Am I eligible for admission to B.Des/M.Des courses on the basis of NID DAT prelims result?

Admission to the B.Des and M.Des programs at the NIDs is conducted through the NID DAT entrance exam. The exam has two sub-exams - The candidate 1st appears in DAT Prelims, and if shortlisted has to appear in DAT Mains. The final merit list for NID DAT will be prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. Also, if a candidate doen't appear in DAT Mains, he or she will not be considered for admission. The DAT Mains exam for the B. Des programme will include a Studio Test. Meanwhile, the DAT Mains for the M.Des programme includes a Studio Test and Interview.

When will NID DAT Mains result be declared?

The NID DAT 2026 results (Mains) for the B. Des program will be announced in the third week of May 2026. The final result will be prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. The direct link to check the results will be provided here. Note that the candidate was also given the opportunity to apply for re-check of their results.

When to report for the NID Mains exam?

NID DAT 2026 (Mains) exam for the B. Des programme will be held in the last week of April 2026. The timings for the DAT Mains exam will be mentioned in the NID DAT 2026 admit card. Candidates need to reach the DAT Mains exam centre as per the timings given in the admit card.

When will NID DAT cutoff be released?

National Institute of Design (NID) will release the NID DAT 2026 admission cut-off for the B.Des and M.Des programmes at the time of seat allotment, around May-June 2026. The cut-off will be released as the rank and score of the last candidate admitted to the M.Des program. NID DAT cut-off for the B.Des programme will be released separately. The cut-off will be released by considering factors like the number of applicants, seat intake, and category. Candidates who meet the cut-off for their category in their chosen programme will get admission.

Will NID 2026 studio test and personal interview be conducted on the same day?

The studio test and personal interview for M.Des DAT Mains are conducted on the same and in some cases different days. Therefore the candidate has to consult their DAT Mains admit to confirm their studio test and interview schedule.

When will the NID Studio Test conducted for the B. Des programme?

The National Institute of Design (NID) will conduct the Studio Test for the B. Des program in April 2025. The Studio Test will be conducted offline. Note that B. Des candidates are not required to appear in any interview, unlike the M.Des applicants. Admit cards for the Studio Test will be released a few days in advance. On the day of the Studio Test, the candidate had to report at the exam center with the admit card and a valid photo id proof. The Studio Test (or that Mains) is the 2nd stage of the two-stage NID that admission process. The final results of NID DAT 2025 is prepared by considering the performance of the candidate in DAT Mains and DAT Prelims.

Do we need to join coaching to prepare for NIFT entrance exam?

Joining a coaching for NIFT preparation is not really needed. Coaching is for those who want to learn how to draw things. But, if someone has this talent, which most students passionate about sketching and painting do possess, there is no need for coaching. One can prepare through self-study. For your understanding, I would like to give an example. In coaching, students are made to learn how to draw the 3D image by various techniques using measuring instruments but one who is natural at art can imagine what 3D image would look like if it has to be drawn on a paper and would draw the same. In both cases, the outcome is the same. Regarding theory, that is, GAT, if you are confident to solve Maths, History, Geography, General science up till class 10th level, then there is definitely no need for coaching. Though the level of English is a bit high you can improve it yourself.

What is the minimum qualifying criteria for NID admissions?

Minimum qualifying criteria for NID DAT are the minimum marks candidate needs to secure for admission. The category-wise cut-off would be released at the time of counseling and seat allotment. Cut-off would be prepared by considering factors like total number of applicants, merit ranks of applicants in NID DAT, seat intake of applied programme, etc.

When will the NID DAT 2026 Prelims exam be conducted?

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

Is the NID DAT exam very difficult to crack?

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.

When will the application forms for NID 2026 be released?

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 is December 01, 2025

Q: What is NID cutoff?

NID cutoff is the minimum score that candidates need to obtain in order to be considered for admissions to a design course. The participating institutes of NIDs offer B. Des and M.Des courses. The cut-off would be released category-wise for each of these programs. Also, the cut-off would be released separately for all the coaching institutes. Only such candidates who meet the cut-off criteria would be considered for admission.

Is NID DAT cutoff same for all categories?

No, NID Entrance Exam cutoff is released separately for the various categories. For instance, the cut-off is available for categories like Open, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PH categories. Note that open category candidates will not be considered for admission under reserved category seats. However, candidates belonging to reserved category will be considered for admission under both open and the reserved category they belong to. To be considered for admission under reserved category, the candidate must furnish the required category certificates. However, any candidate who is found using counterfeit documents can be disqualified at any stage of the admission process.

NID DAT Cut-Off 2026 (B.Des & M.Des): Colleges/Category-wise Cut-Off, Opening & Closing Ranks

526 Students Q&A

Exam On - 21 Dec '25

This exam is conducted for courses given below:

BDes, GDPD MDes

Updated on Dec 19, 2025 17:30 IST

By Sayeba Naushad, Assistant Manager

NID Cutoff 2026: NID is likely to release the cutoff for B.Des and M.Des at the time of NID DAT Prelims Result 2026. NID DAT Cutoff marks will include the minimum marks, on the basis of which candidates will be shortlisted for NID DAT 2026 Mains.

NID DAT Qualifying cutoff marks are different from NID Admission Cut-off. The NID DAT Final Result 2026 is prepared, giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

Read on for detailed information.

Latest updates:

Table of contents

NID DAT 2026 Admission Cutoff Vs. Prelims Cut-off
NID Entrance Exam 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
NID DAT Cut-off 2026
NID Previous Year Cut-off
NID DAT 2026 Cut-off - FAQs

NID DAT 2026 Admission Cutoff Vs. Prelims Cut-off

NID Entrance Exam 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of NID Entrance Exam 2026 exam

Dates	Upcoming Exam Dates
17 Feb ' 26	NID DAT 2026 (Prelims) - Results for M.Des
17 Feb ' 26 - 18 Feb ' 26	NID DAT 2026 (Prelims) - Results Recheck for M.Des
Mar ' 26	NID DAT 2026 (Mains) Studio Test and Interview TENTATIVE
07 Apr ' 26	NID DAT 2026 (Prelims) - Results for B.Des
07 Apr ' 26 - 08 Apr ' 26	NID DAT 2026 (Prelims) - Results Recheck for B.Des
May ' 26	NID DAT 2026 (Mains) Exam Result for M.Des TENTATIVE
May ' 26	Round 1 M.Des: Deadline for Fee Payment & Document Upload TENTATIVE
View more Future Events (14)

NID DAT Cut-off 2026

NID Previous Year Cut-off

B.Des. in Animation Film Design : NID Entrance Exam 2025 Last Round Closing Rank (General-All India) Accordion Icon V3

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Rounds

B.Des. in Animation Film Design : NID Entrance Exam 2025 Last Round Closing Rank (General-All India)

College	2023	2024	2025
National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad	47	43	48

B.Des. in Animation Film Design in NID : NID Entrance Exam 2025 Last Round Closing Rank (General-All India) Accordion Icon V3

B.Des. in Animation Film Design in NID : NID Entrance Exam 2025 Last Round Closing Rank (General-All India)

College	2023	2024	2025
National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad	47	43	48

NID DAT 2026 Cut-off - FAQs

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Exams

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