UPES B.Des Admissions 2026
Ranked #45 amongst Universities in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in Academic Reputation in India by QS World University Rankings
NID DAT Admit Card Date:11 Dec' 25 - 21 Dec' 25
The Design Aptitude Test (DAT), a national admission exam, is given to candidates for the design programs at one of the most prestigious design institutions, the National Institute of Design, or NID. The NID DAT includes a time constraint, making it one among the hardest design exams for students to pass. Therefore, a solid study strategy and time management tips are essential for students who wish to perform well on the NID DAT exam. Read the entire article for important time management tips and strategies for NID DAT Prelims 2026. The DAT exam for the National Institute of Design is scheduled on December 21st, 2025.
NID DAT prelims will be a paper-and-pencil/pen test with a total of 100 marks as per the NID DAT Exam Pattern. As per the revised selection process , the NID DAT 2026 prelims result will not have any weightage in the final selection of candidates for B.Des and M.Des programmes. The NID 2026 prelims exam will be a qualifying exam to shortlist candidates for the mains exam. NID Mains exam will have 60% weightage for studio test and 40% weightage for in person interview for NID B.Des selection.
Here are some time management tips and time distribution given for some important concepts that need to be prepared appropriately for NID Prelims 2026 according to the NID 2026 Syllabus.
Conceptualization:
Practice and master the skill for coming up with creative ideas and turning them into feasible designs.
Also includes presenting design in a visually appealing way with a clear understanding of what design needs to communicate to its audience.
Exercise: Regular practice for drawing, sketching, and design thinking is necessary.
Time allotted: At least 2 hours/day- 4 days a week.
Related Articles:
Idea and Innovation:
Thinking outside the box and generating new innovative concepts that are different and more effective than already existing ideas.
NID examiners appreciate new and innovative ideas by the students, hence practicing for new concepts and solutions for design problems take you a long way.
EXAMS dates- 13-14 Dec | Leading Design College | Highest CTC: ₹12 LPA | Average CTC: ₹7.5 LPA | Scholarships for Deserving Students
Recruiters: Aditya Birla, Wildcraft, Tommy Hilfiger, Vero Moda etc | Only Fashion Institute in India to have entered the LIMCA BOOK OF RECORDS
Exercise: Creating new ideas for already existing problem statements and taking regular feedback for improvement.
Time allotted: At least 3 hours/day- 3 days a week
Spatial Visual Ability:
Develop the ability to understand and manipulate shapes, patterns, and forms in 2D and 3D spaces.
Understand different forms and 2D figures and how they can be transformed and change orientations
Exercise: Solve 2D and 3D objects and spaces related questions to understand what seems difficult. Take objects in real physical state and practice to understand how they can change with manipulation to understand visualization.
Time allotted: At least 1.5 hours/day- 4 days a week
Related Articles:
Visual Sensibility:
Visual sensibility for NID involves concepts like understanding principles of design, compositions, color theory and visual characteristics.
This will require practice for the ability to notice closely differences in shapes, colors, and patterns and how they are used in design compositions.
Exercise: Create different compositions and sketches with design principles, color theory and patterns. Take references initially to understand and read a lot of case studies to develop the sense for visual ability.
Time allotted: At least 3 hours/day- 3 days a week
Related Articles:
General Knowledge:
A lot of questions in NID Prelims are from the General Knowledge section.
It is important for students to be thorough with the important topics such as names of important people, dates and logos, paintings and cultures from different brands and art movements.
Exercise: Start with including reading and watching daily news and news articles.
Time allotted: At least 1 hour/day- 3 days a week
Related Articles:
Logical reasoning:
Logical Reasoning, one of the most scoring sections of NID DAT Prelims, is the ability of students to systematically think and solve problems, make decisions and then come up with effective conclusions.
This also includes Verbal reasoning that is used to judge students' critical thinking, pattern recognition and analytical reasoning skills.
Exercise: Solve as many questions as possible to develop accuracy and speed.
Time allotted: At least 2 hours/day- 4 days a week
Related Articles:
NID Sample papers and NID previous Years Question Papers:
Solve NID previous years papers along with NID sample papers given below with important resources to understand the format and language of the paper with the number of questions and type of questions asked in the exam. Solving will boost the confidence of the students for the actual exam.
Students preparing for the NID exam 2026 are advised to go through these important NID exam resources - free pdfs for download in order to better prepare for the exam:
NID Prelims Previous 5 Years Question Papers with Solutions (2021-2025) | |
NID DAT BDes Prelims Official Sample Paper with Detailed Solutions | |
NID DAT BDes 2026 Complete Guide PDF | |
NID Prelims Time Management |
Article students are advised to go through:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Aspiring students preparing for NID DAT Prelims 2026 are advised to start preparation at least 8 months to a year before the actual exam with proper understanding of the NID Prelims exam pattern and syllabus.
Regular practice for drawing, sketching and design thinking problems to develop speed. Solve NID previous years papers along with NID sample papers to understand the format and language of the paper.
Students need to practice for time management for the NID Prelims 2026 exam, as it is a time-bound exam and can include lengthy questions.
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:
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.
World-class design education with a global curricular collaboration with Parson’s School of Design
Ranked #45 amongst Universities in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in Academic Reputation in India by QS World University Rankings
Ranked 2nd in the IIRF 2023 Design School Ranking | Approved by AICTE | Highest CTC 13 LPA
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
No. 1 Design & Fashion Institute by ASSOCHAM, India Today, Outlook and The Week rankings
EXAMS dates- 13-14 Dec | Leading Design College | Highest CTC: ₹12 LPA | Average CTC: ₹7.5 LPA | Scholarships for Deserving Students