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NID DAT Exam Analysis 2025: The exam analysis for the NID DAT 2025 exam will updated here after the conclusion of the DAT Prelims exam.
Our representatives will visit the NID DAT 2025 exam center and will bring you the DAT Prelims exam analysis. The NID DAT 2025 exam analysis will provide insight into NID DAT 2025 question paper, including the section-wise and overall difficulty level, weightage, good attempts, and expected cutoff.
Also, the exam analysis will bring you live updates on the activities at the exam center, including security check-in and arrangements, and the actual conduct of the entrance exam.
In the previous edition of the exam, candidates expressed that the difficulty level of the M.Des exam was moderate, even though the paper was a bit lengthy.
Meanwhile, the difficulty level of the B.Des exam was easy to moderate; again, some students found the paper to be a bit lengthy.
Also, test takers believed that it was not necessary to take up coaching to do well in the NID DAT entrance exam.
The NID DAT 2025 (Prelims) exam will be conducted on January 5, 2025.
Q: When will the NID DAT exam analysis be released?
The exam analysis for NID DAT 2025 exam will be released soon after the exam is over.
Note that the NID DAT Prelims 2025 exam will be conducted tentatively in December 2024.
The exam analysis will be available immediately after the exam. Shiksha. Com sends their own representatives to cover the exam, who interacts with exam takers and gather inputs. The exam analysis will cover all the details of the exam, including the types of questions asked, sectional and overall difficulty level, topics covered, what questions were asked, etc. The analysis will also check whether there were any technical issues during the exam. The candidate will also be asked whether there were any questions asked that was outside the official syllabus.
Upvote 
Q: What is the difficulty level of NID DAT?
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.
Upvote Q: What is the eligibility criteria for NIFT 2025?
The eligibility criteria may differ depending on the course opted by the candidate. For instance, candidates seeking admission to the B. Des course needs to have passed 10+2 exam from a recognised institute and should be less than 24 years as of August 1, 2025. Relaxation of 5 years in the upper age limit applies for candidates belonging to SC, ST and PwD candidates.
Upvote NID DAT 2024 Exam Analysis
The DAT Prelims exam analysis for the B.Des and M.Des programs is given below.
DAT Prelims 2024 (B.Des) Exam Analysis
Shivani said that her overall experience was ok. She said that she was happy with the paper and gave her best. The MCQ part was easy. There was a question about people living in the mountains, designer models, etc. She was not clear on the expected cut-off.
Dhruv said that his overall experience was ok. The exam was easy but lengthy. The creative part was lengthy. He said that as the paper was easy, the cut-off could be high.
Tanishq said that the overall experience was great and that all the sections were quite easy. He said the question was about product design. He also said that as the checking is strict he can't say anything about the expected cut-off.
One more student said that as compared to last year, the question paper wasn't that lengthy. Both the GAT and drawing were not lengthy, the GAT was simple though. There were multiple questions on visual interpretation, statement questions, different forms of artwork, and material knowledge. The expected cut-off can go higher as last year it was 50.
Dhruvika said that the overall experience was ok. The question paper was not very lengthy. Students had the freedom to get creative while answering the question. The expected cut-off can be average as the paper was moderate.
DAT Prelims 2024 (M.Des) Exam Analysis
As per the NID DAT analysis received from students who appeared in the exam, the NID DAT question paper had a few surprising elements, just like in previous years. Overall many students found questions to be easy, as questions were easily understandable. However, the paper was lengthy. The difficulty level was above average and the expected cut-off can be around 40-45 in "Product". Part A was 15 minutes and part B was 135 minutes including 9 questions.
Students also said that self-preparation is sufficient for NID.
Prasasthi, who appeared for "Textile" said that the overall difficulty level of the exam was 8 out of 10. The first paper had questions from General Knowledge and Reasoning. There were questions on Sustainable Development and the G20 summit. In the subjective paper, one question was on posture drawing on slow fashion, conscious buying, etc. She suggested that if any individual is from a design background, they can skip taking any coaching classes, although if they are not from a design background, they might have to take the classes. She also suggested reading a lot of GK and staying updated with current affairs.
Nidhi who appeared for NID Masters said that the overall difficulty level was easy-to-moderate. She said that the cut-off will be high around 70-80 out of 100. Both the papers were moderate level. The questions were on northern pole start branding and log design. Most of the questions were on weaving. In Paper 2, questions were on features on mobile phones, and posture drawing in a rural background set-up.
Check the paper codes for the DAT Prelim exam.
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NID DAT 2023 (Prelims) Exam Analysis
The exam analysis for the NID DAT 2024 (Prelims) exam is given below.
- Part A had many GK questions
- 1 question was on perspective drawing, 1 question on storyboard, and 1 on problem-solving
- The paper was lengthy, according to one student
- Compared to previous editions, many students this year’s paper to be easier
- A projection-based question on cubes was asked
- Cut-off as per some students could go up to around 90
Q: Is the NID DAT exam very difficult to crack?
Upvote Q: When will the application forms for NID 2025 be released?
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.
Upvote Q: When will the NID DAT 2025 Prelims exam be conducted?
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.
Upvote Summary Analysis of NID DAT 2024 exam
NID DAT 2024 (B.Des) - Summary Analysis
| Paper |
Total marks |
Difficulty Level |
Topics and questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I - GAT Included Aptitude-based questions |
25 |
Easy to moderate |
Questions were asked from GK, G20 summit, Reasoning, and Sustainable Development |
| Paper I - GAT Included Drawing-based questions |
75 |
Moderate |
Questions related to slow fashion, conscious buying, and posture drawing were asked. |
| Total/ Overall |
100 |
Easy to moderate | - |
Watch DAT Prelims (B.Des) Student Reaction
NID DAT 2023 - Sectional and Overall difficulty level
The sectional and overall difficulty level of the NID DAT 2023 exam is given in the table below.
| Part |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|
| Part I |
Easy |
| Part II |
Moderate |
| Overall |
Easy |
Q: What aspects will be covered by NID DAT exam analysis?
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.
Upvote Q: What was the difficulty level of NID DAT 2023 (Prelims)?
Upvote NID DAT Exam 2024 - Overview
| Particulars |
Details |
|---|---|
| Name of the exam |
National Institute of Design - Design Aptitude Test |
| Commonly Known As |
NID DAT |
| Conducting Body |
National Institute of Design |
| Level of the Exam |
National Level |
| Exam Type |
Undergraduate and Postgraduate |
| Number of Seats |
B.Des - 425 M.Des - 347 |
| Admission process |
The NID DAT entrance exam is a two-step process>
The final merit list for admission is prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. |
Q: Is it possible to crack NID DAT 2024 without coaching?
It is not mandatory to take coaching to get a good rank in NID DAT 2024. 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.
Upvote Q: How much time is needed to prepare for the NID DAT exam?
A candidate would ideally need around 6 months or so to prepare the NID DAT 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.
Upvote NID DAT Exam Analysis
The exam analysis for the NID DAT 2024 will be updated here soon after the exam is over.
In the meantime, go through the previous years' NID DAT exam analysis below.
NID DAT Exam Analysis 2023
The NID DAT 2023 exam was conducted in two phases. DAT Prelims was held on January 8, 2023.
The detailed exam analysis for DAT Prelims is updated here.
The NID DAT 2023 exam analysis covers the following points:
- Sectional difficulty - The difficulty level will be evaluated on a scale of easy, moderate, and difficult.
- Overall difficulty - Typically, if the overall difficulty level is higher, the cutoff tends to be lower and vice versa.
- The weightage of questions - This 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
NID DAT Exam Analysis 2022
Experts and test takers have opined that the overall difficulty level of the NID DAT 2022 exam was moderately difficult.
Students considered the English section to be easy, though there were a few tricky questions involving pictorial and diagram sections.
The GK section was rated easy to moderate.
The B.Des question paper included a total of 26 questions. The duration of the exam was 3 hours. Meanwhile, the M.Des question paper was 4.5 hours long and included 100 questions.
Both objective and subjective questions were asked.
Subjects of questions asked:
- There was one question related to COVID-19
- Another question was asked on the Padma Shree Awards.
NID DAT Exam Analysis 2021
As per NID DAT 2021 exam analysis, the difficulty level of the question paper for the BDes course was easy to moderate. There was a slight change in the NID exam pattern this year with respect to the marking distribution. The objective section of the exam carried 40 marks and the creative ability section was for 60 marks. Last year, the objective section of the exam carried 30 marks while the creative ability section was for 70 marks.
NID Exam Analysis 2021: Questions Asked in Objective Section
In the Objective section, a majority of questions were asked on subjects such as Logical Reasoning, English, General Knowledge, and Current Affairs. Some of the important topics from questions that were asked in the section include:
- GK and Current Affairs: Art, Music, History, COVID-19
- English: Reading passages, Vocabulary
NID Exam Analysis 2021: Questions asked in Drawing/Subjective Section
In the Drawing part, six questions were asked on topics such as perspective drawing, poster making, comic strips, story writing, and compositions. Some of the questions that were asked in the Drawing part of the exam include:
- Create three images/frames to depict a story
- Draw a poster on school bullying
- Make comic characters for TikTok in six parts
- Draw a poster by showcasing steps on how to make tea
- Depict a scenario that your younger sibling is disturbing/distracting you while you are studying online
Check complete NID Entrance Exam Analysis 2021 by Students
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NID DAT Exam Analysis 2020
NID DAT Prelims 2020 was held on December 29 from 10 am to 1 pm. Unlike previous years' papers, NID DAT Prelims 2020 had no surprises for students. Part I of NID DAT 2020 comprising of general aptitude questions was of 30 marks weightage whereas Part II with drawing/ creative aptitude questions was of 70 marks. NID paper pattern was such that the aptitude questions were mostly from logical reasoning and GK/ current affairs. On the other hand, in the creative aptitude section besides drawing and sense of detailing, candidates were tested on their aptitude, perspective, creative thinking, storyboarding, and 2D graphic understanding.
Questions asked in the Creative Aptitude Section of NID DAT 2020 for BDes admissions are listed below:
| NID DAT Prelims 2020 Questions | Weightage |
|---|---|
| A figure representing a surface development of a cube was given and each face had an organic graphic pattern on it, the cube had to be drawn in 3D with the corresponding graphic on each face of the cube and the graphic had to be in the correct orientation as given in the figure. | 5 Marks |
| A scene of a kitchen was given and the vanishing point was defined and was mentioned as that of a small child, the view of the kitchen had to be redrawn with respect to the vanishing point defined. | 12 Marks |
| A scene was described as follows - A person was looking at a jamun tree and it made him wonder, why don’t pumpkins grow on trees and jamuns on the ground ? at that moment some jamun fruit fell on his head and then he thought that if it was pumpkin, he could have been seriously injured - this had to be illustrated in 3 scenes. | 12 Marks |
| Draw 5 different humours uses for a light bulb. | 15 Marks |
| If trees evolved a self defence mechanism to prevent themselves from being cut, Imagine and Illustrate 3 such defense mechanisms by these trees. | 15 Marks |
| A part of a quote by Rabindranath Tagore was given “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high, where knowledge is free” - A poster had to be created with the above quote in mind. | 10 Marks |
Aspirants can view NID DAT exam analysis for BDes and MDes course admissions by clicking the links mentioned below:
NID DAT Exam Analysis 2019
In a sudden departure from its expected pattern, NID entrance exam had a 30 mark general aptitude section which had 22 questions based on verbal and non-verbal reasoning and general awareness with a sprinkle of quantitative. Aspirants can view NID DAT exam analysis for BDes and MDes course admissions by clicking the links mentioned below:
- NID Entrance Exam 2019 Analysis by Experts for MDes Course
- NID Entrance Exam Analysis 2019 by Experts for BDes Course
- NID DAT 2019 Paper Analysis
NID DAT Exam Analysis 2018
For the 2018 NID DAT (Prelims) BDes exam paper, the overall structure in terms of marks did not change from the last year, It had objective type questions (MCQs) for 70 marks and subjective type (drawing) questions for 30 marks totalling to a 100 marks. Overall, the objective section seemed to be more straightforward except for a few questions compared to the subjective section. It demanded a combination of creative thinking and problem solving abilities.
NID DAT Prelims 2018 exam paper for MDes was divided into two halves- objective and subjective. The objective section had 59 questions in total. These were further divided into different sections with marks per question ranging from 0.5 to 3. The subjective part had three questions which tested the creativity and the sketching abilities of students. The overall distribution of marks remained the same- 70 for objective and 30 for drawing totalling to 100 marks.
Overall, it was a mix of emotions with the paper weighing between moderately okay to difficult. On a comparative note, the subjective section seemed to be a little easier compared to the objective part and the 2018 edition of the DAT prelims seemed to be a little difficult for the students as compared to the 2017 edition. Read detailed exam analysis for NID DAT Prelims 2018 here.
NID Exam Analysis 2016
The exam pattern of NID DAT 2016 was a little different from previous years. However, this was in line with information shared by exam authorities. Till 2015, most of the questions were subjective questions that required aspirants to provide design solutions. However, in NID DAT 2016 only three subjective questions were asked.
The questions asked in Section B of NID Entrance Exam required aspirants to really think through and were very time-consuming. It was because of this reason that many students were not able to complete their exa, paper on time. Before candidates could attempt the subjective questions they had to solve a a total of 87 objective type questions which contained questions from topics like probability, logical reasoning, analytical reasoning and general awareness. Read detailed NID entrance exam analysis 2016 by experts here.
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NID DAT 2024 Exam Analysis - FAQs
Go through the frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to the NID DAT 2023 exam analysis below.
Q: What is NID DAT Prelims exam pattern?
Upvote Q: How many seats are there for NID admissions?
Total seats offered in B. Des courses at all the NID campuses is 425 seats. For M.Des course, NID seats on offer for admission are 347. The B. Des programme is offered at five institutes - NID Ahmedabad, NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Haryana, NID Madhya Pradesh, and NID Assam. The various faculty members under which the programme is available include Faculty of Communication Design, Faculty of Industrial Design, and Faculty of Textile, Apparel, Lifestyle, and Accessory Design. Meanwhile, the M.Des course is available at NID Ahmedabad, NID Bengaluru, and NID Gandhinagar. Admission to both the B. Des and M.Des courses will be through the NID DAT entrance exam.
Upvote Q: What is the cutoff for NID admissions?
Upvote Q: Can I ask for recheck of DAT Prelims result?
Upvote Q: Who sets NID DAT question paper?
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 months ago
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 c
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
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.
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
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.
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
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
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
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 b
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
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.
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
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
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
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.
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
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 respecti
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
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 progra
M
Contributor-Level 10
28 Institutes accepting NID Entrance Exam
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Will NID DAT application fee be refunded if application is found to be ineligible?