Every cycle of news + important dates we've captured for NID Design Aptitude Test, oldest cycles at the bottom. Live information is on the main exam page; this archive preserves what each previous cycle officially announced.
The National Institute of Design is expected to release the NID DAT 2027 notification and open the application portal in the first week of September 2026 on admissions.nid.edu for both B.Des and M.Des programmes.
Archived 23 Aug 2026
Following the typical annual schedule, NID DAT 2027 Prelims exam is expected in the third week of December 2026, approximately 2-3 months after registration opens.
Archived 23 Aug 2026
From the 2026 admission cycle onwards, NID DAT Prelims serves only as a qualifying round with zero weightage in final merit, which is now based entirely on Mains performance.
Archived 23 Aug 2026
The Design Aptitude Test will serve as the common entrance for B.Des and M.Des admissions to all seven NID campuses including Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Bengaluru, and others.
Archived 23 Aug 2026
B.Des Round 1 seat allotment was released on June 9, 2026, with provisional offer letters issued on June 16-18, 2026. Round 2 seat allotment is expected in early July 2026 for candidates not allotted in Round 1 and for vacant seats after withdrawals.
Archived 16 Jul 2026
NID authorities issued provisional offer letters for B.Des Round 1 seat allotment between June 16-18, 2026. Shortlisted candidates were required to pay the token amount by June 11, 2026 to confirm their admission.
Archived 5 Aug 2026
A significant shift in the 2026 selection process — the Prelims score carries zero weightage in the final merit list and serves only as a qualifying filter. Final rank is determined entirely by Mains performance.
Archived 16 Jul 2026
The National Institute of Design announced the B.Des Mains result on May 26-28, 2026 at admissions.nid.edu. Candidates qualified for counselling can now submit campus preferences and upload documents for seat allotment.
Archived 16 Jul 2026
NID M.Des 2026 admissions have been completed with all 347 M.Des seats allotted and accepted by May 7, 2026. Final cutoffs for all M.Des disciplines are now available on the official portal.
Archived 16 Jul 2026
The National Institute of Design announced the NID DAT B.Des Mains result on May 26, 2026. The rechecking window for candidates closed on May 28, 2026.
Archived 5 Aug 2026
The National Institute of Design conducted the Design Aptitude Test Prelims for both B.Des and M.Des programmes on December 21, 2025 across multiple test centers nationwide.
Archived 5 Aug 2026
The DAT Mains exam has been restructured into Studio Sensitivity Test (60%) held on April 19, 2026 in Bengaluru and In-Person Sensitivity Test (40%) conducted between May 11-17, 2026. Both stages are compulsory for final selection.
Archived 5 Aug 2026
🎓DAT Mains for B.Des (studio test)
Sun, 2 May, 2027Hands-on design challenges, model making, and creative tasks at NID campuses
Archived 23 Aug 2026
🎓DAT Mains - Studio Sensitivity Test (2027)
Mon, 19 Apr, 2027Hands-on studio test typically held in April at designated NID campuses
Archived 5 Aug 2026
Prelims result announcement (2027)
Fri, 2 Apr, 2027Shortlisted candidates eligible for DAT Mains
Archived 5 Aug 2026
Prelims result announcement (B.Des)
Fri, 19 Feb, 2027Shortlist for B.Des Mains studio test published
Archived 23 Aug 2026
🎓NID DAT 2027 Prelims exam day
Mon, 21 Dec, 20263-hour pen-and-paper test conducted at centres across India, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Archived 23 Aug 2026
🎓NID DAT Prelims exam day (2027)
Mon, 21 Dec, 2026Three-hour written test for B.Des and M.Des - both objective and subjective sections
Archived 5 Aug 2026
DAT Prelims admit card release
Wed, 16 Dec, 2026Download from admissions.nid.edu using email ID and date of birth
Archived 23 Aug 2026
NID DAT Prelims admit card release (2027)
Fri, 11 Dec, 2026Download hall ticket from admissions.nid.edu with login credentials
Archived 5 Aug 2026
Application correction window (expected)
Tue, 8 Dec, 2026Limited edit window for address, exam centre, category changes
Archived 23 Aug 2026
Application deadline (expected)
Sat, 5 Dec, 2026Last date to submit NID DAT 2027 application form and fee payment
Archived 23 Aug 2026
Application correction window closes (2027)
Sat, 5 Dec, 2026Final opportunity to edit application details except core fields
Archived 5 Aug 2026
Application submission deadline (2027)
Tue, 1 Dec, 2026Last date to complete NID DAT online application and fee payment
Archived 5 Aug 2026
Application portal opens for 2027 cycle
Sat, 12 Sept, 2026Online registration begins for B.Des and M.Des programmes
Archived 5 Aug 2026
NID DAT 2027 notification release
Fri, 11 Sept, 2026Official admission handbook and notification typically released in early September
Archived 5 Aug 2026
Application portal opens for B.Des and M.Des
Sun, 6 Sept, 2026Online registration begins at admissions.nid.edu
Archived 23 Aug 2026
NID DAT 2027 notification release
Sun, 6 Sept, 2026Official information handbook and eligibility criteria published on admissions.nid.edu
Archived 23 Aug 2026
NID DAT 2027 Notification Expected
Thu, 3 Sept, 2026Typically released in September for the next admission cycle
Archived 16 Jul 2026
B.Des Round 2 Seat Allotment Expected
Wed, 8 Jul, 2026For candidates not allotted in Round 1 and vacant seats after withdrawals
Archived 16 Jul 2026
B.Des Round 1 Provisional Offer Letters Released
Tue, 16 Jun, 2026June 16-18, 2026
Archived 16 Jul 2026
B.Des Round 1 Seat Allotment & Token Fee Payment
Tue, 9 Jun, 2026June 9-11, 2026
Archived 16 Jul 2026
B.Des Mains Result Declared
Tue, 26 May, 2026Released on May 26, 2026
Archived 16 Jul 2026
🎓B.Des In-Person Sensitivity Test (Mains)
Mon, 11 May, 2026May 11-17, 2026
Archived 16 Jul 2026
🎓B.Des Studio Sensitivity Test (Mains)
Sun, 19 Apr, 2026April 19, 2026
Archived 16 Jul 2026
🎓DAT Prelims Exam (B.Des & M.Des)
Sat, 7 Mar, 2026December 21, 2025 — Common for all NIDs
Archived 16 Jul 2026
Looking for the current cycle? Back to live NID DAT page →