NID DAT 2026: Eligibility, Pattern, Syllabus, Books, Previous Year Papers with Solutions
The National Institute of Design will release the NID DAT 2026 notification tentatively in September 2025 on its official website - admissions.nid.edu. The notification consists of the complete NID DAT 2026 schedule. The institute will begin the NID registration 2026 online in September 2025 as per trends seen last year. Aspirants planning to appear for the NID DAT 2026 can check the NID exam eligibility, the paper pattern of the NID DAT exam, the best books for preparation, NID exam dates, and more on this page.
This Story also Contains
- NID DAT 2026: An Overview
- NID DAT Exam Date 2026
- NID 2026 Eligibility Criteria
- NID DAT 2026 Application Form
- NID 2026 Fees
- NID DAT 2026 Syllabus
- NID DAT 2026 Exam Pattern
- Previous Year NID Question Paper
- NID 2026 Preparation Tips
- NID DAT 2026 Books for Preparation
- NID DAT 2026 Counselling
NID DAT 2026 will have two components - Prelims and Mains. Candidates will be offered NID admissions based on the consolidated scores in both components of the exam. The institute will conduct the NID DAT entrance exam for admissions into B.Des and M.Des programmes of NID campuses. Continue reading for more information on the NID entrance exam 2026.
NID DAT 2026: An Overview
NID DAT is a national-level exam conducted by the National Institute of Design once a year for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The NID DAT exam will be conducted in English for 3 hours. Candidates can refer to NID previous year papers to get an idea of the NID difficulty levels of the NID exam. Read the complete article to know more about the NID entrance exam 2026. Check out below the overview of the NID 2026 exam.
| Particulars | NID Details |
|---|---|
NID full form | NID Design Aptitude Test |
Short Name | NID DAT |
Conducting Body | National Institute of Design |
Frequency of Conduct | Once a year |
Exam Level | National Level Exam |
Languages | English |
Mode of Exam | Offline |
Exam Duration | 3 Hours |
Official website | admissions.nid.edu |
NID DAT Exam Date 2026
The National Institute of Design will announce the NID 2026 exam date officially at admissions.nid.edu. However, candidates can refer to the table given below for the tentative schedule of NID DAT 2026 BDes and MDes.
NID DAT 2026 Exam Date
| NID Events | NID BDes Dates 2026 | NID MDes Dates 2026 |
|---|---|---|
NID DAT 2026 application form date | September 2025 | September 2025 |
| NID application form 2026 last date | December 2025 | December 2025 |
NID 2026 registration for DAT by paying the late fees | December 2025 | December 2025 |
Correction of NID DAT 2026 application form | December 2025 | December 2025 |
NID DAT admit card 2026 | December 2025 | December 2025 |
NID 2026 exam date for prelims | January 2026 | January 2026 |
NID DAT result 2026 prelims | April 2026 | February 2026 |
Rechecking request for DAT prelims | April 2026 | February 2026 |
Download admit card for NID DAT mains | April 2026 | February 2026 |
NID DAT 2026 exam date for mains | April 2026 | March 2026 |
NID DAT 2026 mains result | May 2026 | May 2026 |
Rechecking request for DAT mains 2026 | May 2026 | May 2026 |
NID 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Candidates applying for the BDes and MDes programme should meet NID DAT 2026 eligibility criteria. It is important to fulfill the NID DAT eligibility criteria so as not to face any disqualification at the last moment. The NID eligibility criteria 2026 for BDes and MDes are different. Candidates can refer to the table given below for the NID DAT eligibility criteria 2026.
NID DAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria
| Programme | Educational Qualification | Age Limit |
|---|---|---|
BDes |
|
|
MDes |
|
|
NID DAT 2026 Application Form
The National Institute of Design will release the NID DAT 2026 application form at its official website. According to the previous year, the NID DAT application form for BDes and MDes is expected to be released in September 2025. A direct link to the NID DAT application form 2026 will be updated on this page after the official release. Follow the steps to fill out the NID DAT registration form:
- Visit to the official website—admissions.nid.edu
- Click on the NID DAT registration link and get yourself registered.
- Go to the NID DAT application form link and enter the login credentials.
- Fill up the personal details, such as
- Name of the candidate
- Father’s name
- Mother’s name
- Gender
- Qualification
- Email ID & Mobile number
- Communication address
- Date of birth
- Course name
- Category
- Nationality
- Select the NID DAT 2026 exam centre
- Upload the photograph of the candidate
- Payment of application fee based on the category
- Upload the required documents
- Click on the submit button
- Download and take a printout of the NID DAT application form 2026 for future reference.
NID 2026 Fees
Category | Application fee | Application fee + late fee |
General/ General- EWS/ OBC-NCL | Rs 3000 | Rs 4500 |
SC/ ST/ General-PwD/ General-EWS-PwD/ OBC-NCL-PwD/ SC-PwD/ ST-PwD | Rs 1500 | Rs 2250 |
Overseas (Supernumerary) | Rs 5000 | Rs 7500 |
NID DAT 2026 Syllabus
As per the previous year ,the authorities did not release any specific NID syllabus for the DAT exam. However, candidates appearing for the NID DAT 2026 can check the table below for important topics based on the previous year sample paper.
NID Entrance Exam Syllabus BDes
Innovation in design | Theme development | Exercises on imagination | Graphics & pictograms |
Principles of composition | Design Theory | Optical illusion | Form & function |
Inspiration & design development | Natural & geometrical form | Colour, pattern & texture | Drawing fundamentals |
Lateral thinking | Design Awareness | Creative thinking & writing | Ornaments & motifs |
Imagination & doodling | Understanding light & shade | Elements & Principles of Design | Colour psychology & optical illusions |
3D visualization | Lettering | Developing observation | Good design vs. bad design |
Optical illusion | Outline for beginners | Memory drawing | Innovation & Creation |
Mood, theme & colour inter-relationship | Visual logic | Colour terminology | Presentation techniques |
Picture analysis | Story pictures | Usage of colour in compositions | Natural & geometrical form |
Use of measurements, scale & proportions | Expression & emotion | Developing themes & colour associations | Foreshortening & perspective |
Check:
NID DAT 2026 Exam Pattern
With the help of the NID DAT exam pattern 2026, candidates can understand the time allotted for each section, the number of questions asked, the types of questions, and the total marks. Refer to the table given below for a better understanding of the exam pattern.
NID DAT BDes Prelims (40%)
Section | Type of question | Number of Questions in each section | Maximum marks per section |
Part I | MCQ |
|
|
Part II | Subjective type | Q28 - Q31 | 60 marks |
Total Marks | 100 marks |
NID DAT BDes MAINS (60%)
Particular | Details |
Mode of exam | Offline |
Exam Duration | 3 hours |
NID DAT Total marks | 100 |
Mode of Language | English |
Type of questions | Based on Drawing/ Sketching/ Model Making |
Previous Year NID Question Paper
NID DAT 2026 will consist of two parts: Prelims and Mains exams. The NID DAT exam pattern for the prelims and the mains exam varies. As per the previous year, the NID DAT question paper for the Prelims exam includes subjective and objective type questions and the Mains exam consists of questions based on drawing, sketching, and model making.
NID B.Des Question Paper with Solution PDF by Silica Institute
NID 2026 Preparation Tips
- Attempt previous year NID question papers
- Understand the syllabus and exam pattern
- Create a study schedule and stick to the routine
- Focus on maintaining speed and accuracy at the same time
- Boost your creativity and observation skills
NID DAT 2026 Books for Preparation
Aspirants who are going to appear for the NID 2026 exam are advised to check the list of recommended books for the entrance exam. With the help of the NID books, candidates can get a detailed explanation of topics and also the list of important topics.
Best Books for NID DAT 2026
NID DAT book by R.S. Aggarwal (aptitude section) | Design drawing by Francis D.K.Ching | NID (B.Des.) Entrance Books and Test Series |
NID Workbook | Basic Rendering from Robert W.Gill | Guide for NID |
NID Mock Test Series | Success Master- NID Entrance Examination | NIFT/ NID/ IIFT entrance exam guide by Surendra |
Also Check:
NID DAT 2026 Counselling
The NID DAT counselling 2026 schedule will be released online. Candidates to visit the official website - admissions.nid.edu for the counselling dates. The NID DAT 2026 counselling will be held in May tentatively. The NID DAT 2026 seat allotment will be done based on the campus and course preferences opted by the students during the counselling registration process. The authorities will also release the NID DAT cutoff 2026 as per each counselling round.
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Questions related to NID DAT
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
Preparing for the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) entrance exam involves focusing on several key areas. Here’s a structured approach to get you started:
1. Understand the Exam Structure
Familiarize yourself with the NIFT entrance exam format:
- General Ability Test (GAT): Tests general knowledge, current affairs, and quantitative
No, diploma or polytechnic students are generally not eligible to apply for the NID DAT exam.
The eligibility criteria for NID DAT typically requires a 10+2 qualification or its equivalent. This means you must have completed your higher secondary education to be eligible for the exam.
I hope this information
Stages of the Exam:
The PG NID entrance exam typically consists of two stages:
-
Prelims:
This written test might include objective and subjective questions to assess your design aptitude, creativity, problem-solving skills, and knowledge of design principles.
- Mains: Candidates who qualify in the prelims are called for the mains stage,
Hello,
If you forgot to write the question paper code and date on your NID DAT prelims OMR sheet, contact the exam authorities immediately. They may have procedures in place to handle such situations. According to me there should be no problem for you even if you have not filled
Hello aspirant,
The National Institute of Design (NID) has not yet made the NID DAT 2024 exam's official syllabus public. But you can check the important topics for this exam on our site by clicking on the link given below.
https://design.careers360.com/articles/nid-dat-syllabus
Thank you
Hope this information helps you.