NID DAT 2026 Prelims today for BDes, MDes admissions; paper timings, exam day guidelines

The National Institute of Design (NID) will conduct the Design Aptitude Test (DAT) 2026 prelims exam today, December 21, for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate design programmes offered by its institutes. The NID DAT 2026 prelims exam for BDes will be conducted from 10 am to 1 pm, while the MDes exam will be held from 10 am to 12:30 pm.

The NID DAT 2026 prelims exam will be conducted in pen-and-paper mode in a single shift across around 22 cities in India. Candidates who qualify for the prelims exam will be eligible to appear for the NID DAT 2026 mains.

Candidates must carry their NID DAT admit card 2026 along with a valid photo ID, such as an Aadhaar card, PAN card, driving licence, or voter ID, to the exam centre. The admit card can be downloaded from admissions.nid.edu.

The NID DAT Prelims 2026 question paper for BDes will be divided into two sections—part I and part II—and will include a total of 24-35 questions.

Also read NIFT 2026 registration begins, exam on February 8; NTA reduces fees, adds more test cities

The final result for BDes will be based on DAT mains performance, with 60% weightage for the Studio Sensitivity Test and 40% for the In-Person Sensitivity Test, while for MDes, the Studio Test will carry 40% weightage and the Interview 60%.

NID DAT 2026 exam day guidelines

Candidates can find the NID DAT 2026 exam day guidelines below.

• Ensure that your recent passport-sized, colour photograph is securely affixed to the NID admit card.
• Carry your NID DAT 2026 prelims admit card along with a valid original photo identity proof to the examination centre. Acceptable identity proofs include passport, driving license, voter ID card, PAN card, and an Aadhaar card.
• Regardless of the reason, candidates who arrive late at the examination centre will not be allowed inside after the gates are closed.
• Candidates must remain in their seats until the NID examination is over. Re-entry into the examination room after submitting the answer sheet is not permitted.
• Any instance of impersonation or attempted malpractice detected at any stage will lead to the disqualification of the candidate and may also result in appropriate legal action.

Candidates are not allowed to carry prohibited items into the examination hall, including mobile phones, calculators, watch calculators, alarm clocks, digital watches with built-in calculators, memory devices, or any electronic or smart devices.