NID DAT Marks vs Rank: What is NID Marks, What is NID Rank and Cut off Marks

National Institute of Design Entrance Exam 2026 ( NID Entrance Exam )

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NID B.Des Mains Rechecking Window

26 May '26 - 28 May '26

Sayeba
Sayeba Naushad
Assistant Manager
Updated on May 26, 2026 16:05 IST
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. NID DAT 2026 Registration form is o

Hey, are you also planning to appear for NID DAT Entrance exam 2026 and want to know how marks are calculated, and ranks are given? Here in this article, we will explain the difference between NID Marks and NID Rank, NID Merit list and NID Cutoff. Read on to know more.

NID DAT Marks Vs Rank

NID DAT Marks Vs Rank

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. 

NID B.Des Final Result is released today, May 26, 2026. The result is released on the website of NID. The rechecking window is also active and candidates can get their results rechecked until May 28, 2026. NID Seat Allotment will begin from June 09, 2026.

Latest Updates:

Table of contents
  • What is the difference between NID DAT Marks and NID DAT Score?
  • What is NID DAT Marks or Score?
  • What will happen if total marks in NID DAT exam are the same?
  • Weightage of NID B.Des Final Result
  • What is NID DAT Rank?
  • NID DAT Minimum Qualifying Criteria for Final Results
  • NID DAT 2026 - Merit Lists
  • Difference between NID DAT Prelims Cut-off and NID DAT Admission Cut-off
View More

What is the difference between NID DAT Marks and NID DAT Score?

The difference between NID Marks and NID Rank is that Marks refer to the raw numerical value obtained by a candidate in each stage of the exam (Prelims and Mains) and NID Rank is the position of the candidate in the national merit list based on the final score.

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is the seat intake for the Industrial Design programme at NIDs?
A: 

The NIDs have a combined intake of 425 seats for the B. Des programme. Of these, 45 seats are earmarked for the Industrial Design programme. The candidate can select from specializations like Ceramic and Glass Design, Furniture & Interior Design, and Product Design. The candidate will be able to select the programme of specialisation at the time of counselling. 

Q:   How many seats are there for NID admissions?
A: 

Total seats offered in B. Des courses at all the NID campuses is 425 seats. For M.Des course, NID seats on offer for admission are 347. The B. Des programme is offered at five institutes - NID Ahmedabad, NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Haryana, NID Madhya Pradesh, and NID Assam. The various faculty members under which the programme is available include Faculty of Communication Design, Faculty of Industrial Design, and Faculty of Textile, Apparel, Lifestyle, and Accessory Design. Meanwhile, the M.Des course is available at NID Ahmedabad, NID Bengaluru, and NID Gandhinagar. Admission to both the B. Des and M.Des courses will be through the NID DAT entrance exam.

Q:   What is the cutoff for NID admissions?
A: 
A. NID cutoffs vary from course to course as well as the reservation category to which candidates belong. In 2019, NID cutoff for B. Des course for general category candidates at NID Ahmedabad was 96.84 whereas the cutoff for M.Des course vary depending on the discipline for which candidates had applied for admissions. Aspirants can view detailed NID DAT cutoffs for past years' exam here. The cut-off depends on a multitude of factors, including the category of the candidate, the seat intake, total applicants, performance of candidate in the NID DAT exam, etc. If any of these parameters change, the cut-off would also change.
Q:   Which M.Des specialisations are offered through NID entrance exam?
A: 
A. The M.Des specialisations in which candidates can secure admission basis their performance in NID that are listed below: 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 for Retail Experience Digital Game Design Information Design Interaction Design Universal Design There are a total of 347 seats available for the M.Des programme. The programme is offered at NID Ahmedabad, NID Bengaluru, and NID Gandhinagar campuses. Admission to the programme will be based on NID that 2023 merit rank.

What is NID DAT Marks or Score?

Marks obtained by a candidate in the NID DAT Entrance Exam in Prelims and Mains will be known as NID Marks. NID 2026 question paper will carry 100 Marks. NID Prelims is of 100 marks and Mains is of 100 marks. Students must attempt both stages of the exam. For example, Seema got 110 out of 200 in NID Entrance Exam. So, 110 will be Marks.

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What will happen if total marks in NID DAT exam are the same?

In case the total marks scored by two or more candidates are the same, the tie-break policy will be used for awarding ranks, which will be announced later. The allotment of seats will be based on his/her Institute campus preferences submitted by the candidate in the order of merit and availability of seats, in their respective category.

Note: Obtaining a rank in the merit list does NOT guarantee admission to the programme of your choice.

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How many seats are available for Interior Designing in NID?
A: 

The Interior Design programme is offered both for the BDes and MDes courses. At the BDes level, the Interior Design programme is offered under the faculty of Industrial Design, with a specialisation in Furniture and Interior Design. There are currently 13 seats for the programme. At the master's level, MDes in Furniture & Interior Design course is offered at the NID Ahmedabad campus. The intake capacity for the MDes programme is currently 19 seats. Admission to the Interior Design programme (both Bachelor's and master's) at the NIDs will be through the NID DAT exam.

Q:   Is NID DAT cutoff same for all categories?
A: 
No, NID Entrance Exam cutoff is released separately for the various categories. For instance, the cut-off is available for categories like Open, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PH categories. Note that open category candidates will not be considered for admission under reserved category seats. However, candidates belonging to reserved category will be considered for admission under both open and the reserved category they belong to. To be considered for admission under reserved category, the candidate must furnish the required category certificates. However, any candidate who is found using counterfeit documents can be disqualified at any stage of the admission process.
Q:   Q: What is NID cutoff?
A: 
NID cutoff is the minimum score that candidates need to obtain in order to be considered for admissions to a design course. The participating institutes of NIDs offer B. Des and M.Des courses. The cut-off would be released category-wise for each of these programs. Also, the cut-off would be released separately for all the coaching institutes. Only such candidates who meet the cut-off criteria would be considered for admission.
Q:   Is it necessary to appear in both DAT Prelims and DAT Mains for admission to Design courses at NID?
A: 

The National Institutes of Design (NIDs) currently offer the BDes and MDes courses. Admission to these courses will be based on the merit rank of the candidate in the NID DAT exam, which will be prepared by considering the performance of the candidate in DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. The weightage carried by the two exams is notified by the National Institute of Design at the time of declaration of final results. Note that in NID DAT 2025, the DAT Prelims will carry 40% weightage, while DAT Mains will carry 60% weightage.

The candidate has to first appear in DAT Prelims, and if shortlisted has to next appear in DAT Mains. The DAT Mains exam for the BDes comprises a Studio Test, but also an interview for the MDes programme.

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Weightage of NID B.Des Final Result

Check the weightage given for Final Result.

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

Weightage of NID M.Des Final Result

Check the weightage for B.Des Final Result.

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

What is NID DAT Rank?

All shortlisted candidates will be allotted a rank. Rank list will be prepared based on the total marks (NID DAT Mains) in NID 2026. For example, Seema, who got 110 marks, is allotted a rank of 3, then 3 will be her NID rank.

Will NID 2026 B.Des Prelims marks taken into consideration for Final Result?

No, NID 2026 B.Des Prelims marks will not be taken into consideration for Final Result because NID Prelims Exam was merely a shortlisting exam this year. It was conducted to shortlist students for the Mains Exam.

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How many NID campuses are there in India?
A: 

The NID DAT exam is conducted for admission to the B.Des and M.Des courses. The B.Des course is currently offered at five campuses - NID Ahmedabad, NID AP, NID Haryana, NID MP, and NID Asaam. The combined intake for the B.Des is 425 seats. Meanwhile, the M.Des programme is offered at following three campuses - NID Ahmedabad, NID Gandhinagar, and NID Bengaluru. The M.Des programme currently has 347 seats.

Q:   What are the various factors that will be considered for preparing NID DAT cut-off?
A: 

Cut-off for NID DAT will be prepared based on factors like total number of applications, seat intake for the applied programme, category under which admission is sought, and merit rank of the applicant in NID DAT 2026. Each of these factors are variables. For example, number of applications may vary from one category to another. Cut-off would also vary. The cut-off represents the minimum marks a candidate needs to secure in his or her category to get admission to the B. Des or M.Des programme.

Q:   When will NID DAT cutoff be released?
A: 

National Institute of Design (NID) will release the NID DAT 2026 admission cut-off for the B.Des and M.Des programmes at the time of seat allotment, around May-June 2026. The cut-off will be released as the rank and score of the last candidate admitted to the M.Des program. 

NID DAT cut-off for the B.Des programme will be released separately.

The cut-off will be released by considering factors like the number of applicants, seat intake, and category. Candidates who meet the cut-off for their category in their chosen programme will get admission.

Q:   Do I need to select campuses as part of NID DAT counseling 2026 for B.Des program?
A: 

Yes, all B.Des candidates who were shortlisted for NID DAT 2026 counselling had to submit their campus preferences within the allotted time. The preferences have to be entered in the order of priority. 

The allotment of seats to the B.Des programme will be based on the campus option selected and merit rank of the candidate in NID DAT 2026 So, one must bear caution when entering their preferences.

NID DAT Minimum Qualifying Criteria for Final Results

The minimum qualifying marks for NID DAT are 

Category Minimum Qualifying Criteria 2026
Open 50%
Gen-EWS 50%
OBC-NCL 45%
SC 40%
ST 40%
PwD 40%
Overseas 50%
 

NID DAT 2026 - Merit Lists

The National Institute of Design releases merit lists separately for DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

  1. Merit list for DAT Mains - This merit list will be prepared by considering NID DAT Prelims 2026 scores. It will be used to shortlist candidates for DAT Mains. This means only such candidates who are included in the list can appear in the DAT Mains.  
  2. Final merit list of NID DAT 2026 - This list will be prepared by considering the merit rank of the candidate in NID DAT 2026 Final results. The NID DAT 2026 seat allotment is to be conducted by considering the final merit list. The merit lists will be released for categories such as General, General-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD.

Also Read:

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What are the design courses offered through NID DAT 2026 exam?
A: 

The NIDs offer a full-time B.Des programme of 4-year duration, and a full-time M.Des programme of two-and-half years duration. 

The institute, in addition, also offers a PhD program. The programme can be pursed full-time or part-time. 

Admission to the design courses at the NID is conducted through a Design Aptitude Test (DAT). The exam comprise DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

The final result or merit list is prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

Q:   Do I need to appear in both NID DAT Prelims and DAT Mains for admission to the NIDs?
A: 

The admission to the NIDs is conducted through a Design Aptitude Test (DAT). The DAT is a two-stage exam.

The candidate has to first appear in DAT Prelims and then, if shortlisted, have to appear in DAT Mains. The final merit list for admission will be prepared by giving weightage to both DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. If a candidate appear in DAT Prelims, but doesn’t appear in DAT Mains, he or she will not be considered for admission. 

Q:   Can Diploma candidates apply for admission to M.Des programme through NID DAT 2026?
A: 

Diploma candidates need to meet the following conditions for admission:

  • Done full-time Diploma of 4-year duration after 10+2
  • Diploma in the following subjects is accepted - Design/ Fine Arts/ Applied Arts/ Architecture.
  • The Diploma must be done from a university or institute recognised by law in India.
Q:   What are the various factors that will be considered for preparing NID 2026 cut-off?
A: 

Cut-off for NID 2026 Entrance exam will be prepared based on factors like total number of applications, seat intake for the applied programme, category under which admission is sought, and merit rank of the applicant in NID DAT 2026. Each of these factors are variables. For example, number of applications may vary from one category to another. Cut-off would also vary. The cut-off represents the minimum marks a candidate needs to secure in his or her category to get admission to the B. Des or M.Des programme.

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Difference between NID DAT Prelims Cut-off and NID DAT Admission Cut-off

The difference between NID DAT Prelims Cut off and NID DAT Admission Cut off is given below.

Particulars NID DAT Prelims Cut-off NID DAT Admission Cutoff 
Purpose 

To shortlist candidates for the 2nd stage of the admission process, which is DAT Mains.

Only shortlisted candidates will be issued admit cards and can sit in the NID DAT Mains exam

The admission cut-off is the minimum Final marks a candidate needs to secure in NID DAT 2026 exam for admission to a B.Des or M.Des course in participating institutes.

Based on Scores of NID DAT Prelims exam.

The final score of NID DAT 2026. The final score will be calculated by giving weightage to marks obtained in DAT Mains only.

Number of candidates shortlisted The number of candidates shortlisted for DAT Mains will be no less than three times the number of seats available in each category.

All candidates meeting the cut-off will be admitted to the M.Des/ B.Des courses.

Also, the number of seats allocated will be equivalent to the number of seats available in each category.   

NID DAT Cutoff 2026

NID B.Des. Admissions 2025-26: Rank & Score for the Last Candidate Allotted a Seat (As on 31 July 2025)

Check out the B.Des Cutoff for 2025 Open, GEN-EW and OBC-NCL.

Campus OPEN Rank OPEN Score GEN-EWS Rank GEN-EWS Score OBC-NCL Rank OBC-NCL Score
NID Ahmedabad 48 59.60 16 50.90 41 53.60
NID Andhra Pradesh 225 53.50 53 45.60 125 48.20
NID Assam 294 51.80 56 45.00 142 47.40
NID Madhya Pradesh 197 54.20 49 45.90 103 49.30
NID Haryana 193 54.30 48 45.90 106 49.00

M.Des. Admissions 2025-26: Rank & Score for the Last Candidate Allotted a Seat (As on 31 July 2025)

Check out the M.Des Cutoff for 2025 for Open and GEN-EWS Category.

Discipline OPEN Rank OPEN Score GEN-EWS Rank GEN-EWS Score
Animation Film Design 12 55.10 NE NE
Ceramic & Glass Design 6 58.10 NA NA
Furniture & Interior Design 10 55.90 2 50.25
Film & Video Communication 10 67.35 2 54.20
Graphic Design 8 62.25 NE NE

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About the Author
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Sayeba Naushad
Assistant Manager

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

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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

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month 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

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10