NID Entrance Exam 2026: B.Des Admit Card (OUT), B.Des Result (OUT), City-wise M.Des Interview Date (OUT), Expected Cutoff

NID DAT stands for NID Design Aptitude Test. It is conducted by the National Institute of Design at the national level for admission to B.Des and M.Des programmes at NID institutes in India. NID DAT evaluates candidates on the basis of creativity, problem-solving skills, innovative skills, visual perception, etc.

Highlights of NID Entrance Exam 2026

The important highlights for NID DAT 2026 are listed in the table below.

Particulars	NID DAT Details
Exam Name	NID Entrance Exam 2026
Full Form	National Institute of Design Entrance Exam
Exam Level	Undergraduate (B.Des) & Postgraduate (M.Des)
Exam Frequency	Once a year
Courses Offered	B.Des, M.Des, GDPD
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 B.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 B.Des and 347 seats for M.Des
Official Website	www.nid.edu

NID DAT Admit card for B.Des Studio Test is released on April 09, 2026 for the shortlisted candidates who have cleared the NID DAT Prelims Exam.

NID DAT Admit card 2026 for M.Des was released for candidates who have cleared the NID Prelims exam conducted on December 21, 2026. Only shortlisted candidates can download the NID Mains Hall ticket for Studio Test and Interview.

How to Download the NID DAT 2026 Admit Card?

The admit card for NID DAT UG and PG 2026 will be released online at the NID admission portal. To download it

1. Go to the NID admission portal.
2. Click on admit card download link.
3. A log in window will open.
4. Enter your email ID and date of birth to download the admit card.

Important Points About NID DAT Admit Card 

• Candidates must bring any one valid Original photo ID proof for verification, such as (i) Voter ID Card, (ii) PAN Card, (iii) Driving License, (iv) Student ID issued by current school/ college (v) Passport (vi) Aadhar Card, etc. to the examination centre.
• In case candidates do not have any of photo ID proofs, they should get both Part “A” and Part “B” of the NID DAT Admit Card attested by the Principal of their current school/college or a Gazetted Officer.
• NID DAT digital copy of admit card will not be considered. You must bring a hard copy of admit card.

Also Read:

NID DAT Previous Year Question Papers (2025-2016); Download Free PYQ PDFs Top questions for NID Studio Test: Topics and Questions

 

NID DAT Prelims Result 2026 for B.Des was out on April 02, 2026. The NID DAT Rechecking window was active from April 02, 2026, at 4 PM for the declaration of the B.Des. result.

M.Des Final result will be declared in the first week of May, 2026. The Rechecking window opens with the declaration of the NID Final Result. The M.Des seat allotment process- Round 1 usually begins on the result day. Seats will be allotted to shortlisted candidates based on merit, seat availability, and the discipline preferences provided during the NID application process. Allotment will follow the order of merit within each respective category. The deadline for payment of the non-refundable token fee and uploading of required documents is also expected to be in the first week of May 2026.

How to check the NID DAT B. Des 2026 (Prelims & Mains) Result?

The result can be checked online at the NID admission portal.

• Go to the NID admission website.
• Click on the NID DAT BDes/M.Des Result 2026 link.
• You will be redirected to the log-in page.
• Enter your email ID and date of birth.
• On log-in, the NID DAT result will be displayed on the screen.
• Download and take a printout of the DAT Prelims scorecard.

The DAT Prelims scorecard will contain details like the sectional and overall scores and the qualifying status. 

Shortlisting of Candidates for NID DAT Mains

Candidates will be shortlisted for the DAT Mains based on their NID DAT Prelims scores. The National Institute of Design will release the category-wise cut-off marks for DAT Prelims. 

Final Result of NID DAT 2026

The DAT Mains 2026 Final results for B.Des and M. Des are expected to be released in the third week of May, 2026, and the first week of May, 2026, respectively. The final result will be determined based on the candidate's performance in NID DAT Mains only. NID DAT Prelims was this year onwards, was just a qualifying exam for NID Mains Exam for B.Des and M.Des. Candidates who do not qualify for the DAT Prelims 2026 or fail to appear for the DAT Mains 2026 will not be issued DAT Mains results. Further, only such candidates who qualify for the DAT Mains will be eligible to participate in NID DAT 2026 counselling.

Weightage for the NID DAT Final Results 

The final results of NIFT will be prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. 

Re-check of NID DAT result

Candidates will have the option to re-evaluate their answer sheets by applying for the rechecking process on the official website. They are also allowed to apply for re-checking the DAT Mains results. The fee for submitting recheck requests for DAT Prelims will be around INR 2,000 per discipline.

The DAT Prelims re-check will be restricted to:

1. Whether all the answers have been marked.
2. Whether there has been any mistake in the totaling of marks for each question in Part II of the answer booklet, and in transferring the marks correctly onto the first cover page of the answer booklet.

Weightage for the NID DAT B.Des Program 2026

The weightage for NID B.Des Program is

Exam Component	DAT Prelims	DAT Mains
Weightage	40%	60%

Weightage for the NID DAT  M.Des 2026

The weightage for NID M.Des Program is

Exam Component	DAT Prelims	DAT Mains
		Studio Test	Personal Interview
Weightage	30%	40%	30%

 

NID Mains Exam for M.Des will be conducted at  Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Gandhinagar. The exact address will be mentioned in the Admit card.

NID DAT 2026 Studio Test Centre

NID Mains Exam for M.Des was conducted on March 08, 2026 at  Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Gandhinagar. 

NID M.Des Main Interview Schedule

NID M.Des Interview is being conducted in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Gandhinagar. It is compuslory for candidates to bring Admit card to the test centres. The admit card must have seal of the NID Test Studio.

Check out the schedule for M.Des Mains.

Faculty Stream	Discipline	Date of the Interviews	Test Centre City for Interviews
Industrial Design (ID)	Ceramic & Glass Design	21- 23 March 2026	Ahmedabad
	Toy & Game Design
	Furniture & Interior Design Product Design Transportation & Automobile Design	21 – 25 March 2026
Interdisciplinary Design Studies (IDDS)	Design for Retail Experience Strategic Design Management	21 – 25 March 2026	Bengaluru
Textile, Apparel, and Lifestyle Accessory Design (TALAD)	Lifestyle Accessory Design	21 – 24 March 2026	Gandhinagar
	Apparel Design	21- 25 March 2026
Communication Design (CD)	Photography Design	27- 30 March 2026	Ahmedabad
	Animation Film Design Film & Video Communication	27- 31 March 2026
	Graphic Design	27 March – 01 April 2026
IT-Integrated Design (ITID)	Digital Game Design Information Design New Media Design	27- 31 March 2026	Bengaluru
	Interaction Design	27 March – 01 April 2026

NID DAT Prelims Exam will be conducted in 17 cities in India. The NID Prelims Exam was conducted on December 21, 2025 for B.Des and M.Des.

The DAT Prelims will be conducted in the following cities across India:

Ahmedabad	Bengaluru	Bhopal
Bhubaneshwar	Chandigarh	Chennai
Dehradun	Hyderabad	Jaipur
Jorhat	Kochi	Kolkata
Lucknow	Mumbai	Nagpur
New Delhi	Patna

Important Points for NID DAT Prelims Centre

• A city may have more than one NID test centre.
• NID reserves the right to add or remove any test centre and allot a test centre that may not be of the candidate's choice.
• A city can have more than one test centre.
• The test centre selected by the candidate can be changed only during the Window to Edit Application Form. Any request for a change of test centre will not be accepted once the Window to Edit Application Form closes.

NIDs are among the top design institutes in the country. To prepare for the exam, candidates need to follow the syllabus and pattern. The following are a few points that can help in preparation.

Tips to prepare for NID Studio Test

Check out the tips for NID Studio Test.

• Practice sketching, material handling, doodling, model making, etc. The more you practice, the better you will become at Studio Test.
• Try to make a self-explanatory model.
• This test will check how well a student can give problem-solving ideas through their model/sketches.
• Learn to use all the possible materials, clay, all kinds of paper, wire, ice cream sticks, etc.
• There can be some questions on Audio sensory skills, be patient and listen to the audio played.
• Go through the questions asked in the previous year's paper and practice them.
• Work on your speed. Try to finish the question in the given time.
• Make sure the model is clean.

Prep Tips for NID DAT Written Exams

• Know the NID exam pattern and marking scheme well.
• Get well-versed with the NID DAT syllabus.
• Prepare a timetable, if possible, and try to adhere to it.
• Work on your sketching and try to improve your creative side.
• Solve NID's previous year's question papers.
• Ensure that you use the best books as reference material. Use the updated books and resources for the pattern.
• Solve NID sample papers and mock tests regularly.
• Keep revising.

Last week's prep tips for NID DAT Prelims 2026

• In the last week leading up to the exam, make sure that you do extensive revision.
• Solve a few sample papers and take mock tests.
• Try not to start any new topics at the last moment, as it can eat up your revision time and turn the timetable upside down.
• Stay hydrated, get enough sleep, and engage in light exercise to ensure you start fresh and energized.
• Maintaining a balanced diet will also help improve your focus and performance.

What happens after the NID DAT Prelims?

Candidates who qualify for DAT Prelims 2026 will be shortlisted for NID DAT Mains 2026, which comprises a Studio Test ( + a Personal Interview for PG courses). No weightage is given to the NID DAT Prelims Exam. It is just a shortlisting exam. NID Mains Exam will have all the weightage, this time.

Candidates can secure admission to B.Des and M.Des courses offered by NID campuses through the NID 2026 Entrance Exam.

The various B.Des and M.Des specializations offered at the NID participating colleges are given below:

BDes Courses at NID
Ceramic & Glass Design	Furniture & Interior Design
Product Design	Animation Film Design
Exhibition Design	Film & Video Communication
Graphic Design	Textile Design
Industrial Design	Communication Design
Textile & Apparel Design
MDes Courses at NID
Animation Film Design	Ceramic and Glass Design
Furniture & Interior Design	Film & Video Communication
Graphic Design	Product Design
Textile Design	Apparel Design
Lifestyle Accessory Design	Strategic Design Management
New Media Design	Photography Design
Toy & Game Design	Transportation & Automobile Design
Design for Retail Experience	Digital Game Design
Information Design	Interaction Design
Universal Design

The seven NID campuses accepting NID entrance exam scores/ranks for admission include:

List of NIDs accepting NID DAT Scores
NID Ahmedabad	NID Gandhinagar
NID Bengaluru	NID Andhra Pradesh
NID Haryana	NID Madhya Pradesh
NID Assam

What is the Seat Intake and Reservation Criteria for NID DAT 2026 B.Des Program?

The NID DAT Reservation (expected) and Seat Intake are as follows.

Institute	Total seats	GEN-EWS (10%	OBC-NCL (27%)	Scheduled Caste (15%)	Scheduled Tribe (7.5%)
NID Ahmedabad	125	13	34	19	9
NID Andhra Pradesh	75	8	20	11	6
NID Haryana	75	8	20	11	6
NID Madhya Pradesh	75	8	20	11	6
NID Assam	75	8	20	11	6
Total	525	45	114	63	33

NID DAT 2026 Seat Intake - M.Des Program

The National Institute of Design offers a two-and-a-half-year Master of Design (M.Des.) program at its Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Gandhinagar campuses. Candidates may apply in any of the following disciplines: 

Faculty of Communication Design

Discipline	NID Campus	Seat Intake
Animation Film Design	Ahmedabad	19
Film & Video Communication	Ahmedabad	19
Graphic Design	Ahmedabad	19
Photography Design	Gandhinagar	19

Faculty of Industrial Design 

Discipline	NID Campus	Seat Intake
Ceramic & Glass Design	Ahmedabad	12
Furniture & Interior Design	Ahmedabad	19
Product Design	Ahmedabad	19
Toy & Game Design	Gandhinagar	12
Transportation & Automobile Design	Gandhinagar	19
Universal Design	Bengaluru	19

Candidates appearing in the NID DAT 2026 exam must consult the exam syllabus to prepare for the Design Aptitude Test (DAT).

First phase of the NID DAT 2026 entrance exam is NID DAT Prelims. 

• NID DAT 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.

NID DAT Mains 

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

Important Instructions for DAT Mains

Some of the NID DAT guidelines that should be kept in mind are:

1. Candidates will be included in the final NID DAT 2026 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 2026 (Final) Results.
3. Requests for rescheduling the Studio Test will not be entertained
4.  Admit cards will be issued separately for the 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 DAT Mains doesn't guarantee admission.

DAT Mains 2026 Components

The NID DAT Mains 2026 test for the M.Des program has two test components:

1. Studio Test
2. Personal Interview

NID 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 2026 Exam Pattern

The NID DAT 2026 entrance exam has two parts. The candidate will first appear in NID DAT Prelims 2026, and if shortlisted, they have to appear in NID DAT Mains 2026. The Final result of NID DAT 2026 will be prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. 

Exam Pattern 2026 - DAT Prelims (Overview)

The NID DAT 2026 exam pattern for the DAT Prelims and DAT Mains exams is given below.

Particulars	B.Des	M.Des
Test duration	3 hours	2 ½ hours
Mode	Pen-and-paper-based	Online
Question type	Textual and Visual questions	A mixture of subjective and objective questions
Total  number of questions	26	-
Total marks	100	100
Medium of the test	English	English

Exam Pattern for the NID DAT 2026 Mains or Studio Test

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

DAT Mains exam pattern 2026 - B.Des

The exam pattern for NID DAT B.Des is:

Particulars	Description
Mode of exam	Offline
Duration of exam	3 hours
Total marks	100
Language of question paper	English
Type of questions	Multiple formats (Drawing/ Sketching/ Model Making)

Weightage of NID B.Des Final Result

The weightage for NID B.Des for Final Result is given below.

NID DAT Mains Test (B.Des)	Weightage
Studio Sentivity Test	60%
In-person Sensitivity Test	40%

Weightage of NID M.Des Final Result

The weightage for NID M.Des for Final Result is given below.

NID DAT Mains Test (M.Des)	Weightage
Studio Test	40%
Personal Interview	60%

Also Read:

• UCEED vs NID - Which is Better?
  

• NID vs NIFT - Differences, Participating colleges, Admission Process, Placement
• Tips to prepare for NID Design Aptitude Test