NID DAT 2026 Admission Process: Rounds, Scores & Final Criteria

Registration for NID DAT 2026 closed on December 1, 2025, with the Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Prelims scheduled for December 21, 2025, across centres nationwide. Shortlisted aspirants will move to the DAT Mains (Studio & Interview) rounds in April–May 2026 at the National Institute of Design campuses, determining final admission into B.Des and M.Des programmes for the 2026-27 academic year. This article walks through each stage, scoring system, and final merit criteria for NID DAT aspiring designers.

Overview of NID DAT 2026 Admission Stages

The NID DAT 2026 Admission Process consists of two primary stages: Prelims and Mains.

1. DAT Prelims – Screening stage for shortlisting.
2. DAT Mains – Decisive assessment stage (studio tasks, interviews) that determines final ranking.

Prelims scores are used only for shortlisting to the Mains stage and do not count toward the final admission score for either programme.

Stage 1 — DAT Prelims: Screening and Shortlisting

The Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Prelims is a pen-and-paper test assessing core design thinking, visual perception, creativity, and analytical ability.

Key Features of DAT Prelims

• Conducted in multiple cities nationwide.
• Tests a mix of subjective and objective questions aimed at understanding creative ability, problem-solving, and observation skills.
• All aspirants for B.Des and M.Des write the same Prelims exam.

Shortlisting Criteria

• Candidates are shortlisted for the DAT Mains based on the Prelims merit.
• For the B.Des programme, approximately 1.5 times the total number of available seats in each category are called forward.
• For the M.Des programme, about 4.5 times the available seats per category are shortlisted.

A critical point in this process is that Prelims performance affects only shortlisting, not the final admission ranking.

Stage 2 — DAT Mains: In-Depth Creative Assessment

DAT Mains is the core stage that determines final admission ranking into design programmes. Only candidates shortlisted through Prelims attend Mains.

Components of DAT Mains

The structure differs slightly between B.Des and M.Des programmes.

For B.Des Admission:

• Studio Sensitivity Test: Hands-on tasks evaluating practical creativity, material handling, spatial reasoning, and design execution.
• In-Person Sensitivity Test: Face-to-face evaluation of thought process, communication, and discipline relevance.
• Final merit for B.Des is calculated with 60% weightage for the Studio Test and 40% for the In-Person Sensitivity Test.

For M.Des Admission:

• Studio Test: Creativity and practical problem-solving related to chosen design disciplines.
• Personal Interview: A deeper discussion on motivation, portfolio, design understanding, and discipline fit.
• The final score for M.Des candidates is combined as 40% from the Studio Test and 60% from the Interview.

Only candidates who appear in both parts of the DAT Mains are eligible for final merit ranking.

Also Check: NID DAT 2026 Qualifying Marks: Previous Year Cutoff and Score Analysis

NID DAT Merit List and Final Results

After completing both stages:

• Separate category-wise merit lists are prepared (General, GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, Overseas) based on performance in DAT Mains.
• Prelims scores are omitted from the final merit score calculation, aligning the final ranking purely with Mains performance.

Final results for the admission cycle will be published on admissions.nid.edu, with candidates required to log in to view their scores and ranks.

NID DAT 2026 Scoring Standards and Tie-Break Rules

For candidates with identical Mains scores, tie-break policies are applied according to the guidelines announced in the official admissions handbook. These policies ensure fair ranking across candidates with equivalent raw scores.

NID DAT 2026 Minimum Qualifying Thresholds

While final merit largely depends on comparative performance:

• For M.Des, minimum eligibility thresholds are often specified by category (e.g., candidates may need to meet a specific percentage in overall Mains marks to be considered for admission).
• These thresholds vary by category (such as Open, OBC-NCL, SC/ST/PwD) and are detailed in official handbook guidelines.

B.Des programmes do not always prescribe fixed numeric cut-offs; instead, admission is determined by performance relative to peers in Mains.

NID DAT 2026 Order of Preference and Seat Allotment

Candidates must specify campus and discipline preferences during the application or counselling stage. Seat allocation is then carried out in merit order and according to available seats in preferred programmes and campuses. If a candidate fails to submit preferences by the deadline during final allocation, that candidate may forfeit the admission opportunity, and the seat may be offered to the next eligible person in the category list.

Also Check: Top Colleges Accepting NID DAT Score 2026 in India

Official Publication of NID DAT 2026 Results

Results for Prelims, shortlists for Mains, and final selection lists will be released on the official NID admissions portal (admissions.nid.edu). No separate result notifications are issued offline or by post.

NID DAT 2026: Key Points to Remember

• Prelims scores only qualify candidates for Mains and are not factored into the final rank.
• Final admission is based on DAT Mains performance with different weightage for studio and interview assessments depending on the programme.
• Category-wise merit lists and tie-break rules govern final selection.
• Preferences and seat choices matter in final allotment.

Conclusion

The NID DAT 2026 admission process is a two-stage journey starting with the Prelims screening and culminating in a focused Mains assessment, where creative skills, process understanding, and communication shape final admission decisions. Understanding the rounds, scoring systems, and selection criteria enables aspirants to prepare effectively and approach each stage with clarity and purpose.