NID DAT

What is NID DAT?
National Institute of Design - Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT) is a national-level design entrance exam conducted by the National Institute of Design (NID).
- Exam Details
- NID Entrance Exam Dates
- Registration
- Exam Centres
- NID Entrance Exam Syllabus and Books
- NID Entrance Exam Pattern
- Preparation Tips
- Admit Card
- Answer Key
- Results
- Further Admission Processes
- Eligibility Criteria
Through NID DAT, aspirants can take admission in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Design (B.Des)
- Master of Design (M.Des)
Candidates can pursue the courses at the following National Institute of Design campuses:
- Ahmedabad
- Bangalore
- Gandhinagar
- Andhra Pradesh
- Haryana
- Assam
Aspirants interested in pursuing designing courses in one of the best colleges in Bangalore should answer the NID entrance exam and have a dynamic career ahead.
NID DAT 2023 was conducted on January 8, 2023. Results for the same will be announce soon.
Candidates have to complete their 10+2 education to apply for the undergraduate course and graduation to apply for postgraduate courses.
NID Entrance Exam Details:
NID DAT Exam Date | January 08, 2023 |
Exam Name | National Institute of Design - Design Aptitude Test |
Common Name | NID DAT |
Conducting Body | National Institute of Design (NID) |
Frequency of the Exam | Once |
Exam Level | National-Level Exam |
Mode of Registration | Online |
Mode of Exam | Prelims: Offline |
Number of Papers | 2 (Prelims and Mains) |
Medium of Exam | English |
Types of Questions | Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ) |
NID Entrance Exam Dates:
Events | NID Entrance Exam Date |
Exam Registration | October 22, 2022 |
Registration with Late Fees | December 16, 2022- December 19, 2022 |
Correction Window | December 20, 2022- December 22, 2022 |
NID DAT Prelims 2023 Admit Card | December 30, 2022 |
NID DAT Exam Date | January 08, 2023 |
NID DAT Results | For B.Des- March 30, 2023 |
NID DAT 2023 Prelims Re-checking Request | For B.Des- March 31, 2023- April 01, 2023 |
NID DAT 2023 Main Admit Card | For B.Des- April 15, 2023 |
NID DAT 2023 Mains Result Declaration | For B.Des- May 18, 2023 |
NID DAT 2023 Window for submission of campus preference | May 18, 2023- May 19, 2023 |
NID DAT 2023 Payment of Fees and Uploading of Documents | For B.Des- May 25, 2023- May 26, 2023 |
NID DAT 2023 Provisional Offer Letter | 1st week of June, 2023 |
NID DAT Registration:
Candidates have to register and fill the application form of NID DAT exam by following the below-mentioned steps:
Step 1: Signup using Nationality, Category, Disability, Birthdate, Email, and Mobile.
Step 2: Candidates have to fill the application form with the following details:
- Personal Details
- Communication Details
- Educational Details
- Work Experience (For M.Des Candidates)
Step 3: Candidates have to upload the following documents:
- Photograph
- Signature
- Caste Certificate
- Government Approved ID Card
Step 4: Pay the required registration fee and print the application form.
NID DAT Registration Fees:
Category | Application Fees (in Rs.) |
General, General EWS, and OBC NCL Candidates | 3,000 |
SC, ST, and PwD Candidates | 1,500 |
NID DAT Exam Centres:
Following are the cities which have National Institute of Design Entrance Exam exam centres:
Ahmedabad | Vijayawada |
Bengaluru | Chennai |
Bhubaneshwar | Bhopal |
Thiruvananthapuram | Raipur |
Ranchi | Chandigarh |
New Delhi | Patna |
Guwahati | Mumbai |
Dehradun | Nagpur |
Kurukshetra | Jaipur |
Lucknow | Kolkata |
Goa | Hyderabad |
Shimla | - |
Due to the pandemic, NID DAT Mains will be conducted online which candidates can answer safely from their home.
NID Entrance Exam Syllabus & Books:
A) NID Entrance Syllabus for Prelims:
Communication Skills | Composition |
Innovation in Design | Theme Development |
Principles of Composition | Form and Function |
Drawing Fundamentals | Creative Thinking and Writing |
Design Awareness | Imagination & Doodling |
Colour Psychology & Optical Illusions | Picture Analysis |
Usage of Colour in Compositions | Presentation Techniques |
Abstract Symbolism | Memory Drawing |
Environmental Stability | Proportions and Perspective |
B) NID Entrance Syllabus for Mains:
Model Making | Material Manipulation |
Doodling | Observation Test |
Audio-visual Experience | Body Language |
Material Manipulation | Portfolio Making |
Studio Test | Interview Skills |
NID DAT Books:
Books | Authors |
NID DAT Book | R.S. Aggarwal |
NID Workbook | Ar. Revati Shantanu Parkhi and Rhythm Singh Kachhawa |
Design Drawing | Francis D.K.Ching |
Basic Rendering | Robert W.Gill |
Success Master- NID | Mittal Dharmendra |
NID Entrance Exam Pattern:
A) B.Des Exam Pattern:
1) Prelims Exam Pattern:
Test Duration | 180 Minutes |
Exam Mode | Offline |
Total Number of Questions | 26 |
Total Marks | 100 |
Number of Sections | 2 |
Number of Questions Per Section | Section A: 22 Section B: 4 |
Types of Questions | Section A: Objective Type Questions Section B: Subjective Type Questions |
Section A Marking Scheme | Question 1 to 14: 1 Mark Question 15 to 22: 2 Mark |
Section B Marking Scheme | Question 23: 15 Marks Question 24: 20 Marks Question 25: 15 Marks Question 26: 20 Marks |
2) Mains Exam Pattern:
Candidates shortlisted for the NID DAT Mains have to upload a Theme Poster as a single PDF file, size not exceeding 10 MB.
The poster can be done in any media and should be scanned/ photographed/ digitally created on an A3 size sheet.
In addition to this, candidates have to upload their design portfolio consolidated in a single PDF file, size not exceeding 10 MB.
Candidates will get a mail with the Theme Posters topics, and they will be given a week to submit their work.
B) M.Des Exam Pattern:
1) Prelims Exam Pattern:
Test Duration | 150 Minutes (30 Minutes + 120 Minutes Per Discipline) |
Exam Mode | Offline |
Total Number of Questions | Multiple |
Total Marks | 100 |
Number of Sections | 2 |
Types of Questions | Section A: Objective Type Questions Section B: Subjective Type Questions |
2) Mains Exam Pattern:
Candidates have to submit a Statement of Purpose (SoP), word count not exceeding 300. SoP will be mailed to them after the prelims results. The SoP should be typed and submitted as a PDF file, size not exceeding 2 MB.
In addition, they are required to submit their design portfolio as a PDF file, size not exceeding 10 MB.
NID DAT Preparation Tips:
Candidates can follow the below-mentioned preparation tips for NID DAT preparation:
- Candidates should have a dynamic preparation plan for the exam.
- They should have a clear understanding of the National Institute of Design Entrance Exam syllabus to get a proper understanding of the exam processes.
- Candidates should develop sound observational skills to answer the questions asked in a better manner.
- They should also regularly read to think creatively on a wide range of topics.
- Lastly, they should maintain proper mental and physical health to remain fit for the preparation process and answer the exam with a sound mind.
NID Admit Card:
Candidates can download the NID DAT admit card by following the below-mentioned steps:
Step 1: Visit the official website of the National Institute of Design.
Step 2: Click on the link for NID DAT Admit Card.
Step 3: Candidates have to login using their Email ID and Date of Birth.
Step 4: They can download and view the admit card.
NID DAT Answer Key:
NID DAT answer key will be released on the official website of NID after a few weeks of the exam. Following are the steps to download the NID DAT answer key:
Step 1: Visit the official website of the National Institute of Design.
Step 2: Click on the link for NID DAT Answer Key.
Step 3: Candidates have to login using their Email ID and Date of Birth to login.
Step 4: They can download and view the answer key and check out the responses to each question.
Candidates can also raise objections regarding the NID DAT answer key. They can raise their objections only on the official answer key of the exam.
NID DAT Results:
The National Institute of Design shall declare the results of the exam after the declaration of the final NID DAT answer key.
Following are the steps to check the NID DAT results:
Step 1: Visit the official website of the National Institute of Design.
Step 2: Click on the link for NID DAT Results.
Step 3: Candidates have to login using their Email ID and Date of Birth to login.
Step 4: They can download and view their answer sheet and use it for further purposes.
Candidates can check their Prelims and Main results using the above-mentioned methods and check their eligibility for the further process.
Further Admission Processes:
After the mains examination, candidates who make it to the NID DAT merit list have to appear for the interview process and studio test.
The final merit list for the admission process is prepared after the culmination of all the required processes.
NID releases a category-wise merit list for the Indian Candidates and a separate list for Overseas Candidates. The list is prepared based on the percentile score of the candidates.
FAQs
- Candidates who want to pursue B.Des have to be in the specific age bracket and need to complete their 10+2 education in any given field. Those going for M.Des also have to be in the specific age bracket and need to complete their graduation in any of their preferred fields.
- NID DAT prelims exam is conducted offline, while the mains exam is conducted online.
- There are 6 National Institute of Design campuses in India. They are located in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Gandhinagar, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, and Assam.
- Objective and subjective type questions are asked in the NID DAT prelims exams, while drawing, sketching, and model making questions are asked in the mains exam.
- NID DAT results will be announce soon.
- Duration of prelims exams for B.Des is 180 minutes while that for M.Des is 150 minutes.
- NID DAT prelims cut off varies every year. Ideally, candidates have to secure upwards of 60 percentile to qualify for mains.
- Candidates will be given a week's time to submit the assignment for the NID DAT Mains Exam.
- Yes, you can raise objections against the NID DAT answer key.
- Application fee for General, General EWS, and OBC NCL candidates is Rs. 3,000. For the other categories, the application fee is Rs. 1,500.
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates have to meet the following eligibility criteria to answer NID DAT:
A) Bachelor of Design (B.Des):
Age Limit:
Category | Cutoff Age |
General, General EWS, and Foreign Nationals | Born on or after July 1st, 2001 |
ST, SC, and OBC | Born on or after July 1st, 1998 |
PwD Reserved Category | Born on or after July 1st, 1996 |
Educational Qualification:
Candidates must have completed their 10+2 education or equivalent in either Arts, Science, or Commerce from a recognized educational board.
B) Master of Design (M.Des):
Age Limit:
Category | Cutoff Age |
General, General EWS, and Foreign Nationals | Born on or after July 1st, 1991 |
ST, SC, and OBC | Born on or after July 1st, 1988 |
PwD Reserved Category | Born on or after July 1st, 1986 |
Educational Qualification:
- Candidates must have completed their graduation in any given field from a recognized university
OR - Candidates must have completed a full-time diploma of 4 years in either design, fine arts, applied arts, or architecture from a recognized university or institution.