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What’s New in NID DAT 2026? Revised Weightage, Changes Application Fees & Test Centres

What’s New in NID DAT 2026? Revised Weightage, Changes Application Fees & Test Centres

Ongoing Event

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

#NID DAT
Achyuth NambiarUpdated on 17 Sep 2025, 04:03 PM IST

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

  1. NID DAT 2026 Changes: What’s New?
  2. Changes in NID DAT Application Fees
  3. What changes made in NID DAT 2026 Weightage?
  4. What are the NID DAT 2026 Test Centre Changes?
What’s New in NID DAT 2026? Revised Weightage, Changes Application Fees & Test Centres
What’s New in NID DAT 2026?

In the NID DAT revised weightage 2026 the prelims is merely to shortlist candidates who are to appear for the mains. The NID DAT application form for the entrance exam is open from September 11 to December 1, 2025. The NID DAT Prelims entrance exam is scheduled for 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.

NID DAT 2026 Changes: What’s New?

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 Prelims Mains 2026 changes relies on Prelims 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.

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Changes in NID DAT Application Fees

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.

NID DAT B.Des Fees for 2026-2027

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.

NID DAT M.Des Fees for 2026-2027

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.

What changes made in NID DAT 2026 Weightage?

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?

Changes in NID weightage revised for B.Des

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.

Changes in NID weightage revised for M.Des

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.

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What are the NID DAT 2026 Test Centre Changes?

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.

NID DAT 2026 Test Centres

Ahmedabad

Bengaluru

Bhopal

Bhubaneswar

Chandigarh

Chennai

Dehradun

Hyderabad

Jaipur

Jorhat

Kochi

Kolkata

Lucknow

Mumbai

Nagpur

New Delhi

Patna


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the pattern of the NID exam 2026?
A:

Candidates who will qualify the prelims exam will only be able to appear in the mains exam. The Mains exam involves studio tests and personal interviews.

Q: What is the difference between NID prelims and mains?
A:

The Prelims is a written test, while the Mains include a studio test and personal interview. For B.Des there is a Studio Sensitivity Test for 60% and an In-Person Sensitivity Test for 40% weightage. For M.Des, the Studio Test is worth 40% and Interviews for 60%.

Q: How many NID test centres are there in India?
A:

Currently, candidates can choose from 17 available test centres for their convenience.

Q: How much is the B.Des NID application fee?
A:

The application fee for NID Admission is Rs.3,000 for General/ EWS/ OBC, Rs.2000 for Female Candidates, Rs.1,500 for SC/ ST, Rs.500 for PwD and Third Gender candidates and USD 125 for Overseas Candidates

Q: Is the NID exam online or offline?
A:

The DAT Prelims is an online exam, while the DAT Mains requires the candidates to be in person for the NID studio test and the interview.

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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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