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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

    Achyuth NambiarUpdated on 21 Dec 2025, 06:15 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 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.

    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 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.

    UPES B.Des Admissions 2026

    Last Date to Apply: 26th March | Ranked #45 amongst Universities in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in Academic Reputation in India by QS World University Rankings

    Pearl Academy B.Des Admissions 2026

    No. 1 Design & Fashion Institute by ASSOCHAM, India Today, Outlook and The Week rankings

    Top Design Entrance Exam

    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.

    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: 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.

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

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

    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: 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.

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    Questions related to NID DAT

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to NID DAT ?

    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),

    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

    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

    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