NID Entrance Exam Syllabus PDF (Prelims & Mains), Weightage Wise NID DAT Syllabus

NID Entrance Exam Syllabus PDF (Prelims & Mains), Weightage Wise NID DAT Syllabus

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

Sumeet SudarshanUpdated on 05 Dec 2025, 03:15 PM IST

The National Institute of Design prescribes the NID DAT 2026 syllabus on its official website - admissions.nid.edu. The NID DAT syllabus 2026 evaluates candidates based on their design and creative skills. Aspirants who want to ace the NID entrance exam need to study the syllabus carefully and design a preparation strategy. The NID DAT exam syllabus includes topics from image processing, analogy, and pattern & symbol coding and decoding. The NID DAT exam syllabus consists of a list of topics based on which the NID question paper is framed. In this article, get complete details of the syllabus of NID DAT 2026, including NID prelims and mains syllabus, important topics, and preparation tips.

This Story also Contains

  1. NID DAT Syllabus 2026: An Overview
  2. NID Entrance Exam Syllabus PDF
  3. NID Entrance Exam Syllabus BDes
  4. NID M.Des Entrance Exam Syllabus
NID Entrance Exam Syllabus PDF (Prelims & Mains), Weightage Wise NID DAT Syllabus
NID DAT Syllabus

As NID DAT 2026 has two components, it is important for candidates to study the NID DAT prelims syllabus and the NID DAT mains syllabus both to be successful in the entrance exam. The NID subjects for prelims and mains vary in terms of the topics and format of the test.

NID DAT Syllabus 2026: An Overview

Although the authorities do not release the detailed official syllabus for the NID entrance exam, aspirants are provided with the DAT syllabus 2026 based on previous year analysis. For a better understanding of the NID entrance exam syllabus, candidates can also refer to NID DAT study material 2026 and prepare for the exam.

NID Entrance Exam Syllabus PDF

In order to prepare well for the NID DAT exam, candidates need to understand the NID exam subjects and concepts of the topics included in the NID syllabus PDF for DAT. If the candidate prepares for the NID entrance exam syllabus by discussing the subjects for the NID entrance exam, the chances of success will increase manifold. The syllabus for NID entrance exam will provide insights into the weightage of various important topics, the difficulty level of questions asked, and any specific trends.

UPES B.Des Admissions 2026

Ranked #45 amongst Universities in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in Academic Reputation in India by QS World University Rankings

Pearl Academy B.Des Admissions 2026

No. 1 Design & Fashion Institute by ASSOCHAM, India Today, Outlook and The Week rankings

NID Syllabus PDF Free Download

ParticularsNID Syllabus Download Link
NID Entrance Exam Syllabus

NID DAT Syllabus PDF

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.
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NID Entrance Exam Syllabus BDes

National Institute of Design does not release the NID Prelims or Mains syllabus for DAT at the official website. If released, a direct link for NID syllabus 2026 pdf download will be updated on this page. In the meantime, candidates can check NID entrance exam syllabus BDes courses as below.

NID Prelims Syllabus for DAT Entrance Exam

Innovation in design

Theme development

Exercises on imagination

Graphics & pictograms

Principles of composition

Design Theory

Optical illusion

Form & function

Inspiration & design development

Natural & geometrical form

Colour, pattern & texture

Drawing fundamentals

Lateral thinking

Design Awareness

Creative thinking & writing

Ornaments & motifs

Imagination & doodling

Understanding light & shade

Elements & Principles of Design

Colour psychology & optical illusions

3D visualization

Lettering

Developing observation

Good design vs. bad design

Optical illusion

Outline for beginners

Memory drawing

Innovation & Creation

Mood, theme & colour inter-relationship

Visual logic

Colour terminology

Presentation techniques

Picture analysis

Story pictures

Usage of colour in compositions

Natural & geometrical form

Use of measurements, scale & proportions

Expression & emotion

Developing themes & colour associations

Foreshortening & perspective

NID Prelims Syllabus - High Weightage Topics

Section

High-weightage topics

General Knowledge And Current Affairs

Indian Geography

World Geography

IT and Computers

Sports

Environmental Awareness

Ecology

Books and Authors

Business Awareness

Indian Geography

General Awareness

Analytical Ability

Coding Decoding

Series-Non Verbal

Mirror and Water Images

Embedded/ Hidden Images

Cubes and Dices

Venn Diagram

Figure Counting

Direction and Distance Test

Paper Cutting and Folding

Linear/Circular Arrangement

NID DAT Mains Syllabus for Entrance Exam

NID Mains is the second stage to get NID admission to design courses. To crack the entrance exam, students need to understand the NID syllabus pdf for the entrance exam. Candidates can check the syllabus of NID entrance exam BDes-related topics they need to study while preparing for the NID studio test or NID DAT Mains exam.

NID Mains Syllabus for DAT

Model making

Questions generally asked in an interview

Material manipulation

Mock interview

Audio-visual exercises

Evolving ideas

Importance of body language

Doodling

Past studio test & interview questions

Interview tips

Creative thinking

Guidance on portfolio making

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IIAD Admissions 2026

EXAMS dates- 13-14 Dec | Leading Design College | Highest CTC: ₹12 LPA | Average CTC: ₹7.5 LPA | Scholarships for Deserving Students

IIFT Design Admissions 2026

Recruiters: Aditya Birla, Wildcraft, Tommy Hilfiger, Vero Moda etc | Only Fashion Institute in India to have entered the LIMCA BOOK OF RECORDS

NID M.Des Entrance Exam Syllabus

Similar to UG courses, the authorities will conduct the NID MDes exam in two stages - Prelims and Mains. Here aspirants are provided with the NID DAT entrance exam syllabus for MDes. Candidates can check below the NID MDes syllabus and the important topics they have to study from NID exam subjects.

NID Prelims Syllabus for MDes DAT Entrance Exam

Listed below are the topics to be prepared as NID MDes syllabus.

Design Outline for Beginners

Colour Terminology

Inspiration & Design Development

Mood, Theme & Colour Inter-relationship

Design Theory

Elements & Principles Of Design

Natural & Geometrical Form

Innovation in Design

Principles of Composition

Lettering

Optical Illusion

Understanding Light & Shade

Colour Psychology & Optical Illusions

Form & Function

Colour, Pattern & Texture

Theme Development

Creative Thinking & Writing

Picture Analysis

Visual Logic

Good Design vs Bad Design

Drawing Fundamentals

Use of Measurements, Scale & proportions

Optical Illusion

Foreshortening & Perspective

Developing Themes & Colour Associations

Inspiration & Creativity

Ornaments & Motifs

Memory Drawing

Usage of Colour in Compositions

Expression & Emotion

Exercises on Imagination

Lateral Thinking

Story Pictures

Presentation Techniques

Imagination & Doodling

3D Visualisation

Graphics & Pictograms

Innovation & Creation

Design Awareness

Developing Observation

Top Design Entrance Exam

NID Exam Syllabus MDes Mains

Model Making

Doodling

How to evolve ideas

Audio – Visual Exercises

Material Manipulation

Creative Thinking

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the NID Prelims syllabus for the Entrance Exam ?
A:

The NID DAT Prelims syllabus for the entrance exam will have questions from topics like Drawing Basics, Innovation in Design, Exercises on Imagination, Graphics & Pictograms, Theme Development, Principles of Composition, and Design Theory. Candidates need to refer to the NID entrance exam subjects for the relevant topics.

Q: What will be the mode of the NID DAT Studio Test?
A:

The Studio Test for the M.Des programme will be conducted in offline mode at NID campuses of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Bengaluru. Previously, the Studio Test was conducted programme-wise.

Q: What are the best books to check the syllabus for NID entrance exam?
A:

It is important to use good quality books as reference material to have a higher chance of getting a good rank in the NID DAT. Here are some best books recommended by experts and previous rankers for NID entrance exam preparation: NID (B.Des) Entrance Books and Test Series by AFAINDIA, Basic Rendering by Robert W. Gill, Design drawing by Francis, D. K. Ching NIFT/ NID/ IIFT Entrance Exam Guide by RPH Editorial Board.

Q: Is the NID exam difficult?
A:

NID evaluates the aspirants based on their knowledge, creativity, and aptitude for design. Experts share that NID is one of the most challenging design entrance exams conducted in the country. However, if prepared well using the NID syllabus pdf, the difficulty level of the NID entrance exam is moderate.

Q: Does the NID syllabus change every year?
A:

The National Institute of Design entrance exam syllabus (DAT) is mostly the same. However, aspirants are advised to keep a check on the NID exam notifications on Careers360 so that they do not miss the latest developments around NID Admission.

Q: Is NID syllabus same for the B.Des and M.Des programs?
A:

No, the NID syllabus for B.Des and M.Des is not the same.

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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.