NID Entrance Exam 2026: Last minute Tips & Important Documents to carry for DAT
National Institute of Design Entrance Exam 2026 ( NID Entrance Exam )
Result - 17 Feb '26
The NID DAT 2026 Exam for UG and PG will be held tomorrow. NID Entrance Exam is held in two stages: NID DAT Prelims and NID DAT Mains. Check out the list of important documents and last-minute preparation tips for the NID DAT exam.
NID DAT Preps
NID Design Aptitude Test (Prelims) 2026 for Master of Design (MDes) and Bachelor of Design (BDes) courses is to be conducted on December 21, 2025. NID DAT 2026 exam is expected to be conducted across 17 cities in India. NID DAT (Prelims) is a three-hour test and the first stage of the two-stage NID entrance exam.
NID DAT Admit card was out on December 11, 2025 for B.Des and M.Des for Prelims Exam.
On the day of the exam, the candidate must bring the NID DAT admit card 2026 and a photo ID proof. Check the list of exam-day guidelines for NID DAT 2026. Candidates should keep in mind that latecomers will not be allowed inside the NID DAT 2026 exam center. The reporting time for the NID DAT design exam will be around 8:00 AM and the gate closing time for the NID entrance exam will be 9:30 AM. Aspirants will not be allowed to enter the NID exam centre 30 minutes after the Design Aptitude Test (DAT) starts. Candidates who qualify NID DAT (Prelims), which is a written exam, have to appear in NID DAT (Mains), which comprises a Studio Test and Interview round.
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- NID DAT 2026: Important Exam Day Documents
- NID Entrance Exam 2026: Last-Minute Tips
- NID DAT 2026 Last-minute Tips: Exam-day Dos and Don’ts
NID DAT 2026: Important Exam Day Documents
The NID DAT 2026 Studio Test and Interview for the M.Des program will be conducted from in the first week of March 2026. Candidates will be shortlisted for DAT Mains on the basis of their performance in DAT Prelims.
The Studio Test and Interview will be conducted programme-wise from. Candidates who have qualified DAT prelims are eligible to appear in DAT Mains, which comprise a Studio Test and Interview for the M.Des programme. The Studio Test is usually conducted from 9 am - 12 noon. The Interview will be conducted after the completion of the studio test.
The National Institute of Design will release schedule for NID DAT 2026 counseling on its admission portal soon after DAT Mains results are declared.
Eligible candidates seeking admission to the B.Des program has to submit campus preferences.
The 1st round of seat allotment for B.Des program will be announed around the last week of May 2026. Note that the seat allotment for the M.Des program will be announced in April 2026.
The counseling process will be conducted online and include one or more seat allotment rounds.
NID counseling notification will include information like the mode of the counseling, application process, fees, etc. The candidate needs to carefully go through the notification to learn about the process. The NID counseling will be conducted for admission to the B. Des and M.Des courses. For the current session, there ate 425 B. Des seats, and 247 M.Des seats.
Candidates can go through the list of important documents that they need to positively carry to the allotted test center on the day of NID Entrance Exam 2026.
1. NID DAT 2026 Admit Card: Candidates need to download their admit card from the official website of the NID entrance exam 2026. Further, they need to carry a clear printout of their valid admit card to the test center.
Aspirants are informed that they will not be allowed to appear for NID DAT 2026 if they are not carrying their valid NID DAT admit card to their exam centre. The admit card for NID Entrance Exam comprises information such as the candidate’s name, roll number, and exam centre details. Apart from this, the admit card for NID DAT also mentions the items that candidates can and cannot carry to the exam center.
The admit card for the NID exam will be separately verified as well as signed by the invigilator during the exam. The invigilator will then detach the lower part (Part B) of the admit card and hand over the upper part (Part A) to the candidate.
2. Photo ID Proof: Aspirants need to carry a valid and original photo ID proof to the exam centre. In the absence of such a document, the candidate can bring another copy of their NID DAT admit card (Part A and Part B), attested by the Principal of their current school/college or a gazetted officer. Any candidate not carrying either of the documents (ID proof or attested admit card) will not be allowed to sit for the exam.
The photo ID can be anyone from the list mentioned below:
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- Student ID card issued by the current school/college
- Passport
- Driving License
- Adhaar Card
- Voter ID Card
- PAN Card
For admission to the BDes course, students need to fulfil the minimum eligibility criteria in the first place. Candidates must sit and appear for DAT entrance exam to get admission for BDes course at National Institute of Design, Bhopal . Apart from this, the total tuition fee for the BDes course ranges between INR 1.1 lakh-INR 10.9 lakh.
The Studio Test and Personal Interview for the M.Des programme will be conducted sometime starting March 2026. Candidates will be shortlisted for the Studio Test and Interview based on their performance in DAT Prelims. The Studio Test will be conducted in offline mode at various NID campuses. Eligible candidates have to get registered at the test centre. The Studio Test will start at around 9 am, followed by the Interview. It is mandatory for candidates to appear in both the Studio Test and the Interview. If any candidate skips the interview, he or she will not be considered for admission to the B.Des or M.Des course.
Candidates who get shortlisted based on their DAT Prelims scores for the M.Des programme has to next appear in DAT Mains, which comprises a Studio Test and Interview. The Personal Interview is conducted after the Studio Test and carries a weightage of 30%. The interview will be conducted by a panel, which may include experts from industries/academics. The purpose of the interview is to assess the general awareness, extracurricular activities, academics, and the field of interest of the candidate. It is mandatory for candidates to appear in the Personal Interview or else the candidate will not be included in the final merit list.
The National Institute of Design (NID) has released the schedule for NID DAT 2024 (Mains).
3. Stationery: Aspirants need to bring their own stationery to use in the NID Entrance Exam 2026. Some of the items they need to carry to their NID exam centre are mentioned below:
- Black ball point pen (to mark the answers in the OMR sheet)
- Lead pencils (of varying grades)
- Dry colours (such as oil pastels/colour pencils/sketch pens, etc)
- Eraser
- Sharpeners
- Ruler
Other items: Candidates can also carry a personal transparent hand sanitizer bottle and a personal transparent water bottle inside the test.
Aspirants will not be allowed to carry items such as a handbag, purse, notes, books, and electronic devices such as a calculator, mobile phone, or digital watch inside the exam hall. If any aspirant is found to be carrying any such device he/she will be asked to leave the test centre without completing his/her exam.
NID Entrance Exam 2026: Last-Minute Tips
The NID Entrance Exam 2026 question paper will comprise questions that will determine the knowledge level, comprehension capability, analysis, reasoning ability, problem-solving skills and creativity of an aspirant. To fare well in the NID Entrance Exam 2026, Shiksha lists some helpful tips that can help candidates ace NID DAT Prelims.
- Manage Time: NID Entrance Exam pattern is such that the test paper will be divided into two sections – Section A and Section B. The first section would contain multiple choice objective type questions and the latter would comprise subjective type questions. Since NID DAT Prelims comprises subjective questions as well, so, candidates need to manage time well so that they get sufficient time to analyze and solve such questions. Aspirants are also advised to read every question as well as the instructions mentioned in the NID Entrance Exam with utmost care. Apart from this, one should see the marks allotted to each question and invest time in solving that specific question accordingly.
Also Read: NID DAT Previous Year Question Papers (2025-2016); Download Free PYQ PDFs
- Practice Sketching: The marking scheme and pattern for the NID Entrance Exam is such that the subjective questions in the exam hold a weightage of 70 marks. Thus, aspirants are advised to practice basic drawing concepts, which will help them in designing problem-solving questions.
- Solve Sample Questions: Practice as many sample papers, mock tests, and NID Entrance Exam question papers. This will equip candidates to smartly solve the test paper of NID exam. Such an initiative will also help aspirants in formulating a strategy regarding how they want to go about solving the NID DAT paper on the exam day.
- Allocate time for each question - It is important that you allocate time for the questions in the NID DAT 2026 question paper. For this to happen, you need to ensure that you don't spend a lion's share of the total time on a few questions. Remember, unless and until you manage to answer a majority of the questions, you won't be able to get a good score on the exam. So, the moment you get the question paper and answer sheet, think about time management and how to solve each question as quickly as possible.
- Keep updated with current affairs - The question paper will include current affairs-based questions. So, you need to be ready for these questions. Note that since there are no equations that you need to solve to answer these questions, you can score pretty good marks if you know the answer. Also, these questions will take very little time - after all, you know the answer or you don't.
- Be patient and calm during the exam - At first glance, the NID DAT question may appear daunting. If that is the case, take a deep breath and start with the easy questions. Don't think too far ahead. Just take a few baby steps. This way you can beat expectations. But if you, instead, panic, it might mean you missing out on even the sure-shot answers.
NID DAT 2026 Last-minute Tips: Exam-day Dos and Don’ts
The dos and don’ts that candidates must follow at NID DAT 2026 exam center are given below:
| Dos |
Don'ts |
|---|---|
| Bring a printout of the NID DAT 2026 Admit Card |
Electronic Items, including, mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, and calculators are not allowed inside the exam hall. |
| Carry a photo ID proof in the original. Photocopies will not be accepted. The list of acceptable IDs is given below.
|
Don’t Carry Bags or Purses |
| Reach the exam center on time. |
Bags, purses, and clutches are prohibited |
| The NID DAT 2026 exam center reporting time will be mentioned on the admit card. |
Don’t wear unnecessary jewelry, including rings, bracelets, etc. |
| Dress sensibly. |
Take your seat immediately after entering the exam hall. |
| Do Follow the Dress Code |
Don’t leave your seat during the exam |
| Adhere to the dress code and wear simple, comfortable clothing. |
Don’t gossip or disturb other candidates during the exam. |
| Carry the stationery required to attempt the exam:
|
Do interact with other candidates during the exam. |
| Carry two passport-size photos, a transparent water bottle, and sanitizer. |
Don’t cheat or use unfair means. |
| Read the instructions carefully before attempting the exam |
Don’t scribble on the DAT Prelims admit card or asnwer sheet |
| Follow all instructions on the admit card and given by the invigilator |
Don’t enter the exam hall late |
| Use the Washroom Before the Exam |
No candidate will be allowed inside the exam hall once the exam has commenced. |
| Carefully fill in all the particulars in the OMR sheet |
Don’t disregard instructions given by exam officials. |
| Mark answers clearly and accurately on the OMR sheet. |
Don’t cheat or indulge in malpractice of any kind. |
| Crosscheck the answers if you have time. |
Don’t waste time. Try to complete the paper within the given time. |
| Do Check Your Answers |
Don’t misbehave with exam officials |
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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 a month ago
NID 2026 Application correction Window for B.Des and M.Des was open from December 02, 2025 to December 04, 2025.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The result for NID DAT Prelims 2026 will be announced on April 07, 2026 around 4 PM.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The details that cannot be modified in NID DAT 2026 Application window are programs applied, name of the candidate, date of birth, registered mobile number and registered email address.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
NID DAT 2026 Application edit window was open from December 02, 2025 to December 04, 2025.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The last date to fill the application form for NID DAT 2026 for B.Des and M.Des programme was December 01, 2025. The registration forms were available online.
S
Contributor-Level 10
NID DAT 2026 (Mains) exam for the B. Des programme will be held in the last week of April 2026. The timings for the DAT Mains exam will be mentioned in the NID DAT 2026 admit card. Candidates need to reach the DAT Mains exam centre as per the timings given in the admit card.