The National Institute of Design (NID) has notified the NID DAT mains 2026 exam dates for M.Des on its official website - admissions.nid.edu. The NID MDes studio test will be held on March 8, 2026. The NID MDes interview will be held from March 21 to April 1, 2026. NID DAT mains is the second stage of the NID DAT 2026 exam. Shortlisted candidates who clear the NID DAT prelims will be called to appear for NID DAT mains. The authorities will issue the NID DAT 2026 admit card for mains to the eligible candidates. In this article, get the NID DAT mains 2026 dates for B.Des and M.Des.
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The NID mains 2026 dates will span several days. The test consists of tests in multiple formats in a studio set. The NID DAT mains will be considered in the selection process. Only those candidates who appear for both phases of the NID DAT entrance exam will be able to secure NID admission.
The table below provides the NID DAT mains 2026 exam calendar for both B.Des and M.Des courses.
Events | Dates |
NID DAT mains 2026 admit card date | Second week of April 2026 |
NID DAT mains exam 2026 date | First week of May 2026 |
NID DAT mains result 2026 date | Third week of May 2026 |
Events | Dates |
NID DAT mains 2026 admit card date | February 24, 2026 |
NID DAT mains exam 2026 | March 8, 2026 March 21-April 1, 2026 |
NID DAT mains result 2026 | First week of May 2026 |
The detailed schedule including the NID M.Des mains 2026 date and time will be notified by the institute. Candidates from each specialisation discipline will be allotted a separate date and time.
Candidates who qualified and are shortlisted appeared for DAT mains exam 2026 can view the below schedule of NID DAT mains 2026.
The National Institute of Design (NID) will release the NID Mains admit card 2026 for M.Des on February 24, 2026. Shortlisted candidates can download their admit card for DAT Mains through their login. The NID DAT mains 2026 admit card is a mandatory document for the exam.
The NID authorities will tentatively conduct the NID DAT Mains 2026 for B.Des, in the first week of May 2026. The DAT Mains exam for M.Des will be conducted in March 2026.
Faculty Stream | Discipline | Test Centre City for Studio Test | ||
Industrial Design (ID) | - Ceramic & Glass Design | Ahmedabad | ||
- Furniture & Interior Design | ||||
- Product Design - Toy & Game Design | ||||
- Transportation & Automobile Design - Universal Design | ||||
- Animation Film Design | ||||
Communication Design (CD) | - Film & Video Communication | |||
- Graphic Design | ||||
- Photography Design | ||||
Interdisciplinary Design Studies (IDDS) | - Design for Retail Experience | Bengaluru | ||
- Strategic Design Management | ||||
IT-Integrated Design (ITID) | - Digital Game Design - Information Design - Interaction Design | |||
- New Media Design | ||||
Textile, Apparel, and Lifestyle Accessory Design (TALAD) | - Apparel Design - Lifestyle Accessory Design - Textile Design | Gandhinagar | ||
Faculty Stream | Discipline | Date of the Interviews | Test Centre City for Interviews |
Industrial Design | Ceramic & Glass Design | March 21-23, 2026 | Ahmedabad |
Toy & Game Design | |||
Furniture and Interior Design | March 21-25, 2026 | ||
Product Design | |||
Transportation and Automobile Design | |||
Universal Design | |||
Interdisciplinary Design Studies | Design for Retail Experience | March 21-25, 2026 | Bengaluru |
Strategic Design Management | |||
Textile, Apparel and Lifestyle Accessory Design (TALAD) | - Lifestyle Accessory Design | March 21-24, 2026 | |
Gandhinagar | |||
- Apparel Design | March 21-25, 2026 | ||
- Textile Design | |||
Communication Design (CD) | - Photography Design | March 27-30, 2026 | Ahmedabad |
- Animation Film Design - Film & Video Communication | March 27-31 2026 | ||
- Graphic Design | March 27-April 1, 2026 | ||
IT-Integrated Design (ITID) | - Digital Game Design - Information Design - New Media Design | March 27-31, 2026 | Bengaluru |
- Interaction Design | March 27-April 1, 2026 |
The NID DAT Result for mains will be declared on the official website nid.edu. The NID DAT Mains results for B.Des and M.Des will be declared on different dates.
The authorities will announce the M.Des NID DAT Counselling dates at admissions.nid.edu. Candidates who clear the NID DAT mains will be called to participate in the counselling process. The institute is expected to conduct the NID 2026 counselling in May 2026. The dates will be notified separately for B.Des and M.Des.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The official website to check the dates of NID DAT mains 2026 is admissions.nid.edu.
National Institute of Design (NID) conducts the DAT mains exam 2026.
The NID DAT mains exam 2026 for B.Des aspirants is expected to be conducted in the first week of May 2026.
The DAT mains 2026 for M.Des aspirants will be conducted in March 2026.
The candidates who qualified the NID DAT Prelims will be eligible to appear for the DAT Mains exam 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:
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
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
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