The National Institute of Design (NID) Entrance Exam is one of the most prestigious design entrance exams in India. It’s known for its rigorous assessment of creativity, design aptitude, and problem-solving skills. Many aspiring designers wonder if coaching is necessary to clear this exam. Let’s delve into this question from various perspectives to help you make an informed decision.

Important Dates for NID DAT 2025

	B.Des	M.Des
Application Start Date	September 3, 2024	September 3, 2024
Last Date to Apply (without late fee)	December 3, 2024, until 4 PM	December 3, 2024, until 4 PM
Correction Window	December 4 to 9, 2024	1600 hrs. December 4 to 1600 hrs. December 9, 2024
Admit Card Prelims	1600 hrs.December 24, 2024	1600 hrs.December 24, 2024
NID DAT Prelims Exam	January 5, 2025	January 5, 2025
Prelims Result Announcement	1600 hrs. April 1, 2025	1600 hrs. Monday, 17 February 2025
Rechecking request for DAT Prelims	1800 hrs. Tuesday, 01 April 2025 to 1600 hrs. Wednesday, 02 April 2025	1800 hrs. Monday, 17 February 2025 to 1600 hrs. Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Admit Card Mains	1600 hrs. Monday, 14 April 2025	1600 hrs. Monday, 24 February 2025
NID DAT Mains Exam	April 26 to May 4, 2025	1600 hrs. Monday, 24 February 2025
DAT Mains Result Announcement	May 16, 2025	1600 hrs. Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Window for submission of Campus Preference	1600 hrs Friday, 16 May 2025 to 1600 hrs	NA
Rechecking Request for DAT Mains	1600 hrs. Friday, 16 May 2025 to 1600 hrs. Saturday, 17 May 2025	1600 hrs. Tuesday, 06 May 2025 to 1600 hrs. Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Seat Allotment, Payment of Token Fees & Uploading of Documents	1600 hrs Tuesday, 27 May 2025 to 1600 hrs. Friday, 30 May 2025	1600 hrs. Tuesday, 06 May 2025 to 1600 hrs. Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Provisional Offer Letter	1600 hrs. Tuesday, 10 June 2025	1600 hrs. Tuesday, 20 May2025
Payment of Remaining Semester Fees	Between Wednesday 11 June 2024 to Monday, 16 June 2025	Between Tuesday, 20 – Monday, 26 May 2025
Subsequent Round of Seat Allotment	To be announced later	To be announced later
Physical Verification of Documents at the respective NIDs	To be announced by respective NID’s	NA

NID DAT Prelim Exam Pattern for BDes

2025 Pattern : DAT Prelim :40%, DAT Main: 60%

Duration: 3 hour

2024 Exam pattern:

NID Exam Pattern 2024	Type of Questions	No. of Questions
Part I	Objective	19
Part II	Subjective	5
Total		24

 

NID DAT Prelims 2025 Exam Pattern Highlights for MDes Admissions

Duration of exam: 2 hours and 30 minutes (for one discipline)

CDAT: 30-minute Discipline-specific test: 120 minutes,4 hours 30 minutes (for two disciplines)

CDAT: 30 minutes First discipline-specific test: 120 minutes,Second discipline-specific test: 120 minutes

Total marks: 100

2025 M.DES Pattern: DAT Prelims: 30%, Studio test: 40%, Interviews: 30%

NID Exam Pattern 2024	Type of Questions	Marks
Part I	Objective – 15 questions	20
Part II	Subjective	80
Total		100

No of candidates vs No of Seats

NID is one of the most prestigious institutions for design aspirants. The seat matrix and the reservation policy of the institution are updated every year. NID now has a total of 425 seats for BDes programme while a total of 347 seats are available for the MDes course.

Level of Difficulty:

This year, it is predicted that more than 6000 candidates will apply for the NID entrance exams. Since the institution offers only 425 (B.Des) & 347 (M.Des)  seats, the competition is intense. This increases the level of difficulty too.

Is coaching necessary for NID?

If you are a design aspirant, you have two options, either receive lessons from a coaching institute or depend on learning themselves. Both of these options are great. It’s how an individual prefers to learn. Some like preparing for exams themselves while others need enough help to understand concepts, and look out for coaching classes.

Self Learning:

Self-learning is a process in itself. A student needs to be highly motivated and dedicated to preparing for the entrance examination. A self-learner must also have the ability to conduct research and then find out appropriate content online. They also need to search for learning videos on youtube and watch them.

How can coaching from a good institute help?

Those who find it tough to learn on their own have the opportunity to look out for a good institute that can help them prepare well for the entrance examination.

Experienced Faculty:

When candidates seek admission for coaching, then they have access to expert faculty that help them understand concepts well. The faculty also includes NID alumni who share their experiences and learning techniques with aspirants.

Books and digital learning:

 Coaching institutes also help candidates with the right books to refer to and study from. Some coaching classes also have their online learning app which makes it easy for students to have access to study material anywhere and at any time.

Concepts made clear:

If candidates need an explanation on a particular concept and want to clarify doubts, the expert faculty is always available to help aspirants stay doubt free and avoid confusion about concepts.

Specially designed assignments and class tests:

A reputed coaching institute specially designs assignments and class tests for students to track their growth and understanding. The coaching institute through these test drives efficiency and improves the paper solving ability of students.

Previous years papers, Mock tests and feedbacks

Coaching institutes provide question papers from previous years, conduct mock tests, and then deliver feedback based on the performance of students. This facilitates students with full proof preparations for the NID entrance exam.

It all comes down to the ability of the aspirant. If you as an aspirant are good at studying on your own, you can go for self-learning, and if you need enough guidance to crack the NID entrance exam, you can apply for a coaching institute like Silica that offers quality coaching, study material, digital learning and much more.

Also Read: Admissions to NID 2021 – Applications, Eligibility Criteria, Pattern, Topics