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Subjective Part Dominates Design Entrance Exams: Why Revised NID Selection Process is Not Unexpected

Subjective Part Dominates Design Entrance Exams: Why Revised NID Selection Process is Not Unexpected

Ongoing Event

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

#NID DAT
Sumeet SudarshanUpdated on 29 Sep 2025, 02:52 PM IST

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.

This Story also Contains

  1. What is the Subjective/Mains Part of Design Entrance Exams?
  2. Overview of the Change in NID DAT Selection Process
  3. Why is the Change in the NID Selection Process Not Unexpected?
  4. What it Means for Candidates Appearing for Design Entrance Exams?
Subjective Part Dominates Design Entrance Exams: Why Revised NID Selection Process is Not Unexpected
Subjective Part Dominates Design Entrance Exams

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.

What is the Subjective/Mains Part of Design Entrance Exams?

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.

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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.

Overview of the Change in NID DAT Selection Process

The table below provides an overview of the change in the NID selection process for prelims and the mains exam.

NID B.Des 2026 Revised Weightage

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

NID M.Des 2026 Revised Weightage

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%)

Why is the Change in the NID Selection Process Not Unexpected?

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.

Weightage of Subjective Part in NIFT B.Des Selection Process

Part

Weightage

Creative Ability Test

50%

Studio Test

20%

Total

70%

Weightage of Subjective Part in NIFT M.Des Selection Process

Part

Weightage

Creative Ability Test

40%

Interview

30%

Total

70%

Weightage of Subjective Part in CEED Total Score

Part

Weightage

Part B

75% for calculating the final CEED score (evaluated only for those who are shortlisted from part A)

Weightage of Subjective Part in UCEED Total Score

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%.

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What it Means for Candidates Appearing for Design Entrance Exams?

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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the change in the NID selection process?
A:

In the NID 2026 selection process, the mains has 100% weightage for final selection.

Q: What is the weightage of CAT in the NIFT B.Des selection process?
A:

The CAT has 50% weightage in the NIFT B.Des selection process.

Q: What is the weightage of the interview in the NIFT M.Des selection process?
A:

The interview has 30% weightage in the NIFT M.Des selection process

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Questions related to NID DAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to NID DAT ?
NID DAT syllabus, study material

Hello Aspirant

The NID DAT syllabus primarily encompasses creativity, sketching, imagination, design theory, colour understanding, and 3D visualisation. To prepare well, you should practice daily sketching and idea-based questions because the exam tests how you think, not just how you draw. Good study materials include previous year papers and basics from Ching’s Design Drawing. Watching design tutorials and solving mock tests will also boost your confidence.


https://design.careers360.com/download/ebooks/nid-full-study-material

This is the link to access the study material and syllabus for free on NID DAT. It contains details about the best books, including sample papers.

Read Complete Answer
S
SEJAL JAIN
19 Nov'25
I am currently pursuing BA Tamil ( 3 years degree) in final year. eligible to write NID DAT to study M.des.

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

Read Complete Answer
S
Silvya Mario
11 Nov'25
How to I Prepare for M.des entrance exams like CEED or NID DAT?

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.

Read Complete Answer
S
Sankalp Agrawal
27 Oct'25
My son secured 563 Rank in NID DAT EXAM in 2025 but he could not have got Required Marks for NID College.Can he get addmission in good designing Colleges.Plz suggest colleges name

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.

Read Complete Answer
S
Sarishti bhagi
10 Apr'25
Do ipu accept nid DAT prelims score for bdes program

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)

Read Complete Answer
R
Rubina Naseer
4 Apr'25
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