NID DAT Counselling 2026: Dates, Process, Seat Allotment, Cutoff & Seat Matrix for BDes & MDes

NID DAT Counselling 2026: Dates, Process, Seat Allotment, Cutoff & Seat Matrix for BDes & MDes

Ongoing Event

NID DAT Application Date:11 Sep' 25 - 01 Dec' 25

Rajyalaxmi VenkatapuramUpdated on 16 Sep 2025, 10:18 AM IST

The National Institute of Design (NID) will announce the NID DAT 2026 counselling dates online. The exact dates of NID DAT counselling schedule will be released at admissions.nid.edu. The NID counselling will be tentatively conducted in second/third week of June 2026 as per the official brochure. The candidates who qualify in both the stages of NID entrance exam (Prelims and Mains) will be eligible for NID DAT 2026 counselling. The NID DAT counselling 2026 includes registration, seat allotment, payment of admission fees and physical verification of documents. Read the complete article to know more about NID DAT 2026 counselling.

This Story also Contains

  1. NID DAT Counselling 2026 - Highlights
  2. NID Counselling Dates 2026
  3. NID DAT Counselling Process 2026
  4. NID DAT Seat Allotment 2026
  5. NID DAT Cutoff 2026
  6. NID DAT Seat Matrix 2026
NID DAT Counselling 2026: Dates, Process, Seat Allotment, Cutoff & Seat Matrix for BDes & MDes
NID DAT counselling

NID DAT Counselling 2026 - Highlights

  • NID DAT counselling 2026 official website is admissions.nid.edu.
  • NID DAT 2026 counselling dates will be released online.
  • NID DAT counselling starts after the declaration of NID Mains result 2026.
  • NID DAT seat allotment will be done based on the campus and course preferences added during the counselling registration process.
  • Seat allocation will be done based on the candidate's performance in the NID DAT 2026 exam.

NID Counselling Dates 2026

The authorities will announce the NID DAT counselling dates 2026 at the official website, admissions.nid.edu. According to the previous year trends, the NID 2026 counselling registration will tentatively begin in May. Candidates can check the tentative dates of NID DAT counselling 2026 dates for MDes and BDes below.

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NID Counselling 2025 Dates MDes

Particulars

NID 2026 Dates

Declaration of NID DAT Mains result MDes

May 2026

Seat allotment, payment of token fees and uploading of documents

May 2026

Provisional offer letter (Round 1)

May 2026

Payment of remaining semester fees

May 2026

NID seat allotment round

-

Tuition fee payment for Sem-1 for confirmation of seat and uploading the documents

May to June 2026

Provisional offer letter (Round 2)

June 2026

Payment of remaining semester feesJune 2026

NID DAT spot admission dates for MDes

(a) Display of vacant seats


July 2026

(b) Submission of required documents for online verification

July 2026

(c) Seat allotment and online payment of semester-1 fee

July 2026

NID Counselling 2026 Dates BDes

Particulars

NID 2026 Dates

Declaration of NID BDes Mains result

May 2026

NID counselling registration

May 2026

Submission of campus preference dates

May 2026

Seat allotment, payment of token fees, and uploading of documents

May 2026

Provisional offer letter round-1

June 2026

Payment of remaining semester fees and uploading of documents round-1

June 2026

NID seat allotment - Round 1

June 2026

NID seat allotment - Round 2

June 2026

Payment of remaining semester fees and uploading of documents round-2June 2026

Provisional offer letter round-2

June 2026

Also Check:

NID DAT 2026 Full Study Material
Students preparing for NID 2026 can access this study material for both prelims and mains. Download now to strengthen your preparation and boost your chances of success.
Download EBook

NID DAT Counselling Process 2026

The National Institute of Design releases the NID DAT 2026 counselling schedule and the process at admissions.nid.edu. NID DAT counselling 2026 is the process of offering design admission to the aspirants in MDes and B.Des programmes at the NID campuses. Admission to the NIDs through NID DAT counselling 2026 depends on the merit obtained by the candidate, category, and seat availability.

Candidates who fail to report for the NID DAT counselling 2026 with the required documents as per the counselling schedule will forfeit their allotted seats. The authority will allot such seats to the next qualified candidate in the order of merit in the respective category. NID DAT 2026 counselling process includes the following steps:

  • NID DAT counselling online registration
  • Choice filling
  • Document verification
  • Seat confirmation
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NID DAT Seat Allotment 2026

The NID seat allotment result is based on the choices filled in by the students during NID DAT 2026 counselling registration. The NID 2026 seat allotment is based on the merit list, seat intake, candidate’s category and preference. Candidates who miss the NID 2026 Counselling or fail to submit the documents will not be eligible for seat allotment. The authority will release the NID DAT cutoff 2026 for all the campuses that differ based on each category.

NID DAT Cutoff 2026

Candidates need to obtain the minimum qualifying score to get admission across the NID campuses. The admission cell will release the NID DAT 2026 cutoff for all the campuses as per the schedule of the counselling session. The NID DAT cutoff 2026 varies for each category according to the institute and the NID Seat matrix.

NID DAT Seat Matrix 2026

NID campuses offer the seats in the B.Design programme mentioned below .

BDesign Seat matrix NID DAT 2026 for Ahmedabad Campus

Department

B. Design Specialisation

Seats

Faculty of Communication Design

Animation Film Design

19

Exhibition Design

13

Film and Video Communication

13

Graphic Design

19

Faculty of Industrial Design

Ceramic and Glass Design

13

Furniture & Interior Design

13

Product Design

19

Faculty of Textile, Apparel & Lifestyle Accessory Design

Textile Design

19

NID Andhra Pradesh - BDes

Department

Seats

Communication Design

25

Industrial Design

25

Textile and Apparel Design

25

NID Haryana - BDes

Department

Seats

Communication Design

25

Industrial Design

25

Textile and Apparel Design

25

NID Madhya Pradesh - BDes

Department

Seats

Communication Design

25 + 4 (supernumerary seats)

Industrial Design

25 + 4 (supernumerary seats)

Textile and Apparel Design

25 + 3 (supernumerary seats)

NID Assam - BDes

Department

Seats

Communication Design

25

Industrial Design

25

Textile and Apparel Design

25

Seat matrix NID DAT for MDesign

Faculty of Communication Design

Discipline

Campus

Seats

Animation Film Design

Ahmedabad

19

Film and Video Communication

Ahmedabad

19

Graphic Design

Ahmedabad

19

Photography Design

Gandhinagar

19


Faculty of Industrial Design

Discipline

Campus

Seats

Ceramic and Glass Design

Ahmedabad

12

Furniture & Interior Design

Ahmedabad

19

Product Design

Ahmedabad

19

Toy & Game Design

Gandhinagar

12

Transportation & Automobile Design

Gandhinagar

19

Universal Design

Bengaluru

19


Faculty of Information Technology - Integrated Programmes

Discipline

Campus

Seats

Digital Game Design

Bengaluru

19

Information Design

Bengaluru

19

Interaction Design

Bengaluru

19

New Media Design

Gandhinagar

19


Faculty of Interdisciplinary Design Studies

Discipline

Campus

Seats

Design for Retail Experience

Bengaluru

19

Strategic Design Management

Gandhinagar

19


Faculty of Textile, Apparel & Lifestyle Accessory Design

Discipline

Campus

Seats

Apparel Design

Gandhinagar

19

Lifestyle Accessory Design

Gandhinagar

19

Textile Design

Ahmedabad

19

NID DAT Reservation Criteria (Category Wise) for BDes

B.Design - The NID category-wise reservation of seats for BDes programme is as follows.

Institute

Total no. of Seats

GEN-EWS (10%)

OBC-NCL (27%)

Scheduled Caste (15%)

Scheduled Tribe (7.5)%

NID Ahmedabad

128

13

35

19

10

NID Andhra Pradesh

75

8

20

11

6

NID Haryana

75

8

20

11

6

NID Madhya Pradesh

75

8

20

11

6

NID Assam

75

8

20

11

6


NID DAT Reservation Criteria (Category Wise) for MDes

M.Design - The NID category-wise reservation of seats for MDes programme is as follows.

Institute

GEN-EWS (10%)

OBC-NCL (27%)

Scheduled Caste (15%)

Scheduled Tribe (7.5)%

Disciplines with 19 seats each

2

5

3

1

Disciplines with 12 seats each

1

3

2

1

NID DAT counselling 2026 is the final step of the admission process for the B.Des and M.Des courses at the National Institute of Design. Candidates who qualify in the prelims and mains exams will be called for the NID Counselling 2026 session, where they need to upload their documents and confirm the seat offered. The counselling will be held in offline mode at the NID Ahmedabad campus. NID DAT counselling 2026 fee details are available at NID official website. Candidates are advised to check the official website regularly for updates.

You may also check

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the criteria to participate in NID DAT counselling 2026?
A:

The applicants have to qualify in both the NID prelims and mains exam to participate in the NID DAT 2026 counselling session.

Q: Where will NID release the detailed notification for NID counselling?
A:

The NID 2026 counselling notification will be released at the official website - admissions.nid.edu. 

Q: What are the factors that determine NID DAT cutoff?
A:

NID DAT cutoff is prepared after considering the following factors:

  • No.of candidates appearing in the entrance test.

  • Total number of available seats

  • The difficulty level of the exam

  • Previous year cutoff trends 

  • Candidate's category

Q: What are the steps involved in NID counselling 2026?
A:

Candidates need to first register, appear for NID counselling, upload the necessary documents and confirm their seat allotment by making fee payment for admission.

Q: What are the NID 2026 counselling dates for BDes and MDes programmes?
A:

The NID counselling dates 2026 for the BDes and MDes programmes are yet to be released.

Q: What are the documents required for the NID DAT Counselling Process 2026?
A:

The documents required for NID DAT 2026 Counselling are:

  • NID DAT admit card 

  • NID DAT scorecard 

  • Class 10 and 12 mark sheets 

  • Graduation mark sheets and certificates (for M.Des candidates)

  • Caste certificate (if applicable)

  • PwD certificate (if applicable)

  • Passport (for overseas candidates)

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Questions related to NID DAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to NID DAT ?

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:

  1. Understand the Syllabus : Focus on key areas like design principles, creativity, visualization, and observation skills.
  2. Solve Previous Papers : Practice with past NID DAT papers to understand question types and patterns.
  3. Time Management : Dedicate daily hours to sketching, problem-solving, and revision.
  4. Strengthen Drawing Skills : Practice daily to improve speed and accuracy.
  5. Use Online Resources : Utilize free tutorials, sample papers, and design blogs.
  6. Mock Tests : Take regular mock exams to assess progress and manage time efficiently.

Hope it helps !

Hello,

There are numerous websites which give free study material and classes to prepare for entrance exams NID DAT, UCEED, or NIFT. Here are a few popular ones:

YouTube: YouTube has many educators as well as institutes, which have been uploading free video lectures on important topics, on aptitude for design, and how to give these exams. Useful content can be found in the channels "Design Coach" and "NID Preparation".

You can download free courses offered on websites like Coursera, edX, and Khan Academy on the topics of design principles, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

Official Websites: Both NID and UCEED and also NIFT would usually release sample papers and previous question papers for self-preparation.

Study Groups: One can join online forums or social media groups which are dedicated to NID, UCEED, and NIFT preparation for peer-to-peer learning assistance.

The resource utilization would bring in good preparation for the exams and, therefore, increase in confidence.

Hello,

Preparing for the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) entrance exam involves focusing on several key areas. Here’s a structured approach to get you started:

1. Understand the Exam Structure

Familiarize yourself with the NIFT entrance exam format:

  • General Ability Test (GAT): Tests general knowledge, current affairs, and quantitative ability.
  • Creative Ability Test (CAT): Assesses your creative and visual ability through sketching and design-based questions.
  • Situation Test (for B.Des): Evaluates your ability to create a design from given materials.
  • Group Discussion and Personal Interview (for M.Des/MFM): Tests your communication skills, understanding of the fashion industry, and design knowledge.

2. Gather Study Materials

  • For GAT: Use general knowledge books, current affairs magazines, and quantitative aptitude guides.
  • For CAT: Practice sketching and drawing regularly. Books on design and creativity can be useful.
  • For Situation Test: Practice creating models from various materials and understanding design principles.
  • For GD/PI: Prepare by staying updated on fashion trends, industry news, and developing a strong portfolio.

3. Create a Study Plan

  • Daily Study: Allocate time for each section based on your strengths and weaknesses.
  • Weekly Goals: Set goals for completing practice papers and revising key concepts.
  • Mock Tests: Regularly take mock tests to simulate the exam environment and improve time management.

4. Enroll in Coaching Classes (if needed)

Consider joining a coaching institute that specializes in NIFT preparation. They can provide structured guidance, practice tests, and expert feedback.

5. Work on Your Portfolio

If you’re applying for design courses, develop a strong portfolio showcasing your creative work. Include sketches, designs, and any relevant projects.

6. Refer to Previous Years’ Papers

Solving past years' question papers helps you understand the exam pattern and types of questions. It also aids in identifying important topics.

7. Stay Updated

  • Follow fashion industry news to stay informed about trends and innovations.
  • Read relevant books and articles about design and fashion.

8. Practice Creativity

Engage in activities that boost your creativity, such as drawing, painting, or crafting. Keep experimenting with new ideas and techniques.

By focusing on these areas, you'll build a solid foundation for the NIFT entrance exam. Good luck with your preparation!

You can also refer to the following articles to better understand the NIFT examination and its preperation strategy :-

1. https://design.careers360.com/articles/how-prepare-for-nift-entrance-exam

2. https://design.careers360.com/exams/nift-entrance-exam


Hope it helps !