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 )
Exam On - 8 Mar '26
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 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 open for B.Des and M.Des programmes from September 11, 2026. The last date to submit the application form for NID DAT is December 1, 2025. Application will close at 11:59 PM on December 01, 2025.
- 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?
- 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
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.
What is NID DAT Marks or Score?
Marks obtained by a candidate in the NID DAT 2026 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.
Exam Pattern 2026 - DAT Prelims
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 |
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.
Weightage of NID B.Des 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
| NID DAT Mains Test (M.Des) | Weightage |
|---|---|
| Studio Test | 40% |
| Personal Interview | 60% |
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.
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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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 Prelims + 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.
NID DAT Minimum Qualifying Criteria for Final Results
The minimum qualifying marks for NID DAT are
| Category | Minimum Qualifying Criteria 2026 (expected) |
|---|---|
| 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 will release merit lists separately for DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.
- 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.
- 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 expected 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.
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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 Prelims and DAT Mains. |
| 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 Cutoff
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 |
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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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 5 days ago
If there were any clashes of the interview dates with the college/ university exam, then candidates could inform the NID before February 23, 2026. Candidates needed to attach a copy of the timetable attested by the principal and a letter from the principal confirming that the examination dates clash
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
NID will not release any Answer Key for B.Des or M.Des programme. It opens a rechecking window with the result.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, NID has a rechecking Window for the NID Result. This window will check whether all answers are checked or not, and whether the total is correct.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
NID will release the result for B.Des on April 07, 2026. The result be released on the website of NID.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
NID Studio Test for M.Des carries 40% of wieghtage and Interview carries 60% wieghtage. More emphasis is given on the interview by NID.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
No, there is no negative marking in the NID Studio Test. Candidates will be evaluated based on their thinking and creative skills. Studio Test will carry 40% of the total Marks for the NID Mains Exam.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, NID Studio Exam is a bit tough because it will check your creativity and imagination. You can learn some formulas here and apply them to get the answer. The main objective is to evaluate technical skills and critical thinking skills. So, it is said to be a bit tough.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
It is not at all necessary to take coaching to get a good rank in NID Entrance Exam. It is because the entrance exam will test creative, drawing, and innovative skills of the candidate. Now, a coaching institute can't teach you to be creative or become innovative. But you can take coaching classes f
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
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 B.Des
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
NID DAT, along with NIFT and UCEED are among the most competitive national-level entrance exams in the country. The fact that there are only 425 seats for the B. Des and 347 seats for the M.Des programme makes it very competitive. But that being said, if the candidate prepares well and with the corr
S
Contributor-Level 10
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.