NID DAT Preparation 2025: Subject-wise Books, Tips to learn Drawing & Improve Creativity and Aptitude

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.

While there is no official syllabus for the NID DAT exam, we have listed the important topics that candidates need to prepare for the design entrance exam.

The syllabus or section-wise topics have been prepared by consulting previous years’ NID DAT question papers. The candidate will be able to download the NID DAT syllabus here for free and use it for exam preparation.

The syllabus is available for both the DAT Prelims and DAT Mains exams. 

It is important that the candidate refers to the syllabus when preparing for the exam. Also, don’t forget to consult the sample test papers available on the NID admission portal - admissions.nid.edu - about the nature and the question paper structure.

Candidates who qualify in the NID DAT 2025 exam has to next appear in the DAT Mains, which is the 2nd stage of the two-stage NID admission process.

The DAT Mains exam will include tasks like Model Making, Audio-Visual Exercises, Evolving ideas, Material Manipulation, Importance of body language, Creative thinking, and Doodling. The Studio Test is hands-on test that will be conducted in offline mode. During the Studio Test, the material handling of the candidate will be tested, as well how creative and innovative the candidate is, and whether he or she could come up with impromptu solutions.

To prepare for the Studio Test, the candidate must develop their sketching skills, including line drawing, shadow drawing, etc. They also need to practice other stuff mentioned in the syllabus, including doodling, and try to improve their creativity.

The National Institute of Design has uploaded the NID DAT sample on its official admission portal. To download a sample papers. Click on the sample paper link, no log in is required. The sample papers for NID DAT can be download in pdf format. The intent of these sample papers is to help the candidate get insights into the pattern and structure of the exam. By solving the sample papers, the candidate will get insights into the difficulty level of the exam, the types of questions asked, topics from which questions are asked, etc. Additionally, if the candidate solves enough sample papers, it will help him or her to develop problem solving and time management skills. So, all candidates must practice the NID DAT sample paper to gain confidence and get rid of exam fear.

There is no negative marking in NID DAT 2025 exam. The candidate is recommended to go through the detailed exam pattern to get insights into the question paper structure, including types of questions asked, sections, etc. The DAT Prelims exam for the B. Des programme has two parts. Part I will include 22 objective-type questions, whereas Part II will include 4 subjective-type questions. Objective-type questions carry 1-2 marks, while subjective-type questions carry 15-20 marks. The total marks for the NID DAT Prelims will be 100 marks.

The reporting time for NID DAT 2025 will be mentioned in the admit card, along with gate closing time, and exam timings and date.

The candidate needs to report for the DAT Prelims exam at 8 am. The gates of the exam center will close at 9,30 am (or 30 minutes before the commencement of the exam). After that no candidate will be allowed inside the exam hall.

The DAT Prelims exam for the B.Des and M.Des courses will be conducted tentatively in the 4th week of December 2024.

Exam timings:

• B.Des - 10 am - 1 pm
• M.Des - 10 am - 12.30 pm

The reporting and exam commencement time for NID DAT 2025 will be mentioned in the admit card. The candidate must arrive at the exam centre as per the reporting time.

If the candidate is late, there is chance that he or she will not be allowed entry inside the exam center.

So, the candidate must start a bit early on exam day, taking into account the traffic situation. Note that exam officials will conduct registration formalities and frisking, etc. befor allowing the candidate inside the exam centre.

The National Institute of Design (NID) may not make any arrangements for a baggage counter. So, the candidate must bear this in mind when packing for the DAT Prelims exam.

It is recommend that the candidate only packs the bare essentials, and don’t bring unnecessary stuff to the exam centre.

Also, expensive items like smartphones, jewellery, gadgets, etc. should be better left at home.

The other thing is to dress up in a comfortable attire. 

While there is no official notice binding the candidate to dress up in a particular way, it is recommended to dress comfortably and sensibly. For instance, don't wear something too tight or too loose.

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 Personal Interview is an component of the NID admission process as it carries around 30 percentage weightage. Candidates who are shortlisted for that Mains has to appear in the Personal Interview along with the Studio Test. Here are some of the important tips to prepare for the interview. Read up on the Fashion Industry don't given one liner answers. You can elaborate a bit without being verbose. The first impression does make a difference, so take note. Don't try to mislead and waste time of the interviewer. This way you have more to lose than gain. If you have made a list of commonly asked questions and prepared for them, you might be at an advantage. Improve your communication skills. Get creative Measure your words carefully. Carry a positive body language.

Candidates who get shortlisted based on their DAT Prelims scores for the M.Des programme has to next appear in DAT Mains, which comprises a Studio Test and Interview. The Personal Interview is conducted after the Studio Test and carries a weightage of 30%. The interview will be conducted by a panel, which may include experts from industries/academics. The purpose of the interview is to assess the general awareness, extracurricular activities, academics, and the field of interest of the candidate. It is mandatory for candidates to appear in the Personal Interview or else the candidate will not be included in the final merit list.

The National Institute of Design (NID) has released the schedule for NID DAT 2024 (Mains).