Intervi... |
8 Jun '26 | Pearl Academy 2026 Admit Cards... |
Jan '26 | DEED Exam 2026 |
1 Oct '25 - 31 Dec '25 | DEED 2026 application |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a month ago
Yes, the Admit card for B.Des In Person Sensitivity Test for 2026 has been released. It was released on April 23, 2026.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, the NID B.Des 2026 Studio Sensitivity Test Admit Card is out. It was out April 09, 2026. The link is active now.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Sayeba Naushad is a commerce postgraduate from Banaras Hindu University. She has over five years of experience in content writing and editing. She has a nose for current events in design field. At Shiksha.com, she s
Read Full Bio