NID Studio Test Eligibility Criteria 2026: Nationality, Age Limit, Educational Qualification

NID Studio Test Eligibility Criteria 2026: Nationality, Age Limit, Educational Qualification

Ongoing Event

NID DAT Application Date:11 Sep' 25 - 01 Dec' 25

Sumeet SudarshanUpdated on 30 Jul 2025, 09:24 AM IST

The National Institute of Design (NID) prescribes the NID 2026 studio test eligibility criteria on the official website - admissions.nid.edu. To appear in the NID studio test, candidates must make sure they meet the NID eligibility criteria and avoid disqualification. Only those candidates who are shortlisted from the NID DAT entrance exam will be eligible to participate in the second stage of the NID admission process. Read the full article to know more about the NID Studio Test 2026 eligibility criteria.

NID Studio Test Eligibility Criteria 2026: Nationality, Age Limit, Educational Qualification
NID Studio Test Eligibility Criteria

The prelims of NID DAT 2026 will tentatively be conducted in January 2026. The NID Mains, also known as the studio test will be conducted tentatively in March 2026 as per the NID schedule. The NID DAT 2026 studio test will be held in multiple formats for admission into the B.Des and M.Des programmes.

NID DAT Mains 2026 Eligibility

Candidates who are shortlisted after NID DAT prelims can appear for the NID DAT mains exam. Candidates must make sure they fulfil the requirements prescribed under the NID DAT eligibility both for the prelims and the mains to successfully secure admission. The eligibility requirements for NID DAT studio test 2026 pertain to minimum educational qualification, age limit and nationality.

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Minimum Educational Qualification for NID exam

CourseDetails
B.Des

Candidates must have completed their higher secondary education (10+2) in 2024-25 in any stream such as Science, Arts, Commerce, Humanities, etc from any recognized board (CBSE, IB, ICSE or equivalent).

M.Des

A bachelor’s degree of a minimum of 4 years in any specialisation after their 10+2. or

A full-time diploma of a minimum of 4 years in Design/Fine arts/Applied arts/Architecture after 10+2. or

A 3-year bachelor's degree in any discipline after 12th standard.

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NID 2026 Age Limit

CourseAge limit (as per last year)
B.Des
  • Gen and Gen-EWS category: Born on or after July 1, 2004.

  • OBC-NCL, SC & ST category: Born on or after July 1, 2001.

  • PwD category: Born on or after July 1, 1999.

  • Overseas category: Born on or after July 1, 2004.


M.Des
  • Gen and Gen-EWS category: Born on or after July 1, 1993.

  • OBC-NCL, SC & ST category: Born on or after July 1, 1990.

  • PwD category: Born on or after July 1, 1988.

  • Overseas category: Born on or after July 1, 1993.


Nationality

Indian nationals from the categories of Gen, Gen-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST and PwD are eligible. Foreign nationals need to apply under the overseas category.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is the NID entrance exam eligibility same for BDes and MDes courses?
A:

No, the NID BDes eligibility 2026 and the NID MDes eligibility 2026 are different.

Q: What is the NID DAT BDes mains exam date 2026?
A:

The NID DAT 2026 BDes mains will be tentatively held in March 2026.

Q: Is there any age limit for NID Studio Test 2026?
A:

Yes, there is an age limit for the NID studio test 2026.

Q: Who is eligible for NID DAT Mains 2026 Studio Test?
A:

Candidates shortlisted from NID DAT Prelims are eligible to appear for the NID DAT studio test.

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Questions related to NID DAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to NID DAT ?

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.

No, IPU (Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University) does not accept NID DAT Prelims score for admission to the B.Des (Bachelor of Design) program.

Instead, IPU conducts its own entrance test or may consider CUET (UG) scores for B.Des admissions, depending on the latest admission guidelines. Always refer to the university's official prospectus for the year you're applying to for the final admission criteria.

NIT DAT (https://www.shiksha.com/design/articles/nid-admissions-2025-colleges-accepting-nid-entrance-exam-scores-for-bdes-mdes-courses-blogId-13097)