PU DAT Exam Pattern 2025: Section-wise Topics, Exam Paper Structure

Parul Institute of Design Design Aptitude Test 2025 ( PU DAT )

Sayeba Naushad
Updated on Sep 15, 2025 17:07 IST

By Sayeba Naushad, Assistant Manager

PU DAT Exam Pattern 2025: Parul Institute of Design conducts the PU DAT exam for admission to the B.Des and M. Des courses offered at the institute.

The PU DAT 2025 exam will have three rounds:

  • Written test
  • Portfolio
  • Personal interview

The candidate must first appear in the written exam. If shortlisted, the candidate must mail the portfolio to the admission committee within the given deadline.  

The Personal Interview (3rd stage) will be held for candidates who get shortlisted based on the Portfolio. The online exam will be remote-proctored, whereas the offline exam will be conducted in 21 centers across the country.

Latest Updates:

Q:   Can I apply for PU DAT more than once?
A: 

Yes, there is no limit on the number of attempts for PU DAT. However, it is important that the candidate meets the prescribed eligibility criteria for the admission session. So, when applying for the exam, make sure that you go through the prescribed eligibility criteria.

Q:   Does Parul Institute of Design provide any scholarship for PU DAT admission?
A: 

Yes, Parul Institute of Design (PID) offers scholarships to candidates based on the average scores of candidates in DAT, portfolio and interview. The following criteria is adopted to award scholarship to qualifying candidates

  • 90% or above score – 30% scholarship on the first year fee
  • 80-90% score – 20% scholarship on the first year fee
  • 70-80% score – 10% scholarship on the first year fee
Q:   Is it mandatory to appear for all rounds of PU DAT?
A: 

The PU DAT exam will inlcude sub-exams like - online test, portfolio and personal interview.

It is mandatory for the candidate to appear in all the components of the entrance exam. If a candidate doesn't appear in any exam round, he or she will not be considered for admission.

Note PU DAT exam is conducted for admisison to the B.Des program.

Table of content
  • PU DAT 2025 exam centres
  • PU DAT Exam Pattern for Written Test
  • PU DAT Exam Pattern for Portfolio Round
  • PU DAT Exam Pattern for Interview Round
  • PU DAT Exam Pattern 2025 - FAQs
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PU DAT 2025 exam centres

The exam centres for PUDAT 2025 are:

PU DAT 2025 exam centres
Ahmedabad Guwahati Ranchi
Amritsar Indore Lucknow
Bhopal Rajkot Mumbai
Chandigarh Jabalpur Nagpur
Pune Jaipur Patna
Dehradun Kota Surat
Delhi Kolkata Vadodara
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Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is the exam pattern of PU DAT exam?
A: 

The PU DAT 2025 exam will of three hours and include100 multiple choice based questions. Each question will carry 1 mark; total marks for the exam will be100.

The candidate must make it a point to strictly follow the official exam pattern. Also, along with the pattern, also follow the updated syllabus.

Q:   What is the PU DAT selection procedure for the B.Des program?
A: 

Eligible candidates need to email their portfolios, (the second stage of DAT) on the basis of their scores in PU DAT 2025 written exam (first stage). The candidate has to next appear in a Personal Interview (Third Stage). A final list will be generated by PU on the basis of the sum total of the weighted scores secured by the candidate in each stage of the admissions process.

Note that all the stages of the PU DAT 2025 exam is conducted online.

Q:   Does Parul Institute of Design provide any scholarship for PU DAT admission?
A: 

Yes, Parul Institute of Design (PID) offers scholarships to candidates based on the average scores of candidates in DAT, portfolio and interview. The following criteria is adopted to award scholarship to qualifying candidates

  • 90% or above score – 30% scholarship on the first year fee
  • 80-90% score – 20% scholarship on the first year fee
  • 70-80% score – 10% scholarship on the first year fee
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PU DAT Exam Pattern for Written Test

The PU DAT written test contains a total of 100 objective-type multiple-choice questions of 100 marks that candidates need to complete in three hours. The potential of the aspirants is measured based on questions from different spheres such as Design, Logical and Analytical Reasoning, Critical Thinking, and General Knowledge. 

PID DAT Subjects

Total Questions

Total Marks

Design

100

100

Logical and Analytical Reasoning

Critical Thinking

General Knowledge 

Marking scheme: All questions in the PU DAT exam will carry one mark weightage. There will be no negative marking.

Also, check the PUDAT 2025 Sample Paper: Click Here

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   Is PU DAT exam the same for Indian and overseas candidates?
A: 

Yes, PU DAT is common for all candidates seeking BDes admissions at Parul Institute of Design. The candidate must check out the eligibility criteria for their programs before applying for admission.

So, whether you are an NRI candidate or hold Indian domicile, you may apply for admission. Just make sure that you meet the eligibility criteria for the programme you are applying for admission to.

Q:   Does PU accept NATA scores for BDes admissions, or PU DAT is mandatory?
A: 

No, PU does not accept scores of any other entrance exam. So no, the NATA score will not be taken into account for the DAT. It offers BDes admissions only through PU DAT entrance exam. Candidates seeking admission to the BDes programme are therefore urged to go through the program-specific eligibility criteria before they apply for admission.

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PU DAT Exam Pattern for Portfolio Round

All candidates who have cleared the written exam are called to send their portfolios through email. There is no prescribed pattern for the portfolio round. However, here candidates are expected to showcase their best and recent artwork/designs/projects to exam authorities.

The objective of conducting a portfolio round is typically to assess the creative aptitude of candidates.

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PU DAT Exam Pattern for Interview Round

Interview round of PUDAT will be similar to other design personal interviews. The interview will b held online. Following are some tips for PUDAT Interview Rounds:

  • One should dress appropriately.
  • One to maintain eye contact.
  • The portfolio should be handy.
  • Research and know about events in the design industry.
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PU DAT Exam Pattern 2025 - FAQs

Here are a few FAQs on PU DAT exam pattern 2025 and exam.

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   When can I apply for PU DAT?
A: 

The online application form for PU DAT 2025 will open soon. Candidates who meet the prescribed eligibility criteria may apply for admisison following the link given on this page.

Also, before applying, make sure that you meet the prescribed eligibility criteria.

Q:   When will the admit card of PU DAT be released?
A: 

Parul University (PU) will release the admit cards for the PU DAT 2025 exam soon after the online application form closes. The admit card has to be downloaded online using one's log-in credentials.

The admit card will contain details like the date and time of the exam, roll number, and exam centre name and address.

Q:   Why is the PU DAT exam conducted?
A: 

PU DAT 2025 exam will be conducted by Parul Institute of Design to evaluate the attitude, aptitude, achievement, motivation and perception abilities of the candidate. The selection process will be held in three stages- 1. DAT- Design Aptitude Test 2. Portfolio Round 3. Personal Interview

The candidate needs to appear in all the stages of the exam. If the candidates misses any stage, then he or she will not be considered for admission.

Q:   When will the PU DAT exam be conducted?
A: 

Parul University will conduct the PU DAT 2025 exam on Janaury 26, 2025. Candidates who succesfully filled out the application form could sit in the exam.

Note that PU DAT entrance exam is conducted in multiple phases.

The candidate can choose any phase that is suitable to them.

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