What to expect in NID Studio Test 2026: Tips and Format
National Institute of Design Entrance Exam 2026 ( NID Entrance Exam )
Registration - 11 Sep '25 - 1 Dec '25
NID Studio Test Prep Tips - Candidates who clear NID DAT (Prelims) have to next appear in NID DAT (Mains), which includes a Studio Test. PG candidates also need to appear in a Personal Interview Round after the Studio Test. Candidates must appear in all the stages of the NID Entrance Exam.
The FINAL merit list of NID DAT 2026 will be prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.
Updates on the NID DAT 2026 Exam
The National Institute of Design is expected to conduct the NID DAT 2026 exam in the first week of January, 2026. The exam will be conducted in an offline mode in around 22 cities across India. The name and address of the NID DAT 2026 exam center allocated to the candidate will be mentioned in the admit card.
On exam day, bring your NID DAT 2025 admit card and photo ID proof. Also, make sure that you follow the NID DAT 2026 exam-day guidelines.
NID Studio Test Prep Tips - Interview
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Shiksha spoke to Pranav Prasun, who is pursuing an MDes course in Apparel Design from NID Gandhinagar, to develop a better understanding of how the Studio Test round is conducted for NID admissions. Talking about the NID Studio Test, Pranav shared, “For PG admissions, studio tests can be specific to the discipline, but this is not the case in UG admissions”. Read below the full interview to find out how you should prepare and what you should expect in the NID Studio Test.
Studio Test is conducted within 1 and half months after results for the written test are declared. There is also a schedule mentioned on the NID website/prospectus every year.
1. How did you prepare for the NID studio test?
The reporting time for NID DAT will be mentioned in the Admit card, along with gate closing time, and exam timings and date.
The candidate needs to report for the DAT Prelims exam at 8 am. The gates of the exam center will close at 9:30 AM (or 30 minutes before the commencement of the exam). After that no candidate will be allowed inside the exam hall.
NID DAT Exam timings:
- B.Des - 10 am - 1 pm
- M.Des - 10 am - 12.30 pm
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).
I got an idea about the second phase, which includes a studio test and interview, from my brother, who had done Graphic Design from NID. He suggested talking to some of the senior students from the same discipline that I applied for. Talking to them gave me an overview of what a studio test of Apparel Design would be like. Then I practiced the same and tried to devise my time management strategy by practicing studio test exercises based on the studio test questions that I could find online. And with each practice session, I tried to figure out how I could improve and tried to incorporate the same in the next test. I took these tests every weekend after the first phase result was out.
2. Did you undergo any coaching for the NID studio test?
No, I did not go for any coaching for the studio test.
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3. Roughly how many students are shortlisted for the NID Studio Test?
It’s approximately 3 times the number of seats for every discipline.
4. When you reached the exam center for NID studio test, what did you do?
We all sat as per our candidate ID. And we were given papers for the doodling exercise. Then material test was conducted after a short break.
5. Did you carry any stationery/other equipment for NID studio test? What material were you provided with?
I carried stationery like pencil, eraser, sharpener, pen, scale, etc. as mentioned in the call letter for the studio test. We need pencils during the doodling exercise and pencil/pen for a brief description of what we do in the next test. Besides, any additional material like wire or equipment like pliers, that we might need based on the given task is provided during the test.
The NID DAT 2025 (Mains) exam for the B. Des programme will be held from April 26 - May 4, 2024. The timings for the dat Mains exam will be mentioned in the NID DAT 2025 admit card, along with the reporting time. The candidate needs to reach the DAT Mains exam centre as per the timings given in the admit card. Note that you may not be allowed entry inside the exam venue once the exam commences. So, it is advisable to reach the exam venue with time in hand.
NID Gandhinagar MDes course admission is a multi-step process. The admission procedure begins with the exam online registration and ends with the final seat allotment and fee payment along with physical document verification. The admission stages are also explained below for the candidates reference:
STEP 1: In the first step, candidates need to complete the NID exam application form. The applications are accepted by the institute in online mode.
STEP 2: Candidates who applied successfully need to appear for the NID DAT entrance test. The national-level examination is conducted across 22 cities in India.
STEP 3: The results are declared after the exam is conducted successfully. NID may list cutoff list as well with the minimum score required for MDes admission.
STEP 4: Candidates with a score equal to or more than the cutoff are allotted provisional offer letters. These candidates can then take part in counselling/seat allotment procedure.
STEP 5: In the last step of the admission procedure, subsequent allotment rounds are carried out by the institute. After the seats are allotted, candidates are asked to pay the full course fees. Then the selected candidates will have to report at the respective NID campus for the physical verification of documents.
The NID DAT 2026 Studio Test and Interview for the M.Des program will be conducted from in the first week of March 2026. Candidates will be shortlisted for DAT Mains on the basis of their performance in DAT Prelims.
The Studio Test and Interview will be conducted programme-wise from. Candidates who have qualified DAT prelims are eligible to appear in DAT Mains, which comprise a Studio Test and Interview for the M.Des programme. The Studio Test is usually conducted from 9 am - 12 noon. The Interview will be conducted after the completion of the studio test.
6. How many students are there in one room during the Studio Test?
During my studio test, everyone was there in one big room for the studio test.
7. Are students asked to work simultaneously during the Studio Test?
Yes, everyone attempts the questions asked at the same time.
8. What all was asked in your NID Studio Test?
The studio test was conducted in two sessions. The first session included a doodling exercise where we needed to complete each given frame with doodles. Then there was a short break of around 10-15 minutes. Thereafter, in the next phase, we were given two tasks that we needed to perform using the materials provided. First, was to make something that carries 6 eggs safely under mentioned conditions. Secondly, one was to make a product using straps, wires, threads, etc.
9. Are all the students given the same set of questions in NID studio test?
Yes, there was same set of questions for all the candidates.
10. On what basis are students evaluated in NID Studio Test?
Frankly, I won’t be able to give a clear idea about the basis of selection, as it would depend on the faculty. However, as I know it’s on how best you can approach the given test within the specified time frame.
11. What is the next step in the NID admission process after the studio test round?
The next step is the interview round, which happens for 3 days after the studio test is conducted, as per the time mentioned for each student. Students are informed about the interview date and time just after the studio test.
Interviews begin on the next day of the studio test. It concludes in 3 days usually. If due to some reason a student wants to advance the interview then that is also done.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a month ago
Candidates will be able to apply online by registering on the official portal, filling out the form, uploading documents, and paying the application fee. The registration process will start after the release of the NID DAT 2026 official notification. National Institute of Design is expected to relea
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The NID DAT 2026 notification will provide information about eligibility, application process, fees, exam dates, exam pattern, and selection process. The notification provides details of seat capacity at each NID campus for both B.Des and M.Des.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
NID DAT 2026 notifications will be available on the official website of NID at admissions.nid.edu. Official notification of the NID entrance exam is all set to be out by the first week of September 2025. The notifications will be out for UG and PG programmes.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
National Institute of Design is expected to release the NID DAT 2026 Applications by the first week of September 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 info
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
NID notification for 2026 is expected to be out by the first week of September 2025. The official notification will be out on the official website of the NID and will contain details about the NID entrance examination.
The NID notifications will include:
General Information
Important Dates
Intake Capa
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
One can follow these tips for NID 2026 preparations:
- Know your NID Syllabus.
- Understand the exam pattern of NID DAT.
- Make the NID DAT 2026 preparation plan.
- Books to refer.
- Practice till you are perfect using mock tests and previous year's papers.
- NID DAT Exam Day Strategy.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
In general, the average salary after passing from NID is between 8-12 lakhs. It can also range between 17 and 50 lakhs, depending on the recruiter and the performance of the student.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Yes, there are placements in NID campuses. NID has separate Placement cells for the placement process. Placement in NID completely depends on the performance of the student during the selection interview. Some of the top recruiters of NID are:
- Malabar Gold & Diamonds
- J.P.Morgan
- Tcs
- The Asian Heritage F
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
NID students can get job opportunities in graphic designing, UX designing, animation, fashion communication, furniture designer, fashion consultant, Textile designer, web designer, product designer, film and video communication and much more.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
NID Ahmedabad has a good record of placements. NID Ahmedabad consistently leads in placement outcomes among NID campuses. In 2025, the average package was around ?21.3 LPA and the highest package was around ?30 LPA. The Total offers made were 620.
S
Contributor-Level 10
The National Institute of Design (NID) is expected to conduct the DAT Prelims exam in the first week of January 2026.
The B.Des exam will be held around 10 am - 1 pm; meanwhile, the M.Des exam will be held around 10 am - 12.30 am. The candidate needs to report for the exam at 8 am. Gates' closing time is 9.30 am.
The DAT Prelims for the B.Des programme will be conducted in a paper-and-pencil/pen mode. The question paper may include both textual and visual questions. Other details like duration of the exam, marking scheme, etc., will be published in the DAT Prelims admit card.
The DAT Prelims exam for the M.Des programme will be conducted offline and include a mix of objective and subjective questions. The paper will have a total of 100 questions.