The National Institute of Design offers admission into all its design programmes based on the performance in two stages of NID DAT, which are Prelims and Mains. The NID DAT Mains 2026 will be conducted only for the candidates who cleared the NID DAT entrance exam, i.e., Prelims. As per the revised NID selection process, the NID DAT mains 2026 will have full weightage in the final selection of the candidates. The candidate's performance in the NID prelims will not be carried forward to the NID mains 2026 stage.
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NID DAT Mains 2026 will be held separately for B.Des and M.Des. NID DAT 2026 is conducted to assess the knowledge, skills and observation power of the aspiring candidates. Continue to read more about the NID DAT Mains 2026 for the design admission process.
| Particulars | NID DAT Mains Details |
|---|---|
NID DAT full form | National Institute of Design - Design Aptitude Test |
NID DAT Mains conducting body | National Institute of Design |
Exam mode of NID DAT Mains | Offline mode at NID Campuses |
Exam pattern of NID DAT Mains | Studio test and Personal interview |
NID DAT Mains will be applicable for | BDes and MDes programmes |
NID DAT exam dates 2026 for BDes mains and MDes mains will be released online. NID DAT Mains schedules for BDes and MDes programmes are provided below in separate tables for the convenience of the applicants.
| Particulars | NID DAT BDes Mains Dates (tentative) |
|---|---|
NID DAT Mains admit card release date for BDes | April 2026 |
NID DAT 2026 Mains exam date | April to May 2026 |
NID DAT Mains results for BDes | May 2026 |
Campus preference submission window dates | May 2026 |
Rechecking request for NID DAT Mains | May 2026 |
Seat allotment, payment of token fee and documents uploading | May 2026 |
NID BDes provisional offer letter | June 2026 |
NID BDes remaining semester fee payment dates | June 2026 |
| Particulars | NID DAT MDes Mains Dates (tentative) |
|---|---|
NID DAT Mains admit card release date for MDes | February 2026 |
NID DAT 2026 Mains exam date | March to April 2026 |
NID DAT Mains results for MDes | May 2026 |
Rechecking request for NID DAT Mains | May 2026 |
Seat allotment, payment of token fee and documents uploading | May 5, 2026 |
NID MDes provisional offer letter | May 26, 2026 |
NID MDes remaining semester fee payment dates | May 26-June 1, 2026 |
Candidates need to make a note that there is specific NID DAT eligibility 2026 for Mains. Aspiring candidates who have cleared the NID DAT entrance exam Prelims are only eligible to appear for NID DAT 2026 Mains exam based on their merit and score obtained.
The NID DAT syllabus 2026 for Mains is provided for BDes and MDes courses based on the previous year as the NID syllabus officially will not be released. However candidates can go through the NID DAT Mains syllabus for BDes where the candidates need to prepare on model making, material manipulation, doodling, creative thinking, audio-visual exercises, guidance on portfolio making etc. The NID DAT Mains syllabus for MDes will be of model making, creative thinking, doodling, material manipulation, audio-visual exercises, etc.
Provided below is the NID DAT 2026 exam pattern for Mains exam for BDes and MDes programmes.
Programmes | NID DAT Mains exam pattern 2026 |
|---|---|
For BDes |
|
For MDes |
|
The National Institute of Design will release the NID DAT Mains admit card 2026 online at admissions.nid.edu. The NID DAT admit card 2026 for Mains will be released for BDes and MDes programmes separately based on the schedule. Candidates should use their allotted login credentials to view and download the NID DAT 2026 admit card Mains.
The NID DAT Mains admit card 2026 is an important document that needs to be carried to the exam centre on the day of examination. The NID DAT admit card release dates for Mains exam are as follows.
| Particulars | NID DAT Mains Dates 2026 |
|---|---|
NID DAT Mains admit card release date - BDes | April 2026 |
NID DAT Mains admit card release date - MDes | February 2026 |
Aspirants appearing for the NID DAT MDes Mains schedule can check the tentative dates provided below. However, based on the schedule, the authorities will release the NID DAT MDes Mains schedule for each discipline in online mode at admissions.nid.edu.
| Discipline | Registration Time | Studio Test Dates | Interview Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
Strategic design management | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Textile design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Lifestyle accessory design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Toy and game design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Animation film design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Apparel design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Furniture and interior design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Photography design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Transportation and automobile design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Film and video communication | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Ceramic design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Product design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
New media design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Graphic design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Interaction design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Information design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Universal design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Design for retail experience | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Digital game design | March 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
The NID DAT 2026 results for Mains of BDes and MDes programmes will be declared at the official web portal of NID - admissions.nid.edu. Candidates should use their login credentials to view and download the NID DAT 2026 Mains results. The NID DAT Mains result dates for BDes and MDes are provided in the table below.
| Particulars | NID DAT Mains Result Dates |
|---|---|
NID DAT Mains result date - BDes | May 2026 |
NID DAT Mains result date - MDes | May 2026 |
Particulars | Weightage in Final Selection |
|---|---|
Prelims | No weightage in final selection. Qualifying exam for mains |
Mains | Studio sensitivity test - 60% In-person sensitivity test - 40% |
Particulars | Weightage in Final Selection |
|---|---|
Prelims | No weightage in final selection. Qualifying exam for mains |
Mains | Studio test - 40% Interview - 60% |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The NID DAT B.Des admit card was released on April 9, 2026 and the NID M.Des mains admit card was released on Feburary 24, 2026.
Candidates can check the NID DAT mains schedule on the official website - admissions.nid.edu.
Candidates who have scored the minimum qualifying marks in the NID prelims will be considered for NID mains.
On Question asked by student community
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