Which level of NID Entrance Exam is the hardest?

NID Studio Test is said to be the hardest. Here, students are asked to prepare a model using the material given. It checks creativity, imagination, and problem-solving skills.

At what time do I need to report for NID DAT exam?

The details about the exam center reporting time, registration time, and exam timings, etc., are mentioned on the admit card.

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.

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.

Do I need to appear in both NID DAT Prelims and DAT Mains for admission to the NIDs?

The admission to the NIDs is conducted through a Design Aptitude Test (DAT). The DAT is a two-stage exam. The candidate has to first appear in DAT Prelims and then, if shortlisted, have to appear in DAT Mains. The final merit list for admission will be prepared by giving weightage to both DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. If a candidate appear in DAT Prelims, but doesn’t appear in DAT Mains, he or she will not be considered for admission.

What is the age limit for admission to B.Des programme at the NIDs?

The candidate needs to be born on or after July 1, 2004 for admission to the B. Des programme through NID DAT 2025 entrance exam. Note that relaxation of 3-years applies to candidates from following categories - Other Backward Class-Non Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL), Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST). Meanwhile, for candidates belong to the PwD category, the relaxation in the upper age limit is 5 years. The candidate before filling out the NID application form need to ensure that they meet the prescribed eligibility criteria. Note that if the candidate is found to be faking their age, he or she may be disqualified.

What are the various factors that will be considered for preparing NID cut-off?

Cut-off for NID Entrance exam will be prepared based on factors like the total number of applications, seat intake for the applied programme, category under which admission is sought, and merit rank of the applicant in NID DAT. Each of these factors is a variable. For example, the number of applications may vary from one category to another. Cut-off would also vary. The cut-off represents the minimum marks a candidate needs to secure in his or her category to get admission to the B. Des or M.Des programme.

What is the minimum qualifying criteria for NID admissions?

Minimum qualifying criteria for NID DAT are the minimum marks candidate needs to secure for admission. The category-wise cut-off would be released at the time of counseling and seat allotment. Cut-off would be prepared by considering factors like total number of applicants, merit ranks of applicants in NID DAT, seat intake of applied programme, etc.

Is it necessary to appear in both DAT Prelims and DAT Mains for admission to Design courses at NID?

The National Institutes of Design (NIDs) currently offer the BDes and MDes courses. Admission to these courses will be based on the merit rank of the candidate in the NID DAT exam, which will be prepared by considering the performance of the candidate in DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. The weightage carried by the two exams is notified by the National Institute of Design at the time of declaration of final results. Note that in NID DAT 2025, the DAT Prelims will carry 40% weightage, while DAT Mains will carry 60% weightage. The candidate has to first appear in DAT Prelims, and if shortlisted has to next appear in DAT Mains. The DAT Mains exam for the BDes comprises a Studio Test, but also an interview for the MDes programme.

How many seats are there for NID admissions?

Total seats offered in B. Des courses at all the NID campuses is 425 seats. For M.Des course, NID seats on offer for admission are 347. The B. Des programme is offered at five institutes - NID Ahmedabad, NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Haryana, NID Madhya Pradesh, and NID Assam. The various faculty members under which the programme is available include Faculty of Communication Design, Faculty of Industrial Design, and Faculty of Textile, Apparel, Lifestyle, and Accessory Design. Meanwhile, the M.Des course is available at NID Ahmedabad, NID Bengaluru, and NID Gandhinagar. Admission to both the B. Des and M.Des courses will be through the NID DAT entrance exam.

What is the minimum qualifying criteria for NID admissions?

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.

I belong to OBC category. Is there any reservation of seats in my category for B.Des programme at NIDs?

Yes, the National Institute of Design has reserved seats for OBC, SC, ST, PwD and EWS categories. For the OBC-NCL category, the combined intake capacity is 114 seats. Candidates who belong to the OBC-NCL category need to select their admission category at the time of filling out the NID that application form. Note that only genuine candidate needs to apply under the category, because every information furnished by the candidate will be checked at the time of NID counseling. Also, the candidate will have to furnish the relevant category Certificate to be considered for admission under that category. During seat allotment, OBC-NCL candidates will also be considered for admission under the general category.

NID DAT 2026 Participating Institutes: B.Des/M.Des Score, Category-wise Seat Matrix, Reservation, Admission

Updated on Jun 15, 2026 12:47 IST

By Sayeba Naushad, Assistant Manager

NID Institutes offer UG and PG programmes. NID B.Des course has a seat intake of 425 seats and is available at NID Ahmedabad, NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Assam, NID Haryana, and NID Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile, the M.Des program has a combined intake of 347 seats and is offered at 3 NID campuses: NID Ahmedabad, NID Bengaluru, and NID Gandhinagar.

Admission to NID B.Des and NID M.Des programmes is done on the basis of NID DAT Scores. NID DAT 2026 Entrance Exam has two stages:

NID DAT Prelims
NID DAT Mains

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

Read on to learn more about NID 2026 participating colleges, seat matrix, category-wise reservation, and admission process.

Table of contents

NID B.Des and M.Des College
NID DAT 2026 Participating Institutes - B.Des Seat Intake
NID DAT 2026 Participating Institute - M.Des Seat intake
Eligibility Criteria for B.Des and M.Des
NID DAT Participating Colleges 2026 - FAQs

NID B.Des and M.Des College

NID B.Des programme is offered in five NID Colleges. The admission in all these NID institutes is through NID DAT Entrance Test.

Sr.No.	NID B.Des College
1	Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at NID Ahmedabad
2	Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at NID Andhra Pradesh
3	Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at NID Haryana
4	Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at NID Madhya Pradesh
5	Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at NID Assam

NID M.Des College

M.Des is offered only in three NID campuses. The list is given below.

Sr.No.	NID M.Des College
1	Master of Design (M.Des.) at NID Ahmedabad (Main Campus)
2	Master of Design (M.Des.) at NID Bengaluru (Extension Campus)
3	Master of Design (M.Des.) at NID Gandhinagar (Extension Campus)

Also Read:

NID DAT 2026 Participating Institutes - B.Des Seat Intake

The B.Des program will have a combined intake of 425 seats. The institute-wise breakdown and other details are given in the tables below.

NID DAT 2026 Participating Institute - Seat Intake for B.Des program

The seat intake of NIDs for B.Des Programme is given below.

S. No	NID 2026 Participating Institute	Seat Intake
1	NID Ahmedabad	125
2	NID Andhra Pradesh	75
3	NID Haryana	75
4	NID Madhya Pradesh	75
5	NID Assam	75
	Total	425

NID DAT 2026 - Institute-wise Reservation of seats for B.Des

The table shows the NID DAT Seats and Reservation for all categories.

Institute	Total seats	GEN-EWS (10%	OBC-NCL (27%)	Scheduled Caste (15%)	Scheduled Tribe (7.5%)
NID Ahmedabad	125	13	34	19	9
NID Andhra Pradesh	75	8	20	11	6
NID Haryana	75	8	20	11	6
NID Madhya Pradesh	75	8	20	11	6
NID Assam	75	8	20	11	6
Total	425	45	114	63	33

The faculty-wise seat intake at NID participating colleges is also given below.

Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at NID Ahmedabad 2026

Check the seats in Faculty of Communication Design.

Discipline	Seat Intake
Animation Film Design	19
Exhibition Design	13
Film & Video Communication	13
Graphic Design	19

Check the seats in Faculty of Industrial Design

Discipline	Seat Intake
Ceramic & Glass Design	13
Furniture & Interior Design	13
Product Design	19

Check the seats in Faculty of Textile, Apparel, Lifestyle, and Accessory Design

Discipline	Seat Intake
Textile Design	19

Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at NID Andhra Pradesh

The B.Des programme at NID AP has 75 seats in all categories.

Discipline	Seat Intake in each NID
Communication Design	25
Industrial Design	25
Textile and Apparel Design	25

Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at NID Haryana

The B.Des programme at NID Haryana has 75 seats in all categories.

Discipline	Seat Intake in each NID
Communication Design	25
Industrial Design	25
Textile and Apparel Design	25

Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at NID Madhya Pradesh

The B.Des programme at NID MP has 75 seats in all categories.

Discipline	Seat Intake in each NID
Communication Design	25 + Supernumarary Seats*
Industrial Design	25 + Supernumarary Seats*
Textile and Apparel Design	25 + Supernumarary Seats*

*The total intake is 86 students, which will include 11 (4+4+3) overseas candidates.

Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at NID Assam

The B.Des programme at NID Assam has 75 seats in all categories.

Discipline	Seat Intake in each NID
Communication Design	25
Industrial Design	25
Textile and Apparel Design	25

Note:

The number of seats reserved for Indian nationals is 125.
Candidates who are selected for admission at NID Ahmedabad will have to attend a mandatory Design Foundation study for 2 semesters.

Seat Intake for Supernumerary Candidates for NID B.Des 2026

The seat intake for B.Des for the Overseas Category is given below.

Discipline	Seat Intake
NID Ahemedabad	19
NID Andhra Pradesh	11
NID Haryana	11
NID Madhya Pradesh	11

Candidates belonging to the Overseas (supernumerary) category fall outside the seats reserved for the GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST and PyD categories. Such candidates cannot avail the facility of age relaxation, scribe, etc.
Candidates under Overseas (supernumerary) category are required to pay the fees according to the Overseas fees structure.

Also Read:

NID Courses Fee Structure 2026 (BDes & MDes): College/Semester wise Fees & Seat Matrix

NID DAT 2026 Participating Institute - M.Des Seat intake

The National Institute of Design (NID) offers a two-and-a-half-year years’ Master of Design (M.Des.) program and has a total seat intake of 347.

NID DAT 2026 - Institute-wise seat intake for M.Des

The NID DAT seat intake for M.Des is:

S.No	NID Campus	Seat Intake
1	NID Ahmedabad	126
2	NID Gandhinagar	126
3	NID Bengaluru	95
	Total Intake	347

NID DAT 2026 - M.Des programs& Program-wise Seat Intake

The National Institute of Design has five faculties:

The Faculty of Communication Design
The Faculty of Industrial Design
Faculty of Information Technology-Integrated Programmes
Faculty of Interdisciplinary Design Studies
Faculty of Textile, Apparel, and Lifestyle Accessory Design

The various disciplines and the institute-wise seat intake can be checked from the tables given below.

Also Read:

NID Studio Sensitivity Test and In Person Sensitivity Test: Do's and Don'ts

Faculty of Communication Design

Discipline	NID Campus	Seat Intake
Animation Film Design	Ahmedabad	19
Film & Video Communication	Ahmedabad	19
Graphic Design	Ahmedabad	19
Photography Design	Gandhinagar	19

Faculty of Industrial Design

Discipline	NID Campus	Seat Intake
Ceramic & Glass Design	Ahmedabad	12
Furniture & Interior Design	Ahmedabad	19
Product Design	Ahmedabad	19
Toy & Game Design	Gandhinagar	12
Transportation & Automobile Design	Gandhinagar	19
Universal Design	Bengaluru	19

Faculty of Information Technology-Integrated Programmes

Discipline	NID Campus	Seat Intake
Digital Game Design	Bengaluru	19
Information Design	Bengaluru	19
Interaction Design	Bengaluru	19
New Media Design	Gandhinagar	19

Faculty of Interdisciplinary Design Studies

Discipline	NID Campus	Seat Intake
Design for Retail Experience	Bengaluru	19
Strategic Design Management	Gandhinagar	19

Faculty of Textile, Apparel, and Lifestyle Accessory Design

Discipline	NID Campus	Seat Intake
Apparel Design	Gandhinagar	19
Lifestyle Accessory Design	Gandhinagar	19
Textile Design	Ahmedabad	19

NID DAT M.Des Reservation Criteria 2026

The disciplines for NID DAT are:

GEN-EWS

(10%

OBC-NCL

(27%)

Scheduled Caste

(15%)

Scheduled Tribe

(7.5%)

Disciplines with 19 seats each

Disciplines with 12 seats each

Eligibility Criteria for B.Des and M.Des

Before filling the application form, candidates must go through the eligibility criteria given by NID for B.Des and M.Des. It is mandatory for students to fulfill the age criteria and educational qualifications.

NID B.Des Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for NID B.Des are given below.

Parameters

B.Des

Age Limit

General category candidates must be born on or after 1 July 2005.
Other Backward Class-Non Creamy Layer (OBCNCL), Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) - the candidate must be born on or after 1 July 2002.
PwD candidates need to be born on or after 1 July 2000.
In case of foreign nationals applying for admission under the Overseas (Supernumerary) Category, the candidate must be born on or after 1 July 2005.

Educational Qualification

10+2 in any discipline

NID M.Des Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for NID B.Des are given below.

Parameters

M.Des

Age Limit

General category candidates must be born on or after 1 July 1994.
Other Backward Class-Non Creamy Layer (OBCNCL), Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) - the candidate must be born on or after 1 July 1991.
PwD candidates need to be born on or after 1 July 1989.
In case of foreign nationals applying for admission under the Overseas (Supernumerary) Category, the candidate must be born on or after 1 July 1994.

Educational Qualification

Bachelor's degree of minimum four years duration OR its equivalent.

NID DAT 2026 - Admission Category

Admission to the B.Des and M.Des courses at NID-participating colleges will be open to the following categories.

Seat Category	Category of Eligible Candidates
Open	GEN, GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL,SC, ST, GEN-PwD, OBC-NCL-PwD, SC-PwD, ST-PwD, GEN-EWS-PwD
General- Economically Weaker Section (GEN-EWS)	GEN- EWS, GEN-EWS-PwD
Other Backward Class- Non-Creamy Layer (OBCNCL)	OBC-NCL and OBC-NCL-PwD
Schedule Caste (SC)	SC and SC -PwD
Schedule Tribe (ST)	ST and ST -PwD
Open-Persons with Disability (PwD)	GEN-PwD, GEN-EWS-PwD, OBC-NCL-PwD, SC-PwD, ST-PwD
Other Backward Class- Non-Creamy Layer- Persons with Disability (OBC-NCL-PwD)	OBC-NCL-PwD
Schedule Caste -Persons with Disability (SC-PwD)	SC-PwD
Schedule Tribe-Persons with Disability (ST-PwD)	SC-PwD

Also Read:

NID DAT Participating Colleges 2026 - FAQs

Check out the frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to the NID DAT 2026 colleges below.

Q: When will the NID DAT 2027 Prelims exam be conducted?

The National Institute of Design (NID) will conduct the DAT Prelims exam in the third week of December 2026. B.Des exam will be held around 10 am - 1 pm. The candidates will be required to report for the exam at 8 am. Gates' closing time will be 9.30 am. DAT Prelims for the B.Des programme will be conducted in a paper-and-pencil/pen mode.

Q: How many seats are available for general category in NID?

The are currently 347 seats earmarked for the B. Des programme at the five participating institutes of NID 2025. Of these, around 170 seats are available for general category candidates. Note that candidates belonging to reserved categories will also be considered for admission under the general category. However, candidates from general categories can't apply for admission under reserved categories. The candidate has to select their admission category at the time of filling out the NID that application form. Also, the candidate has to produce supporting documents at the time of admission. If the candidate fails to produce their category Certificate then he or she will be considered for admission under the general category.

Q: When will NID 2027 Mains Admit Card release for M.Des?

NID Mains Admit card for M.Des will be out tentatively on February 24, 2027. This admit card is for NID Studio Test and Interview.

Q: Which M.Des specialisations are offered through NID entrance exam?

A. The M.Des specialisations in which candidates can secure admission basis their performance in NID that are listed below: Animation Film Design Ceramic and Glass Design Furniture & Interior Design Film & Video Communication Graphic Design Product Design Textile Design Apparel Design Lifestyle Accessory Design Strategic Design Management New Media Design Photography Design Toy & Game Design Transportation & Automobile Design for Retail Experience Digital Game Design Information Design Interaction Design Universal Design There are a total of 347 seats available for the M.Des programme. The programme is offered at NID Ahmedabad, NID Bengaluru, and NID Gandhinagar campuses. Admission to the programme will be based on NID that 2023 merit rank.

Q: How many seats are available for Interior Designing in NID?

The Interior Design programme is offered both for the BDes and MDes courses. At the BDes level, the Interior Design programme is offered under the faculty of Industrial Design, with a specialisation in Furniture and Interior Design. There are currently 13 seats for the programme. At the master's level, MDes in Furniture & Interior Design course is offered at the NID Ahmedabad campus. The intake capacity for the MDes programme is currently 19 seats. Admission to the Interior Design programme (both Bachelor's and master's) at the NIDs will be through the NID DAT exam.

Q: What will be the mode of the NID DAT 2027 Entrance Exam?

NID DAT Entrance Exam 2027 Prelims exam will be conducted offline in pen and paper mode. It will be 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: In which cities NID will conduct Mains Studio Test and Interview?

NID conducts the Studio test and Interview for NID DAT Mains exam in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Gandhinagar. Details of the centre will be mentioned in the NID Admit card.

Q: Will NID studio test and personal interview be conducted on the same day?

NID Studio Test and Interview will be conducted on different days. NID will tentatively conduct the Studio Test in the second week of March 2027 for M.Des and Interview from last week of March 2027.

Q: Will I be penalized if I do not follow guidelines mentioned in NID DAT 2027 admit card?

Yes, you may be disqualified from the NID Admission Process if you do not follow the NID DAT guidelines during the exam.

The guidelines include

Candidate must not indulge in cheating
Canddiates must not disturb other candidates
Carry barred items
Do not leave the exam hall until the exam is over

Q: Should I wait till the last few days or hours to download NID DAT 2026 admit card?

Candidate must not under any circumstances wait for the dying hours to download admit card for NID DAT 2026. It is because in the last few hours, there may be a server crash or website slowdown issues due to heavy traffic.

If that happens, you may face difficulty in downloading the hall ticket.

Also, if there is any discrepancy in the admit card, you won't have much time to get it fixed if you don't download it soon after it is released

Q: What are the participating institutes of NID for the B. Des programme?

Five participating institutes of NID DAT exam offer B.Des program. These include NID Ahmedabad, NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Haryana, NID Madhya Pradesh and NID Assam.

Seat intake for the B. Des stands at 425. NID Ahmedabad has an intake of 125 seats, while the rest of the NIDs each have an intake of 75 seats. Note that seats are reserved for categories like General-EWS, OBC, SC, and ST categories.