NID Entrance Exam MDes Exam Dates 2026: Get Complete Exam Schedule Here

NID Mains Admit card for M.Des will be out on February 24, 2026. This admit card will be for NID Studio Test and Interview.

NID Studio Test and Interview will be conducted on different days. NID will conduct Studio Test on March 08, 2026 for M.Des and Interview from March 21, 2026 to April 01, 2026 for M.Des. The Admit card will be the same for both.

NID will release the result for B.Des on April 07, 2026. The result be released on the website of NID.

If there is any clash of the interview dates with the college/ university exam, then candidates can inform the NID before February 23, 2026. Candidates need to attach a copy of the timetable attested by the principal and a letter from the principal confirming that the examination dates clash with the interview.

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.

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.

The National Institute of Design (NID) conducted the DAT Prelims exam on December 21, 2025.

The B.Des exam was held around 10 am - 1 pm; meanwhile, the M.Des exam was 10 am - 12.30 am. The candidates were required to report for the exam at 8 am. Gates' closing time was 9.30 am. 

DAT Prelims for the B.Des programme was conducted in a paper-and-pencil/pen mode. 

NID application form 2026 opened on September 11, 2025. The application form is open online at the NID admission portal -admissions.nid.edu. Candidates who meet the program-specific eligibility criteria may apply before the last date.

The NID application form is for admission to the B. Des and M.Des courses offered by participating colleges. The last date to apply for NID DAT 2026 was December 01, 2025. 

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 yourself learn these skills yourself. Also, a major thrust of the design aptitide 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 line, 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.

There is no negative marking in NID DAT Prelims.

So, the candidate may attempt all the questions. If the wrong answer is selected, the candidate won't be penalized. However, if the correct answer option is selected, the candidate may get some free marks.

Note that the DAT Prelims exam will be conducted in an OMR-based mode. The candidate will need a blue/black ball-point pen for filling the OMR sheet.   

To give oneself a higher chance of securing a good rank in NID DAT, it is important to use good-quality books a reference material.

 Here are some of the best books recommended by experts and previous rank holders to prepare for the NID DAT exam.

• NID (B. Des. ). Entrance Books and Test Series by AFAINDIA
• Basic Rendering by Robert W. Gill
• Design drawing by Francis D. K. Ching
• NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam Guide by RPH Editorial Board 

The reporting time for the DAT Prelims exam will be mentioned on the NID DAT 2026 admit card. Arrive at the exam center on time according to the reporting time. Please note that latecomers will not be permitted inside the NID DAT 2026 exam center. 

The gates at the exam center will close half an hour before the exam.

The expected timing of NID DAT 2026 is:

NID will not release any Answer Key for B.Des or M.Des programme. It opens a rechecking window with the result. 

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.

If you have passed senior secondary exam from National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) with minimum five subjects, then you are eligible for NID DAT. The National Institute of Design recognizes boards like CBSE, IB, ICSE, or equivalent.

The candidate must make sure that they meet the eligibility criteria before filling out the NID DAT 2026 application form.

Note that all details entered by the candidate in the application form will be checked at the time of counseling. If there is any discrepancy, the candidate may be disqualified.

The application edit window for NID DAT 2026 was open from December 02, 2025 to December 04, 2025 for UG and PG programmes.

Using the application edit window, the candidate were able to edit details like their address, applied category, exam centre, etc.

However, the candidate could not change the Programme Applied for, Name of the Candidate, Date of Birth, Registered Mobile Number, and Registered Email ID.

Also, if the candidate changes their applied category, the applicable application fees have to be paid by the candidate. Further, no refund of fees will be made in case of any category change. 

NID DAT Prelims is the 1st step of the two-step NID admissions process. DAT Prelims comprises a written exam that candidates need to clear in order to be eligible for DAT Mains. The National Institute of Design will conduct DAT Prelims exam 2026 on December 21, 2025. The DAT Mains for the B. Des programme will include a Studio Test, whereas the DAT Mains for the M.Des programme will comprise a Studio Test and Interview. The Studio Test and Interiew for the M.Des programme will be conducted in April 2026. The DAT Mains for the B.Des programme will be conducted in April 2026.

The application fee of NID DAT 2026 for the B. Des for General, General-EWS, OBC-NCL candidates is INR 3,000. SC, ST, PwD candidates only ned to pay INR 1,500. However note that the application fees for overseas candidates seeking admission to supernumerary seats is INR 5000. In case of the M.Des programme, the application fees for General, General-EWS, OBC-NCL candidates applying for one discipline is INR 3,000. If two disciplines are chosen, the application fee is INR 6000. Meanwhile, SC, ST, PwD candidate need to pay INR 1,500 for one discipline, and INR 3000 for two disciplines.

The NID DAT 2026 application form is now open.