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

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

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NID DAT Result Date:07 Apr' 26 - 07 Apr' 26

Achyuth NambiarUpdated on 21 Dec 2025, 01:38 PM IST

The National Institute of Design will release the NID Prelims 2026 cut-off on the official website - admissions.nid.edu after the entrance exam was conducted on December 21, 2025. The NID 2026 prelims cut-off is the component in the NID cutoff 2026. According to the revised NID Selection Process 2026, the marks scored in the Prelims 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?

The NID Prelims Cut-off will also refer to the scores of Prelims for candidates in previous years to give candidates much much-needed reference in the potential score they need to get 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. Similalrly, the NID campus-wise cut-off also vary 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 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.

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.

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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.