NID Entrance Exam MDes Pattern 2026: Know Marking Scheme & Exam Duration

DAT Prelims is the first stage of the two-stage NID admission process for B.Des and M.Des Programmes. The National Institute of Design will release the general outline of the DAT prelims question paper structure in the NID admission handbook.

NID 2026 Entrance Exam (Prelims) will be conducted on December 21, 2025 for B.Des and M.Des. Candidates who qualify for the DAT Prelims will have to appear in the DAT Mains. DAT Mains Exams for B.Des will be held in the last week of April 2026. The NID DAT (Mains) M. Des. Exam will be in the first week of March 2026. 

DAT Prelims 2026 Exam Pattern for B.Des program

• Duration - The duration of the DAT Prelims paper for the B.Des program is THREE hours. The exam is usually conducted from 10 am - 1 pm.
• Sections - The DAT Prelims question paper will have two sections - Part I & Part II
• Mode - The exam will be conducted as a paper-and-pencil/pen test
• Type of questions - The question paper may include textual and visual questions
• Language - The paper will be set in the English language only.
• Negative marking - There will be no negative marking.

NID DAT (Prelims) Exam Date and Timings 

The dates and Exam timing of the Prelims 2026 Exam of the NID DAT Exams are:

Also Read:

• NID DAT Previous Year Question Papers (2025-2016); Download Free PYQ PDFs
• NID vs NIFT - Differences, Participating colleges, Admission Process, Placements

DAT Prelims Exam Pattern 2026 for M.Des program

The key points related to the DAT Prelims exam pattern for the M.Des program are given below.

The DAT Prelims exam will be conducted in a center-based mode across various test centers in India. The question paper will be set in the English language only.

Here we bring you the sections, number of questions, and also the type of questions asked based on the analysis of previous years' papers. 

DAT Prelims Exam Pattern 2026 (B.Des) - Sections, Type, and Number of Questions 

The tentative question paper structure of DAT Prelims for the B.Des program is given below.

Marking Scheme for NID DAT Prelims 2026

The expected marking scheme for the DAT Prelims exam is given in the table below. 

Candidates will be shortlisted for the DAT Mains based on their performance in the DAT Prelims. The qualifying status will be mentioned in the NID DAT Prelims scorecard. 

DAT Mains 2026 Exam Pattern

The exam pattern for DAT Mains for the B.Des and M.Des programs is given in the table below. 

NID DAT 2026 Weightage for DAT Prelims and DAT Mains 

The final results of NID DAT 2026 will be prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

Weightage for the NID DAT Final Results - B.Des 

The weightage of the B.Des NID DAT 2026 Final Result is:

Weightage for the NID DAT Final Results - M.Des 

The weightage of the B.Des NID DAT 2026 Final Result is:

NID Studio Test and Interview

NID Studio Test for BDes Admissions: The studio test for NID admissions may comprise questions that aspirants have to solve in different formats, like drawing/sketching, hands-on model making, group discussions, presentations, etc.

NID Mains Exam Format for MDes Admissions: As part of NID DAT Mains, candidates need to appear for a studio test followed by a personal interview round.

• Studio Test for M Des Admissions: This test for MDes admissions at NID is being held separately for each specialization (that is, the course for which an aspirant has applied for admission). The studio test comprises different sections wherein questions of different formats (like hands-on drawing/sketching, hands-on model making, group discussions, etc) are asked. The duration of the test will be three hours.
• Personal Interview for M Des Admissions: The interview round for MDes admissions will be conducted immediately after the studio test is over.

Candidates must have enough time with them to prepare for DAT Prelims. The DAT Prelims is a Design Aptitude Test that is administered in a center-based mode.

Some tips to prepare for DAT Prelims are given below.

1. Follow the syllabus - While there is no official syllabus for the NID exam, there are unofficial ones, like the one on our page. It is prepared after analyzing previous years' papers.
2. Go through the exam pattern - The exam pattern can be the lighthouse that you need to follow when preparing for the exam. It is because the exam pattern will dictate how you prepare, and also the study material to an extent.
3. Make a timetable - You need to have a fixed timetable to complete the syllabus on time. Without it, you may get lost.
4. Solve practice questions - These questions can be found at the end of a chapter, or you can rely on specific question booklets. The more you practice, the better you will get at solving various types of problems.
5. Practice mock tests - In the last few days leading up to the exam, you may also take a few mock tests. These tests can help you align your body clock with the exam timings, so you can take the tests at the same time of day as the exam timings. Further, mock tests can help you dust off any rust that may have gathered on your preparation. Elsewhere, mock can help you fix silly errors. 
6. Work on your drawing and observation skills - Note a big difference between other entrance exams and design entrance exams is that the latter would test your drawing as well as observation skills. 

NID will release the NID M.Des and B.Des Schedule for 2026 on the official website soon after the Applications are open. For reference, you can check the following schedule.

Download the M.Des. DAT Mains Schedule 2025-26 by clicking here.

Go through the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to the NID DAT 2026 exam pattern below.