NID DAT
NID DAT
National Institute of Design — Design Aptitude Test
Conducted by
National Institute of Design
Level
B.Des & M.Des
When
Prelims in December/January · Mains (studio test + interview) around April–May
Colleges
NID Ahmedabad · NID Gandhinagar · NID Bengaluru · NID Kurukshetra · NID Vijayawada · NID Jorhat (Assam) · NID Bhopal (MP)
What the exam is
NID is the oldest design school in the country and still the one most design aspirants dream about. Admission is through the Design Aptitude Test (DAT), which happens in two stages.
DAT Prelims is a written test with drawing and aptitude questions. It shortlists candidates for DAT Mains, which is a studio test — hands‑on model making, sketching and problem solving — followed by a personal interview at the campus.
Because NID evaluates thinking as much as drawing, the preparation is different from UCEED. You need a bank of ideas, a habit of sketching daily, and the ability to explain your work to a panel.
Exam pattern
Prelims — 100 marks, written, 3 hours: a mix of objective questions and subjective drawing questions.
Mains — studio test (hands‑on tasks like model making, sketching, material exploration) plus a personal interview.
Final merit = weighted Prelims + Mains score. Weightage differs for B.Des and M.Des; the official handbook has the exact split.
Seven NID campuses take admission through DAT; the number of seats per discipline is small, so ranks matter.
Who can apply
B.Des: Class 12 passed or appearing, any stream, with an upper age limit. M.Des: a bachelor’s degree in any discipline. Check the current NID admissions handbook for the age cut-off.
Mentor’s tip
NID rewards ideas over polish. A rough sketch of a clever concept beats a beautiful drawing of a boring one.
Prepare with DDM
Live batches, mock series with Part B evaluation, and a free 15-minute call to plan your months.