National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad

The National Institute of Design (NID) in its admission handbook has clearly mentioned that it will not release any question papers nor answer keys for the NID DAT exam. The institute has mentioned in the handbook that the Prelims and Mains question papers are highly subjective, and so don't have any model answers. Note that the NID DAT exam is conducted for admission to the MDes and BDes courses. The candidate may however download unofficial question papers for the Prelims and the Mains exam released by coaching institutes. The only thing the candidate needs to remember in this case is since they are not official, the questions may not be exact replicas; typically the questions are picked from candidates who have appeared in the exam.

The sample papers are usually solved as part of ones exam preparation at a very early stage. However, mock tests are taken in the last few weeks leading up to the exam. Unlike sample papers, the main purpose of the mock tests is to give the candidate an exam-like ambience so that the candidate gets an idea as to how the actual exam would be. The mock tests often have a timer on, and the candidate will have to solve the paper within the given time. That being said, mock tests may contain fewer questions than the actual exam. Note that mock test cant be a substitute for sample papers, which are the mainstays to improve ones problem solving and time management skills.

There is no fixed time as such to solve sample or question papers for NID Entrance Exam. However, it is recommended that the candidate makes sample papers a part of ones exam preparation as early as possible. By solving sample papers, the candidate will be able to gauze the types of questions asked, difficulty level, weightage of questions, and marking scheme. The sample papers will also enable the candidate to help develop ones problem solving skills; this is very important considering many candidates are conceptually well-versed but falls short when it comes to solving problems. Time management is another vital skill that can be improved by solving sample papers.