Design Entrance Exam

For (Design Aptitude Test), there isn't much that you can do. Firstly, and most importantly, you should have an aptitude for design. NID papers are designed in such a way that only those who have a creative side will be able to clear it. The question paper is a mix of creativity, logical thinking and general knowledge. You need to be aware of the latest happenings in the world. Cramming up yearbooks won't help you, seriously. Instead make a habit of reading the newspaper every day.
After clearing that, you'll have to prepare for the studio test and the personal interview. The studio test judges you on your material handling and of course creativity. You could be provided any material, like clay, terracotta, cardboard anything and from a set of themes, you may have to design something of your choice. Since it is time bound, you have to be real quick and efficiently use the materials provided to you.
The personal interview is where the faculty evaluates you in person. They may ask you about your hobbies, interests and even talent. They may even ask you to sing if you're a singer. If you have a history of artwork, you get to showcase it to them. Whatever you have done till now, be it a random sketch or doodle, bring it along. But make sure it's your own work otherwise you may get caught and it's not that difficult for them to do so. Make sure that your portfolio stands out. It should speak for you and define you. Don't try to include or steal somebody else's ideas. Be unique and come up with something from your side. Follow your instinct.
For all this, you can join some coaching institute which will help you ENHANCE your creative side. There are a lot of coaching institutes like BRDS, Skyblue, Silica, Pahal Design and the list goes on. But I would suggest you go ahead with BRDS because they have the maximum selections every year and also the material provided by them is good. Even if you don't wish to join any coaching institute, that's okay. I have friends who have cleared NID without joining any coaching and who even after joining such institutes haven't cleared any of the design entrances.
Lastly, don't stress about the exam much! Stress makes you think less creatively and that is something you wouldn't want to happen on the day of exam. For the interview, don't worry at all. Be confident and be yourself.

I'll answer it in short.
NID is purely dedicated to designing areas. There are few courses only for fashion related.
People work in depth of each area of design viz, fashion, automobiles, lifestyle, architecture, film, cartoons, movie making, communication and much more. They do not just stick to the fashion world.
NID people work to change the world.
NIFT is mostly dedicated to the fashion world as I said earlier.
There are many branches but indirectly they all are connected with fashion only, viz; Leather, Textiles, Lifestyle, Knitwear, Fashion communication etc.
I hope this will give you some idea.
well, I would say nothing is better or worse though there is only one NID in India, so everyone wants to be on top.
Don't you?
NID have very limited no. Of seats for both PG & UG.
Nid exams pick up different categories of students each year based on what they are looking.
Like, if they are picking students who are good in imagination or they have a good presence of minds.
Accordingly, they compose their question papers.
NIFT almost goes on the same pattern.

It's a really tough question. I really had to struggle a lot with this myself. But I'll try to answer to the best of my abilities.
I am guessing that you're going to take CEED this year so that'll be CEED 2014. It will take place in the November end (mostly).
The first thing you need to understand is that anybody with an open mind and decent drawing skills can get through CEED. You don't need to be extraordinary at drawing (obviously it does help if you are extremely good at it).
Question Paper format:
Total 100 Marks. The paper has 2 parts.
Part A- Multiple choice questions-50 Marks. It will test you on many things from General Aptitude, GK to Analytical ability. Famous architectures around the world-Bridges, buildings, etc.
In CEED-2013, I got a few questions on mechanical pulleys (physics) so there will always be surprises.
Part-B: Again divided into 2 sections. Drawing Ability and Design Problem Solving. Total 50 Marks. The 2 most time consuming things in the entire paper.
Also, the paper format may change, but you will be notified on the official CEED website if that's the case.
Stuff you need to know before appearing for the exam:
You need to start preparing right away. Read anything you can find on interaction design and visual communication. Go as deep as you can into that subject.
Check out:
Smashing Magazine for professional web designers and developers
Complete Beginner's Guide to Interaction Design-UX Booth.
Another great resource-Teacup Blog
Previous Question Papers-Common Entrance Examination for Design. Go through the previous question papers and try to answer as many of the questions as you can. Trust me you will learn a lot of things by answering them.
You need decent drawing skills. By the time you take the exam, you should be able to draw fruits, vegetables and everyday objects from your mind as far as possible in 3D perspective.
Check out how to draw stuff, step by step, pop culture, with our free online drawing tutorials.
Industrial Design Sketching and Drawing Video Tutorials
Be creative while answering the questions. What I mean to say is try to use the answer sheet to your advantage and present your points clearly and accurately. Try to think of different ways you could use the answer sheet to present your answers. This is not really that important. But it's one of those good-to-know things.