Pearl Academy B.Des Admissions 2026
No. 1 Design & Fashion Institute by ASSOCHAM, India Today, Outlook and The Week rankings
NID DAT Application Date:11 Sep' 25 - 01 Dec' 25
The National Institute of Design administers the NID DAT entrance exam, one of the most difficult design entrance exams, to applicants to its design programs. To achieve the highest possible score, students must plan ahead and thoroughly revise during these last days. If you want to improve your score on the NID DAT exam, read this article carefully for aspiring students. The National Institute of Design has announced the NID DAT exam date to be conducted on 21st December, 2025.
Students can prepare with the help of the tips and strategies closely developed for them to help in their NID DAT 2026 journey.
It is one of the most important pieces of advice for students to first go through and completely understand the NID DAT exam pattern as it will guide them on the type of questions and allocated marks for different sections that are present in the exam. Students can make study plans according to the topics with high to low weightages respectively.
As per the revised selection process , the NID DAT 2026 prelims result will not have any weightage in the final selection of candidates for B.Des and M.Des programmes. The NID 2026 prelims exam will be a qualifying exam to shortlist candidates for the mains exam. NID Mains exam will have 60% weightage for studio test and 40% weightage for in person interview for NID B.Des selection.
Aspiring students need to comprehend the NID DAT 2026 Exam syllabus and understand the type of topics and questions that can be asked from each section. Preparing with the help of exam syllabus will prepare students for any kind of surprise questions that can be asked in the exam.
Following are the important topics for NID DAT preparation:
Visualization and Spatial Ability
Observation and Perception
Design Thinking and Problem-Solving
With the last week of preparation students need to give at least 12-15 hours daily for the NID DAT preparation. Students by this time have a hang of what areas they feel are difficult in preparation for areas that they are confident about. Students need to devote more time for difficult sections and prepare accordingly.
Within the last week for preparation, students should be thoroughly prepared with different topics from each section leaving them time to revise. Students should give good hours daily in revising topics with key concepts and important exercise questions.
It is important for the candidates to daily read and brush up general awareness topics to prepare for NID GK questions. It is thoroughly important to be aware of recent events. Candidates should make a habit of reading daily newspapers or listening to podcasts in order to stay up-to-date with the happenings especially in the design industry. They should also look up notable artists and paintings from different art movements.
Students need to focus on their creative ability while also enhancing their presentation skills in order to score high for the drawing section. Observation and innovative solutions are key important areas where students are judged in the exam, therefore students need to exercise daily at least 3 hours for the last week for the NID DAT exam to prepare effectively.
It is one of the most important exercises for students preparing for the NID DAT exam to solve NID sample papers with solutions and previous years question papers as it would develop the understanding of the language of the paper and insights on what are important areas of focus for candidates.
Students should solve as many mock tests as possible as it would stimulate the experience of the actual exam for candidates. Solving the NID mock test 2026 will not only help in preparation but also boost candidates' confidence for the exam and help with the stress and anxiety for the actual exam.
With last week preparing for the NID DAT Exam, it is important for aspiring candidates to take care of their mental and physical wellbeing. It is advised for students to take adequate rest and have proper sleep. It is also important to eat healthy and prevent undue strain.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
NID DAT being one of the toughest design entrance requires different amount of time to prepare according to different stage of preparation:
Foundation Stage- 3-4 hours daily
Mid Stage (5-6 months left)- 6-8 hours daily
Intensive stage (3 months left)- 8-10 hours daily
Last stage (1 month left)- 12-15 hours daily
Students need to focus on their creative ability while also enhancing their presentation skills in order to score high for the drawing section. Observation and innovative solutions are key important areas where students are judged in the exam, therefore students need to exercise daily at least 3 hours for the last week for the NID DAT exam to prepare effectively.
NID DAT is one of the toughest design exams to crack for students and therefore, a proper preparation strategy and guidance is required for students to score high in the exam. Students can prepare at home by using books and resources available for the preparation.
On Question asked by student community
Yes you are eligible to appear for NID DAT for the M.Des programme. Since you are in final make sure you will have completed your BA by the required deadline. Also go through the specific specializations you want to apply for, some may require certain specific backgrounds to be eligible to apply for them. You can find more details here design.careers360.com/articles/nid-dat-eligibility-criteria
Hello,
To prepare for M.des exams like CEED or NID DAT, here are some points which you can follow:
Understand the pattern – focus on creativity, design aptitude, and problem-solving.
Practice sketching daily and improve visualization.
Study basics of color, form, and design concepts.
Solve previous papers and build a strong portfolio.
Stay consistent and observe everyday designs for new ideas.
THANKU.
Hi daksh
As 563 rank in nid dat exam cannot guarantee admission in designing college but it could be a good chance to explore some campus as if you are not from general category as category role plays an important role . But now you can do one thing focus on your strengthening your protofile or preparing for the studio test (bdes) or interview (mdes).
Thanks.
No, IPU (Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University) does not accept NID DAT Prelims score for admission to the B.Des (Bachelor of Design) program.
Instead, IPU conducts its own entrance test or may consider CUET (UG) scores for B.Des admissions, depending on the latest admission guidelines. Always refer to the university's official prospectus for the year you're applying to for the final admission criteria.
NIT DAT (https://www.shiksha.com/design/articles/nid-admissions-2025-colleges-accepting-nid-entrance-exam-scores-for-bdes-mdes-courses-blogId-13097)
Hello,
Yes, it's possible to prepare for the NID DAT 2025 exam on your own, even with limited time, by following these steps:
Hope it helps !
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