NID DAT Merit List 2026 - Release date, Shortlisting, Seat Allotment

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

Sayeba
Sayeba Naushad
Assistant Manager
Updated on Jun 25, 2026 17:27 IST
NID DAT Merit List 2026 for the DAT Prelims will be released at the time of declaration of exam results for DAT Prelims. Candidates who are included in the merit list can appear in DAT Mains. The final merit list will be prepared based on DAT Prelims and DAT Mains; the weightage for the two exams will be announced shortly.

The merit list is prepared based on the performance of the candidate in NID DAT Mains. The NID DAT 2026 merit list is used to shortlist candidates for counselling and seat allotment. Check more about this in detail.

The National Institute of Design (NID) has released the merit list of NID DAT 2026. The final results for the B.Des program was declared on April 23, 2026. Meanwhile, results for the M.Des program were announced on May 26, 2026. Candidates who are included in the merit list are eligible to participate in the NID DAT 2026 counselling and admission process. Only such candidates who have appeared in both NID DAT Prelims and DAT Mains will be included in the NID DAT 2026 merit list. The merit list will be category-specific.  

Table of contents
  • Preparation of NID DAT 2026 Merit list
  • Types of NID DAT 2026 Merit Lists
  • Declaration of NID DAT 2026 results
  • NID DAT 2026 Counseling

Preparation of NID DAT 2026 Merit list

The merit list for NID DAT 2026 is prepared by giving weightage to DAT Mains. The weightage for NID DAT Final Result is given below:

Exam Component

NID DAT Studio Sensitivity Test

In-person Sensitivity Test

Weightage

60%

40%

Weightage for the NID DAT 2026 Final Results - M.Des Program  

Final Result for M.Des will be prepared on the basis of NID DAT Studio Test and InterviewNo weighatge is given to NID DAT Prelims. It is just a qualifying exam for NID Mains. Only those candidates will get NID DAT Final Result who have given the NID DAT Mains exam. The weightage for NID DAT Final Result is given below:


Exam Component

DAT Mains

Studio Test

Personal Interview

Weightage

40%

60%

Also read:

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How can I improve my sketching skills for NID DAT?
A: 

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.

Q:   How much time is needed to prepare for the NID DAT exam?
A: 

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. 

Q:   How to secure admission at NID?
A: 

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. 

Q:   How to prepare for the NID DAT Prelims?
A: 

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.

Types of NID DAT 2026 Merit Lists

There will be two merit lists for NID DAT 2026.

  • DAT Prelims merit list - This merit list will be prepared based on the scores of the candidate in the DAT Prelims exam. Candidates included in this merit list will be eligible to appear in DAT Mains. But note that DAT Prelims merit list will not be considered for counselling and seat allotment.
  • Final merit list - The final merit list will be prepared based on the performance of the candidate in DAT Mains. Consequently, if a candidate fails to appear in DAT Mains, he or she will not be included in the final merit list. The allotment of seats to B.Des and M.Des courses will be based on the respective merit lists. 

Both the DAT Prelims and Final Merit lists will be prepared category-wise - General, General-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, and Overseas.

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Declaration of NID DAT 2026 results

NID B.Des 2026 Final Result was released on May 26, 2026. The scorecard was declared online on the website of NID. Along with the result, the NID B.Des rechecking window and campus preference window also opened. It was open till May 28, 2026.

How to check NID DAT Result 2026?

The steps to check NID DAT 2026 results are given below.

  1. Click on the NID DAT result link
  2. In the log-in window that opens, enter the following details: Email id and Date of Birth
  3. On login, the DAT Prelims/ Mains results will be displayed on the screen.
  4. Download and print the result.
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How to prepare for NID admissions?
A: 

Candidates are advised to be thorough in their preparation when they plan to appear for NID DAT. Being regular in studies is a must when appearing for NID Entrance Exam. NID Prelims comprises both objective and subjective questions. NID Entrance Exam preparation plan that candidates can follow includes.

  • Know the NID exam pattern and marking scheme well
  • Get well-versed with the NID that syllabus
  • Prepare a time-table and strictly adhere to it
  • Attempt NID previous year question papers
  • Solve NID sample papers and mock tests
  • Keep revising.
Q:   How can I prepare for the NID DAT Interview?
A: 

The Personal Interview is an component of the NID admission process as it carries around 30 percentage weightage. Candidates who are shortlisted for that Mains has to appear in the Personal Interview along with the Studio Test. Here are some of the important tips to prepare for the interview. Read up on the Fashion Industry don't given one liner answers. You can elaborate a bit without being verbose. The first impression does make a difference, so take note. Don't try to mislead and waste time of the interviewer. This way you have more to lose than gain. If you have made a list of commonly asked questions and prepared for them, you might be at an advantage. Improve your communication skills. Get creative Measure your words carefully. Carry a positive body language.

Q:   What was the difficulty level of NID DAT 2023 (Prelims)?
A: 

As per inputs given by candidates, difficulty level of Part A was moderate and Part B was moderate. Overall, the paper was easy compared to the previous edition. Part A of the question paper includes a number of questions from GK. As for some students, the paper was lengthy. The question paper included one question on perspective drawing, one question on the storyboard, and one question on problem-solving. Considering that the paper was easy compared to the previous year, the cut-off could go higher. Note that if the cut-off goes higher, the candidates will get need better marks to have a good chance of admission.

Q:   Can I ask for re-evaluation of DAT Prelims?
A: 
The candidate is allowed to request re-check of their NID that Prelims. Requests for re-check have to be submitted online through the official website admissions. Nid. Edu. Note that the rechecking is restricted to: Whether all the answers have been marked. Whether there has been any mistake in the totaling of marks for each question in Part II of answer booklet and transferring the marks correctly onto the first cover page of the answer booklet NID officials will not entertain re-evaluation of the answer script or other work done by the candidate as part of the examination.

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NID DAT 2026 Counseling

Candidates who are included in the final merit list can participate in the counselling process. NID DAT Counselling for B.Des and M.Des involves the Declaration of NID BDes/M.Des Mains result, NID counselling registration, Submission of campus preference dates, Seat allotment, payment of token fees, and uploading of documents, Provisional offer letter, Payment of remaining semester fees and uploading of documents and NID seat allotment.

The allotment of seats will be made based on the merit rank of the candidate in NID DAT 2026. Candidates who are allotted seats will have to pay the token fees and upload relevant documents to confirm their seats.

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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 week ago

Both institutions offer the BDes course but with completely different admission processes. IIT Indore accepts admission based on the UCEED entrance exam, while BITS Pilani considers the NID Entrance exam/ BITSAT exam result. 

See the table below to compare both insttutions on different factors: 

InstitutionNIRF RankingTuition Fee
BITS Pilani11₹ 30.8L
IIT Indore12₹ 8.5L

 

N

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months 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 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

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10