What is a Good Score in NID Prelims?
National Institute of Design Entrance Exam 2026 ( NID Entrance Exam )
Exam On - 21 Mar '26 - 1 Apr '26
NID Prelims marks are used to shortlist students for the NID Mains Exam. The Mains exam comprise of NID Studio Test and Interview. Check out this article how much you should score to clear your NID DAT Prelims and move to the next stage.
NID Good Score for Prelims
NID Prelims Marks are required to get shortlisted for the second phase of the NID DAT Admissions. NID Mains is conducted for only those students who have cleared the NID Prelims Exam. NID Prelims Marks has no wieghatge in the NID Final Result. It is conducted only as a qualifying exam. NID Prelims marks are used to shortlist candidates for the 2nd stage of the NID admission process. National Institute of Design issues the NID DAT Admit card to the shortlisted candidates.
- What is a good NID DAT Prelims Score?
- Factors on which NID Prelims Score Depends
- Good NID DAT 2026 Score for Prelims
- NID DAT Cut-off 2026
- NID B.Des 2025 Rank and Score for Open Rank
- NID B.Des 2025 Rank and Score for GEN-EWS Rank
- NID B.Des 2025 Rank and Score for OBC-NCL Rank
- NID B.Des 2025 Rank and Score for SC Rank
- NID B.Des 2025 Rank and Score for ST Rank
- NID B.Des 2025 Rank and Score for PwD Rank
- NID B.Des 2025 Rank and Score for Overseas Rank
What is a good NID DAT Prelims Score?
A good NID DAT Prelims Score is what a candidates hould score to clear the NID Prelims Exam and get entry into the NID DAT Mains Exam. The NID Good score is different for different categories. It is higher for the General Category and lower for the other categories. It depends on many factors like the number of questions, Negative marking, Marking scheme, etc.
Commonly asked questions
Minimum qualifying criteria for NID DAT are the minimum marks candidate needs to secure for admission. Category-wise cut-off would be released at the time of counseling and seat allotment. Cut-off would be prepared by considering factors: total number of applicants, merit ranks of applicants in NID DAT, seat intake of applied programme, etc.
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.
The various components of the NID fee structure for the B.Des and M.Des programme inlcudes components like tuition fees, insurance fees, student activity fund, film club fees, and alumni fees. The tuition fees have the highest contribution to the overall fees.
Factors on which NID Prelims Score Depends
The factors on which NID DAT Prelims Score depends are:
- Number of Questions Attempted: NID Prelims Score depends on how many questions a candidate attempts. If he is attempting more questions, then he is likely to get more marks, provided he is giving the right answers.
- Difficulty level of NID DAT Question Paper: If the paper is difficult, then the candidate will not score high. But if the question paper is easy, then he will score more.
- Negative Marking of the NID Paper: If there is negative marking, then the candidate will score fewer marks in the NID DAT Prelims Exam, but if he attempts all the question correctlly or there is no negative marking, then he will score more.
- 1.5x Shortlisting Rule of NID DAT: NID DAT will shortlist only 1.5 x the number of seats. If there are more seats, then more candidates will be shortlisted.
Good NID DAT 2026 Score for Prelims
Check out the expected score for NID B.Des Prelims 2026. Candidates are expected to expect marks around this.
| Category | Marks Expected for Prelims | Shortlisting for NID DAT Mains |
|---|---|---|
| General | 60 - 65 | 1.5 x Total no of seats |
| EwS | 65- 60 | 1.5 x Total no of seats |
| OBC-NCL | 58 - 63 | 1.5 x Total no of seats |
| SC | 45 - 52 | 1.5 x Total no of seats |
| ST | 40 - 46 | 1.5 x Total no of seats |
| PwD | 40- 46 | 1.5 x Total no of seats |
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
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 programme will be released separately.
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.
It is not mandatory 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 cannot exactly teach you to be creative or become innovative. Instead, with a little effort these skills can learn these skills yourself. Also, a major thrust of the design aptitude test is to evaluate the drawing skills of the candidate. So, make it a point to work on your design skills, including learning how to draw lines, shadow, figure, gesture, cartoon drawing, etc. When practicing drawing, also keep a tab on the drawing speed, as it will help you complete the paper in the allotted time.
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
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NID DAT Cut-off 2026
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 2026 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 2025 Rank and Score for Open Rank
The score for NID B.Des for Open rank is given below.
| Campus | Open Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| NID Ahmedabad | 48 | 59.60 |
| NID Andhra Pradesh | 200 | 54.10 |
| NID Assam | 247 | 53.00 |
| NID Madhya Pradesh | 166 | 55.00 |
| NID Haryana | 193 | 54.30 |
NID B.Des 2025 Rank and Score for GEN-EWS Rank
The score for NID B.Des for Gen EWS rank is given below.
| Campus | GEN-EWS Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| NID Ahmedabad | 16 | 50.90 |
| NID Andhra Pradesh | 20 | 50.40 |
| NID Assam | NE | NE |
| NID Madhya Pradesh | 17 | 50.80 |
| NID Haryana | 21 | 50.30 |
NID B.Des 2025 Rank and Score for OBC-NCL Rank
The score for NID B.Des for OBC-NCL rank is given below.
| Campus | OBC-NCL Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| NID Ahmedabad | 40 | 53.70 |
| NID Andhra Pradesh | 119 | 48.50 |
| NID Assam | 130 | 47.90 |
| NID Madhya Pradesh | 102 | 49.30 |
| NID Haryana | 100 | 49.40 |
NID B.Des 2025 Rank and Score for SC Rank
The score for NID B.Des for SC rank is given below.
| Campus | SC Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| NID Ahmedabad | 24 | 51.70 |
| NID Andhra Pradesh | 66 | 45.60 |
| NID Assam | 74 | 44.80 |
| NID Madhya Pradesh | 44 | 48.20 |
| NID Haryana | 56 | 46.60 |
NID B.Des 2025 Rank and Score for ST Rank
The score for NID B.Des for ST rank is given below.
| Campus | ST Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| NID Ahmedabad | 11 | 47.80 |
| NID Andhra Pradesh | 27 | 42.50 |
| NID Assam | 39 | 40.20 |
| NID Madhya Pradesh | 22 | 43.50 |
| NID Haryana | 29 | 42.20 |
NID B.Des 2025 Rank and Score for PwD Rank
The score for NID B.Des for PwD rank is given below.
| Campus | PwD Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| NID Ahmedabad | 7 | 40.60 |
| NID Andhra Pradesh | NE | NE |
| NID Assam | NE | NE |
| NID Madhya Pradesh | NE | NE |
| NID Haryana | 9 | 40.00 |
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NID B.Des 2025 Rank and Score for Overseas Rank
The score for NID B.Des for Overseas rank is given below.
| Campus | Overseas Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| NID Ahmedabad | 10 | 52.50 |
| NID Andhra Pradesh | NE | NE |
| NID Assam | NE | NE |
| NID Madhya Pradesh | NE | NE |
| NID Haryana | NE | NE |
Also read:
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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
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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