KR Mangalam University B.Des Admissions 2026
6 Lakh+ CUET Registrations | 500+ Companies Visited for Placement Top Recruiters: Apple Inc., Amazon, IBM, CISCO, Meta, Microsoft, Google
Planning to appear for the NID DAT 2026 entrance exam requires that candidates learn about what’s new in NID DAT 2026. The NID DAT 2026 changes extend to the not just peripheral details like the application fee, but also the exam pattern. Looking into this article will reveal the NID DAT section‑wise weightage change that has been implemented for the 2026-27 round of NID DAT. NID DAT 2026 studio test changes have been made for both B.Des and M.Des with the DAT Prelims no longer being considered for the final scoring criteria.
This Story also Contains
In the NID DAT revised weightage 2026 the prelims is merely to shortlist candidates who are to appear for the mains. The NID Prelims Cutoffs will still be considered for qualifying candidates for the next round. The NID DAT application form for the entrance exam was available from September 11 to December 1, 2025. The NID DAT Prelims entrance exam was conducted on December 21, 2025 while the DAT Mains date is yet to be announced. To know the complete schedule, check out the NID exam dates on the official portal.
The NID DAT 2026 weightage change has dictated that DAT Prelims can no longer be considered in the final score along with DAT Mains. The NID DAT Mains 2026 changes rely on the Prelims result to be declared only to shortlist candidates for the Mains section of the entrance exam. Further changes have been made to the application fees for the NID entrance exam.
6 Lakh+ CUET Registrations | 500+ Companies Visited for Placement Top Recruiters: Apple Inc., Amazon, IBM, CISCO, Meta, Microsoft, Google
Recruiters: Aditya Birla, Wildcraft, Tommy Hilfiger, Vero Moda etc | Only Fashion Institute in India to have entered the LIMCA BOOK OF RECORDS
Candidates can certainly benefit from knowing the changes made in the NID DAT 2026 new pattern for application fees. These changes have been made to B.Des and M.Des with an additional category being introduced for the Third gender along with a currency revaluation for the Overseas category. Individual Tables showing the changed B.Des and M.Des fees are given below.
Applicants | Application Fees for 2026-2027 |
General, Gen-EWS, OBC-NCL | Rs.3000 |
Female Candidates (except SC, ST& PwD) | Rs.2000 |
SC & ST Candidates | Rs.1500 |
PwD Candidates | Rs.500 |
Third Gender | Rs.500 |
Overseas (Supernumerary) Candidates | USD 125 |
In NID DAT 2026 exam fees, the female candidates can pay a separate amount of Rs.2000. PwD candidates need to pay a fee of Rs.500 which has come down from Rs.1500 of the previous year. The third gender category that was introduced this year needs to pay only Rs.500. Overseas candidates now no longer pay the fixed Rs.5000 but instead USD 125.
Applicants for M.Des in NID DAT 2026 | M.Des Fees in 2026-2027 | |
M.Des (1 Discipline) | M.Des (2 Disciplines in the same faculty stream) | |
General, Gen-EWS, OBC-NCL | Rs.3000 | Rs.6000 |
Female Candidates (except SC, ST & PwD category) | Rs.2000 | Rs.4000 |
SC & ST Candidates | Rs.1500 | Rs.3000 |
PwD Candidates | Rs.500 | Rs.1000 |
Third Gender | Rs.500 | Rs.1000 |
Overseas (Supernumerary) | USD 125 | USD 250 |
The same rules apply to M.Des in NID DAT 2026 application fees. Female candidates (except SC, ST & PwD category) have received a category where they need to pay only Rs.2000. PwD candidates have a separate category and need to pay Rs.500 instead of Rs.1500 of the previous year. The third gender category that was introduced this year pays only Rs.500. Overseas candidates now pay USD 125 instead of the fixed Rs.5000.
The NID DAT application fee is neither refundable nor transferable. Furthermore, the equivalent exchange for the USD to Rupee is rounded off to the higher Rs.100 at the time of admission.
Changes have also been made in the score weightage that is considered for the final selection of the candidates. Before having the NID DAT weightage % updated for 2026-27 round, candidates in the 2025 exam round had the scores from the DAT Prelims considered for the final score. For NID DAT 2026 entrance exam, DAT Prelims is considered only for shortlisting candidates to the DAT Mains. Candidates can look into the NID 2026 weightage revised in the table below.
Also Read: NID 2026 Selection Process Revised: How New Weightage Affects NID Admission Chances?
NID DAT 2026-2027 | |
DAT Prelims | Shortlisting for DAT Mains |
DAT Mains | Studio Sensitivity Test: 60% In-Person Sensitivity Test: 40% |
In the NID DAT 2026 round of admissions, the DAT Prelims score is taken only to shortlist candidates for the DAT Mains. The previous 40% weightage of DAT Prelims is given to the In-Person Sensitivity Test.
NID DAT 2026-2027 | |
DAT Prelims | Shortlisting for DAT Mains |
DAT Mains | Studio Test: 40% Interviews: 60% |
Based on the table above, DAT Prelims no longer has any weightage in the final scoring process and is used to shortlist candidates for the mains exam. 30% of the DAT Prelims weightage from the previous year has been shifted to the interview round.
Candidates who are appearing for NID DAT 2026 entrance exam need to select their preferred test centre. However, the NID DAT 2026 test centre has changed the test cities that are available to candidates. The list of updated NID DAT test centres 2026 are given in the table below. The number of test cities have dropped from 22 in the previous test to 17 in the NID DAT 2026 round.
Candidates no longer have test centres at Guwahati, Kurukshetra, Raipur, Ranchi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Vijayawada. However, candidates will have an additional test centre added at Jorhat.
Ahmedabad | Bengaluru |
Bhopal | Bhubaneswar |
Chandigarh | Chennai |
Dehradun | Hyderabad |
Jaipur | Jorhat |
Kochi | Kolkata |
Lucknow | Mumbai |
Nagpur | New Delhi |
Patna |
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),
Faculty from A+ Design schools of India and Abroad | 100% Placement Assistance
Courses offered in- Fashion Design, Product Design, Communication Design, Interior & Spatial Design & Animation & VFX Design
NAAC A+ Accredited | Specializations such as Fashion Designing, Interior Designing, Accessory Designing, Textile Designing and much more
Leading Design College | Highest CTC: ₹12 LPA | Average CTC: ₹7.5 LPA | Scholarships for Deserving Students
Admission Against Cancellation/Lapsed Seats | Pay 500 Application Fee instead of ₹1500 | NIRF Ranked 87 | NAAC A+ Grade | Upto 100% scholarship
#14 in India by NIRF Ranking | Institution of Eminence by Govt. of India | Scholarships Available