Know NID DAT Prep Tips from Shortlisted Candidate
National Institute of Design Entrance Exam 2025 ( NID Entrance Exam )
Result - 17 Feb '25
Fine out how NID shortlisted candidate, Prashant Sharma cracked NID DAT 2016.
Currently working as a freelance designer, Prashant Sharma scored an impressive 67/100 and cleared NID DAT 2016. Prashant has applied for Information Design and Universal Design specializations at the National Institute of Design (NID). He is a graduate of the Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad, and has earlier worked with Tata Motors.
Belonging to Jodhpur, Prashant does coding in his free time and also likes listening to music. He further shared that he did not take any formal coaching to clear NID DAT, however, he did spend considerable time acing up his skill to sketch with perfection.
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There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.Shiksha spoke to Prashant in detail on how he prepared for the NID DAT; go through the interview below and find out how one should formulate their prep strategy for the NID 2025 Entrance Exam.
Updates on NID DAT 2025 Exam
The National Institute of Design (NID) will conduct DAT Prelims on January 5, 2025. The exam will be conducted in 22 cities across India. The candidate can check the name and address of the NID DAT 2025 exam center allocated to them in the NID DAT 2025 admit card. On the day of the exam, candidates must follow the NID DAT 2025 exam-day guidelines. This includes reaching the exam center on time, carrying only allowed items, following instructions given by the invigilator, etc.
Q: Is the NID exam difficult?
Q: Is the NID DAT exam very difficult to crack?
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.
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NID DAT 2025 Prep Tips by Shortlisted Candidate - Read Interview
Q. Did you expect to get shortlisted in NID DAT 2016?
A. Yes. Last year I missed the cut-off by 1 mark. This year, I was pretty confident about the result.
Q. How did you prepare for the exam? Did you refer to any important books?
A. I practiced more sketching this year because that was the only weak thing due to which I failed last year. And as for General Knowledge part I did not prepare anything because I regularly read newspapers, Quora and Design websites like Smashing Magazine, TechCrunch, The Verge.
The general knowledge part is mostly about general awareness and not general knowledge as such. The events asked in the paper were also quite recent.
I solved previous year CEED papers, as they include multiple choice type questions. The questions asked in NID DAT 2016 were similar.
Q: Is it possible to crack NID DAT 2025 without coaching?
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.
Q: How difficult is it to get into NID Ahmedabad?
NID Ahmedabad admission 2024 is based on NID Design Aptitude Test conducted for both B. Des and M.Des courses. The Design Aptitude Test comprises two steps:
DAT Prelims - The applicant takes the Prelims test initially.
DAT Mains - Candidates are chosen for DAT Mains based on their performance in that Prelims.
For admission to the BDes or MDes course, it is mandatory to appear in both that Prelims and that Mains. NID DAT Prelims comprises both objective- and subjective-type questions. Candidates must have a well-thought-out NID study plan if they want to ace the test. Candidates might adhere to the following preparation schedule for the NID Entrance Exam 2024:
- Know the NID DAT exam pattern and marking scheme well
- Get well-versed with the NID DAT syllabus
- Prepare a time-table and strictly adhere to it
- Attempt NID DAT previous year question papers
- Solve NID DAT sample papers and mock tests
- Keep revising.
Q: How many seats are there in NID Bangalore?
NID Bangalore offers a fulltime MDes course. The total seat intake of NID Bangalore MDes is 95, divided among five specialisations:
| Discipline | Seats |
|---|---|
| Universal Design | 19 |
| Digital Game Design | 19 |
| Information Design | 19 |
| Interaction Design | 19 |
| Design for Retails Experience | 19 |
Q: Does NID Bangalore accept NID Entrance Exam score?
Yes, NID Bangalore does accept NID Entrance Exam scores for admission to its Master of Design (M.Des.) programs. The National Institute of Design Aptitude Test (DAT) is mandatory for all applicants seeking entry into any M.Des. programme at NID Bangalore.
Therefore, if you're aiming for an M.Des. at NID Bangalore, you must take the NID DAT and score well to be considered for admission. The exam typically takes place in December each year, and the institute releases the cut-off scores along with the results in May or June.
Here's a quick overview of the NID DAT for M.Des. admission at NID Bangalore:
Exam Structure: The NID DAT comprises two parts: Prelims and Mains.
Prelims: This is a computer-based test (CBT) with objective-type questions assessing design aptitude, general knowledge, and observation skills.
Mains: Shortlisted candidates from the Prelims are invited to take the Mains, which consists of studio tests and a personal interview. The studio tests evaluate your design thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
Eligibility: Candidates with a Bachelor's degree in any discipline are eligible to apply for the NID DAT for M.Des. programs.
Selection Process: Admission to NID Bangalore M.Des. programs is based on a combination of your NID DAT score, studio test performance, and personal interview.
Remember, NID Bangalore is a highly competitive institute, so scoring well in the NID DAT is crucial.
Q: Who is eligible for MDes course admission at NID Gandhinagar?
Candidates need to have a valid bachelor's degree of a minimum four years duration or equivalent from a recognised university to apply for NID Gandhinagar MDes course. Aspirants with full-time Diploma of a minimum of four years in Design, Fine Arts, Applied Arts or Architecture after Class 12 can also apply for MDes. Candidates belonging to General or General-EWS category must be born on or after Jul 1, 1993 to apply for MDes.
Q. Which coaching classes did you join?
A. I did not join any coaching for NID Entrance Exam.
Q. When should one start preparing for the exam?
A. It takes practice to draw really good sketches. In my case I have been practicing for the past six months for this attempt. For general knowledge and aptitude, you just need to be curious enough to look around you.
Q. How long did you prepare for the exam and how many hours did you study in a day?
A. I prepared for the sketching part for almost six months.
Q. Are there any important topics to score well?
Ans. I think if you can sketch good you’ll be ahead of others because general knowledge is same for everyone and mostly everyone can score in this section.
| NID Entrance Exam Question Papers | NID Entrance Exam Pattern | NID Entrance Exam Preparation |
Q. Any preparation tips from your experience?
Ans. Just look around the things and websites you visit. Try to find out problems with the things and how can you fix them. It helped me find out many things which had some or the other relation to design and its principles.
Q. What as per you are the mistakes one should avoid while preparing for the exam?
Ans. Give more time to sketches as you have to think, visualise and draw. Try to be different. When I looked around in exam, I saw most people were drawing similar type of things in the papers.
Q. How did you prepare for different sections of the exam?
Ans. For Part A, I went through previous year CEED papers, Newspapers and Quora. For Part B, I scanned Online Design magazines and practiced more sketching.
Q. When did you start revising the syllabus?
Ans. This exam doesn’t have a fixed syllabus that can be revised except for the drawing skills to get better outcome.
Q. How did you manage time while giving the exam?
Ans. I finished the Part A - General knowledge part in almost 60 minutes. Rest of the time, I spent sketching the questions in Part B.
Q. What mistakes should one avoid while giving the exam in order to score well?
Ans. Do not try to be over creative. Try to draw practical ideas. Ofcourse, imagination has no limits but I did the same mistake in my last attempt and drew idealistic solutions instead of practical solutions.
Q. Which as per you was the most difficult part of the NID DAT exam?
Ans. Part B of NID DAT.
Q. Is there any section that plays the “deciding factor” for getting shortlisted in the exam?
Ans. You have to score maximum in Part A so that even if you mess up with Part B then also you can get through.
Q. So, what is your plan of action for Studio Test and Interview round?
Ans. I am preparing my portfolio for the studio test. I have a senior from my college Nakul Saxena who is a NID pass-out himself, and he has helped me at every stage for this test.
I take creative ideas from my friend Shraddha, she herself is very creative. She too has helped me think creatively. She works at Zostel Hostels as a Creative Content Writer.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 days ago
The Aadhaar PVC Card serves as valid identification proof during the National Institute of Design (NID) examinations. The National Institute of Design (NID) recognizes Aadhaar PVC Card as an acceptable ID proof for their examination. You can use Passport together with Driving License and Voter ID Ca
K
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
NID Ahmedabad's affiliated colleges offering B. Des specialisations through NID entrance exam. Taking into consideration, the last-round cutoff, getting a 70 rank is not sufficient to allow you to take admission at the institutes affiliated to NID Ahmedabad. Considering the NID Ahmedabad cutoff 2024
P
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a month ago
The reporting time for the DAT Prelims exam will be mentioned on the NID DAT 2025 admit card. Reach the exam center as per the reporting time. Note that latecomers will not be allowed inside the NID DAT 2025 exam center.
The gates at the exam center will close half an hour before the exam.
NID DAT 20
P
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a month ago
The National Institute of Design (NID) released the NID DAT 2025 admit card for DAT Prelims on December 24. The direct link to download the admit card is given on this page.
Note that admit cards will be issued only to successfully registered candidates.
To download the admit card, you need to log-in
M
Contributor-Level 10
NID Entrance Exam Notifications
NID evaluates aspirants based on their knowledge, creativity and aptitude for design. Experts share that NID is one of the most challenging design entrance exams conducted in the country. However, if prepared well, the difficulty level of NID Entrance Exam is medium. On of the main reasons why NID is such a competitive exam is there are very limited number of seats. For instance, there are only 425 seats available for the BDes programme through NID. In contrast, the NIFTs offer 2748 seats.