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    NID Prelims Cutoff 2026, Expected Cut-Off, Previous Year Scores & Qualifying Criteria

    NID Prelims Cutoff 2026, Expected Cut-Off, Previous Year Scores & Qualifying Criteria

    Team Careers360Updated on 12 Feb 2026, 05:07 PM IST

    The National Institute of Design will release the NID Prelims 2026 cut-off on the official website - admissions.nid.edu. The NID 2026 prelims cut-off is the first component in the NID cutoff 2026. According to the revised NID Selection Process 2026, the marks scored in the Prelims will only serve as a qualifying cutoff, and they will not have any weightage in the final result of the candidates. The weightage is now entirely upon the two divisions in the DAT Mains. The Prelims round is only a qualifying exam in NID DAT 2026. The NID 2026 expected cut-off is expected to change due to the revised selection process. Candidates can check out the article below to learn all about the NID Prelims Cut-off 2026.

    This Story also Contains

    1. NID DAT Prelims 2026 Cutoff
    2. NID Prelims Previous Years’ Cutoffs
    3. NID DAT Reservation Criteria
    4. How Many Students Clear NID Prelims?

    To understand the NID Prelims Cut-off for this year, candidates can also refer to the scores of Prelims for candidates in previous years and get an idea of the potential score needed to qualify for the DAT Mains Studio Test and In-Person Interview.

    NID DAT Prelims 2026 Cutoff

    The NID DAT Prelims cut-off varies according to the categories of the candidates. Similarly, the NID campus-wise cut-off also varies across the NID colleges. The NID DAT Prelims cutoff will be released in the format of a rank and a score. Candidates appearing for the NID DAT Entrance exam 2026 need to be aware of the new selection process. Since the NID Prelims is no longer considered for the weightage in the final result, the scores may change accordingly.

    NID 2026 Prelims Expected Cut-off

    Category

    Tentative Marks Based on Prior NID Cut-offs

    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’ Cutoffs

    Candidates can also check out the NID DAT Previous years' cutoffs for the Prelims section of the exam 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

    Score Cutoff for Candidates Shortlisted for NID DAT Mains 2025

    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

    Score Cutoff for Candidates Shortlisted in 2024

    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

    NID DAT Reservation Criteria

    Candidates are also advised to check the category-wise reservation of seats. This will help them have an idea of their chances in landing a seat at NID. Candidates care refer to the Reservation Criteria from the following tables

    Reservation of Seats for B.Des Applicants

    Institute

    GEN-EWS (10%)

    OBC-NCL (27%)

    Scheduled Caste (15%)

    Scheduled Tribe (7.5)%

    NID Ahmedabad

    13

    35

    19

    10

    NID Andhra Pradesh

    8

    20

    11

    6

    NID Haryana

    8

    20

    11

    6

    NID Madhya Pradesh

    8

    20

    11

    6

    NID Assam

    8

    20

    11

    6

    Reservation of Seats for M.Des Applicants

    Number of seats in the Discipline

    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

    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 Cutoff. The table below provides the details about the candidates who were selected for NID B.Des mains in the previous year.

    Total Number of Students Selected for NID DAT 2025 BDes Mains

    Category

    Rank Starts

    Rank Ends

    Score of the last candidate shortlisted

    General

    1

    193

    59

    General EWS

    1

    134

    46

    OBC

    1

    204

    51

    SC

    1

    176

    46

    ST

    1

    110

    38

    PWD

    1

    67

    19

    Overseas

    1

    106

    22.5

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q: What is the expected cut-off for NID Prelims 2026?
    A:

    For the open category, the expected cut-off for NID Prelims is between 56-60.

    Q: What is the new scheme for NID Prelims 2026?
    A:

    The score for the NID Prelims 2026 will not be considered in the final weightage for the NID Entrance exam. The cut-off for the Prelims is merely to ensure candidates qualify for the Mains.

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    Questions related to NID DAT

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to NID DAT ?

    No specific stream is required in Class 11 for BDes admissions. You can join B.Des (Bachelor of Design) with any stream in Class 11th (Science, Commerce, or Arts/Humanities). Top design institutes like NID ( NID DAT scores) and NIFT ( NIFT Entrance Exam ), as well as IITs (via UCEED),

    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

    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