NID DAT Topper Amit Kumar shares prep tips for NID DAT Prelims

NID Topper, Amit Kumar, shares his prep strategy through which he was able to crack NID Entrance Exam and secure admission in New Media Design course offered at National Institute of Design (NID).

Belonging to a middle class family, Amit Kumar cleared NID Entrance Exam 2017 and got shortlisted for admission in New Media Design course. With a score of 60/100, Amit secured Rank 5 in NID DAT. Amit’s father is a farmer but this did not stop Amit from following his passion for design.

A graduate in BTech in Mechanical Engineering from Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur, Amit loves sketching and watching movies. He had applied for two courses in NID Entrance Exam which were – New Media Design as well as Interaction Design and he managed to crack the exam for both the courses. This was his second attempt in NID DAT exam, he was not able to qualify in the first attempt as he fell short of 1.2 marks.

Shiksha got in touch with Amit to know how he managed to score 60/100 in NID DAT (Prelims). Read on to find out Amit’s prep strategy that helped him crack NID DAT 2017.

Q. Congratulations on your success! Did you always know that you would be able to clear NID DAT (Prelims) 2017?

A: Yes, I was very confident that I would clear the exam for both courses, New Media Design and Interaction Design.

Q. Did you join any coaching centre to prepare for NID Entrance Exam 2017?

A: I do not think there is any need to take coaching for NID DAT because no coaching class can teach you to be creative. They only make money.

Q. When should one start preparing for the exam?

A: To perform well in NID DAT, only daily observations and normal preparation is sufficient. So, aspirants should start preparing as soon as they realise that they want to be a designer. This was my second attempt in NID DAT exam and my study hours were not fixed. But I ensured that I study on a regular basis.

Q. Did you refer to any important books or study material while preparing for NID Entrance Exam?

A: Look, frankly speaking no books are needed to prepare for NID DAT exam because the paper pattern of NID is such that it contains general questions and your general aptitude is tested. What you need the most in the exam is presence of mind.

But if someone really wants, then he/she can refer to a yearly magazine for current affairs related to games, art and culture.

Q. Are there any important topics to score well?

A: Some aspects on which aspirants should pay attention are basics of perspective, animation, graphic design, product design that is sufficient for drawing portions. Also, being good and fast in sketching also matters a lot and it is a key for success in NID Entrance Exam.

Q. Any preparation tips from your experience?

A: Always keep one thing in mind that NID exam is a creativity based exam and not an art competition. Average sketching is sufficient for the exam. You should always believe in yourself and if you feel that certain topics are important then make notes for such important topics.

Students should sketch as much as they can and should not leave anything for the last moment. Trust me, when the exam approaches you will not have time for the thing/topic you left for the last moment.

Q. How did you prepare for different sections of the exam?

A: For the Aptitude Section, only and only presence of mind is important. But if you want, you can refer a book by RS Aggarwal which will help you to solve Aptitude questions. For the sketching portions you need to work hard and that is the only thing that matters.

Q. When did you start revising the syllabus?

A: NID entrance exam doesn’t have any syllabus. So, depending on the study material that you have, you can fix your days for revision.

Q. How did you manage time while giving the exam?

A: I had set aside equal time for both the sections. But before starting the examination, I read the question paper thoroughly and decided how much time is enough for a particular section.

Q. What mistakes should one avoid while giving the exam in order to score well?

A: Don't get nervous during exam. If you don't know the answer of any question, then leave that question and attempt the rest. You can always come back to that question in the end after you have completed the rest of the paper.

Q. What is the most difficult part of NID DAT exam?

A: Nothing is hard but the paper is tricky. Some questions which are of higher marks need concentration during solving. I would advise students to read each and every word of the questions asked very carefully because sometimes a single word in the question can give a clue regarding how to solve the question.  

Q. Is there any section that plays the “deciding factor” for getting shortlisted in the exam?

A: Every section in NID DAT is important but obviously sketching portion and the section which has questions of two marks weightage plays the deciding factor.

Q. Any advice for NID aspirants?

A: In the last, I want to say something to all aspirant. Score well and as much as you can because your score is something that will matter everywhere. Also, you can score only when you have prepared well.

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