The NID entrance exam consists of a Design Aptitude Test (DAT), which is made of the DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. Students who clear the Prelims exam are shortlisted for the Mains exam. NID DAT (Prelims) will be conducted in the first week of January 2023 and NID DAT (Mains) will be conducted in April / May 2023. Candidates have to clear both exams to be eligible for admission to these programs. For final admission at NID, the weightage of marks obtained in DAT Prelims is 30% and in DAT Mains is 70%.

NID DAT Prelims Exam Pattern:

The B.Des Prelims exam paper generally has 2 sections- Objective and Subjective questions.  The distribution of marks between the sections is usually- Objective = 40% and Subjective = 60%.

The topics covered in the  Objective section of the NID DAT Prelims exam are General Knowledge & Current Affairs, Numerical & Logical Ability, History of Art, Elements & Principles of Design, Color Theory, English Language and Comprehension, and Basic understanding of Science.

The topics covered in the Subjective section of the NID DAT Prelims exam are Visual Sensitivity, Form Sensitivity, Object Drawing, Sketching, Problem Identification & Solving, Creative Thinking, Visual Communication, Sequential Drawing,  and Creative Writing.

The M.Des DAT Prelims paper is split into 2 parts- Common DAT and Discipline Specific DAT. The Common DAT is common for all 19 disciplines. The Discipline Specific DAT section contains only questions based on the discipline chosen by the candidate. This paper is different for each of the 19 disciplines for M.Des at NID. Candidates can choose to apply for up to 2 disciplines at the NID entrance exam.

NID DAT Mains Exam Pattern:

Candidates who score above the cut off marks in the DAT Prelims are shortlisted for the DAT Mains exam. The DAT Mains exam for B.Des is called a Studio Test which includes Observation skills tests, Sensory tests, Drawing & Sketching tests, 3D Model making tests, and Material handling tests.

The DAT Mains exam for M.Des is a discipline-specific studio test. The candidate will get questions on problem-solving, model making, sketching, and sensory tests from the disciplines they have chosen. For M.Des candidates, the studio test is followed by a personal interview, where they have to present their design portfolio.

For more detailed information, read our blog on NID Entrance Exam Pattern and Syllabus.