NID DAT Syllabus 2026 (Prelims & Mains): Subject-wise Important Topics PDF, Weightage

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 that 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 In addition to these books, the candidate must also make it a habit to solve sample papers and take mock tests. Mock tests can be taken closer to the exam.

The National Institute of Design has uploaded the NID DAT sample on its official admission portal. To download a sample papers. Click on the sample paper link, no log in is required. The sample papers for NID DAT can be download in pdf format. The intent of these sample papers is to help the candidate get insights into the pattern and structure of the exam. By solving the sample papers, the candidate will get insights into the difficulty level of the exam, the types of questions asked, topics from which questions are asked, etc. Additionally, if the candidate solves enough sample papers, it will help him or her to develop problem solving and time management skills. So, all candidates must practice the NID DAT sample paper to gain confidence and get rid of exam fear.

If you intend to get a good rank in NID DAT, you must be able to sketch quickly without compromising on the sketch quality. This means you must be able to able to conceive the idea as you sketch. Remember, when you are in the exam hall, time seems to just fly. So, it is vital that you are able to sketch uninhibited and fast, and with confidence. To improve your drawing skills, you can start by drawing tiny thumbnails first, then switching to the light hand and finishing with dry colours. You can use pencils, crayons, or even a pen to make the sketches.

The National Institute of Design has uploaded the NID DAT sample on its official admission portal. To download a sample papers. Click on the sample paper link, no log in is required. The sample papers for NID DAT can be download in pdf format. The intent of these sample papers is to help the candidate get insights into the pattern and structure of the exam. By solving the sample papers, the candidate will get insights into the difficulty level of the exam, the types of questions asked, topics from which questions are asked, etc. Additionally, if the candidate solves enough sample papers, it will help him or her to develop problem solving and time management skills. So, all candidates must practice the NID DAT sample paper to gain confidence and get rid of exam fear.

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.

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

Some of the topics that aspirants should study as part of NID syllabus for that Prelims include Colour Terminology, Design Development, Mood, Theme & Colour Inter-relationship, Design Theory, Elements & Principles Of Design, Theme Development, Visual Logic, Memory Drawing, Exercises on Imagination, etc. Candidates who qualify that Prelims has to next appear in that Mains. The that Mains includes a Studio Test for the B. Des programme. The paper may include questions like Doodling, Material Manipulation, Audio Visual Exercise, How to Evolve Ideas, etc. The candidate needs to prepare for the NID that exam as per the updated syllabus. It is recommended that along with the syllabus, the candidate also consults the exam pattern to prepare for NID that exam.

Candidates are advised to be thorough in their preparation when they plan to appear for NID that. Being regular in studies is a must when appearing for NID Entrance Exam. NID that Prelims comprises both objective- and subjective-type questions. The NID Entrance Exam preparation plan that candidates can follow includes: Know the NID exam pattern and marking scheme well Get well-versed with the NID that syllabus Prepare a time-table and strictly adhere to it Attempt NID previous year question papers Solve NID sample papers and mock tests Keep revising.

The Studio Test for the M.Des programme will be conducted in offline mode at various NID campuses - NID Bangalore, NID Gandhinagar, and NID Ahmedabad.

The Studio Test will be conducted programme-wise; the schedule has already been released. 

The details of the campus allotted to the candidate will be mentioned on the NID DAT Mains 2025 admit card.

The registration for the Studio Test will be conducted at the exam centre from 8 am onward. The Studio Test may be conducted in two time slots: 9 am - 12 noon, 2.30 pm -5.30 pm. The duration of the Studio Test is 3 hours. 

Meanwhile, the interview will be conducted from 9 am onward.

Candidates who get shortlisted based on their DAT Prelims scores for the M.Des programme has to next appear in DAT Mains, which comprises a Studio Test and Interview. The Personal Interview is conducted after the Studio Test and carries a weightage of 30%. The interview will be conducted by a panel, which may include experts from industries/academics. The purpose of the interview is to assess the general awareness, extracurricular activities, academics, and the field of interest of the candidate. It is mandatory for candidates to appear in the Personal Interview or else the candidate will not be included in the final merit list.

The National Institute of Design (NID) has released the schedule for NID DAT 2024 (Mains).

The Studio Test and Personal Interview for the M.Des programme will be conducted sometime starting March 2025. Candidates will be shortlisted for the Studio Test and Interview based on their performance in DAT Prelims. The Studio Test will be conducted in offline mode at various NID campuses. Eligible candidates have to get registered at the test centre. The Studio Test will start at around 9 am, followed by the Interview. It is mandatory for candidates to appear in both the Studio Test and the Interview. If any candidate skips the interview, he or she will not be considered for admission to the B.Des or M.Des course.

There is no fixed time as such to solve sample or question papers for NID Entrance Exam. However, it is recommended that the candidate makes sample papers a part of ones exam preparation as early as possible. By solving sample papers, the candidate will be able to gauze the types of questions asked, difficulty level, weightage of questions, and marking scheme. The sample papers will also enable the candidate to help develop ones problem solving skills; this is very important considering many candidates are conceptually well-versed but falls short when it comes to solving problems. Time management is another vital skill that can be improved by solving sample papers.

No, the candidate is not allowed to carry the question paper of the NID exam with them after conclusion of the exam. In fact, the question papers of NID will not be released neither for that Prelims or that Mains. The reason for the non release of the question paper is because the NID question papers are highly subjective in nature. The question paper of NID DAT will be set in English language. Note that the candidate can download unofficial versions of the NID question papers released by the coaching institutes. These question papers will be mostly memory-based, compiled with the help of questions shared by candidates.

NID Entrance Exam is considered to be one of the toughest design entrance exam conducted in the country. In NID DAT, more weightage is given to subjective, drawing related questions. Thus, candidates need to be extremely creative and have a clear understanding of their concepts when appearing for the NID exam. In NID DAT 2022 for the B. Des programme, the that Prelims carried 40% weightage, while that Mains carried 60% weightage. During the that Mains, which comprises a Studio Test, the candidate will be tested hand-on and have to show their drawing abilities, creativity, innovativeness, and material-handling ability.

There is no negative marking in NID DAT 2025 exam. The candidate is recommended to go through the detailed exam pattern to get insights into the question paper structure, including types of questions asked, sections, etc. The DAT Prelims exam for the B. Des programme has two parts. Part I will include 22 objective-type questions, whereas Part II will include 4 subjective-type questions. Objective-type questions carry 1-2 marks, while subjective-type questions carry 15-20 marks. The total marks for the NID DAT Prelims will be 100 marks.

The NID DAT 2025 (Prelims) exam will be conducted on January 5, 2024. 

As per the official pattern, the DAT Prelims exam wil be conducted offline and will be of 3 hours duration. The test will be conducted in English language and include a maximum of 26 questions. The question paper will include both subjective and objective-type questions. The paper will be for 100 marks. Candidate who qualify in DAT Prelims have to next appear in DAT Mains.

The candidate needs to consult the exam pattern along with the syllabus to prepare for the NID that exam. Note that the National Institute of Design also has the authority to make changes to the exam pattern.

The Studio Test for the M.Des programme will be conducted in offline mode at various NID campuses - NID Bangalore, NID Gandhinagar, and NID Ahmedabad.

The Studio Test will be conducted programme-wise; the schedule has already been released. 

The details of the campus allotted to the candidate will be mentioned on the NID DAT Mains 2025 admit card.

The registration for the Studio Test will be conducted at the exam centre from 8 am onward. The Studio Test may be conducted in two time slots: 9 am - 12 noon, 2.30 pm -5.30 pm. The duration of the Studio Test is 3 hours. 

Meanwhile, the interview will be conducted from 9 am onward.

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.

The National Institute of Design will declare the final results of NID DAT 2025 for the B. Des and M.Des courses eparately.

Final results for the B.Des program will be announced somtime in May 2025, while final results for the M.Des program will be announced aorund the last week of April 2025. 

The final results would be prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains 2024.

The National Institute of Design will declare the weightage for the two exams at the time of declaration of results or sometime thereabout.

In the previous edition of the exam, final results for B. Des programme was prepared by giving 40% weightage to that Prelims and 60% weightage to DAT Mains. Meanwhile, final results for M.Des will be prepared by giving 30% weightage to DAT Prelims and 70% weightage to DAT Mains.

The NID DAT 2025 (Prelims) exam will be conducted on January 5, 2024. 

As per the official pattern, the DAT Prelims exam wil be conducted offline and will be of 3 hours duration. The test will be conducted in English language and include a maximum of 26 questions. The question paper will include both subjective and objective-type questions. The paper will be for 100 marks. Candidate who qualify in DAT Prelims have to next appear in DAT Mains.

The candidate needs to consult the exam pattern along with the syllabus to prepare for the NID that exam. Note that the National Institute of Design also has the authority to make changes to the exam pattern.

The Studio Test and Personal Interview for the M.Des programme will be conducted sometime starting March 2025. Candidates will be shortlisted for the Studio Test and Interview based on their performance in DAT Prelims. The Studio Test will be conducted in offline mode at various NID campuses. Eligible candidates have to get registered at the test centre. The Studio Test will start at around 9 am, followed by the Interview. It is mandatory for candidates to appear in both the Studio Test and the Interview. If any candidate skips the interview, he or she will not be considered for admission to the B.Des or M.Des course.

The NID syllabus for that Prelims will include questions from topics like Drawing fundamentals, Innovation in design, Theme development, Exercises on imagination, Graphics & pictograms, Principles of composition, Design theory, etc. The syllabus for NID that Mains will include topics like Model making, Material manipulation, Audio-visual exercises, Importance of body language, Doodling, Creative thinking and the likes. Candidates may note that the National Institute of Design doesn't release any official syllabus. The important topics for the exam are identified by consulting previous years' question papers. The candidate is advised to visit the NID admission portal for the latest updates on NID Syllabus; alternately they may visit this page.