National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad

A candidate would ideally need around 6 months or so to prepare for the NID DAT exam. He can take up to 3 months if his fundamentals are strong.

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.

1. Here are some suggested study material for NID DAT 2026.
2. Quantitative Aptitude - Physics and Maths syllabus up to Class 10.  
3. Logical Reasoning - Step-by-Step Verbal Reasoning by Philip Kay, How to Pass Diagrammatic Reasoning Test by Mike Bryon.  
4. GK and Current Affairs - Read newspapers daily for current affairs. For static GK, read any good GK book for NID.
5. English - The Ultimate Guide for NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam by Arihant

Pen and paper testing will be used for the NID DAT 2026 Prelims exam.

A Studio Test will be included in the NID DAT 2025 Mains exam for the B. Des programme. This test will also be administered offline. In the meantime, an offline Studio Test and Interview are part of the DAT Mains exam for the M.Des curriculum. There could be several formats for the studio test (Drawing, Sketching, and Model Making). Candidates for the M.Des programme are selected for interviews depending on how well they performed in the studio test.

The results of the DAT Prelims will include the qualifying status of the candidate. If the candidate fails to qualify DAT Prelims, he or she will not be eligible to appear in DAT Mains.

Note that the Desing Aptitude Test (DAT) conducted by the National Institute of Design (NID) has two sub-exams: DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

Both the exams are mandatory.

Also, the final merit list is prepared by giving weighatage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. So, if a can candidate fails to qualify DAT Prelims or doesn’t appear in DAT Mains, the candidate will be disqualified from the admission process.

The qualifying status of the candidate was disclosed in the DAT Prelim findings. The candidate was ineligible to participate in the DAT Mains if they had not qualified in the DAT Prelims. It should be noted that there are two sub-exams for the National Institute of Design's (NID) Desing Aptitude Test (DAT): DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. It is required to take both tests. Additionally, the DAT Prelims and DAT Mains are weighed in order to generate the final merit list. Therefore, an applicant will be eliminated from consideration for admission if they do not pass DAT Prelims or do not show up for DAT Mains.

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 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. 

The GATE closing time for both the B.Des and M.Des courses is 9.30 am (30 minutes before the commencement of the exam), after which no candidate will be allowed inside the exam centre. 

So, make sure that you reach the exam centre at 8 am (the official reporting time).

Note that you may have to go through security checks and registration. If you are late, then you may face a lot of trouble, which is not a good thing to experience on exam day.