The National Institute of Design (NID), founded in 1961 in Ahmedabad, stands as India’s foremost design institute, renowned for its excellence in nurturing creativity and innovation. Offering prestigious undergraduate and postgraduate programs, admission to NID is fiercely competitive, relying on candidates’ performance in the NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT).
As the NID exam schedule unfolds, thousands of design aspirants gear up for this critical step toward achieving their dreams. Stay tuned for essential insights, strategies, and preparation tips to help you excel in your journey to becoming a part of NID’s legacy of design brilliance.
What is the NID Exam 2025?
The National Institute of Design (NID) is a prestigious institution recognized as an Institute of National Importance under the NID Act of 2014. Headquartered in Ahmedabad, with extension campuses in Gandhinagar and Bengaluru, it operates autonomously under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), part of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
The NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT) is a national-level entrance exam conducted by NID to offer admissions into its esteemed Bachelor of Design (B.Des) and Master of Design (M.Des) programs.
- B.Des (4 years) is available at NID Ahmedabad and its partner institutes in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam.
- M.Des (2.5 years) is offered at NID Ahmedabad and its Gandhinagar and Bengaluru campuses.
This exam serves as the gateway for design aspirants seeking to join one of India’s top design institutions.
NID Exam 2025 Highlights
| Particulars | NID Entrance Exam Details |
|---|---|
| Exam name | National Institute of Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT) |
| Conducting Body | NID |
| Exam frequency | Once a year |
| Exam purpose | Admission to Design courses offered by NIDS and some private colleges |
| Courses offered | B.Des, M.Des |
| Application fee | INR 3,000 |
| Exam duration | 3 hours |
| Official website | https://admissions.nid.edu |
NID Exam 2025 Dates & Schedule
Check out the table below to know all the important dates related to the NID Exam 2025. NID DAT exam date is provided below:
| Events | NID Entrance Exam Dates 2025 |
| Release of NID 2025 Notification | August 2024 (Expected) |
| The NID 2025 application process starts from | September 2024 (Expected) |
| Last date for submitting NID Online Application Form | December 2024 (Expected) |
| The last date for submitting the NID Application Form with the late fee | December 2024 (Expected) |
| Application correction window | December 2024 (Expected) |
| NID admit card download | December 2024 (Expected) |
| NID DAT Prelims Exam/ NID B.Des exam date 2025 | December Last Week 2024 (Expected) |
| Declaration of NID DAT Prelims Results | March 2025 (Expected) |
| Rechecking request for DAT prelims | March Last Week 2025 (Expected) |
| Download the NID DAT Mains Exam Admit Card | April 2025 (Expected) |
| NID DAT Mains Exam/ NID 2025 Exam Date | April Last Week 2025 (Expected) |
| NID DAT 2025 Mains Result | May 2025 (Expected) |
| Window for submission of Campus Preference | May 2025 (Expected) |
| Rechecking request for DAT Mains | May 2025 (Expected) |
| Seat Allotment, Payment of Token Fees and Uploading of documents | May Last Week 2025 (Expected) |
| Provisional offer letter | June 2025 (Expected) |
| Payment of remaining fees | June 3rd Week 2025 (Expected) |
| Subsequent rounds of seat allotment, along with the payment of full fees | June 2025 (Expected) |
| Physical verification of documents at the respective NIDs | To be announced by the respective NIDs |
NID Admission Process 2025
follows a comprehensive 2-tier procedure: Prelims and Mains. To qualify for counseling and secure admission to your preferred NID, you must successfully clear both stages.
- NID Prelims (DAT Prelims):
The first stage is the written exam, designed to test your design aptitude, creativity, and problem-solving skills. It consists of both objective and subjective questions and is typically conducted in an offline format. - NID Mains (DAT Mains):
Candidates who clear the Prelims are shortlisted for the Mains stage, which includes a studio test and a personal interview. This stage evaluates your practical skills and ability to apply design concepts in real-world scenarios.
After successfully completing both stages, you become eligible for the counseling process, where you can select your preferred NID campus based on your rank and seat availability.
NID DAT Prelims Exam 2025
The B.Des. DAT Prelims is a paper-and-pencil/pen test conducted across all test centers simultaneously on the same day. The exam lasts for three hours and includes a mix of text and visual-based questions, designed to assess candidates’ creativity, analytical thinking, and design aptitude. The test is conducted in English and evaluates both conceptual and practical design skills. Based on the DAT Prelims scores, separate merit lists are created for different categories such as GENERAL, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, and Overseas candidates. Only candidates who are shortlisted based on merit will be eligible for the DAT Mains, which follows according to the announced schedule.
NID DAT Mains 2025
The NID DAT Mains 2025 will be conducted for candidates who qualify the DAT Prelims based on merit. Shortlisted candidates can download their Admit Cards from the official NID admissions website (https://admissions.nid.edu/). The DAT Mains will consist of multiple tests, including a studio-based setup, to assess practical design skills and creativity. The exam will be conducted in English and will be held at designated test centers, which will be announced later. It’s important to note that NID will not provide accommodation for candidates, and they will need to arrange their own travel and accommodation. In case of unforeseen circumstances, the nature and structure of the exams may change, and all tests could be conducted online, offline, or in a hybrid mode, depending on the Institute’s discretion.
NID Exam 2025 Eligibility Criteria
To apply for the NID Exam 2025, candidates must meet the eligibility criteria set by the conducting body. If you do not satisfy the criteria, your application will be disqualified.
Have any query?
NID B.Des Eligibility Criteria
- Age Limit:
- General and General EWS Category (Indian Nationals): Candidates born on or after 1 July 2004.
- Reserved Categories (OBC-NCL, SC, ST): Candidates born on or after 1 July 2001.
- PWD Reserved Category (Indian Nationals): Candidates born on or after 1 July 1999.
- Overseas (Supernumerary) Category (Foreign Nationals): Candidates born on or after 1 July 2004.
- Educational Qualification:
- Must have completed or be appearing for the final examination of 10+2 or equivalent from a recognized board (AISSE/ICSE/CBSE).
- Candidates from any stream (Science, Arts, Commerce, Humanities) can apply, provided the examination is conducted by a recognized board like CBSE, ICSE, IB, or equivalent.
NID M.Des Eligibility Criteria
- Age Limit:
- General and General EWS Category (Indian Nationals): Candidates born on or after 1 July 1993.
- Reserved Categories (OBC-NCL, SC, ST): Candidates born on or after 1 July 1990.
- PwD Reserved Category (Indian Nationals): Candidates born on or after 1 July 1988.
- Overseas (Supernumerary) Category (Foreign Nationals): Candidates born on or after 1 July 1993.
- Educational Qualification:
- Candidates must meet one of the following qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree (minimum 4 years) in any specialization after 12th from a recognized university or institute.
- Full-time Diploma (minimum 4 years) in Design/Fine Arts/Applied Arts/Architecture after 12th from a recognized university or institute.
- Bachelor’s degree (minimum 3 years) in any specialization after 12th from a recognized university or institute. The candidate must have completed their 3-year degree by August 2024.
- Candidates must meet one of the following qualifications:
Candidates must ensure they meet the eligibility criteria before applying to avoid disqualification.
NID Exam Application Process 2025
The application process for NID DAT 2025 is completely online, and it involves four main stages: registration, filling out the application form, uploading documents, and paying the application fee.
Here is the step-by-step process:
- Visit the official NID website at www.nid.edu.
- Click on the “New Registration“ tab.
- Provide a valid mobile number, email ID, and Date of Birth, and click the submit button.
- Upon successful registration, login credentials will be sent to your registered mobile number and email ID.
- Re-login to the portal using the received credentials.
- Complete the application form by entering the required details accurately.
- Upload all necessary documents in the prescribed formats.
- Pay the application fee either through online or offline methods, as per your preference.
Make sure to follow all steps carefully to ensure your application is successfully submitted.
Documents Required for NID Exam Application 2025
Here are the required documents for NID exam application –
| Category/Documents | Photo | Signature | Certificate | Remarks |
| General | Yes | Yes | No | – |
| General EWS | Yes | Yes | Yes | EWS Certificate |
| OBC-NCL | Yes | Yes | Yes | OBC-NCL Certificate |
| SC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Caste Certificate |
| ST | Yes | Yes | Yes | Tribe Certificate |
| General-PwD | Yes | Yes | Yes | Disability Certificate |
| GEN-EWS-PwD | Yes | Yes | Yes | EWS Certificate, Disability Certificate |
| OBC-NCL-PwD | Yes | Yes | Yes | OBC-NCL Certificate, Disability Certificate |
| SC-PWD | Yes | Yes | Yes | Caste Certificate, Disability Certificate |
| ST-PWD | Yes | Yes | Yes | Tribe Certificate, Disability Certificate |
| Overseas | Yes | Yes | No | First page of Passport, Last page of Passport |
NID Application Fees 2025
| Category | Application Fees (Rs) | Application Fee + Late Fee (Rs) |
| General | 3000 | 4500 |
| General-EWS | 3000 | 4500 |
| OBC-NCL | 3000 | 4500 |
| SC | 1500 | 2250 |
| ST | 1500 | 2250 |
| General-PwD | 1500 | 2250 |
| General-EWS-PwD | 1500 | 2250 |
| OBC-NCL-PwD | 1500 | 2250 |
| SC-PWD | 1500 | 2250 |
| ST-PWD | 1500 | 2250 |
| Overseas (Supernumerary) | 5000 | 7500 |
NID 2025 Admit Card
The NID 2025 Admit Card is the mandatory document that has to be carried to the exam hall without fail. The admit card can be downloaded by following the below steps:
- Visit the official website of NID
- Click on the link “NID 2025 Admit Card”
- Enter the login credentials such as registration number and password
- Click on the submit button
- The Admit Card will be displayed on the screen
- Take a printout for future reference (All Pages – 2 copies)
NID 2025 Exam Pattern
As per the notification, the NID entrance exam involves two stages: prelims and mains for both B.Des. and M.Des.
Look at the table below to learn the detailed NID Exam Pattern for both UG and PG programs.
| NID DAT 2025 Exam | B.Des | M.Des |
| Mode of Exam | Offline | Offline |
| No. of Questions | Section A: 64 (MCQ)* Section B: 3 (Subjective)* | Section A: 59 (MCQ)* Section B: 3 (Subjective)* |
| No. of Sections | 2 | 2 |
| Total Marks | 100 | 100 |
| Negative Marking | No | No |
| Duration | 3 hours | 3 hours to 3.5 hours** |
* No. Of Questions may vary every year
** Depending upon the no. of specialization, the time may vary.
Sectional Weightage 2025
| Exam | Weightage (B.Des) | Weightage (M.Des) |
| DAT Prelims | 30-40% | 30% |
| DAT Mains | 60-70% | 70% |
Attempt Free Mock Tests to Score 100%
NID Exam Syllabus 2025
Before starting your preparation, it is important to go through the detailed NID entrance exam syllabus as it will help you know the important topics from the exam point of view.
The table below explains the important topics for the NID DAT for both the aptitude and studio tests.
| Exam | Syllabus |
| Aptitude Test | Includes various topics like Creativity, Comprehension, Knowledge and Visualization, Drawing Skills, Memory Drawing, General Mental Ability, etc. |
| Studio Test | Comprises of topics such as 3D Modeling, Body Language, Observation Test, Portfolio Making, Creative Thinking, etc. |
NID 2025 Exam Centers
NID Entrance Exam 2025 will be conducted at various exam centres across India. The table below shows the list of exam cities.
| Ahmedabad | Hyderabad | Patna |
| Bengaluru | Guwahati | Nagpur |
| Bhopal | Lucknow | Raipur |
| Jaipur | New Delhi | Kolkata |
| Chandigarh | Mumbai | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Chennai | – | – |
How to Prepare for NID 2025?
NID DAT Prelims consist of both objective and subjective type questions. You must ensure to prepare equally for both types of questions. Here, we have provided a few tips to enhance your NID Preparation.
- One of the important tips by toppers is to practice sketching objects and human figures.
- Be thorough with the detailed syllabus and pattern of the exam.
- List out all the important topics you need to focus on.
- Give more time for the topics that you feel are difficult.
- Solve more and more questions from the previous year’s NID Sample Papers to know the difficulty level of the exam and the type of questions asked.
- Try to attempt at least one to two NID mock tests weekly.
- Also, make sure to analyze your performance after the completion of each paper.
NID Exam Analysis 2025
Let us look at the previous year’s NID Exam Analysis and get an idea about the difficulty level of the exam.
- The difficulty level of NID DAT exam was easy to moderate. However, some candidates found the paper lengthy.
- Most Students found maths to be very easy and drawing to be moderately difficult.
- Some surprises in the question paper, a norm for NID exams.
- Questions ranged from General Knowledge to Reasoning, with topics like Sustainable Development and the G20 summit.
- Subjective questions included posture drawing on slow fashion and conscious buying.
NID Exam 2025 Result & Merit List
The results are declared after the exam is completed and published as a PDF.
You can check NID Exam Result from the official website by following the below steps:
- Visit the official site of NID: results.nid.edu.
- Click on the link NID 2025 Result
- Enter the roll number, the application number
- Click on the submit button
- The result PDF will be displayed on the screen.
- Take a printout of the same for future reference.
NID Exam Answer Key 2025
The answer key is also made available by the National Institute of Design (NID) in two stages:
- Provisional Answer Key
- Final Answer Key
The right responses to every question on the NID admission exam are provided in the answer key.
It is crucial to remember that the answer key only contains the right answers, not the solutions to the problems. Students preparing for the entrance exam can greatly benefit from the NID answer key.
It may provide students with the information and comprehension they require to do well on the test.
NID Exam 2025 Cut-Off Marks
Generally, the cut-off marks will be released after the declaration of results. You must remember that scoring above the NID Exam Cut Off only results in being shortlisted for the merit list.
To help you understand the expected cut-off, we have provided the cut-off for the previous year in the table below.
NID Exam B.Des Expected Cut-Off for 2025
| Category | B.Des Cut Off NID (Expected) |
| OPEN | 48-53 |
| OBC – NCL | 43-48 |
| EWS | 50-55 |
| ST | 40-45 |
| SC | 40-45 |
| PWD | 40-45 |
Download Sample Question Papers for NID 2025
NID Exam 2025 Reservation Policy
The National Institute of Design follows the reservation norms for all courses.
The category-wise reservation of seats for all courses as per the NID Reservation policy is as tabulated below:
| Category | Reservation (in %) |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | 10 |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 27 |
| SC | 15 |
| ST | 7.5 |
Persons with disabilities (PwD) will be given a 5% horizontal reservation of seats from the parent category in each program, cutting across all sections, i.e. SC, ST, OBC (Non-Creamy only), and General category.
NID Exam 2025 Counselling
The allotment of seats for NID entrance exam 2025, will be based on the merit order. The seat allotment will be carried out either online or offline, depending on the Institute’s decision. Only those who will qualify in both prelims and mains exams will get shortlisted for the counselling process.
- In case the allotment is done in the offline mode, each candidate will be required to remain present in person with the requisite documents as per the schedule (which will be announced at a later date).
- Failing to report with the requisite documents, as per the schedule, will lead to forfeiting the candidate’s seat and their seat will be allotted to the next eligible candidate in the order of merit in the respective category.
- Allotment of seats will be purely based on the merit and campus preference submitted by the candidate.
- Seat allotment for final admissions will be based on the merit list, category of the candidate and availability of seats provided that the candidates have not availed any reservation benefits (compensatory time, scribe facility or age relaxation).
NID Exam Seat Matrix 2025
Check out the seat matrix for National Institute of Design listed below.
NID DAT Mains B.Des Seats Matrix 2025
| Institute | Total No. of Seats | GEN-EWS (10%) | OBC-NCL (27%) | Scheduled Caste (15%) | Scheduled Tribe (7.5%) |
| NID Ahmedabad | 125 | 13 | 34 | 19 | 9 |
| NID Andhra Pradesh | 75 | 8 | 20 | 11 | 6 |
| NID Haryana | 75 | 8 | 20 | 11 | 6 |
| NID Madhya Pradesh | 75 | 8 | 20 | 11 | 6 |
| NID Assam | 75 | 8 | 20 | 11 | 6 |
NID DAT Mains M.Des Seats Matrix 2025
| Category | Disciplines with 19 Seats Each | Disciplines with 12 Seats Each |
| GEN-EWS (10%) | 2 | 1 |
| OBC-NCL (27%) | 5 | 3 |
| Scheduled Caste (15%) | 3 | 2 |
| Scheduled Tribe (7.5%) | 1 | 1 |
NID Reservation for Overseas Category
- There is a provision for a 15% reservation of supernumerary seats in B. Des and M. Des programs for the overseas category.
- If you belong to the NRI category (Non-Resident of India), you must apply as an Indian Citizen.
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Colleges Accepting NID Exam 2025 Scores
The NID Exam Scores are accepted in all 7 NID campuses that are listed below:
| NID Ahmedabad | NID Gandhinagar |
| NID Vijayawada | NID Bengaluru |
| NID Bhopal | NID Jorhat |
| NID Kurukshetra | – |
Courses Offered Through NID Exam 2025
The National Institute of Design offers various specializations under B.Des, GDPD, and M.Des.
| B.Des Courses at NID | |
| Ceramic and Glass Design | Furniture and Interior Design |
| animation film design | Textile Design |
| Film and Video Communication | Graphic Design |
| Exhibition Design | Product Design |
| GDPD Courses at NID | |
| Industrial Design | Communication Design |
| Textile and Apparel Design | – |
| M.Des Courses at NID | |
| Ceramic and Glass Design | Animation Film Design |
| Graphic Design | Product Design |
| Apparel Design | Textile Design |
| Furniture and Interior Design | Film and Video Communication |
| Strategic Design Management | Photography Design |
| Transportation and Automobile Design | Toy and Game Design |
| Universal Design | Interaction Design |
| Digital Game Design | Design for Rental Experience |
| Lifestyle Accessory Design | Information Design |
| New Media Design | – |
Key Takeaways
The NID entrance exam is as difficult as other design entrance exams. Candidates should take the time to become familiar with NID exam patterns, syllabi and mock papers. With the proper preparation and attitude, the NID DAT exam 2025 can be cleared with flying colours.
- The NID DAT is a two-stage exam, with the first stage focusing on Design Aptitude and General Aptitude, and the second stage involving a studio test and interview.
- While some foundational knowledge is helpful, the NID DAT prioritizes assessing your raw design potential, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills.
- Regularly solve past papers and take mock tests to build exam temperament, improve speed and accuracy, and identify areas needing improvement.
- Nurture your observation skills, practice sketching, and build a creative portfolio that showcases your unique design voice.
- Utilize NID prep books for guidance on specific topics and exam formats, but remember, true success lies in unleashing your own creativity.
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