NID Entrance Exam MDes Centres 2026: Check State wise Test Centres List

This exam is conducted for courses given below:

Updated on Apr 9, 2026 17:19 IST

By Sayeba Naushad, Assistant Manager

NID DAT Exam Centre 2026: NID B.Des Studio Sensitivity Test will be conducted soon for the students who have cleared the NID DAT Prelims Exam. The Admit card for the same was released on April 09, 2026. The name and address of the allotted exam centre will be mentioned in the NID DAT 2026 Admit card. The studio Test is expected to be conducted in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Gandhinagar.

On the NID DAT exam day, the candidate must carry the admit card and a valid photo ID proof. When inside the exam centre, candidates must follow the NID DAT 2026 exam-day guidelines.

Latest updates:

NID DAT Prelims Exam was conducted on December 21, 2025 for B.Des and M.Des.

Go through the rest of the article to learn the full details about the NID DAT 2026 exam centre.

Table of contents

NID DAT 2026 Studio Test Centres and Interview Test Centres
NID Entrance Exam 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
Will the exam centres be the same for DAT Prelims and DAT Mains?
Exam Day Guidelines for NID Admission Test 2026
NID DAT 2026 Exam Centre Reporting, Gate Closing Times
List of NID DAT 2026 Exam Centers (DAT Prelims)
NID DAT Exam Centre - FAQs

NID DAT 2026 Studio Test Centres and Interview Test Centres

NID Mains Exam will consist of NID Studio Test and NID Interview. The Mains exam for B.Des and M.Des will be conducted offline.

NID DAT 2026 Mains Centre for M.Des: Studio Test

NID Mains Exam for M.Des was conducted at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Gandhinagar. The exact address was mentioned in the Admit card.

Faculty Stream	Discipline	Test Centre City for Studio Test
Industrial Design (ID)	- Ceramic & Glass Design	Ahmedabad
	- Furniture & Interior Design
	- Product Design - Toy & Game Design
	- Transportation & Automobile Design - Universal Design
	- Animation Film Design
Communication Design	- Film & Video Communication
	- Graphic Design
	- Photography Design
Interdisciplinary Design Studies (IDDS)	- Design for Retail Experience	Bengaluru
Interdisciplinary Design Studies (IDDS)	- Strategic Design Management
IT-Integrated Design (ITID)	Digital Game Design Information Design Interaction Design
IT-Integrated Design (ITID)	New Media Design
Textile, Apparel and Lifestyle Accessory Design (TALAD)	Apparel Design Lifestyle Accessory Design Textile Design	Gandhinagar

NID 2026 M.Des Main: Interview Test Centre

Check out the schedule for M.Des Mains.

Faculty Stream	Discipline	Date of the Interviews	Test Centre City for Interviews
Industrial Design (ID)	Ceramic & Glass Design	21- 23 March 2026	Ahmedabad
	Toy & Game Design	21- 23 March 2026
	Furniture & Interior Design Product Design Transportation & Automobile Design	21 – 25 March 2026
Interdisciplinary Design Studies (IDDS)	Design for Retail Experience Strategic Design Management	21 – 25 March 2026	Bengaluru
Textile, Apparel and Lifestyle	Lifestyle Accessory Design	21 – 24 March 2026	Gandhinagar
Accessory Design (TALAD)	Apparel Design	21- 25 March 2026	Gandhinagar
Communication Design (CD)	Photography Design	27- 30 March 2026	Ahmedabad
	Animation Film Design Film & Video Communication	27- 31 March 2026
	Graphic Design	27 March – 01 April 2026
IT-Integrated Design (ITID)	Digital Game Design Information Design New Media Design	27- 31 March 2026	Bengaluru
IT-Integrated Design (ITID)	Interaction Design	27 March – 01 April 2026	Bengaluru

Important Points About NID DAT Admit Card

Candidates must bring any one valid Original photo ID proof for verification, such as (i) Voter ID Card, (ii) PAN Card, (iii) Driving License, (iv) Student ID issued by current school/ college (v) Passport (vi) Aadhar Card, etc. to the examination centre.
In case candidates do not have any of photo ID proofs, they should get both Part “A” and Part “B” of the NID DAT Admit Card attested by the Principal of their current school/college or a Gazetted Officer.
NID DAT digital copy of admit card will not be considered. You must bring a hard copy of admit card.

Commonly asked questions

Q: Can I request to change my allotted NID DAT exam centre?

NID Centre can be changed only at the time of NID Application edit Window. After this, no centre can be changed.

Q: How many NID 2026 Mains exam centres are there?

NID Mains Exam will consist of Studio Test and Interview. NID 2026 Mains exam will be conducted at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Gandhinagar.

Q: How can I find details of NID DAT 2026 Exam center allocated to me?

Details of NID DAT 2026 Exam centre, name, address, and reporting time are given in the NID DAT 2026 Admit card. DAT Prelims admit card was available for download from December 11, 2025.

NID Entrance Exam 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of NID Entrance Exam 2026 exam

Dates	Upcoming Exam Dates
May ' 26	B.Des DAT Mains Studio Test TENTATIVE

Dates	Past Exam Dates
09 Apr ' 26	NID DAT 2026 (Mains) - Issue of Admit Cards for B.Des
21 Mar ' 26 - 01 Apr ' 26	NID Mains Exam: M.Des Interview
08 Mar ' 26	NID Mains Exam: M.Des Studio Test
View More Past Events (5)

Will the exam centres be the same for DAT Prelims and DAT Mains?

The list of NID DAT 2026 exam centers is published in the NID DAT 2026 Admission Handbooks. The candidate has to select their choice of exam center when filling out the NID DAT 2026 Application form.

NID Prelims Centre Details: B.Des and M.Des

Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Kurukshetra, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Thiruvananthapuram and Vijayawada.

A city may have more than one test centre. NID reserves the right to add or remove any test centre and allot a test centre that may not be of the candidate's choice. Any request for a change of test centre will not be entertained.

The National Institute of Design releases exam centres separately for DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. Details like the name and address of the allotted exam centre, reporting time, etc., will be mentioned on the NID DAT 2026 admit cards (which also will be released separately for DAT Prelims and DAT Mains).

Stage 1: Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Prelims

Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Prelims will be conducted at various test centres across India. The exact names of the centres will be mentioned in the Admission Handbook of the B.Des and M.Des programmes.

Stage 2: Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Mains

Candidates shortlisted after the DAT Prelims will be invited to appear for the Stage 2 DAT Mains exam. Exact details of the Test Centre will be announced later in the DAT Mains Admit Card.

Requests for a change in the NID DAT 2026 Test Centre

Requests for change in the test centre will not be entertained. However, exam authorities reserve the right to add or remove any test centre and allot an exam centre that may not be the aspirant's choice. Candidates need to note that a city may have more than one NID test centre.

Useful Resources to prepare for NID DAT 2026

Common Mistakes to avoid during DAT Mains exam	NID vs NIFT - Key Differences, Participating Colleges, Admission Process, Placement
NID Entrance Exam: Last minute tips & important documents to carry for DAT

Commonly asked questions

Q: What is the reporting time at NID DAT Exam centre?

The reporting time for NID DAT will be mentioned in the Admit card, along with gate closing time, and exam timings and date.

The candidate needs to report for the DAT Prelims exam at 8 am. The gates of the exam center will close at 9:30 AM (or 30 minutes before the commencement of the exam). After that no candidate will be allowed inside the exam hall.

NID DAT Exam timings:

B.Des - 10 am - 1 pm
M.Des - 10 am - 12.30 pm

Exam Day Guidelines for NID Admission Test 2026

The NID DAT test-takers will not be provided with any stationery, and they need to carry the same with them when they appear for the NID exam. Mentioned below is a list of documents that aspirants need to carry with them when appearing for the NID Entrance Exam 2026.

Important Documents to Carry on NID Exam Day to the Exam Centre

Admit Card: Candidates need to download their NID admit card from the official website of the design entrance exam. Next, candidates need to take a clear printout of their valid NID DAT 2026 Admit card to their allocated test center. Candidates will not be allowed to appear for the NID exam if they are not carrying a valid admit card on the day of the exam.

Photo ID Proof: Along with the admit card, candidates need to carry a valid photo ID proof to their test center. Candidates need to carry any one photo ID from the list:

Student ID card issued by the current school/college
Passport
Driving License
Aadhar Card
Voters ID Card
PAN Card

Stationery: Candidates need to carry their stationery for NID Entrance Exam 2026. Some materials that candidates need to carry to their NID test center are:

Black ballpoint pen (to mark the answers in the OMR sheet)
Lead pencils (of varying grades)
Dry colors (such as oil pastels/color pencils/sketch pens, etc)
Eraser
Sharpeners
Ruler

What shouldn't be carried on NID Exam Day to the Centre?

Candidates will not be allowed to carry mobile phones, calculators, or any other electronic device inside the NID exam hall. Any aspirant found to be carrying any such device will be asked to leave the test centre without completing his/ her exam.

Commonly asked questions

Q: How can I find details of NID DAT 2026 Exam center allocated to me?

Details of NID DAT 2026 Exam centre, name, address, and reporting time are given in the NID DAT 2026 Admit card. DAT Prelims admit card was available for download from December 11, 2025.

Q: How many NID 2026 Mains exam centres are there?

NID Mains Exam will consist of Studio Test and Interview. NID 2026 Mains exam will be conducted at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Gandhinagar.

NID DAT 2026 Exam Centre Reporting, Gate Closing Times

NID DAT Prelims exam is to be conducted on December 21, 2025. On exam day, the candidate needed to report to the NID DAT exam center at 8 am.

Schedule for NID DAT 2026 (Prelims)

The schedule for NID DAT Prelims 2026 is:

Event	B.Des	M.Des
Date of the DAT Prelims exam	December 21, 2025	December 21, 2025
Reporting Time	8:30 AM	8:30 AM
Gate closing time	9.30 AM	9.30 AM
Time of the exam	10 AM - 1 PM (Part I + Part II)	10 AM - 12.30 PM (Part I + Part II)

No candidate will be allowed to appear for the exam after 10:00 AM under any circumstances.

Also Read:

NID DAT 2026 Dress Code For Male & Female Candidates

Commonly asked questions

Q: Is there negative marking in NID Studio Test?

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.

Q: What is the seat intake for the Industrial Design programme at NIDs?

The NIDs have a combined intake of 425 seats for the B. Des programme. Of these, 45 seats are earmarked for the Industrial Design programme. The candidate can select from specializations like Ceramic and Glass Design, Furniture & Interior Design, and Product Design. The candidate will be able to select the programme of specialisation at the time of counselling.

Q: When will the results of NID DAT 2026 (Mains) be declared?

The NID DAT 2026 Exam will be conducted for admission to B. Des and M.Des courses. The NID DAT Mains results for the B. Des program is expected to be in the third week of May, 2026. Meanwhile, DAT Mains results for the M.Des programme will be announced in the first week of May, 2026.

The NID DAT results will be declared online at admissions.nid.edu.To check your results, log-in using your email id and date of birth. Such candidates who qualify in DAT Mains will be shortlisted for counselling and seat allotment.

List of NID DAT 2026 Exam Centers (DAT Prelims)

NID DAT Exam Prelims was conducted in 17 test cities in India. The selection of the exam city had to be done when filling out the NID Application 2026 form. The name of the exam center allocated to the candidate is notified through the NID DAT 2026 admit card.

List of NID DAT 2026 (Prelims) Exam Cities

The centres for NID DAT Prelims exam for B.Des and M.Des are.

NID DAT Test Centres
Ahmedabad	Bengaluru	Bhopal
Bhubaneshwar	Chandigarh	Chennai
Dehradun	Hyderabad	Jaipur
Jorhat	Kochi	Kolkata
Lucknow	Mumbai	Nagpur
New Delhi	Patna

Commonly asked questions

Q: What will be the mode of the NID DAT 2026 Entrance Exam?

NID DAT Entrance Exam 2026 Prelims exam was conducted offline in pen and paper mode. It was conducted at the NID test centres.

NID DAT Mains exam: Studio Test and Interview, will be conducted offline at the test centres in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Gandhinagar.

Q: What is the weightage of the NID 2026 Interview?

NID Studio Test for M.Des carries 40% of wieghtage and Interview carries 60% wieghtage. More emphasis is given on the interview by NID.

NID DAT Exam Centre - FAQs

Go through the frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to the NID DAT exam center below.

Q: What happens if I fail to qualify NID DAT (Prelims)?

The results of the DAT Prelims will include the qualifying status of the candidate. If the candidate fails to qualify DAT Prelims, he or she will not be eligible to appear in DAT Mains.

Note that the Desing Aptitude Test (DAT) conducted by the National Institute of Design (NID) has two sub-exams: DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

Both the exams are mandatory.

Also, the final merit list is prepared by giving weighatage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. So, if a can candidate fails to qualify DAT Prelims or doesn’t appear in DAT Mains, the candidate will be disqualified from the admission process.

Q: What are the design courses offered through NID DAT 2026 exam?

The NIDs offer a full-time B.Des programme of 4-year duration, and a full-time M.Des programme of two-and-half years duration.

The institute, in addition, also offers a PhD program. The programme can be pursed full-time or part-time.

Admission to the design courses at the NID is conducted through a Design Aptitude Test (DAT). The exam comprise DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

The final result or merit list is prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

Q: How to secure admission at NID?

Admission to the NIDs is conducted through the NID Entrance Examination. The NID exam has two stages - the candidate first appears in the that Prelims. Scores of the that Prelims are used to then shortlist candidates for that Mains. The final merit list for NID DAT 2026 will be prepared by giving weightage to that Prelims and that Mains. Note that the National Institute of Design hasn't yet released the weightage for the that Prelims and that Mains.

The NID DAT 2026 (Prelims) exam will be on December 21, 2025. Meanwhile, the DAT exams for the M.Des programme will be conducted tentatively in March, whereas DAT Mains for the B. Des programme will be conducted in April 2026.

Q: What is the full form of NID DAT?

The NID DAT translates to the National Institute of Design - Design Aptitude Test. The Design Aptitude Test has two parts - DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. The candidate has to first appear in DAT Prelims. If shortlisted, the candidate has to appear in DAT Mains.

Note that NID DAT scores are accepted for admission to the B.Des and M.Des programs offered by participating colleges. This means, the NIDs will not accept scores of no other entrance exams for admission purposes.

The DAT Prelims exam is typically conducted in January.

Q: What kind of questions are asked in NID Entrance Exam?

NID Entrance Exam consists of two admissions tests: NID DAT Prelims and NID DAT Mains. NID DAT Prelims is a written entrance exam, while NID DAT Mains comprises a studio test and interview round. In NID DAT Prelims, candidates are asked both objective and subjective-type questions. Candidates who qualify in the NID DAT 2026 exam will be considered for admission to the M.Des and B. Des courses offered by participating colleges. The that Prelims exam for the B. Des programme will include questions from topics like color terminology, principles of composition, and form and function.

Q: How can I improve my sketching skills for NID DAT?

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.