NID DAT Prelims Passing Marks 2026, Expected Cutoff & Previous Year Scores

NID DAT Prelims Passing Marks 2026, Expected Cutoff & Previous Year Scores

Ongoing Event

NID DAT Admit Card Date:11 Dec' 25 - 21 Dec' 25

Achyuth NambiarUpdated on 18 Dec 2025, 05:54 PM IST

The National Institute of Design will release the passing marks for the NID Prelims 2026 on the official website at admissions.nid.edu. Candidates who manage to clear the NID Prelims cut-off will be eligible for the NID Mains. Furthermore, candidates also need to know that the NID DAT Prelims marks will not be considered in the final cut-off of the NID Selection Process. The number of candidates who will get the NID Prelims passing marks will be approximately 1.5 times the number of seats that are available for NID DAT 2026.

This Story also Contains

  1. What are the Passing Marks for NID DAT Prelims 2026?
  2. NID Prelims Previous Years’ Passing Marks
  3. How Many Students Clear NID Prelims?
NID DAT Prelims Passing Marks 2026, Expected Cutoff & Previous Year Scores
NID DAT Prelims Passing Marks 2026

Candidates can check out the article below to learn about the expected cutoffs for NID DAT Prelims 2026. The article will also carry previous years' scores for NID Prelims to give candidates an idea of the potential score they need to get for the NID Prelims 2026 round.

What are the Passing Marks for NID DAT Prelims 2026?

The NID DAT Prelims cut-off differs for each candidate category and is announced in the form of both rank and score. Aspirants appearing for the NID DAT 2026 entrance exam should take note of the updated selection process. The Prelims marks are no longer included in the final merit calculation, so variations in cutoff scores can be expected. Candidates can check out the table below to learn about the passing marks for the NID Prelims 2026, category-wise.

NID 2026 Prelims Expected Cut-off

Category

Tentative Marks for NID Prelims 2026

Open

56-60

OBC - NCL

40-44

EWS

48-52

ST

42-44

SC

27-30

PwD

8-10

Overseas

22-25

NID Prelims Previous Years’ Passing Marks

Candidates can also check out the NID DAT Previous years' marks for qualifying to NID DAT Mains 2026 to get an idea of the potential score and rank that candidates have received in the previous years.

NID DAT B.Des Prelims Cut-Off 2025

Category

NID Prelims 2025 Passing Marks

General

59

GEN-EWS

46

OBC - NCL

51

SC

46

ST

38

Overseas

22.5

PwD

19

NID DAT B.Des Prelims Cutoff 2024

Category

NID Prelims 2024 Passing Score

Rank Cutoff for Candidates Shortlisted for DAT Mains 2024

General

58.5

253

GEN-EWS

43

153

OBC - NCL

50

257

SC

43.75

181

ST

29

120

Overseas

24.25

62

PwD

9.75

96

How Many Students Clear NID Prelims?

The National Institute of Design has notified in its admission handbook that approximately candidates numbering 1.5 times the number of seats will qualify for the NID Mains. The scores they obtain in the NID Prelims will not have any impact on the final NID Cutoffs 2026. Candidates who look forward to clearing the Prelims are advised to have a strong grasp of the NID DAT 2026 Syllabus and prepare accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the weightage of NID Prelims marks 2026?
A:

According to the Information Brochure for NID DAT 2026. The NID Prelims scores will not be considered for the final weightage. Instead, the scores from the Studio Test and In-Person interview of the DAT Mains will be considered.

Q: What are the qualifying marks for NID prelims?
A:

The expected NID Prelims Cut-Off 2026 ranges from 56–60 for Open and 48–52 for EWS. It varies each year based on exam difficulty, seat availability, and applicant count.

Articles
|
Upcoming Design Exams
Ongoing Dates
SEED Application Date

1 Aug'25 - 28 Dec'25 (Online)

Ongoing Dates
GLS DAT Application Date

17 Aug'25 - 22 Jan'26 (Online)

Ongoing Dates
WUDAT Application Date

8 Sep'25 - 30 Dec'25 (Offline)

Certifications By Top Providers
Computer Fundamentals
Via Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore
Certificate Program in Machine Learning and AI with Python
Via Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Post Graduate Diploma Program in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
Via Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi
Machine Learning
Via Columbia University, New York
Udemy
 1087 courses
Coursera
 505 courses
Edx
 330 courses
Vskills
 157 courses
Swayam
 136 courses
Explore Top Universities Across Globe

Questions related to NID DAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to NID DAT ?

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.