NID Preparation Books 2026 (B.des/M.des): Study Material, Recommended Books for DAT Prelims & Mains
National Institute of Design Entrance Exam 2026 ( NID Entrance Exam )
Registration - 11 Sep '25 - 1 Dec '25
To prepare well and have a good crack at the exam, refer to the best study material available. There are multiple benefits of using good books as reference material, as they will contain few to no errors, contain problem sets, and be as with the official syllabus.
NID DAT Books
The National Institute of Design (NID) is expected to conduct the NID DAT 2026 prelims exam in the first week of January 2026. The NID DAT application form 2026 will be out in the first week of September 2025. When preparing for the exam, ensure that the reference material is top-class. If the NID DAT preparation books are good, it can increase your chances of getting a good score in the exam. That being said, you must also know how to prepare for the exam using these books.
In this article, we bring you the best books to prepare for NID DAT. So, if you want to ace the exam, you need to pull up your socks. The NID admission is a two-step process. Candidates first appear in the DAT Prelims. The scores of Prelims are used to shortlist candidates for the NID DAT Mains, which is a studio test round.
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- Update on NID DAT 2025 exam
- Recommended Books to prepare for NID DAT
- Books to prepare for NID DAT Prelims (Aptitude Test)
Update on NID DAT 2025 exam
The National Institute of Design (NID) will conduct the NID DAT 2026 exam in two stages - DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. The DAT Prelims exam will be used to shortlist candidates for the DAT Mains. The final result of NID DAT 2026 will be prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. On the day of the DAT Prelims exam, you must bring along the NID DAT 2026 admit card and an ID proof. Also, report to the NID DAT 2026 exam center per the reporting time mentioned in the admit card. Latecomers will not be allowed inside the exam venue. Go through the NID DAT 2026 exam guidelines to learn the basic etiquette on exam day.
It is not at all necessary to take coaching to get a good rank in NID DAT. It is because the entrance exam will test the creative, drawing, and innovative skills of the candidate. Now, a coaching institute can’t teach you to be creative or become innovative; instead, with a little effort these skills can learn these skills.
Yes, there are a multitude of benefits of solving previous years’ question papers and sample papers. For one, they will help the candidate get an idea of the types of questions asked, difficulty level, weightage, etc. This exercise of solving a sample paper is a must for NID candidates. Past years’ question papers for the NID entrance exam also help candidates in identifying important topics, resulting in aspirants securing higher marks in this design entrance test.
Recommended Books to prepare for NID DAT
Given below are some books recommended by Toppers and experts to prepare for the NID DAT exam. Check them out!
1. Arihant's Ultimate Guide for NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam
One can easily get Arihant's ultimate guide for NID preparation online from Amazon/Flipkart or a nearby bookshop. The ultimate guide for NIFT/NID/IIFT by Arihant covers the syllabus of almost all colleges and institutions that offer Bachelor's and Master's degrees in fashion design.
2. NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam Guide by RPH Editorial Board
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NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam Guide by RPH Editorial Board contains NID Sample Papers so that you can understand exam patterns and the type of questions posed in the examination.
3. Origami Design Secrets: Mathematical Methods for an Ancient Art - Robert J. Lang for NID Preparation
Origami Design Secrets has ideas of various origami and how original origami designs are made, including step-by-step guidance for 26 designs. This is also helpful for the NID studio test.
4. Design Drawing – Francis D. K. Ching
This book is best for understanding fundamental cognitive mechanisms that create visual perception and language that can improve your creative imagination with important points of drawing, including line, form, tone, and space.
Also Check:
5. NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam Guide by D Mittal
Along with English, Quantitative Ability, Analytical and Logical Ability, and Creative Ability, this book also contains the last three years solved Papers of the NID exam to help aspirants get an insight into the NID pattern and the types of questions asked.
6. NIFT/NID (Admission Test) Previous Years' Papers (Solved) by R Gupta
NID 2025 aspirants can improve their problem-solving skills, speed, and accuracy by reading and practicing this book. One can buy the NIFT/NID (Admission Test) Previous Years' Papers (Solved) by R Gupta online from Amazon/Flipkart.
Aspirants can go through the NID entrance exam preparation articles and sample questions below:
| NID DAT Preparation 2026: Subject-wise Books, Learn Drawing & Improve Creativity and Aptitude | |
| How to prepare for NID Studio Test 2026 |
Books to prepare for NID DAT Prelims (Aptitude Test)
Apart from above mention books, check the given book list, particularly for the NID DAT Prelims exam:
- Quantitative Aptitude - Physics and Maths syllabus up to Class 10.
- Logical Reasoning - Step-by-Step Verbal Reasoning by Philip Kay, How to Pass Diagrammatic Reasoning Test by Mike Bryon.
- GK and Current Affairs - Read newspapers daily for current affairs. For static GK, read any good GK book for NID.
- English - The Ultimate Guide for NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam by Arihant
Read more:
News & Updates
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 months ago
Candidates will be able to apply online by registering on the official portal, filling out the form, uploading documents, and paying the application fee. The registration process will start after the release of the NID DAT 2026 official notification. National Institute of Design is out now.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The NID DAT 2026 notification will provide information about eligibility, application process, fees, exam dates, exam pattern, and selection process. The notification provides details of seat capacity at each NID campus for both B.Des and M.Des.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
NID DAT 2026 notifications will be available on the official website of NID at admissions.nid.edu. Official notification of the NID entrance exam is all set to be out by the first week of September 2025. The notifications will be out for UG and PG programmes.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
National Institute of Design is expected to release the NID DAT 2026 Applications by the first week of September 2025 for B.Des and M.Des programmes. The registration for NID DAT 2026 will be on the official website of NID. Candidates can fill out the application form by registering, filling in info
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
NID notification for 2026 has been released now. The official notification and applications are out on the official website of the NID and will contain details about the NID entrance examination.
The NID notifications will include:
General Information
Important Dates
Intake Capacity at Individual NIDs
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
One can follow these tips for NID 2026 preparations:
- Know your NID Syllabus.
- Understand the exam pattern of NID DAT.
- Make the NID DAT 2026 preparation plan.
- Books to refer.
- Practice till you are perfect using mock tests and previous year's papers.
- NID DAT Exam Day Strategy.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
In general, the average salary after passing from NID is between 8-12 lakhs. It can also range between 17 and 50 lakhs, depending on the recruiter and the performance of the student.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, there are placements in NID campuses. NID has separate Placement cells for the placement process. Placement in NID completely depends on the performance of the student during the selection interview. Some of the top recruiters of NID are:
- Malabar Gold & Diamonds
- J.P.Morgan
- Tcs
- The Asian Heritage F
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
NID students can get job opportunities in graphic designing, UX designing, animation, fashion communication, furniture designer, fashion consultant, Textile designer, web designer, product designer, film and video communication and much more.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
NID Ahmedabad has a good record of placements. NID Ahmedabad consistently leads in placement outcomes among NID campuses. In 2025, the average package was around ?21.3 LPA and the highest package was around ?30 LPA. The Total offers made were 620.
S
Contributor-Level 10
If the candidate prepares well and with the correct strategy, then the NID DAT exam can be cracked. Among the first things the candidate needs to do is prepare a practical study timetable, get familiar with the syllabus and pattern, and get the book combination right.
When studying, make it a habit to take notes and also solve all the problems given at the end of the chapter or book. Next, solve sample papers and question papers. Finally, closer to the exam, take mock tests to put the final touches on your preparation.