About National Institute of Design Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT) 2027-28
The National Institute of Design Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT) is the entrance assessment for design programmes at the National Institute of Design. Applications for the 2027–28 admission cycle are being handled through the official NID admissions portal. The portal currently lists 30 November 2026 as the application deadline for the integrated pathway/B.Des. and M.Des. programmes at NID Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Bengaluru, as well as M.Des. at NID Madhya Pradesh and Haryana. Candidates should check the portal for programme-specific notices and amendments.
| Exam detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | National Institute of Design Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT) |
| Admission cycle | 2027–28 |
| Conducting/admitting body | National Institute of Design (NID) |
| Programmes | B.Des./integrated design pathway and M.Des.; eligibility and selection are programme-specific |
| Official application portal | admissions.nid.edu/NIDA2027 |
| Application mode | Online through the official NID admissions portal |
| Application deadline currently shown | 30 November 2026; consult the portal for amendments and programme-specific applicability |
| Assessment stages | DAT Prelims followed by DAT Mains for shortlisted candidates; consult the 2027–28 handbook for the programme-specific format |
| Prelims/Mains dates | Not announced on the official portal page checked (11 October 2026) |
Eligibility criteria
NID publishes eligibility separately by programme in the relevant 2027–28 Admissions Handbook. For B.Des./undergraduate entry, applicants need the prescribed Class 12 or equivalent qualification; the qualifying stream, age cut-off and category relaxations must be checked against the current handbook. M.Des. applicants must meet the discipline-specific degree or other qualification requirements for their selected programme. The official portal also requires candidates seeking disability accommodations to submit the prescribed disability documentation; scribe and compensatory-time rules are governed by the portal and applicable guidelines. Do not rely on older-cycle age limits or eligibility summaries.
| Applicant group | Eligibility guidance |
|---|---|
| B.Des./undergraduate applicants | Class 12 or equivalent qualification as prescribed for the 2027–28 programme; check the current handbook for stream, age and category rules. |
| M.Des. applicants | Required degree/diploma and discipline prerequisites vary by M.Des. programme and campus; confirm them in that programme's handbook. |
| Applicants requesting accommodations | Upload the valid certificates specified on the official portal and follow its current instructions for compensatory time and scribe services. |
Application fees
The official announcement page checked for this update did not display a single NID DAT fee amount. Fees may differ by programme, applicant category and applicable payment/tax rules. Check the fee table in the relevant 2027–28 Admissions Handbook and the live application form before payment; the amount shown at checkout is authoritative. Application fees are subject to the official refund and correction policies.
| Fee item | 2027–28 guidance |
|---|---|
| Application fee | Confirm the current programme- and category-specific amount on the official NID portal; no amount was stated on the official announcement page checked. |
| Payment method | Use only the payment methods offered by the official application portal. |
Exam pattern and stages
The 2027–28 official application instructions identify DAT Prelims and DAT Mains; they also state that the Prelims includes a subjective part. Shortlisting and the subsequent assessment are governed by the relevant programme handbook. The official pages checked do not yet provide the complete current-cycle question distribution, duration, marks, weightage or marking scheme. Treat older paper formats as historical practice material, not as a specification for this cycle.
| Stage | What is confirmed | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| DAT Prelims | Preliminary assessment; the official 2027–28 portal refers to a subjective part. | Sections, question types, duration, marks, negative marking and shortlisting criteria in the current handbook. |
| DAT Mains | Further assessment for candidates shortlisted from Prelims. | Programme-specific task format, schedule, evaluation criteria and weightage. |
| Final admission | Selection and seat allocation follow the applicable NID programme and campus rules. | Merit list, category rules, seat matrix and admission schedule in official notices. |
Historical content note: IndCareer has legacy NID pages for syllabus, question papers, admit cards, answer keys and results in both WordPress and unified content. Older syllabus copy describes a written Prelims followed by a studio-test Mains, while archived paper links cover earlier years. This is retained as historical context only; current-cycle requirements and legacy URLs are routed to the relevant updated sections below.