NID Entrance Exam MDes 2026: Exam Dates, Application Form, Eligibility, Syllabus, Results

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.

Diploma candidates need to meet the following conditions for admission:

• Done full-time Diploma of 4-year duration after 10+2
• Diploma in the following subjects is accepted - Design/ Fine Arts/ Applied Arts/ Architecture.
• The Diploma must be done from a university or institute recognised by law in India.

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:

Event	B.Des (Expected)	M.Des (Expected)
NID DAT (2025) Prelims date	First week of January 2026	First week of January 2026
Reporting Time	8 AM	8 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)

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. 

The NID DAT 2026 Mains exam for B. Des will comprise a Studio Test. The Studio Test will be conducted in offline mode. The candidate will be given the option to select test centre before the test. Test centres will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. DAT Mains exam for the B. Des programme will be conducted in April 2026. Meanwhile, DAT Mains for the M.Des programme will comprise a Studio Test and an Online Interview. The Studio Test will be conducted on offline mode, while the Personal Interview will be conducted online.

Diploma candidates need to meet the following conditions for admission:

• Done full-time Diploma of 4-year duration after 10+2
• Diploma in the following subjects is accepted - Design/ Fine Arts/ Applied Arts/ Architecture.
• The Diploma must be done from a university or institute recognised by law in India.

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.   

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.

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 NID DAT exam will be conducted in an OMR-based (offline mode). Note that exam officials will not provide any stationery inside the exam hall. 

So, you need to bring the following items with you: A blue/black ball-point pen (for filling the OMR sheet), scissor, glue stick, lead pencil (of varying grades), colors (such as oil pastels/color pencils/sketch pens, etc.) eraser, sharpeners, ruler etc. for the purpose of examination.

If any of you are wondering, exam offials will also not arrange for refreshments for the candidates. 

Check here the detailed NID DAT Prelims exam day guidelines.

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.

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, along with NIFT and UCEED are among the most competitive national-level entrance exams in the country. The fact that there are only 425 seats for the B. Des and 347 seats for the M.Des programme makes it very competitive. But that being said, if the candidate prepares well and with the correct strategy, then the NID DAT exam can be cracked. Among the first things the candidate needs to do is prepare a efficient study timetable get familiar with the syllabus and pattern, and use good books as reference material. 

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. 

The National Institute of Design (NID) released the NID DAT 2026 admit card for DAT Prelims on December 11, 2025. Admit cards were issued only to successfully registered candidates.

To download the admit card, Candidates were required to log in to the portal using their email ID and date of birth. 

NID DAT, along with NIFT and UCEED are among the most competitive national-level entrance exams in the country. The fact that there are only 425 seats for the B. Des and 347 seats for the M.Des programme makes it very competitive. But that being said, if the candidate prepares well and with the correct strategy, then the NID DAT exam can be cracked. Among the first things the candidate needs to do is prepare a efficient study timetable get familiar with the syllabus and pattern, and use good books as reference material. 

National Institute of Design released the NID DAT 2026 Applications on September 11, 2025 for B.Des and M.Des programmes. The registration for NID DAT 2026 will be on the official website of NID. Candidates can fill out the application form by registering, filling in information, submitting documents, and paying the registration fees.

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 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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.