Indian Institute of Art and Design, New Delhi
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The National Institute of Design revised the NID 2026 selection process recently. In the revised NID 2026 selection process, the NID DAT mains, which is the subjective component of the NID entrance exam, will have 100% weightage in the final selection of candidates. The NID DAT prelims, which earlier had 40% weightage in the final selection, has been reduced to a qualifying exam for the mains. On the surface, the change in NID DAT 2026 may look too drastic. However, an analysis of the selection process of other top design entrance exams suggests that the subjective component already has a proportionately heavy weight in the final selection criteria of these exams.
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Most of the top design entrance exams have an objective and a subjective component in their selection criteria. In this article, let’s look at the weightage of the subjective part in the top design exams, such as NIFTEE, CEED, and UCEED, and understand why the change in the NID selection process is not unexpected.
The subjective or the main part of the top design entrance exam evaluates a wide range of skills among candidates, which include their creativity, drawing skills, observation skills, visualisation, and practical task handling skills.
Often, candidates are required to attend a studio test where they may be required to complete a task with the provided material, or they may be required to draw and explain their perspective. Candidates may also be interviewed to understand their personality and suitability for the course. Further, a candidate may be required to present a portfolio of work.
What differentiates the subjective component from the objective part is that it lacks a model solution or a definite answer. The jury or expert evaluates the candidates on the spot based on their performance.
On the other hand, the prelims or the objective part of the design entrance exams often are MCQs, which have a definite answer and are designed to test the candidate’s general awareness and logical reasoning ability.
The table below provides an overview of the change in the NID selection process for prelims and the mains exam.
Particulars | Revised Weightage | Old Weightage |
Prelims | No weightage in final selection. Qualifying exam for mains | 40% weightage in final selection |
Mains | 100% weightage in final selection (Studio sensitivity test - 60% In-person sensitivity test - 40%) | 60% weightage in final selection |
Particulars | Revised Weightage | Old Weightage |
Prelims | No weightage in final selection. Qualifying exam for mains | 30% weightage in final selection |
Mains | 100% weightage in final selection (Studio test - 40% Interview - 60%) | 70% weightage in final selection (Studio test - 40% Interview - 30%) |
The change in the NID selection process is on expected lines, as the subjective part in other design entrance exams already dominates with a much higher weightage in the final selection criteria. Often, the weightage for the subjective part is over 70% except in UCEED, where the subjective and objective parts are not weighted, indicating an equal weightage of 50% for each.
The outsized importance of mains/subjective component indicates that top design colleges look for candidates who possess the creative aptitude and hands-on practical skills to build a successful career in design.
The tables given below show the weightage of the mains or the subjective part for other entrance exams.
Part | Weightage |
Creative Ability Test | 50% |
Studio Test | 20% |
Total | 70% |
Part | Weightage |
Creative Ability Test | 40% |
Interview | 30% |
Total | 70% |
Part | Weightage |
Part B | 75% for calculating the final CEED score (evaluated only for those who are shortlisted from part A) |
Part | Weightage |
Part B | No weightage is assigned for Part A and Part B for calculating the final score. In other words, equal weightage of 50%. |
The high weightage for the subjective component in top design entrance exams means candidates cannot rely solely on their exam preparation. They have to invest in developing their creative and hands-on skills and build a good portfolio of creative works that showcases their personality and ability. It also suggests that the top design colleges are looking for candidates who possess job readiness and can meet the demands of the growing design industry.
On Question asked by student community
Dear Student,
For NID DAT exam preparation, you can follow the preparation tips provided by Careers360. The article covers important aspects such as understanding the exam pattern and syllabus, choosing the right study material, practising previous-year papers, and taking mock tests.
Use these strategies
Hello Student,
To start your NID DAT and UCEED preparation, begin with the syllabus, exam pattern, and previous years' question papers. You can also refer to the Careers360 preparation resources and sample papers for regular practice using the links provided below.
No, the NID DAT Prelims paper is not exactly the same for B.Des and M.Des aspirants.
You can check these resources for more clarity:
https://design.careers360.com/articles/nid-dat-sample-papers
https://design.careers360.com/articles/nid-mdes-previous-year-question-papers-with-solution
Hello Dear Student,
Could you provide more information so that i could help you further
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),
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