NID DAT

NID Design Aptitude Test

National Institute of Design entrance — DAT Prelims (objective design aptitude) followed by DAT Mains (studio test + interview). Gates entry to B.Des at NID Ahmedabad / Gandhinagar / Kurukshetra / Bhopal / Jorhat / Amaravati.

50 Qs100 marks180 minNegative: None

Sourced

Source: official exam authority notification · refreshed weekly. How this works →

Free NID DAT preparation on Shishya

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NID DAT eligibility

Verified against the official notification. Source ↗ · last reconciled 2026-05.

Education

B.Des: Class 12 (any stream) from a recognised board, OR a 3-year Diploma. M.Des: Bachelor's degree (4-year B.Des or other Bachelor's).

B.Des age cap (20 yrs) is a UNIQUE constraint — most candidates apply right after Class 12.
Candidates appearing in Class 12 can apply for B.Des.

Attempts

No formal attempt limit (within B.Des age cap).

Nationality

Indian citizen + supernumerary seats for OCI/Foreign nationals.

NID DAT cutoffs

Historical cutoffs are a guide, not a prediction. Use them to set a realistic target, not to predict next year's exact number.

DAT Prelims qualifying cutoff (top % shortlisted for Mains)

NID does not publish exact cutoff scores. Composite final selection weights: Prelims 30% + Mains studio 50% + interview 20%.

Year	Category	Cutoff
2024	B.Des General — shortlist	~Top 7-8% of test takers
2024	M.Des General — shortlist	~Top 10-12% per stream

Previous year papers

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Syllabus

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NID DAT

NID DAT eligibility

NID DAT cutoffs

DAT Prelims qualifying cutoff (top % shortlisted for Mains)

Previous year papers

Mock tests

Your rank

Syllabus

NID DAT paper analysis — what actually got asked

Objective section (~70%)

Objective section

Subjective section (~30%)

Takeaways for prep planning

Top colleges that admit via NID DAT