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