While admission to the National Institute of Design 2027 participating institutes is based on NID scores, do you know what a good score is to get admission to your dream institute? If not, then this article is for you, as we bring category-wise scores required for admission to NID-participating colleges.
The National Institute of Design conducts the NID DAT entrance exam for admission to the B.Des and M.Des courses offered by participating colleges. To get admission, especially to one of the top NIDs, one needs to secure a good NID DAT 2027 score or merit rank.
But the TRICKY question is what is a good score (or rank)?
It is because what we call a good rank may vary depending on the category of the candidate, as well as the institute applied for admission. So, to cut the confusion, here we bring you the category-wise minimum marks you need to secure to have a chance of admission at each of the NID colleges, i.e., NID DAT 2027 participating institutes.
- NID DAT 2027 Qualifying Marks
- What is the NID DAT 2027 Score?
- NID DAT 2027 - Good Score
- NID DAT Cut-off 2027
- NID B.Des 2027 Rank and Score
- NID M.Des 2025 Rank and Score
NID DAT 2027 Qualifying Marks
The qualifying marks are the minimum marks a candidate needs to secure in their respective category to qualify for the exam. In other words, only such candidates who qualify in the exam will be considered for the NID DAT 2027 seat allotment.
The following are the Qualifying marks for NID Exam. NID 2027 aspirants can have an idea about the 2027 NID DAT Qualifying Marks.
| Categor |
Open |
OBC-NCL |
SC/ST |
PwD |
EWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Marks |
50 |
45 |
40 |
40 |
50 |
Commonly asked questions
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 will be prepared by giving weightage to Mains.
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.
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.
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.
What is the NID DAT 2027 Score?
The NID DAT 2027 scorecard will contain the total score, which will be prepared by giving weightage to the DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. The total score will be used to prepare the merit rank, which will be the basis of the NID DAT 2027 seat allotment.
NID DAT 2027 - Good Score
Listed below are the scores a candidate is expected to secure in order to have a good chance of admission to the B.Des program in one of the top NIDs.
| Category |
Good Score |
|---|---|
| Open |
90+ |
| Gen-EWS |
60+ |
| OBC-NCL |
70+ |
| SC |
65+ |
| ST |
50+ |
| PwD |
50+ |
NID Cutoff for B.Des 2027
The estimated cutoff for NID Ahmedabad, based on estimations, is given below.
| Category | Rank | Estimated Score |
|---|---|---|
| Open | 48 | 59-60 |
| GEN-EWS | 16 | 50 |
| OBC-NCL | 40 | 53 |
| SC | 24 | 51 |
| ST | 11 | 47 |
| PwD | 7 | 40 |
Commonly asked questions
If you qualify for the NID DAT 2027 exam you can appear in the DAT Mains which is the 2nd stage of the two-stage NID admission process.
The DAT Mains exam will include tasks like Model Making, Audio-Visual Exercises, Evolving ideas, Material Manipulation, Importance of body language, Creative thinking, and Doodling. The Studio Test is hands-on test that will be conducted in offline mode.
To prepare for the Studio Test, develop their sketching skills, including line drawing, shadow drawing etc. Practice other stuff mentioned in the syllabus, including doodling, and try to improve their creativity.
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.
The NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT) is a two-step entrance exam. The candidate first appears in DAT Prelims. If shortlisted, the candidate has to next appear in DAT Mains.
Here are some suggested study material for NID DAT:
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
Explore colleges based on NID Entrance Exam
NID DAT Cut-off 2027
NID cut off is the minimum mark a candidate needs to secure in their category to get admission to a participating institute (NID institutes). The cut-off for a participating institute will be prepared by considering a host of parameters, including the following:
- The NID DAT 2027 merit rank of the candidate
- The seat intake in the participating institute
- The category under which admission is sought
- The number of applications received by the participating institute
- Previous years’ cut-off trends.
NID B.Des 2027 Rank and Score
The NID B.Des Admissions 2025-26: Rank and Score of the Last Candidate Allotted a Seat (as on 12 June 2025) are:
1. NID B.Des 2025 Rank and Score for Open and GEN-EWS Rank
|
Campus
|
OPEN | GEN-EWS | OBC-NCL | |||
| Open Rank |
Score | Category Rank |
Score | Category Rank |
Score | |
| NID, Ahmedabad | 47 | 67.28 | 16 | 58.22 | 43 | 57.43 |
| NID, Andhra Pradesh | 587 | 39.78 | 49 | 46.89 | 112 | 48.03 |
| NID, Assam | 371 | 50.32 | 56 | 44.43 | 135 | 43.75 |
| NID, Madhya Pradesh | 202 | 57.39 | 29 | 54.39 | 101 | 50.03 |
| NID, Haryana | 238 | 55.97 | 415 | 48.68 | 389 | 49.75 |
2. NID B.Des 2026 Rank and Score for SC and ST Rank are:
|
Campus
|
SC | ST | ||
| Category Rank |
Score | Category Rank |
Score | |
| NID, Ahmedabad | 26 | 56.82 | 11 | 55.53 |
| NID, Andhra Pradesh | 79 | 38.64 | 35 | 40.32 |
| NID, Assam | 82 | 34.32 | 39 | 38.72 |
| NID, Madhya Pradesh | 54 | 46.14 | 28 | 45.25 |
| NID, Haryana | 546 | 42.72 | 499 | 44.57 |
3. NID B.Des 2026 Rank and Score for PwD Rank are:
|
Campus
|
PwD | |
| PwD Rank |
Score | |
| NID, Ahmedabad | 7 | 54.89 |
| NID, Andhra Pradesh | 28 | 39.78 |
| NID, Assam | NA | NA |
| NID, Madhya Pradesh | 14 | 50.28 |
| NID, Haryana | 578 | 40.5 |
4. NID B.Des 2026 Rank and Score for Overseas Rank are:
|
Campus
|
OVERSEAS | |
| Overseas Rank |
Score | |
| NID, Ahmedabad | 22 | 54.57 |
| NID, Andhra Pradesh | 54 | 43.72 |
| NID, Assam | Not Applicable | |
| NID, Madhya Pradesh | 56 | 43.64 |
| NID, Haryana | 72 | 31.68 |
Also read:
Commonly asked questions
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 correct strategy, then the NID DAT exam can be cracked. Among the first things the candidate needs to do is prepare a efficient study timetable get familiar with the syllabus and pattern, and use good books as reference material.
NID evaluates aspirants based on their knowledge, creativity and aptitude for design. Experts share that NID is one of the most challenging design entrance exams conducted in the country. However, if prepared well, the difficulty level of NID Entrance Exam is medium. On of the main reasons why NID is such a competitive exam is there are very limited number of seats. For instance, there are only 425 seats available for the BDes programme through NID. In contrast, the NIFTs offer 2748 seats.
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.
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.
NID M.Des 2025 Rank and Score
M.Des. Admissions 2026-27: Rank & Score for the Last Candidate Allotted a Seat (As on August 06, 2026). Check out the M.Des Cutoff for 2026 for Open and GEN-EWS Category:
|
Discipline
|
OPEN | GEN-EWS | ||
| Open Rank | Score | Category Rank |
Score | |
| Animation Film Design | 10 | 70.83 | NE | NE |
| Ceramic & Glass Design | 8 | 45.68 | NE | NE |
| Furniture & Interior Design | 18 | 48.18 | NE | NE |
| Film & Video Communication | 11 | 60.85 | NE | NE |
| Graphic Design | 9 | 65.1 | 3 | 52.55 |
| Product Design | 8 | 57.13 | 2 | 51.85 |
| Textile Design | 9 | 70.3 | NE | NE |
| Apparel Design | 14 | 54.7 | 2 | 50.93 |
| Lifestyle Accessory Design | 9 | 74.5 | 1 | 61.3 |
| New Media Design | 13 | 48.88 | NE | NE |
| Photography Design | 15 | 50.63 | NE | NE |
| Strategic Design Management | 8 | 76.28 | 3 | 49.7 |
| Transportation & Automobile Design |
12 | 56.75 | 2 | 51.88 |
| Toy & Game Design | 5 | 65.55 | NA | NA |
| Digital Game Design | 8 | 59.53 | 2 | 53.6 |
| Design For Retail Experience | 10 | 76.3 | 2 | 50.75 |
| Information Design | 11 | 61.88 | 2 | 53.28 |
| Interaction Design | 11 | 67.78 | 2 | 49.23 |
| Universal Design | 19 | 45.25 | NE | NE |
M.Des. Admissions 2026-27: Rank & Score for the Last Candidate Allotted a Seat (As on August 06, 2026)
Check out the M.Des Cutoff for 2026 for Open and OBC-NCL, SC and ST:
|
Discipline
|
OBC-NCL | SC | ST | |||
| Category Rank |
Score | Category Rank |
Score | Category Rank |
Score | |
| Animation Film Design | 6 | 60.4 | 4 | 52 | 2 | 57.1 |
| Ceramic & Glass Design | 3 | 40.75 | 1 | 43 | NE | NE |
| Furniture & Interior Design | 6 | 42.23 | 2 | 44.6 | 2 | 42.75 |
| Film & Video Communication | 9 | 42.68 | 6 | 44.33 | 1 | 55.48 |
| Graphic Design | 9 | 41.15 | 5 | 53.58 | 1 | 60.28 |
| Product Design | 7 | 43.6 | 5 | 51.1 | 1 | 44.8 |
| Textile Design | 9 | 51.68 | 3 | 38 | 1 | 56.53 |
| Apparel Design | 13 | 44.6 | 9 | 36.45 | 2 | 39.98 |
| Lifestyle Accessory Design | 9 | 44.83 | 3 | 71.13 | NA | NA |
| New Media Design | 5 | 40.03 | 3 | 45.53 | NA | NA |
| Photography Design | 5 | 43.9 | NE | NE | NE | NE |
| Strategic Design Management | 14 | 44.3 | 4 | 46.3 | 1 | 72.65 |
| Transportation & Automobile Design |
4 | 40.58 | 4 | 37.55 | 1 | 55.75 |
| Toy & Game Design | 3 | 43.4 | 3 | 49.58 | 1 | 52.5 |
| Digital Game Design | 6 | 43.13 | 3 | 35.65 | NE | NE |
| Design For Retail Experience | 6 | 62.88 | 5 | 63.53 | 1 | 72.38 |
| Information Design | 10 | 44.53 | 4 | 44.68 | 1 | 58.98 |
| Interaction Design | 8 | 44.13 | 3 | 58.58 | 1 | 53.8 |
| Universal Design | 7 | 40.33 | 6 | 36.88 | 1 | 42.08 |
Also Read:

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Student Forum
Answered 4 days ago
UCEED and NID DAT test different skills. Students should compare the exam patterns with their own strengths.
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