NID DAT 2025: Admit Card (Dec 24), DAT Prelims Exam (Jan 5), Syllabus, Preparation, Test Centre

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.

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.

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.

There is no official notification on the number of applicants for NID DAT 2024.

However, as per unofficial sources, around 15,000 applicants appeared in the NID DAT 2024 (Prelims) exam. Note that only shortlisted candidates were eligible to appear in DAT Mains. The DAT Prelims was held on December 24, 2023.

If the National Institute of Design releases the exam statistics for the NID DAT exam, the details will be updated here. Note that the current session of the NIFT exam is conducted by the NTA. Now considering the NTA releases the exam stats, including the number of applicants registered, appeared, qualified - it is likely the details will also be released for the NIFT 2024 exam.

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.

The NID Entrance Exam is considered to be one of the toughest design entrance exam conducted in the country. 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 NID exam.

For preparing the final results for the  B. Des program, the DAT Prelims will be allocated 40% weightage, while DAT Mains will be given 60%.

During the DAT Mains, which comprises a Studio Test, the candidate is tested hands-on and have to show their drawing abilities, creativity, innovativeness, and material-handling ability.

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.

If you intend to get a good rank in NID DAT, you must be able to sketch quickly without compromising on the sketch quality. This means you must be able to able to conceive the idea as you sketch. Remember, when you are in the exam hall, time seems to just fly. So, it is vital that you are able to sketch uninhibited and fast, and with confidence. To improve your drawing skills, you can start by drawing tiny thumbnails first, then switching to the light hand and finishing with dry colours. You can use pencils, crayons, or even a pen to make the sketches.

The participating institutes of NID DAT 2025 offers B. Des and M.Des courses. The B. Des programme is available at five participating NIDs and has an intake capacity of 425 seats. Meanwhile, the M.Des programme is three NIDs and has a combined intake of 347 seats.

Admission to both B. Des and M.Des courses will be through the NID DAT 2025 entrance exam. The seat allotment to the above courses wlll be based on respective merit lists which will be prepared considering weighted scores of DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

The NID DAT translates to the National Institute of Design - Design Aptitude Test. The Design Aptitude Test has two parts - DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. The candidate has to first appear in DAT Prelims. If shortlisted, the candidate has to appear in DAT Mains.

Note that NID DAT scores are accepted for admission to the B.Des and M.Des programs offered by participating colleges. This means, the NIDs will not accept scores of no other entrance exams for admission purposes.

The DAT Prelims exam is typically conducted in January.

The NID DAT 2025 application form will open sometime in October 2024.

To fill the form, the candidate has to follow these steps:

1. Get registered - The candidate had to get registered using their email id and mobile number.
2. Log-in and fill the form - Next fill in all the necessary sections in the form - academic, personal, and contact details. Also, select an exam centre of your choice.
3. Upload documents - Follow the specified format and specification when uploading documents like photograph and signature.
4. Pay the exam fee to complete the application process. The NID DAT 2025 fee is Rs. 3000 for open, and Rs. 1500 for reserved-category candidates. Note that the late fees is 50% more than the NID 2025 application fee.

Yes, under unforeseen circumstances, the National Institute of Design reserves the right to change  the nature and structure of the NID exam. This means, the all tests can be conducted in online or offline or a combination of online and offline depending on how the National Institute of Design deems it fit.

So, the candidate is urged to keep looking up this space for all the latest on the NID 2025 exam.

Yes, if you belong to any reserve category, then it is necessary to upload the required category Certificate. The documents have to be uploaded at the time of filling out the NID that application form. Note that candidates trying to use counterfeit document may be disqualified at any stage of the admission process if caught. The NID DAT 2025 counseling will also have a document verification process. The counseling process for the B. Des programme will commence soon after results are declared.

The application edit window for NID DAT 2025 will be open from December 4-9, 2024.

Using the application edit window, the candidate will be able to edit details like their address, applied category, exam centre, etc.

However, the candidate can't change the Programme Applied in, Name of the Candidate, Date of Birth, Registered Mobile Number, and Registered Email ID.

Also, if the candidate changes their applied category, the applicable application fees have to be paid by the candidate. Further, no refund of fees will be made in case of any category change. 

Yes, institutes like NIDA, NIDAP, and others will conduct a mandatory foundation program. However, note that the duration of the foundation course may vary from one NID to another.

The candidate is urged to carefully go through the admission brochure to learn the full details on the foundation program.

If you have passed senior secondary exam from National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) with minimum five subjects, then you are eligible for NID DAT 2024. The National Institute of Design recognizes boards like CBSE, IB, ICSE, or equivalent.

The candidate must make sure that they meet the eligibility criteria before filling out the NID DAT 2025 application form.

Note that all details entered by the candidate in the application form will be checked at the time of counseling. If there is any discrepancy, the candidate may be disqualified.

As per the prescribed eligibility criteria, open category candidates seeking admission to the B.Des programme must be born on or after July 1, 2005. So, you are not eligible for admission.

Note that even General-EWS categories have the same criteria as general or open category. 

However, in case of SC, ST, and OBC-NCL candidates, there is a relaxation of 5-years in the upper age limit. Further, PwD candidates are eligible for 5-year exemption.

Diploma candidates need to meet the following conditions for admission:

• Done full-time Diploma of 4-year duration after 10+2
• Diploma in the following subjects is accepted - Design/ Fine Arts/ Applied Arts/ Architecture.
• The Diploma must be done from a university or institute recognised by law in India.

Additionally, the candidate must have appeared in all the subjects and backlogs (if any) by June 30, 2025. 

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.

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.

Along with following the official NID DAT 2025 exam pattern and syllabus, do these tasks to prepare for NID DAT 2024 exam:

Solve sample papers - You can starting solving sample papers very early on in your preparation, for instnce after completing a chapter.

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.

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.

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.

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.   

The NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT) is a two-step entrance exam. The candidate first appears in DAT Prelims. If shortlisted, the candidate has to next appear in DAT Mains.

Here are some suggested study material for NID DAT 2025.

Quantitative Aptitude - Physics and Maths syllabus up to Class 10.  

Logical Reasoning - Step-by-Step Verbal Reasoning by Philip Kay, How to Pass Diagrammatic Reasoning Test by Mike Bryon.  

GK and Current Affairs - Read newspapers daily for current affairs. For static GK, read any good GK book for NID.

English - The Ultimate Guide for NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam by Arihant

Candidates may note that the National Institute of Design (NID) doesn’t release any syllabus for either DAT Prelims or DAT Mains.

However, the institute will release the sample test papers for the NID DAT 2025 exam. The sample papers contain the questions similar to the ones that will be asked in the actual exam. 

So, the candidate may download and practice the sample papers to get an idea about the difficulty level, types of questions asked, marking scheme, weightage, and topics covered.

Additional, the candidate may download the section-wise topics for the DAT Prelims and DAT Mains exam that have been prepared by consulting previous years’ question papers.

NID DAT Prelims is the 1st step of the two-step NID admissions process. DAT Prelims comprises a written exam that candidates need to clear in order to be eligible for DAT Mains. The National Institute of Design will conduct DAT Prelims exam around December 2024. The DAT Mains for the B. Des programme will include a Studio Test, whereas the DAT Mains for the M.Des programme will comprise a Studio Test and Interview. The Studio Test and Interiew for the M.Des programme will be conducted in March 2025. The DAT Mains for the B.Des programme will be conducted in April 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 NID DAT 2025 Mains exam for B. Des will comprise a Studio Test. The Studio Test will be conducted in offline mode. The candidate will be given the option to select test centre before the test. Test centres will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. DAT Mains exam for the B. Des programme will be conducted in April 2025. Meanwhile, DAT Mains for the M.Des programme will comprise a Studio Test and an Online Interview. The Studio Test will be conducted on offline mode, while the Personal Interview will be conducted online.

NID Entrance Exam consists of two admissions tests: NID DAT Prelims and NID DAT Mains. NID DAT Prelims is a written entrance exam, while NID DAT Mains comprises a studio test and interview round. In NID DAT Prelims, candidates are asked both objective and subjective-type questions. Candidates who qualify in the NID DAT 2025 exam will be considered for admission to the M.Des and B. Des courses offered by participating colleges. The that Prelims exam for the B. Des programme will include questions from topics like color terminology, principles of composition, and form and function.

The admission to the NIDs is conducted through a Design Aptitude Test (DAT). The DAT is a two-stage exam.

The candidate has to first appear in DAT Prelims and then, if shortlisted, have to appear in DAT Mains. The final merit list for admission will be prepared by giving weightage to both DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

If a candidate appear in DAT Prelims, but doesn’t appear in DAT Mains, he or she will not be considered for admission. 

Indian nationals who belong to the General and General EWS categories need to be born on or after 1 July 2003 to apply for NID that 2024. In the case of candidates belonging to the OBC-NCL, SC, and ST categories, candidates born on or after 1 July 2000 may apply. Meanwhile, PwD candidates who are born on or after 1 July 1998 may apply for admission. The candidate needs to ensure that meets the age criteria before filling out the application form. It is because every detail entered by the candidate will be cross checked at the time of counselling, during the document verification process. Any candidate found to be faking their eligibility stands to be disqualified.

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.

As per the prescribed eligibility criteria, open category candidates seeking admission to the B.Des programme must be born on or after July 1, 2005. So, you are not eligible for admission.

Note that even General-EWS categories have the same criteria as general or open category. 

However, in case of SC, ST, and OBC-NCL candidates, there is a relaxation of 5-years in the upper age limit. Further, PwD candidates are eligible for 5-year exemption.

The NID DAT exam is conducted for admission to the B.Des and M.Des courses. The B.Des course is currently offered at five campuses - NID Ahmedabad, NID AP, NID Haryana, NID MP, and NID Asaam. The combined intake for the B.Des is 425 seats. Meanwhile, the M.Des programme is offered at following three campuses - NID Ahmedabad, NID Gandhinagar, and NID Bengaluru. The M.Des programme currently has 347 seats.

The candidate will not be allowed to enter the exam venue without a printout of the NID DAT 2025 admit card; note that digital copies of the admit card will not be accepted.

So, on the day of the exam, you will need both: 1) printout of the admit card and 2) original photo ID proof.

Note that photocopies or digital copies of the photo ID proof will not be accepted.

The admit card will contain exam-day guidelines; carefully go through these guidelines to ensure that your exam-day is smooth and unstressful.

To apply under the overseas category, the candidate needs to be holding citizenship of a country other than the Republic of India. However, such candidates will have to meet the eligibility criteria prescribed for admission.

The candidate will be able to check the eligibility criteria in the respective admission handbooks for the B.Des and M.Des courses.

As per information given in the NID admission handbooks, overseas candidates cannot apply for admission to GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, and ST seats. Such candidates can't also apply for age-relaxation, scribe, etc.

Also, the fee structure for overseas category is different. 

Candidates seeking admission under overseas category will need the following documents:

• Self-attested copies of the relevant pages of their passports.
• Self-attested copies of their grade sheets/ marksheets of SSC (Grade X) and HSC (Grade XII)
• Candidates in the process of completing their Grade XII need to submit a bonafide certificate from their school.
• An eqivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

Seats that are left vacant/ unfilled in overseas (supernumerary) category will lapse. This means such seats will not be transferred to other categories. 

Candidates applying under overseas category are advised to go through the detailed admission process and eligibility criteria before applying.

Candidates who are yet to appear for Class 12 exam in 2025 must have passed the exam in the first attempt. If the candidate has any backlog/ compartment/ supplementary or have not cleared the Class 12 exam, the candidate will not be considered for admission.

Also, any fee paid by the candidate will be forfeited.

When filling out the form, the candidate needs to upload the relevant caste/ tribe certificate (in English/ Hindi).

The certificate should be :

• Issued in the name of the candidate.
• Should clearly mention the caste/ tribe the candidate belongs to
• Be issued by a competent authority  

The NID DAT entrance exam is conducted once every year.

The exam has two sub-exams - DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. Candidates are shortlisted for DAT Mains based on their scores in DAT Prelims.

The DAT Prelims exam is conducted around December/ January.  The DAT Prelims exam for the current session will be conducted around the 4th week of December 2024.

The scores of NID DAT 2025 will be considered for admission to the B.Des and M.Des courses offered by participating NIDs. 

The provisional offer letters for the NID DAT 2025 counseling will be issued separately for the B.Des and M.Des courses. 

The offer letters for the 1st round of counseling for B.Des will be released around the 2nd week of June 2025.

To download the offer letter, follow these steps:

1. Go to the NID admission portal

2. Click on the Provisional Offer Letter link

3. A log-in window will open

4. Enter your log-in credentials

5. On successful log-in, you can download the Offer Letter.

The candidate need to produce the offer letter at the time of admission.

Yes, all B.Des candidates who were shortlisted for NID DAT 2024 counseling had to summit their campus preferences. The window to submit campus preferences was open from May 21 (4 pm) to May 23 (4 pm). 

The preferences had to be entered in the order of priority. 

Note that the allotment of seats to the B.Des programme will be based on the campus option selected and merit rank of the candidate in NID DAT 2024. So, one must bear caution when entering their preferences.

Yes, the National Institute of Design (NID) will conduct physical document verification for candidates who have been selected for admission.

The document verification process for the M.Des programme will be conduted in June 2025. The schedule for the B.Des programme hasn’t been announced yet. It will be announced later by the respective NIDs.

Venue for the verification process - The NIDs will conduct the verification at their respective campuses.

The cut-off for NID DAT 2025 will be prepared based on multiple factors like the total number of applications, the seat intake for the applied programme, the category under which admission is sought, and merit rank of the applicant in NID DAT 2025. Note that each of these factors are variables. For instance, the number of applications may vary from one category to another. Consequently, the cut-off would also vary. The cut-off represents the minimum marks a candidate needs to secure in his or her category to get admission to the B. Des or M.Des programme.

The minimum qualifying criteria for NID 2025 is the minimum marks the candidate needs to secure for admission. The category-wise cut-off would be released at the time of counseling and seat allotment. The cut-off would be prepared by considering factors like the total number of applicants, the merit ranks of applicants in NID DAT 2025, seat intake for the applied programme, etc. Note that if the seat allotment for NID that is conducted in multiple rounds, then a separate cut-off would be prepared for each round. And candidates who meet the cut-off criteria for that round will get admission.

The National Institute of Design (NID) will release the NID DAT 2025 admission cut-off for the M.Des programme at the time of seat allotment, around May 2025. The cut-off will be released as rank and score of the last candidate admitted to the M.Des program. 

The NID DAT 2025 cut-off for the B.Des programme will be released separately, around June 2025. 

The cut-off will be released by considering factors like the number of applicants, seat intake, and category. Candidates who meet the cut-off for their category in their chosen programme will get admission.

Yes, if there are unfilled seats in OBC-NCL, such seats will be de-reserved. Meaning, such seats will be transferred to the open category. Allotment of de-served seats  will be same as open category.

The allotment will be based on NID DAT 2025 merit rank.

Yes, the National Institute of Design has reserved seats for OBC, SC, ST, PwD and EWS categories. For the OBC-NCL category, the combined intake capacity is 114 seats. Candidates who belong to the OBC-NCL category need to select their admission category at the time of filling out the NID that application form. Note that only genuine candidate needs to apply under the category, because every information furnished by the candidate will be checked at the time of NID counseling. Also, the candidate will have to furnish the relevant category Certificate to be considered for admission under that category. During seat allotment, OBC-NCL candidates will also be considered for admission under the general category.

The minimum qualifying criteria for NID 2025 is the minimum marks the candidate needs to secure for admission. The category-wise cut-off would be released at the time of counseling and seat allotment. The cut-off would be prepared by considering factors like the total number of applicants, the merit ranks of applicants in NID DAT 2025, seat intake for the applied programme, etc. Note that if the seat allotment for NID that is conducted in multiple rounds, then a separate cut-off would be prepared for each round. And candidates who meet the cut-off criteria for that round will get admission.

No, unfilled seats in SC/ ST category will not be de-reserved. Meaning, such seats will not be transferred to the open category. The same applies to GEN-EWS category seats. 

So, even if there are vacant seats left in SC, ST, and GEN-EWS category, such seats will lapse. 

The seat intake for the B. Des course through NID Entrance Exam is 425. For M.Des course, 347 seats are available for admission at NID campuses. Apart from this number, some seats are also reserved for overseas (supernumerary) candidates. Admission to the B. Des programme at the NIDs will be on the basis of NID that 2023 merit rank and college option opted by the candidate. Meanwhile, M.Des candidates aren't required to select colleges.

The final results of NID DAT 2025 will be prepared by considering the weighated score of the candidate in DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. Note that only such candidates who have qualified in DAT Prelims will be allowed to appear in DAT Mains. The National Institute of Design announces the weightage for the DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

As per the official notification, the DAT Prelims will carry 40% and DAT Mains will carr 60% weightage for the B. Des programme. In case of M.Des programme, DAT Prelims carries 30% weightage, while DAT Mains carries 70% weightage.

DAT Prelims results for the M.Des program will be announced on February 17, 2025. Meanwhile, results for the B. Des programme will be declared on April 1, 2025. The direct link to check DAT Prelims results will be given on this page.

To check your results, you have to log in by entering your email id and date of birth. Note that results of DAT Prelims will be used to shortlist candidates for DAT Mains.

The National Institute of Desgin (NID) will conduct the NID DAT 2025 (Prelims) exam on January 5, 2024.

The application fee once paid will not be refunded. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that the information entered in the application form are correct and verifiable. If at any stage, NID deems the information provided to be incorrect, the candidate can be disqualified. 

Also, the candidate must refrain from trying to directly or indirectly influence the management and employees of NID.

The results of the DAT Prelims will include the qualifying status of the candidate. If the candidate fails to qualify DAT Prelims, he or she will not be eligible to appear in DAT Mains.

Note that the Desing Aptitude Test (DAT) conducted by the National Institute of Design (NID) has two sub-exams: DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

Both the exams are mandatory.

Also, the final merit list is prepared by giving weighatage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. So, if a can candidate fails to qualify DAT Prelims or doesn’t appear in DAT Mains, the candidate will be disqualified from the admission process.

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.   

The GATE closing time for both the B.Des and M.Des courses is 9.30 am (30 minutes before the commencement of the exam), after which no candidate will be allowed inside the exam centre. 

So, make sure that you reach the exam centre at 8 am (the official reporting time).

Note that you may have to go through security checks and registration. If you are late, then you may face a lot of trouble, which is not a good thing to experience on exam day.

The NIDs offer a full-time B.Des programme of 4-year duration, and a full-time M.Des programme of two-and-half years duration. 

The institute, in addition, also offers a PhD program. The programme can be pursed full-time or part-time. 

Admission to the design courses at the NID is conducted through a Design Aptitude Test (DAT). The exam comprise DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

The final result or merit list is prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

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.

The NID DAT 2025 exam will be conducted in an OMR-based (offline mode). Note that exam officials will not provide any stationery inside the exam hall. 

So, you need to bring the following items with you: A blue/black ball-point pen (for filling the OMR sheet), scissor, glue stick, lead pencil (of varying grades), colors (such as oil pastels/color pencils/sketch pens, etc.) eraser, sharpeners, ruler etc. for the purpose of examination.

If any of you are wondering, exam offials will also not arrange for refreshments for the candidates. 

Check here the detailed NID DAT Prelims exam day guidelines.

The National Institute of Design will release the admit cards for the DAT Mains for the B. Des program tentatively in the 2nd week of April 2025.

The admit cards will be released online at the admission portal of NID.

To download the admit card, you need to login by using your email id and date of birth.

On the day of the DAT Mains exam, you need to bring the admit card and a valid photo id proof. The DAT Mains exam for the B. Des program will be conducted around the last week of April 2025.

Meanwhile, admit cards for the M.Des program will be released tentatively in the 4th week of February 2025. The DAT Mains exam for the M.Des program will be conducted starting March 2025. 

The NID DAT exam analysis will cover the following points:

• Sectional difficulty - The difficulty level will be evaluated on a scale of easy, moderate, and difficult.
• Overall difficulty - The overall difficulty will be calculated by considering the sectional difficulty. The previous years difficulty level will also taken into context.
• The weightage of questions - The part of the analysis will examine the distribution of questions (or weightage) across various topics.
• Good attempts - This will be an indication of how many questions you need to attempt to be in contention for a seat.
• Expected cut-off - The candidate needs to meet the cut-off criteria to get admission.