NMIMS DAT Syllabus 2026 (Part A & B), Section-wise Syllabus Details

NMIMS DAT 2026 Syllabus-Overview

The NMIMS DAT syllabus 2026 serves as a guide for the design candidates, detailing the topics that will be covered in the NMIMS entrance exam. The exam will be divided into two parts: Part A, which lasts for 20 minutes, and Part B, which spans 40 minutes. Candidates are required to take both parts of the exam.

NMIMS DAT 2026 Syllabus

The NMIMS School of Design will implement the modifications if required to the syllabus and examination format for the NMIMS DAT entrance tests. According to the NMIMS DAT exam pattern of the previous years, the test paper will be divided into two sections - Part A and Part B. The syllabus for NMIMS DAT 2026 Paper-I is specified as below.

The NMIMS DAT 2026 syllabus is designed to help candidates understand the topics that are covered in the entrance exam. The exam is divided into two parts: Part A and Part B.

Part A:

• This part of the NMIMS DAT is a design aptitude studio test that evaluates the candidate’s ability to think creatively and devise unique solutions.

• It consists of 50 multiple-choice questions (1 mark each) that test the candidate’s environmental and social awareness, logical reasoning, and observational and memory skills.

• The duration of Part A is 20 minutes.

Part B:

• This part of the test is a design challenge that assesses the candidate’s problem-solving and sketching skills.

• Part-B consists of 2 questions and each question carries 25 marks.

• Candidates must bring a pencil (HB/2B, 4B/6B), erasers, sharpener, sketch pens, and colour pencils for this part of the test. Cartridge paper of A3 size is required.

• The use of a scale is strictly prohibited in the studio test/design challenge.

• The duration of Part B is 40 minutes.

NMIMS DAT Syllabus 2026:

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Guidelines for Portfolio Preparation for NMIMS DAT 2026

The NMIMS School of Design also outlines the specific process for portfolio preparation for the NMIMS DAT entrance exam. Here are the guidelines to be followed when preparing for the NMIMS DAT portfolio:

The portfolio should have at least minimum of 5 pages. The pages should be named as follows:

• Page 1: Candidate Choice

• Page 2: Candidate Choice

• Page 3: Candidate Choice

• Page 4: Product Sketching

• Page 5: Rapid Sketching

Contents of the portfolio:

The portfolio is mainly to showcase the candidate’s hand skills. They should be the candidate’s best work.

• Page 1, 2, 3: The candidate can choose any work that they want to display, such as perspective/nature drawing/sketches, painting, photography, or photographs of a model/sculpture that they have made. (Any of these categories is fine)

• Page 4: Product Sketching (MUST HAVE). These are sketches that take time and capture the details of the product. Some examples are given in the reference section below.

• Page 5: Rapid Sketching (MUST HAVE). These are sketches that capture the essence of the figure, nature, action, etc. They are not detailed and sketching process is quick. Some examples are given in the reference section below.

References:

• Product Sketching

• Rapid Sketches

Disclaimer: The above images are used as a reference and not for commercial value

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