Design Aptitude Test (DAT): Overview, Questions, Preparation

In a Design Aptitude Test, candidates are asked drawing, sketching and general reasoning questions. The candidate needs to prepare for each question type to get a good score in DAT.

Some of the top design entrance exams that the candidate can take include NIFT, NID DAT, UCEED, and SEED.

Design Aptitude is a test that is a part of most of the Design entrance exams in India. Through this test, the Design institutes examines the designing and creative ability of candidates. It includes questions related to sketching, drawing and reasoning. This test usually is the first step of any design exam. Candidates must focus on its preparations.

The online application form for NIFT 2025 is OPEN with regular fees from November 22-January 6, 2025.

With late fees, applications will be accepted from Janaury 7-9, 2025.

The application will be available online at niftadmissions.in. The NTA will also release the detailed admission notification, including the eligibility criteria and information brochure.

Candidates who met the precribed eligibility criteria for their programme can fill out the NIFT 2025 application form before the last date.

Note that NIFT application form will be for admission to the B. Des, M.Des B.FTech M.FTech and MFM courses offered by participating colleges.

Yes, the candidate will be given the option to edit the NIFT 2025 application form from January 10-12, 2025.

Using the NIFT 2025 application edit option, the candidate will be able to edit or correct some of the information in the application form. Some of the details the candidate can edit include - name, date of birth, category, state domicile, etc. However, the candidate is not allowed to edit the exam city. The schedule for the application correction will be notified by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) at its admission portal - niftadmissions.in.

Some of the skills of candidates that are tested in DAT include:

• Design ability
• Observation skills
• Illustration skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Imaginative skills
• Space Visualization

To get a good score in the DAT, the candidate must work on each of these skills.

The fee structure for the design courses offered by the NIFTs is published in the information brochure. The NIFT fee structure includes components like tuition fees, library fees, exam fees, mediclaim, etc. Additional, the fee may also be divided into refundable and non-refundable types.

NIFT fee structure (Regular)

Aspirants can go through topics they should study to score well in NID DAT Prelims for B.Des admissions in the table below:

The Creative Ability Test or CAT will evaluate the intuitive ability, power of observation in concept development, and design ability of the candidate. To prepare for CAT the candidate must develop their observation skills, learn the basics of geometrical shapes, understand conceptualization, learn product drawing and shading. Additionally, the candidate must also work on their line quality. For instance, the candidate needs to ensure there are no jittery or multiple lines. To imporve ones drawing skills, one may start with simple drawings, and then move on to complex shapes. Also, while shading is not so important for the exam, shading skills can definitely help the candidate get a positive nod from the evaluator.

The NIFT exam is among the competitive and is also considered among the toughest. So, it is recommended that the candidate starts their exam preparation well in advance, say with around 1 years time in hand. Note that the NIFT exam has various components like written exam and Situation Test /Personal Interview. Candidates seeking admission to the B. Des and M.Des courses need to prepare for both the CAT and GAT. The CAT is a drawing-based exam, meaning the candidate will be evaluated on parameters like intuitive ability, power of observation in concept development, and design ability. Now unless the candidate is already well-versed, developing these skills will take time. So, it is prudent to start early. The same goes for the GAT.

The exam pattern for NIFT GAT varies from one course to the other. The total number of questions asked in NIFT GAT are mentioned below: BDes: 100 questions BFTech: 150 questions MDes: 120 questions MFTech: 150 questions MFM: 150 questions Note that the GAT or the General Ability Test will be conducted in a computer-based mode. Questions will be objective-type. The GAT paper for the B. Des and M.Des programs will be of 120 minutes. However, the GAT paper for the B.FTech M.FTech and MFM courses will be for 180 minutes.

There are no fixed number of sample papers that the candidate needs to solve for the NIFT exam. That being said the candidate must solve as many sample papers as possible to improve ones problem-solving and time-management skills. To get the most out of the sample papers, it is recommended that the candidate starts solving sample papers as early as possible. For instance, the candidate may solve sample questions after completing a chapter. Along with solving the sample papers, it is also important for the candidate to analyze their performance. This exercise will help the candidate identify weak areas or pain points and fix them at infancy.

Candidates seeking admission to the B. Des and M.Des course also need to take the Creative Ability Test CAT written exam, in addition to the GAT. The CAT exam will be conducted in an offline, pen-pencil mode. CAT will be a drawing-based exam of 3 hours duration. The CAT will evaluate various skills of the candidate including Intuition skill, power of observation, innovation in the development of a concept as well as design ability. Further, it will examine the creative as well as innovative use of color and illustration skills of aspirants. It is mandatory for B. Des and M.Des candidates to appear in the CAT paper, or else they will not be invited for the Situation Test.

NID (National Institute of Design) and NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology) are two of the most prestigious design institutes in India. Admission to the NIDs is conducted through the NID DAT entrance exam, while admission to the NIFTs is based on NIFT entrance exam scores.

Both institutes offer undergraduate and postgraduate programs in various design disciplines, including fashion design, textile design, graphic design, product design, and more. However, there are some basic and also major differences between the programs offered at the two institutes. 

NID is primarily focused on design education and research, and offers a wider range of design programs compared to NIFT. The academic curriculum of the NIDs emphasizes on design thinking, innovation, and problem-solving. It also offers programs in specialised areas such as Transportation & Automobile Design, Toy & Game Design, and Ceramic & Glass Design, which are not offered by NIFT.

The NIFTs, on the other hand, are primarily focused on fashion education and offers a specialised curriculum in fashion design, textile design, fashion management, and other related areas. The academic curriculum of the NIFTs emphasizes on fashion trends, design aesthetics, and technical skills. It also has a strong industry connect and offers numerous internship opportunities, which can be beneficial for students seeking career opportunities in the fashion industry.

In terms of placements, both NID and NIFT have a good track record of placing students in top design firms and companies. However, the placement opportunities may vary depending on the specialisation and individual skills.

Ultimately, the choice between NID and NIFT depends on your interests, career goals, and the type of design education you are looking for. Both the NIDs and NIFTs are among the top-ranked design colleges in the country and offer an excellent academic platform for design aspirants, so you must do the necessary due diligence, research and evaluate the programs offered by both institutes before making a decision.

Yes, the candidate is allowed to challenge the draft version of the NIFT 2025 answer key.

Objections cannot be filed against the the final answer key. The provisional answer key will be released in February 2025; note that the NIFT 2025 written exam will be conducted around the 1st week of February 2025.

The answer key contains the official keys to all the questions asked in the exam.

Objections against the NIFT 2025 answer key has to filed online through the candidate portal. To file objections, the candidate had to pay a fee of INR 500 per objection.

The candidate must check all the details carefully after downloading the NIFT admit card 2025. This includes checking the spelling of your name, the date and timings of the exam, name and address of the allotted exam centre, etc. In case there are any discrepancies, like your name is wrongly spelled, you must contact exam officials immediately. NIFT officials in most cases also issues a helpline for students to tackle such cases. You can call NIFT officials at this number or email them to get things sorted. Given the sensitivity of the matter, it is important that you don't wait for until too late to get the admit card issue resolved.

The NIFT 2025 answer key objection window will close once the draft key is released. To submit objections, you have to:

1. Go to the NTA NIFT admission portal 

2. Click on the objection submission link

3. A log-in window will open

4. Log in using candidate credentials

1. Once you log in, you can access the objection form

2. Enter you roll number, date of birth, program, and question booklet series

3. Select the answer key you want to challengeSelect the Question number

4. Attach the supporting documents and describe your observation in concise and clear terms

5. Make the payment of INR 200 per objection (note, the fee is non-refundable)

Once you are done, submit the application.

NID application form 2025 opened on September 3, 2024. The application form is open online at the NID admission portal -admissions.nid.edu. Candidates who meet the program-specific eligibility criteria may apply before the last date.

The NID application form is for admission to the B. Des and M.Des courses offered by participating colleges. 

The last date to apply for NID DAT 2025 is December 6, 2024 (extended from December 3). The candidate can also edit the submitted application from December 4-9, 2024.

The NID DAT 2025 (Prelims) exam will be conducted on January 5, 2025.

The National Institute of Design (NID) will conduct the DAT Prelims exam on January 5, 2025.

The B.Des exam will be held from 10 am - 1 pm; meanwhile, the M.Des exam will be held from 10 am - 12.30 am.

The DAT Prelims for the B.Des programme will be conducted in a paper-and-pencil/pen mode. The question paper may  incude both textual and visual questions. Other details like duration of the exam, marking scheme, etc. will be published in the DAT Prelims admit card.

The candidate needs to report for the exam at 8 am. Gates closing time is 9.30 am. 

The DAT Prelims exam for the M.Des programme will be conducted offline and include a mix of objective and subjective questions. The paper will have a total of 100 questions.

The application fee of NID DAT 2025 for the B. Des for General, General-EWS, OBC-NCL candidates is INR 3,000. SC, ST, PwD candidates only ned to pay INR 1,500. However note that the application fees for overseas candidates seeking admission to supernumerary seats is INR 5000. In case of the M.Des programme, the application fees for General, General-EWS, OBC-NCL candidates applying for one discipline is INR 3,000. If two disciplines are chosen, the application fee is INR 6000. Meanwhile, SC, ST, PwD candidate need to pay INR 1,500 for one discipline, and INR 3000 for two disciplines.

The NID DAT 2025 application form is now open.

It is not mandatory to take coaching to get a good rank in NID DAT 2025. It is because, the entrance exam will test the creative, drawing, and innovative skills of the candidate. Now, a coaching institute cannot exactly teach you to be creative or become innovative. Instead, with a little effort these skills can yourself learn these skills yourself. Also, a major thrust of the design aptitide test is to evaluate the drawing skills of the candidate. So, make it a point to work on your design skills, including learning how to draw line, shadow, figure, gesture, cartoon drawing, etc. When practicing drawing, also keep a tab on the drawing speed, as it will help you complete the paper in the allotted time.

Along with following the official NID DAT 2025 exam pattern and syllabus, do these tasks to prepare for NID DAT exam:

1. Solve sample papers - You can starting solving sample papers very early on in your preparation, for instnce after completing a chapter.
2. Solve previous years’ papers - This exercise will help you get an idea about the nature and structure of the exam, including difficulty level, types of questions asked, marking scheme, and much more.
3. Take mock tests - Mocks are usually taken closer to the exam date. It will help you fine tune your preparation and fix the mental aspect of taking an entrance exam.
4. Take notes during study - This exericise will not only help you stay focused, but also help you jot down important and difficult points. This in turn will make revision easier and quicker.

A candidate would ideally need around 6 months or so to prepare the NID DAT 2025 exam. This time frame will allow the candidate to go through each topic in depth and prepare for the exam effectively. However, if the candidate has a strong grip over the fundamentals and basis concepts, it is still possible to prepare for the exam even in 3 months or less. But as the time duration shrinks, one will have to be more judicious with the use of each day and hour and be meticulous. Having a well defined time table in place will help matters. The time table can include things like day-wise topics to read and revise, sample papers to be solved, etc.

There is no negative marking in NID DAT Prelims.

So, the candidate may attempt all the questions. If the wrong answer is selected, the candidate won't be penalized. However, if the correct answer option is selected, the candidate may get some free marks.

Note that the DAT Prelims exam will be conducted in an OMR-based mode. The candidate will need a blue/black ball-point pen for filling the OMR sheet.   

DAT entrance exam is considered to be moderate. IN NID DAT, more weightage is given to subjective, drawing related questions. Thus, candidates need to be extremely creative and have a clear understanding of their concepts when appearing for the DAT.

But note that difficulty level can also be subjective, as it may also depend on your level of preparation. For instance, if you prepare well, you may be able to solve even the so-called difficult questions easily.

Admission to the NIDs is conducted through the NID Entrance Examination. The NID exam has two stages - the candidate first appears in the that Prelims. Scores of the that Prelims are used to then shortlist candidates for that Mains. The final merit list for NID DAT 2025 will be prepared by giving weightage to that Prelims and that Mains. Note that the National Institute of Design hasn't yet released the weightage for the that Prelims and that Mains.

The NID DAT 2025 (Prelims) exam will be conducted in January 2025. Meanwhile, the DAT exams for the M.Des programme will be conducted tentatively in March, whereas DAT Mains for the B. Des programme will be conducted in April 2025.