NID Aptitude Test Syllabus 2026: Download Section-wise Important Topics

Summary: Explore as we delve deeper into the analysis of NID Aptitude Test Syllabus, its significance in the overall NID DAT exam 2026, proven strategies to crack this section and analysis of the Aptitude asked in the past 2 years. As a bonus, we share the exact list of subject-wise topics to focus on, prepared by industry experts.

For admission to NID, one of the top design colleges in the country, you need to pass a rigorous testing process. Candidates who score above the designated NID cut-off are allotted seats in B.Des and M.Des educational programs with specializations in high-demand core design courses like graphic design, communication design, product design, industrial design, etc.

The exam for entry to the institute is called the DAT (Design Aptitude Test). General Aptitude asked in the exam is one of the most important segments of DAT, apart from creative drawing.

It's important to note that NID has not released any official sources outlining or confirming their entrance exam syllabus. However, based on extensive analysis of past year questions and the NID-specific pattern of evaluation over the years, our experts have compiled subjects you should focus on the most.

So, if you are also wondering what to study for a design aptitude test, follow this post till the end. Here we discuss crucial topics from which questions are most likely to appear, and unmissable tips and strategies to prepare for the NID Aptitude Test Syllabus like a pro!

Download Free Study Material for NID 2026 by CreativeEdge

NID Aptitude Test Syllabus 2026: Overview

The Aptitude Test Syllabus for NID can be broken down into verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude and General Awareness. Refer to the table below for detailed breakdown on section-wise important topics.

Logical Reasoning			General awareness
Verbal	Non-Verbal	Quant	Current affairs + Static GK
Blood relation	Series	Ratio, Proportion	Science and Tech
Direction Sense	Analytical Reasoning / Figure Counting	Percentage	Current affairs
Seating Arrangement	Embedded Images	Profit and Loss	Indian Culture and Crafts
Character Puzzle	Paper folding/cutting	Simple Interest, Compound Interest	Modern and Medieval History
Analogy	Grouping of images	Average	Design Processes and Art Movements
Venn  Diagram	Image analysis	Work and Time	Indian Textiles and History
Syllogism	Analogy	Speed, Time, Distance	World Heritage Sites
Arithmetic Reasoning	Mirror images, Water images	Number Series	Architecture Styles and Marvels
Data Sufficiency	Pattern completion	Clocks and Calendars	Sports and Tournaments
Series Completion	Figure Matrix	Age, Relation	India & World Geography
Coding – Decoding	Dot Situation	Pipes & Cisterns	Awards and Recognition
Puzzle Test	Cubes and dice	Sets and Venn Diagrams	Brands and logos (taglines, ambassadors, etc.)
Alphabet Test	Classification	Probability	Renowned Films, Actors, and Directors
Order & Ranking	Rule detection	Permutations and Combinations	Famous Design Personalities
Mathematical Operations	Deviation of Figure		Basic knowledge of Ministries and Think Tanks
Cause & Effect	Construction of Shapes, Squares & Triangles

For more detailed syllabus with types of questions for each topic, refer NID Aptitude Test Syllabus PDF Download.

Also, go through NID GAT Important Questions PDF for a question-level understanding of the NID Aptitude Test Syllabus

Structure of NID Aptitude Test 2026: Format, Duration & Timing

Entrance to NID includes preparing and appearing for the NID DAT exam, which is conducted in two stages. NID Prelims and NID Mains.

While NID Prelims is designed to evaluate students’ creative skills, plus general aptitude and awareness, NID Mains gauge their design-thinking and problem-solving capacity.

The NID DAT Prelims exam pattern is given below:

Particulars	Description
Exam Duration	3 hours
Mode of exam	Offline, pen & paper Exam
Maximum Questions	26
Type of Question	3 hours
Mode of exam	Offline
Maximum Marks	100
Type of Question	Objective and Subjective type questions
Language	English

The NID DAT Mains exam pattern is given below:

Particulars	Description
Duration of the exam	3 hours
Maximum Marks	100
Language of the exam	English

Check: Complete NID GK Syllabus

NID Prelims paper can be branched into two sections:

Creative Aptitude Test (CAT) and General Aptitude Test (GAT). Although the weightage of GAT questions is rather less when compared to CAT. It still covers around 19-20 questions (approx. 25% of total marks) in the exam.

Hence, you should plan your exam preparation strategy accordingly. Because if creative drawing is not one of your strongest suits, smart performance in this section can improve your overall score.

Resource:  NID Preparation Books 2026 recommended by toppers and experts.

NID Aptitude Test Syllabus 2026 Based on Past Year Papers:

Following are our exclusive insights after an in-depth analysis of the aptitude section from past two years:

1. The General aptitude section included 19 questions from verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and mainly on general awareness. The difficulty level was easy to moderate.

2. Most of the objective-type questions were image-based and required the candidate to have sound observation and visualization skills. Specially for questions involving mirror images, folding and unfolding of structures, top view/side view and counting the shapes.

3. There were no questions on Quant.

Read more:  Best study timetable to enhance your NID preparation

Preparation Strategies for NID Aptitude Test Syllabus 2026

1. Devise a Timetable- Break the NID Aptitude Test syllabus down based on manageable daily and weekly targets. Revisit it to keep a tab on your progress. In case you find a topic particularly difficult in your mock tests, increase the amount of time you spend practicing it every day.

2. Schedule Regular Reading- Apart from preparing for static NID GK Syllabus 2026, also keep a close tab on important global affairs and developments in the world of design.

3. Study Strategically- Identify your weak areas and prioritize to perfect those. Allocate comparatively more time to revise such topics and solve as many problems on them as possible.

4. Take Mocks and Practice Exams- It's highly advisable to take up periodic practice tests, irrespective of the status of your preparation. These tests are designed to mimic exam-like question papers and time conditions. The more sample tests you attend, the better you'll understand the exam pattern and your own strengths and weaknesses. And in turn, you will also be better equipped to recognize the amount of time you can afford to contribute to each section.

For example: By solving frequent NID mock tests, you discover that it takes you more time to tackle quant questions than all other sections, you can plan to address them accordingly.

5. Refer Past Year Papers- By solving aptitude problems from NID previous year question papers, you can familiarize yourself with the key topics and difficulty level of questions asked from each in the NID Aptitude Test Syllabus. Plus, as you apply your understanding of the topics to solve questions asked in your target exam previously, you can improve your memory retention as well.

6. Revise the basics, formulas, shortcuts, and tricks on a routine basis.

7. Make separate notes for English vocabulary, idioms etc. so that you can quickly go through them during revision all at once.

Refer: Important dates related to the NID exam 2026.

Common Mistakes to Avoid while Preparing for NID Aptitude Test Syllabus 2026

1. Not focusing on understanding the concepts and trying to memorize things. As a result, you might fail to solve uncommon or more complex versions of the same question.

2. Use of multiple books, study material, or online platforms might end up confusing you. Instead identify a good reliable source of comprehensive NID exam study material and focus on practicing as much as you can. 

3. You may be attempting every single mock at your disposal, but if you do not analyse your performance at the micro level, you might fail to identify and fill your knowledge gaps.

Read more: NID Exam Day Instructions

Conclusion

NID requires that the candidates who wish to pursue design should have general competence to solve real-world, complex design problems and not just subject specific knowledge. It wants to asses the potential of a candidate for different advanced career positions and design educational programs.

Plus, practicing and developing general aptitude skills can not only help you crack highly competitive exams like NID but can also help improve your overall decision-making and cognitive skills.

Now that you have all the required details of the NID Aptitude Test syllabus 2026, you can start your preparation with confidence.

Read more: Time Management Tips for NID 2026