NID Entrance Exam Pattern

To secure admission to NID’s design programmes, aspirants must clear two stages:

• Stage 1: NID DAT Prelims – a pen-and-paper based written test
• Stage 2: NID DAT Mains – Studio Sensitivity Test and In-Person Sensitivity Test (B.Des), or Studio Test, Interview & Portfolio Review (M.Des)

NID DAT Prelims

The DAT Prelims for both B.Des and M.Des is a written, pen-and-paper based test with two sections: objective-type questions and subjective questions that include sketching. This stage is used purely for shortlisting candidates for DAT Mains and carries no weightage in the final merit list.
NID DAT Prelims covers topics such as visual design, environmental sensitivity, thematic colour arrangement, memory drawing, proportions and perspective, drawing skills, animation, abstract symbolism, general mental ability, composition and communication skills, along with the overall creative ability of the aspirant.

Only candidates who clear the DAT Prelims cut-off are shortlisted to appear for DAT Mains.

NID DAT Mains – B.Des

Studio Sensitivity Test: A hands-on evaluation held at the NID campus, involving drawing and sketching tasks, 3D model making, and audio-visual perception exercises.
In-Person Sensitivity Test: An interaction round assessing the candidate’s responses to sensory stimuli, along with group or individual discussions.

NID DAT Mains – M.Des

The Studio Test for M.Des admissions is held separately for each specialisation (the faculty stream the aspirant has applied for) and includes hands-on drawing/sketching and model-making exercises. This is followed by a portfolio review and a discipline-wise personal interview.

Note: Only candidates shortlisted through DAT Prelims are called for DAT Mains, and the Prelims score itself does not add to the final merit list.

Topics aspirants should study as part of the NID DAT Syllabus for B.Des / GDPD admissions:

NID DAT Syllabus for B.Des / GDPD Admissions

• Outline for beginners
• Colour terminology
• Inspiration and design development
• Mood, theme and colour interrelationship
• Design theory
• Elements and principles of design
• Natural and geometrical forms
• Innovation in design
• Principles of composition
• Lettering
• Optical illusion
• Understanding light and shade
• Colour psychology and optical illusions
• Form and function
• Colour, pattern and texture
• Theme development
• Creative thinking and writing
• Picture analysis
• Visual logic
• Good design vs. bad design
• Drawing fundamentals
• Use of measurements, scale and proportions
• Foreshortening and perspective
• Developing themes and colour associations
• Inspiration and creativity
• Ornaments and motifs
• Memory drawing
• Usage of colour in compositions
• Expression and emotion
• Exercises on imagination
• Lateral thinking
• Story pictures
• Presentation techniques
• Imagination and doodling
• 3D visualisation
• Graphics and pictograms
• Innovation and creation
• Design awareness
• Developing observation

NID Studio Test (DAT Mains) Syllabus for B.Des / GDPD Admissions

• Model making
• Doodling
• Interaction with past successful students
• How to evolve ideas
• Audio-visual exercises
• Material manipulation
• Creative thinking

About the NID Result

NID DAT results are declared online only on the official admissions portal: admissions.nid.edu. There are two separate result announcements each cycle — one for DAT Prelims and one for DAT Mains — following the schedule NID declares each year. To check the result, candidates need to log in with their registered email address and date of birth. The NID DAT Prelims merit list is prepared category-wise, with separate lists for General, EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST and PwD candidates.

How to Check the NID DAT Result

Step 1: Go to the official NID admissions portal at admissions.nid.edu.

Step 2: Click on the result login link once results are announced.

Step 3: Enter your registered email address and date of birth.

Step 4: Your result will appear on screen.

Step 5: Use the print icon to download or print your result for your records.

Only candidates who clear the DAT Prelims cut-off are shortlisted for DAT Mains. The final merit list is based entirely on DAT Mains performance — the Prelims score carries no weightage in the final result.

Important: Qualifying in NID DAT does not by itself guarantee admission. Final selection depends on merit rank, category, seat availability at each NID campus, and completion of document verification and fee payment formalities.

BRDS NID Result 2025

BRDS achieved its best-ever NID result in 2025. 314 BRDS students qualified for NID 2025, with All India Ranks 1 to 10 all going to BRDS students, and 162 BRDS students placing in the Top 100 All India Ranks. Since 2005, BRDS has produced a cumulative total of 2,476 NID-qualified students — the highest result for NID compared to any other coaching institute in India.

About the NID Admit Card

NID admit cards are available for download only on the official NID admissions portal: admissions.nid.edu. NID does not send admit cards by post or email — downloading and printing the admit card before the exam is entirely the candidate’s responsibility.

Admit cards are issued only to candidates who have successfully submitted a complete application form. Separate admit cards are issued for NID DAT Prelims and NID DAT Mains — one does not cover the other.

How to Download the NID DAT Admit Card

Step 1: Visit the official NID admissions portal at admissions.nid.edu.

Step 2: Click on the admit card download link once it becomes active.

Step 3: Enter your registered email address, date of birth and application number.

Step 4: View and download your admit card.

Step 5: Take a clear printout of the admit card to carry to your exam centre.

The NID DAT admit card is a mandatory document that aspirants must carry to their test centre. No candidate is permitted to appear for the DAT Prelims or DAT Mains exam without a valid, printed admit card.

Details to Check on the NID Entrance Exam Admit Card

Candidates should ensure that their NID DAT admit card contains all of the following details:

NID Answer Key

The National Institute of Design (NID) has not yet released the answer key for the NID DAT 2027 cycle — candidates should check the official admissions portal (admissions.nid.edu) for updates once the exam is conducted. Once released, candidates typically need to log in with their registered email ID and date of birth to view the answer key.

NID conducts the Design Aptitude Test (DAT) each year, and the design school subsequently releases the answer key on the official admissions portal. The answer key is available to view online only.

Once the provisional answer key is released, aspirants are given a window to raise objections against any question or answer they believe to be incorrect, submitted through the official portal. After NID reviews these objections and makes any necessary corrections, the final answer key is released.

Steps to Download the NID Entrance Exam Answer Key

Step 1: Open the official NID admissions portal (admissions.nid.edu)

Step 2: Click on the NID DAT Answer Key tab, once available

Step 3: Enter your email ID, date of birth, and application number

Step 4: View the NID DAT answer key and download it for future reference

Step 5: Cross-check your selected responses against the answers in the official answer key to estimate your probable score in NID DAT.

NID DAT Marking Scheme

The NID DAT Prelims paper combines objective-type and short-answer subjective questions. As per the current admission structure, the Prelims stage is used only for shortlisting candidates for DAT Mains and carries no weightage in the final merit list — refer to the Pattern tab above for the full breakdown.

About the NID Cut-Off

NID releases minimum qualifying marks for DAT Mains each year, along with the closing ranks and scores of the last candidate admitted in each discipline and category, once seat allotment is complete. Separate cut-offs apply to General, EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD and Overseas category candidates.

Only candidates who meet the NID DAT Prelims cut-off are shortlisted for DAT Mains, and only those who clear the DAT Mains minimum qualifying marks are considered for final seat allotment.

NID DAT Mains – Minimum Qualifying Marks (Reference: 2025-26 cycle)

These figures are from the 2025-26 admission cycle, shared for reference. Cut-offs for 2027-28 will be published by NID after DAT Mains results are declared. Candidates can refer to the official NID admissions portal (admissions.nid.edu) for discipline-wise closing ranks and scores of the last candidate admitted, once released for the current cycle.

NID application forms for 2027 are available on the official website of the National Institute of Design at admissions.nid.edu. Candidates need to visit the official website and complete their application process within the stipulated dates. The NID application process typically begins in October, and the last date to submit the application form is usually in November. Aspirants can only fill the NID entrance exam application form online on the official website — no offline application process is available.

Note: All dates mentioned are tentative and based on previous years’ NID admission schedule. Official dates for NID 2027 will be announced by NID on its official website. Candidates are advised to check admissions.nid.edu regularly for confirmed dates and any schedule changes.

NID Application Process 2027: Important Dates

Step 1: Register for NID DAT

To fill the NID entrance exam application form, aspirants first need to create a login ID. For this, candidates must provide details such as name, gender, email address, educational qualification, mobile number, date of birth, nationality and reservation category.

Candidates should ensure that the email ID and mobile number used to create the NID login stay active and functional until the admission process is complete, since NID sends all official communication there.

Step 2: Fill the NID Entrance Exam 2027 Application Form

Once signed up, candidates log in to their NID admission account using their email ID and date of birth to access the application form. In the form, aspirants need to fill in the following details:

Step 3: Select NID Course

In the NID application form, aspirants applying to the undergraduate programme are given the choice to select a specific programme — (i) only B.Des, (ii) only GDPD, or (iii) both B.Des and GDPD. Note that once payment is completed, this choice cannot be changed. MDes applicants select their preferred discipline(s) directly in the application form.

All design courses offered across NID’s campuses are listed in the application form itself. Refer to the list of colleges accepting NID entrance exam scores for admission for more context.

Step 4: Upload Photograph & Signature

After filling in all the required details, candidates need to save their application form and then upload their photograph and signature, in the following format and size:

Step 5: Pay the NID DAT Application Fee

Candidates can pay the application fee online via credit card, debit card or net banking. Application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, and no changes can be made to the form once the fee is paid.

Step 6: Print the NID Application Form

Once the application fee is successfully paid, candidates should download and save a copy of their completed application form in PDF format, and take a clear printout for their records.