The National Institute of Design has released the NID DAT 2026 Prelims results. The Rechecking window will be open from 6 PM, 12 February 2026 to 11:59 PM (Midnight), 14 February 2026. You can check the results at the official website: admissions.nid.edu. You just need to enter your email address and date of birth to check the NID results. 

NID 2026 Entrance Exam (Prelims) was conducted on December 21, 2025 for B.Des and M.Des. For rechecking, you can check the link below. You need to enter your email id and password for rechecking. 

Quick Links:

• NID DAT Exam Pattern
• NID DAT Question Papers
• NID DAT Cut Off Expected

Ques: What are the various categories for which NID DAT merit list will be released?

Ques: What is the intake capacity at NIDs?

Ques: Do I need to select campuses as a part of the B.Des Program?

NID DAT 2026 Seat Capacity

The seat capacity of various NID’s accross India are:

What is NID DAT 2026?

NID grants admission to the design courses based on two stages of Design Aptitude Tests: Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Prelims and Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Mains.

The National Institute of Design (NID) encompasses five faculty streams and offers 20 diverse design domains. The NID DAT Campus provides eight different specializations for the Bachelor of Designing (B. Des) program and also offers a Graduate Diploma Programme in Design (GDPD). These are the undergraduate courses which are for 4 years.

The Master of Designing (M.Des) program offers 18 different specializations and duration for these PG courses is two and a half years.

The Ph.D. programmes are in two modes full-time and part-time formats. The full-time is for 3 years.

According to the official notice from NID, students who've completed their 10+2 are good to go for applying to the B.Des course. Just make sure the qualifying exam is from a board recognized by the Association of Indian Universities. For the M.Des course, students holding a minimum of a 3-year Bachelor’s degree are eligible to apply. Check NID DAT Eligibility 2026

NID DAT 2026 Admission Highlights

Besides knowing the exam pattern, it's crucial for students to dive deep into the NID DAT Syllabus 2026 before kicking off their prep. Remember, the syllabus differs for B.Des and M.Des. To get a comprehensive grip on the syllabus, checking out recommended NID DAT Books can be a smart move. It'll help you cover the syllabus thoroughly and be better prepared for the exam! Check NID DAT 2026 Exam Pattern and Syllabus

NID DAT Important Dates 2026

NID DAT 2026: B.Des Admission

There are following below specializations which are offered under undergraduate course of B.Des. in NID DAT:

• Ceramic and Glass Design
• Product Design
• Exhibition Design
• Graphic Design
• Furniture and Interior Design
• Animation Film Design
• Film and Video Communication
• Textile Design

NID DAT Eligibility 2026: B.Des

The eligibility for NID DAT are mentioned below:

• The candidate must pass class 12th from any stream which is a minimum eligibility.
• In the year 2026-25 the candidate needs to apply for B.Des. at NID should meet the eligibility criteria if they have cleared or are appearing for their higher secondary (10+2) qualifying examination from any stream (Science, Commerce or Humanities).
• The upper age limit for UG course is 20yrs n or before July 1.

Selection Criteria for NID DAT B.Des

At NID DAT there are two stages for the Admission to the UG courses on the basis of Design Aptitude Tests.

1. Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Prelims
2. Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Mains
3. On the basis of merit list the successful candidates can appear for Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Mains

Note: The candidates applying for B.Des. and GDPD, their allotment of campus and seat are totally based on merit list.

NID DAT Prelims Qualifying Marks 2026

Predicting the qualifying marks for NID DAT Prelims 2026 can be a bit tricky at the moment because the National Institute of Design (NID) hasn't released them yet. Typically, they spill the details around mid-February. To keep in the loop, make sure to check the official NID website regularly. While we eagerly await the official word, we can make an educated guess based on past patterns, reliable sources, and an analysis of previous NID DAT cutoffs.

Estimating the precise cutoff score for NID DAT 2026 poses a challenge, considering several factors:

• Total number of applicants: Higher applicant numbers may lead to elevated cutoffs.
• Difficulty level of the exam: A tough exam might result in a lower cutoff to accommodate deserving candidates.
• Seat availability: Limited seats in a sought-after program could increase the cutoff.
• Performance of the test-takers: Exceptional performance has the potential to raise the cutoff. Keep an eye on these factors for a better understanding of the expected cutoff score.

The cut off 2026 (Expected) for NID DAT B.Des

GDPD Admission 2026 for NID DAT

There are following below specializations which are offered under undergraduate course of GDPD in NID DAT:

• Industrial Design
• Textile and Apparel Design
• Communication

Eligibility for NID DAT 2026 GDPD

The eligibility for NID DAT is mentioned below:

• The candidate must pass class 12th from any stream which is a minimum eligibility.

Selection Criteria for NID DAT 2026 GDPD

The candidate would be selected on the basis of merit list of entrance test followed by counselling process.

NID DAT 2026: M.Des. Admission

It offers 2.5 year postgraduate courses in Master of Design (M.Des.) and 19 specializations which are as follows:

• Animation Film Design
• Furniture & Interior Design
• Graphic Design
• Textile Design
• Lifestyle Accessory Design
• New Media Design
• Toy and Game Design
• Design for retail experience
• Information Design
• Universal Design
• Ceramic and glass design
• Film and Video communication
• Product design
• Apparel Design
• Strategic Design Management
• Photography Design
• Transportation and automobile design
• Digital Game Design
• Interaction Design

NID DAT Eligibility 2026: M.Des

The eligibility for NID DAT is mentioned below:

• The candidate must possess bachelor degree of minimum 4-year duration in any specialization after passing 12th standard or equivalent to 12th standard.
• The candidate must possess bachelor degree of minimum 3-year duration in any specialization after passing 12th standard or equivalent to 12th standard.
• The candidate must have a full-time diploma in Design/Fine Arts/Applied Arts/Architecture of minimum 4-year duration, which should be obtained after successfully completing the 12th standard or an equivalent qualification.

Selection Criteria for NID DAT GDPD

The candidate would be selected on the basis of candidate’s performance in DAT followed by a Personal Interview.

The weightage for DAT Prelims and DAT Mains is as follows:

Note: The candidate can apply in ONLY TWO disciplines for the Master of Design programme

• The allotment of seats to the candidates would be based on the preference submitted by the candidate at the time of application submission.
• Applications once received is not transferable at any stage of the admissions process.

The cut off 2026 (Expected) for NID DAT M.Des

NID DAT Previous Years’ Cut Off

Check out the previous years cut off for NID DAT exam.

NID DAT 2023 Cut Off Scores

Ph.D. Admission 2026 for NID DAT

NID grants admission to successful candidates for Ph.D. based on the Design Research Test (DRT), which NID conducts at its Ahmedabad Campus.

The candidate who are shortlisted after DRT will only be invited for the interview and presentation round.

NID DAT 2026: PhD Admission

NID DAT Eligibility 2026: Ph.D

The eligibility for Ph.D. candidate is as follows:

• Candidate needs to have a qualification in Design.
• Candidate needs to have a Bachelor’s level qualification in Design from NID.
• 3 years of professional or teaching experience minimum.
• One can obtain a master's degree in Design, such as an M.Phil. (Master of Philosophy) degree.

How to apply for Ph.D. at NID DAT

As per the NID admission process the candidate needs to first fill their application form. The successful candidate who meets the eligibility criteria for the exam would appear for NID DAT Prelims. After successful clearing of NID DAT prelims the candidate needs to appear for NID DAT Mains. Once the NID DAT Main is also cleared the candidate is offered admission in the course/ college of their choice.

Steps to fill Application Form

• Sign up and enter required details
• Fill the Application form
• Upload the documents
• Pay the Application fees
• Print the Admit card

Things to remember:

• Fill NID DAT Application form
• Download NID DAT Admit card
• Appear for the prelims
• Check NID prelims Result
• Appear for NID Mains
• Check NID Final Merit list

NID DAT Application fee 2026

NID DAT fee can be paid online or offline. Payment can be made online through debit card/credit card. The following are the application fees for various courses:

NID DAT 2026 Exam Pattern

Candidates are assessed on the basis of their design skills, creativity, reasoning ability, and problem-solving skills. NID DAT 2026 Exam Pattern highlights have been tabulated below separately for B.Des and M.Des:

NID DAT Syllabus 2026

NID DAT 2026 Syllabus for B.Des Prelims

NID DAT Syllabus 2026 for Studio Test

NID DAT 2026 Syllabus for B. Mes Prelims

NID DAT 2026 Mains Syllabus for M.Des

NID DAT 2026 Best Books

Check NID Preparation Tips

NID DAT 2026 FAQs

NID DAT Eligibility Criteria 2025 varies as per the course - B.Des, M.Des - applied for by the candidate, and is broadly divided into two categories - Age limit requirements and Educational Requirements. Nаtiоnаl Institute of Design (NID) would conduct NID DAT Prelims 2025 on January 05, 2025 to intake students for Bachelor of Design (B.Des), and Master of Design (M.Des) courses.

• The candidates must fulfil the eligibility before filling the NID DAT Application Form 2025. NID DAT Eligibility 2025 includes the age criteria and academic qualification of the candidates.
• Candidate must be below 20 years of age for B.Des/GDPD and below 30 years of age for M.Des. Reserved categories can avail age relaxation as per the government of India norms. Check NID Reservation
• NID admits students for 2 of its programmes which are B.Des and M.Des based on candidates performance in NID DAT Prelims and NID DAT Mains.

Download NID Practice Papers

NID DAT Eligibility 2025: Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

All candidates applying for this course must meet the following criteria:

NID DAT Eligibility 2025: Education Qualification

Examinations considered equal to Class 12 are as follows:

• Any final examination certificate of the 10+2 system conducted by a central or state board recognised by the Association of Indian Universities or respective State Governments
• Intermediate or two-year pre-university examinations administered by a board or university recognised by the Association of Indian Universities.
• The final year certificate of the two-year course at the National Defence Academy's Joint Services Wing (NDA).
• The National Institute of Open Schooling(NIOS) senior secondary school certificate in at least five courses.
• An examination administered by any public school, board, or university in India or abroad that is recognised by the AIU as equivalent to the 10+2 system. H.S.C. vocational examination.
• The advanced (A) level of the GCE test (London, Cambridge or Sri Lanka)
• At the International Baccalaureate Office in Geneva, Cambridge University administers the high school certificate test or the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
• Candidates who have finished their 10+2 or equivalent examination outside of India or from a board or university that is not listed above must present a certificate from the Association of Indian Universities.

NID DAT 2025 B.Des Seat Matrix

NID Bachelor of Design programme lasts four years. Candidates admitted to the B.Des course at NID must complete a one-year foundation programme. Following completion of the foundation program, the candidate will be assigned a discipline based solely on his/her performance over the previous year and the number of seats available in the desired discipline. English is the medium of instruction and correspondence at NID. The total number of seats available for the B.Des programme, including reserved seats, is 100. There are 15 extra places in the Bachelor of Design programme for international students. The following table summarises its areas of expertise:

NID DAT Eligibility 2025: Master of Design (M.Des)

Candidates applying for the Master's program at NID must meet the following requirements:

NID DAT 2025 M.Des Seat Matrix

NID offers a 2.5-year Masters's program in the following disciplines at its Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Gandhinagar campuses. The table below shows the number of seats available in each specialization discipline at the Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Gandhinagar campuses. Each discipline of expertise shown in the table below has two Supernumerary seats designated for abroad candidates.

Note: Candidates for the Master's  Programme may apply to a maximum of two subjects from the list above. Applications received in one discipline will not be moved to another discipline at any point during the application, admission, or course.

NID DAT Eligibility 2025 for Overseas Candidates

Candidates with citizenship from countries other than the Republic of India are able to apply under the overseas candidates category. The overseas category includes 15% of the supernumerary seats in the B.Des and M.Des programmes.

• NRIs must apply exclusively as Indian nationals.
• Candidates having a foreign passport and a valid PIO or OCI status can apply under either the 'Indian' or 'Overseas' category. Candidates applying under the overseas category must pay fees similar to those charged to foreign citizens.
• For candidates applying under the Overseas Category, only online applications will be accepted. Admissions.nid.edu is the official admissions website in this regard.
• Candidates who choose to pursue a Bachelor's or Master's degree in the international category can only take the DAT at the Ahmedabad campus, which will be followed by Stage 2 and Stage 3 tests.
• NID Hall Tickets will be accessible for download on the official website, and it is the candidate's obligation to print them
• Overseas candidates must appear in person before the authorities at the respective NID campus to accept an offer of admission.

Documents Needed For Application by the Foreign Candidates :

Candidates must provide original documents as well as authenticated copies of the documents listed below.

• Attested copy of the candidate's passport
• Attested copies of SSC and HSC mark sheets are required for B.Des candidates.
• Attested copies of SSC, HSC, and completed years of graduate marksheets, as well as degree certificate/provisional certificate/passing certificate, are required for M.Des candidates.
• If the candidate is a member of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), an equivalency certificate must be submitted prior to the admissions process.

Before beginning the programme, the candidate must submit a student visa for the duration of the course at the concerned NID Institute. If the selected candidates are unable to pay the required fees or fail to show the necessary documents prior to registration, their application will be cancelled. Seats that are left unfilled will not be changed into another category and will lapse.

NID DAT Exam Pattern 2024 Consists of three stages – Written Exam (Prelims and Mains), Studio Test, and Personal Interview Round. NID DAT Exam Pattern consists of 70 marks for subjective questions and 30 marks for objective questions, moreover, there will be no negative marking for the exam. The syllabus varies for the courses offered through NID DAT 2024 viz. B.Des and M.Des. NID DAT Exam Pattern had been updated for both BDes and MDes in 2021.

• B.Des candidates are now required to upload a theme poster as a PDF file on the topics. 
• M.Des candidates are to submit an SoP with 500-word limit as a PDF file. 
• Qualified candidates (who clear NID Cut-Off) will be called for the studio test and personal interview.
• The 2^nd stage involves a 100-mark studio test which includes drawing/sketching, modeling, and group discussion.
• In the third stage, an Interview is conducted immediately after the studio test at the same center. A final NID Merit List of selected candidates is prepared after this round.

Check NID Practice Papers

NID DAT Exam Pattern 2024

NID DAT 2024 Cut off: The qualifying cut-off for the M.Des DAT Prelims is out. You can check your result and qualifying status on the NID DAT 2024 (Prelims) result portal. This cut-off varies depending on your category. The final admission cut-off for M.Des will be released in July 2024.

• The admission cut-off for the B.Des program is expected in the first week of August 2024.
• This cut-off will be based on the rank and score of the last admitted candidate.
• Similar to M.Des, the B.Des cut-off will also be category-specific.

The cut-off is the minimum rank/score required for admission. Scoring below it will disqualify you. The qualifying cut-off for DAT Prelims is different from the final admission cut-off.The admission cut-off considers factors like your rank, available seats, total applications, and your preferred campus.

NID DAT 2024 cut off for all the stages of  NID Selection Process is usually released separately. Candidates whose names are in the final NID DAT Merit list are shortlisted for admission into NID campuses. Candidates scoring above the cut offs will be invited for the NID DAT 2024 Counselling.

NID DAT Cut off 2024

Applicants must check the NID DAT 2024 B.Des and M.des expected cutoff data shared in the table below: 

NID DAT 2024 B.Des Cut Off

NID DAT 2024 M.Des Cut Off

NID DAT Cut off 2024 PDF

NID DAT Cut off Ranks 2023

NID DAT Cut off Scores 2023

Check Cutoff Percentile for various institutes through NID DAT 2020 B.Des 

Relaxation in NID DAT 2023 Cut Off Score

NID offers a certain percentage of relaxation in cut off scores for reserved category applicants. The table below provides the data regarding cut off relaxation for different categories: 

NID DAT Prelims result for M. Des has been released online. The result is available online at the official website - admissions.nid.edu. To check your results, you need to log in to the result portal using your email ID and date of birth. The DAT Mains result will include details like sectional score, total score, and the qualifying status. The direct link to check results is given below. NID DAT Cut Off 2026 

• The result re-check window is also OPEN.

• Candidates who are shortlisted for admission will have to submit campus preferences by May 23, 2026 (4 pm). 

• Earlier, M.Des DAT Mains 2026 results were declared on April 30, 2026. NID DAT 2026 Prelims Result for M. Des was released on 16^th February 2026.

• NID DAT 2026 is conducted in two stages- NID DAT Prelims and NID DAT Mains. Final selection is going to be made based on the weightage released by the institute to be allocated to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. Check NID DAT 2026 Counselling

NID DAT 2026 Result Dates

For NID DAT, only candidates who qualify in the written test will be called for Studio Test and Personal Test. The result dates for both stages have been mentioned below:

How to Check NID DAT 2026 Result?

NID DAT 2026 Mains result will be released soon for M. Des. Based on NID DAT 2026 score, NID Merit List is prepared for shortlisted candidates who are invited for further rounds of screening called the studio test and personal interviews. The candidates can follow the below steps to check their results online.

• Go to the official website- admissions.nid.edu
• Click on the ‘NID DAT 2026 Result’ link
• Enter the roll no. and application number and click on submit.
• The result will appear on the screen
• The printout can be taken and kept for further reference.

Rechecking of NID DAT Prelims Result

Candidates who have requested for NID DAT Rechecking of the Prelims result 2026 must follow the rules : 

• The fee for rechecking each paper of NID DAT is Rs.2000

• They must submit the answer booklet online at admission.nid.edu.
  • Rechecking will be restricted to
    • Whether all the answers have been marked
    • Whether there is any mistake while adding the final marks.
• No other re-evaluation of the answer script will be done by the candidate as part of the examination carried out.
• The candidate who has qualified for the exam only are allowed to file for re-checking no other candidates, parents, or organisations are allowed.
• If an error is found while re-checking, marks will be added accordingly.
• If any error is found relating to the re-checking a mail will be sent to the candidate.
• The institution will not be responsible for any damage or loss of the candidates.

NID DAT Tie-Breaker Policy 2026

NID DAT tie-breaker depends on the merit list of the candidates. The following policy of Tie-Breaker is as follows:

• A higher rank will be assigned to the candidate who has obtained higher marks
• If this persists, then the higher rank candidate will be promoted to stage 1 of the NID DAT Test.
• If still undecided, a higher rank will be assigned to the candidate who has obtained higher marks in Stage 1 Design Aptitude Test Part B.
• If still undecided, a higher rank will be assigned to the candidate who has obtained higher marks in the Stage 1 Design Aptitude Test Part A.
• If this still continues, the candidate will be assigned a higher rank who has obtained higher marks in NID DAT Mains.

NID DAT 2026 Cut Off

NID DAT 2026 Cut Off is usually announced soon after the results are declared. The candidates who score over the cut off are considered eligible for the examination

Check NID Cut Off

NID DAT 2026 Counselling Procedure 

National Institute of Design generally conducts counselling during the months of June and July offering admissions into Bachelor of Design (B.Des), GDPD and M.Des. Counselling of NID DAT is held after the three stages of the selection process are completed, Stage 1- Design Aptitude Test (DAT), Stage 2- Studio Test and Stage 3- Personal Interview. The entitlement to admission will not be guaranteed only on the basis of appearance in the entrance test or being on the rank list.

Check NID Selection Process

The results of NID DAT prelims is generally announced in the month of February or March every year. The shortlisted candidates are required to appear for the mains exam to be conducted in the month of April 2026. The final Merit List of NID DAT is usually released in the same month i.e. fourth week of May 2026. This is followed by the NID DAT counselling procedure which is held for selected candidates on a merit basis.

After online verification of documents, the shortlisted candidates in the rank list are allotted seats provisionally. To be eligible for the next stage of NID DAT 2026 admission process, the qualified candidates are required to submit their consent online (only). The process for submitting Online Consent starts somewhere around the last week of May 2026 and would last for about a week up to June 2026. The merit list is updated continuously happens during that time on the basis of online consent submitted by the qualified candidates.

Online Uploading of the Documents

For the purpose of verification, the qualifying candidates, as per the first Merit List, would be required to upload scanned copies of requisite documents. All the relevant documents must be issued in the name of the qualifying candidate. The scanned copies of original documents should be strictly in JPEG format only.

Uploaded documents are verified from the information entered in the NID DAT 2026 Application Form and any discrepancy would lead to the cancellation of candidature. Below is the list of relevant documents for which scanned copies have to be uploaded by the qualified candidates for B.Des. and M.Des. Programs (for all categories):

• Class 10 Marksheet
• Class 12 Marksheet
• Date of Birth Certificate
• Degree Marksheet (for admission to M. Des.)

OBC NCL/SC/ST category candidates have to submit valid category certificates which should be issued by appropriate competent authorities in addition to the above.

The scanned copies of the first and last page of the Passport and of the Equivalence certificate should be uploaded by the Overseas category candidates (both B.Des.or M.Des programs), in addition to the ones mentioned.

Check NID Counselling Process