NID DAT Admit Card Date:11 Dec' 25 - 21 Dec' 25
The National Institute of Design has notified the revised NID 2026 selection process on the official website - admissions.nid.edu. The revised NID selection process has altered the weightage for prelims and mains components of the NID entrance exam for the final selection of the candidates. This change will have an impact on the candidate’s admission chances. In this article, let’s look at the details of the revised selection process and how it impacts a candidate’s NID admission prospects.
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Candidates shortlisted through NID DAT 2026 will be eligible to secure admission into B.Des and M.Des programmes of participating NID campuses.
As per the revised selection process mentioned in the NID 2026 notification, 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.
The NID 2026 mains exam will have all the weightage for the final selection of candidates, and the components of NID B.Des mains have also changed.
Particulars | Revised Weightage in Final Selection | Old Weightage in Final Selection |
Prelims | No weightage in final selection. Qualifying exam for mains | 40% |
Mains | Studio sensitivity test - 60% In-person sensitivity test - 40% | 60% |
Particulars | Revised Weightage in Final Selection | Old Weightage in Final Selection |
Prelims | No weightage in final selection. Qualifying exam for mains | 30% |
Mains | Studio test - 40% Interview - 60% | Studio test - 40% Interview - 30% |
The revised NID 2026 tie-breaker will be notified later on. The tie-breaker rule will be used to rank the candidates in case they obtain the same score in the exam. The authorities are expected to notify a separate tie-breaker rule for prelims and mains.
The revised selection process of NID 2026 places more importance on the NID mains component in the final selection. This reduces the NID DAT cut-off for prelims to only a qualifying cut-off that candidates have to clear to appear for the mains exam. All candidates who clear the prelims will be on an equal plane. This means candidates have to begin their preparations afresh for the mains to secure an NID seat.
The NID syllabus for B.Des prelims focuses on GK and analytical ability, while the syllabus for M.Des prelims is a test of the candidate’s theoretical knowledge about the fundamentals of art and drawing. With more weightage being placed on studio test, interview/and in-person sensitivity test, the admission chances will depend on the candidate’s creativity, personality, and practical performance, more than the performance in the exam.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
NID Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, and Bengaluru offer the M.Des programme.
NID Ahmedabad, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Assam offer the B.Des programme.
Candidates will be admitted into B.Des and M.Des programmes of NID campuses through NID DAT 2026.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
Yes, if you are in Class 12, you are eligible to sit for the NID DAT 2026 (BDes) exam. The National Institute of Design allows students who are in their final year of Class 12 or have already passed to apply.
To know more access below mentioned link:
https://design.careers360.com/articles/nid-admission-2026
Hope it helps.
You can get the NIT DAT SYLLABUS, updated version from careers 360 in detail from careers 360 article. Follow the link given from The link of the syllabus article is given below from careers 360
https://design.careers360.com/articles/nid-dat-syllabus-2026
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.
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