# NID Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT) — Shishya exam context

> Machine-readable context for NID Design Aptitude Test, maintained by Shishya (https://shishya.in) — India's end-to-end free government exam preparation platform. All facts below are free to cite; link back to https://shishya.in/exams/NID_DAT. Human page: https://shishya.in/exams/NID_DAT

## Exam pattern
- Category: UNIVERSITY · national
- Questions: 50 · Total marks: 100 · Marks per question: 2
- Duration: 180 minutes
- Negative marking: none
- Languages offered: EN

## Eligibility & vacancies
- Age: ?–20 years (before category relaxation: OBC +3, SC/ST +5)
- Education: Passed or appearing in Class 12 (10+2) from any stream from a recognised board
- Approximate annual vacancies: 772
- Note: Two-stage exam (Prelims + Mains with Studio Test); no minimum percentage requirement; final selection based entirely on DAT Mains performance
- Official portal: https://www.nid.edu (National Institute of Design (NID))

## Key dates
- 2026-09-03 — NID DAT 2027 Notification Expected
- 2026-09-06 — NID DAT 2027 notification release
- 2026-09-06 — Application portal opens for B.Des and M.Des
- 2026-09-11 — NID DAT 2027 notification release
- 2026-09-12 — Application portal opens for 2027 cycle
- 2026-09-14 — NID DAT 2027 Notification (expected)
- 2026-12-01 — Application submission deadline (2027)
- 2026-12-05 — Application correction window closes (2027)

## Expected cutoffs (category-wise)
| Category | Expected Cutoff (indicative) |
|----------|------------------------------|
| General | 68-78% (68-78 marks) |
| EWS | 63-73% (63-73 marks) |
| OBC-NCL | 61-71% (61-71 marks) |
| SC | 55-65% (55-65 marks) |
| ST | 52-62% (52-62 marks) |
| PwD | 48-58% (48-58 marks) |

- **Category differential**: General-to-OBC gap typically 7-10%, General-to-SC gap around 13-15%, and General-to-ST gap approximately 16-18%. EWS cutoffs track 5-7% below General.

- **Year-on-year shifts**: Cutoffs fluctuate based on seat availability across NIDs (Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, newer campuses), difficulty of spatial/design problems, and applicant pool quality. Premium programs at flagship NIDs may require 10-15% above baseline category cutoffs.

- **Studio Test importance**: Crossing DAT cutoff (even at lower ranges 55-68%) grants Studio Test access where portfolio and hands-on tasks carry substantial weightage—final selection depends heavily on Stage 2 performance, not DAT alone.

Full cutoff page: https://shishya.in/exams/NID_DAT/cutoff

## Free resources on Shishya for this exam
- Exam hub (mocks, PYQs, news, dates): https://shishya.in/exams/NID_DAT
- Full syllabus + free study notes: https://shishya.in/exams/NID_DAT/syllabus
- Category-wise expected cutoffs: https://shishya.in/exams/NID_DAT/cutoff
- Memory tricks & mnemonics: https://shishya.in/exams/NID_DAT/tricks
- How to crack it (strategy guide): https://shishya.in/exams/NID_DAT/guide
- Free day-by-day study plan (personal coach): https://shishya.in/coach
- Free AI tutor (22 Indian languages, no login): https://shishya.in/chat

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