NID Eligibility Criteria 2026 (B.Des & M.Des ): Age Limit & Educational Requirements

Summary: The DAT exam, conducted by NID, is a highly coveted entrance exam among design aspirants. Discover the NID eligibility requirements for appearing for the DAT exam in 2026. 

Download Free Study Materials for NID 2026 by CreativeEdge

The National Institute of Design (NID) conducts an entrance exam called the Design Aptitude Test (DAT) every year for admissions into its undergraduate (B.Des) & post-graduate (M.Des) design programs. B.Des is offered at NID Ahmedabad, NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Haryana, NID Madhya Pradesh and NID Assam. While, M.Des is offered at NID Ahmedabad and its extension campuses at Gandhinagar and Bangalore.

Each year the institute conducts an entrance exam in the first week of January. It is a highly competitive exam, with over 20,000 students appearing for it. Only those candidates are eligible for NID who fulfil certain age and educational requirements depending upon their nationality and social category. Before applying for the NID exam in 2026, it's important to understand and meet the eligibility for NID entrance exam. If you do not meet the criteria, you may be disqualified and refrained from appearing for the exam at any stage even after registration.

Let's have a detailed look at the NID Eligibility for M.Des & B.Des aspirants in 2026, irrespective of your preferred design specialization. 

NID Entrance Exam Eligibility Criteria for UG Admissions 2026

If you’re planning to appear for the NID DAT (Design Aptitude Test) 2026 for undergraduate admissions, it’s crucial to check whether you meet all the eligibility requirements before applying.

The NID DAT eligibility for B.Des defines the age limit, educational qualifications, and category-wise relaxations that candidates must satisfy to be eligible for the Bachelor of Design (B.Des) programme offered at NID campuses across India - Ahmedabad, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam.

Keep reading for the complete breakdown of the NID DAT Eligibility Criteria for UG Admissions 2026

NID Eligibility Criteria 2026 for B.Des

The Bachelor of Design (B.Des) program is a 4-year course offered by NID (National Institute of Design) to train students and make them job ready in high-paying design fields like Product Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, etc. For this program, the NID age limit and educational qualifications are an important criterion, as every year, the NID conducts a Design Aptitude Test (DAT) for young, talented students appearing or qualifying their high school to gain admission to one of India's most prestigious and premium design institutes.

Following is the table with details about age related eligibility for NID entrance exam as per the candidate's social category:

NID Age Limit for UG- Eligibility for NID Entrance Exam 2026

Category	NID DAT 2026 Age Limit for B.Des
General or General-EWS Category	Candidates must be born on or after July 1, 2005
Reserved Category - OBC-NCL, SC, ST	Candidates must be born on or after July 1, 2002
PwD Category	Candidates must be born on or after July 1, 2000
Foreign Nationals - Overseas (Supernumerary) Category	Candidates must be born on or after July 1, 2005

FREE Resource: After confirming your eligibility for NID entrance exam, start preparing with a super useful DIY NID Preparation Tracker + complete subject-wise NID Syllabus created by CreativeEdge expert mentors and used by previous years' NID toppers.

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Learn more: Important questions with answers for the NID CAT exam

NID Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Educational Qualification

The Candidates who meet the NID exam eligibility criteria, such as completing their 10 + 2 (Higher Secondary) from AISSCE / IB / ICSE or any recognized board during the academic year 2025, will be eligible to apply for NID. 

Some of the examinations that are considered identical to class 12 are as follows:

• A central or state board recognized by the Association of Indian Universities conducts the final examination of the 10 + 2 system—aiuweb.org.
• A board or university recognized by the Association of Indian Universities conducts an Intermediate or 2-year Pre-University examination.
• The final year examination of the 2-year course at the Joint Services Wing of the National Defence Academy (N.D.A.).
• The National Institute of Open Schooling conducts senior secondary school examinations with at least five subjects.
• An examination conducted by any public school, board, or university in India or a foreign country that is recognized as equivalent to the 10 + 2 system by the A.I.U.
• H.S.C. vocational examination.
• The advanced (A) level of the general certificate education (G.C.E.) examination (London, Cambridge, or Sri Lanka)
• Cambridge University conducts a high school certificate examination or International Baccalaureate Diploma at the International Baccalaureate Office, Geneva.
• Candidates who have completed their 10+2 or equivalent examination from outside India or from a board or university not specified in the above list must compulsorily submit a certificate from the Association of Indian Universities.

NID Eligibility - Year of Passing and Result Submission Deadline

• Candidates appearing for their Class 12 (or equivalent) examination in 2026 must pass in the first attempt.
• The final Class 12 marksheet must be submitted on or before 15 July 2026.
• If a candidate fails to submit the marksheet or has any backlog/compartment/supplementary, the admission will be cancelled and fees forfeited.

Check: NID Exam Pattern

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NID B.Des Eligibility 2026 for Overseas Candidates

Foreign candidates holding citizenship in a country other than the Republic of India are eligible to apply under the Overseas (supernumerary) category, provided they fulfil all the eligibility for NID entrance exam
mentioned in the official UCEED admissions handbook. 

• Candidates under the Overseas (supernumerary) category fall outside the seats reserved for the GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST and PwD categories. Such candidates cannot avail the facility of age-relaxation, scribe, etc. as per the official information available on eligibility for NID entrance exam.
• Candidates under the Overseas (supernumerary) category must pay the fees as per the Overseas fees structure. 
• Candidates holding OCI and PIO cards must apply only under the Overseas (supernumerary) category.  
• Candidates must possess a valid passport. When applying online, the candidate must ensure that the passport is current (not expired). 
• Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) holding an Indian passport are not eligible to apply under the Overseas (supernumerary) category and must apply as Indian nationals. 
• Before the commencement of the programme, the candidate will be responsible for obtaining a student visa for the entire programme at NID, which is an essential step before experiencing the vibrant life at NID.

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NID DAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 - PG Admissions

NID eligibility for PG requires candidates to apply to a maximum of 2 disciplines. Once the application for any discipline is received, you can't change it. In other words, after receiving the application, you cannot apply or transfer to any other discipline at any stage of application or admission or during the course.

NID Eligibility Criteria 2026 for M.Des

The Master of Design M.Des is a 2.5-year Master's program at the National Institute of Design (NID). For the NID Mdes eligibility criteria program, every year, NID Ahmedabad, NID Bengaluru, and NID Gandhinagar campus conduct a Design Aptitude Test (DAT) for the young, talented students to get admission in one of the prestigious and premium Design Institute of India.

Below are the NID eligibility criteria that must be fulfilled by all the candidates applying for the Master of Design (M.Des) program through the NID entrance exam.

NID Age Limit - NID Eligibility for PG 2026 

Category	NID DAT 2024 Age Limit for MDes
General Category	Candidates must be born on or after July 1, 1993
Reserved Category - OBC-NCL, SC & ST	Candidates must be born on or after July 1, 1990
PwD Category	Candidates must be born on or after July 1, 1988
Foreign Nationals in Overseas (Supernumerary) Category	Candidates must be born on or after July 1, 1993

Learn more: NID Free Mock Test Series by Creative Edge

NID Eligibility Criteria 2026 M.Des - Educational Qualification

The following conditions are what the candidates have to fulfill before applying for the Master of Design Program.

• Bachelor's Degree of minimum 4-year duration in any specialization, after 12th standard or equivalent to 12th standard from any university and/or institute recognised by the law in India. 
• Full-time Diploma of minimum 4-year duration in Design/Arts/Architecture, after 12th standard or equivalent to 12th standard, from a university and/or institute recognised by the law in India. 
• Bachelor's Degree of minimum 3-year duration in any specialization, after 12th standard or equivalent to 12th standard from a university and/or institute recognised by the law in India. 

Things to Note:

• The candidate must obtain an Equivalence Certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (A.I.U.), New Delhi, before admission (website: www.aiuweb.org) if the candidate has obtained the degree/certificate from any University/ Board of any foreign country.
• The candidate must have appeared for any of the subjects and backlogs (if any) of the Bachelor's degree Examination by 30 June 2025.

NID Eligibility Criteria 2026 for M.Des Overseas Category

Candidates with citizenship in any country other than the Republic of India can apply for this examination under the overseas candidates' category. In the B.Des (Bachelor of Design) and M.Des (Master of Design) programs, overseas candidates hold 15% of the extra seats that the NID allots, and they are also required to participate in the NID counselling process.

•  The Non-Residents of India (N.R.I.s) candidates only have to apply as citizens of India. 
• The candidates hold a foreign passport with a valid P.I.O. (Person of Indian Origin) or O.C.I. (Overseas Citizen of India) status can apply under any category, i.e., the 'Indian' or 'Overseas' category. The candidates applying under the overseas category have to pay fees equivalent to foreign citizens only; if they use under the Indian category students, they have to pay costs equal to Indian citizens. 
• The overseas candidates can only apply online for the B.Des (Bachelor of Design) or M.Des programs. The official website for admission in this category is admissions.nid.edu. 
• Candidates who opt for the overseas category can only take the Design Aptitude Test (DAT) at the Ahmedabad campus. The stage 2 and 3 examinations follow the DAT. 
•  The NID Admit cards will be available for download at the official website, and the candidate will be responsible for taking a print of the same. 

Quick Summary – NID DAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 (UG & PG)

Eligibility Criteria	B.Des (UG Admissions)	M.Des (PG Admissions)
Programme Name	Bachelor of Design (B.Des)	Master of Design (M.Des)
Exam Conducted	NID DAT (UG) 2026 – Design Aptitude Test	NID DAT (PG) 2026 – Design Aptitude Test
Participating Campuses	NID Ahmedabad, NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Haryana, NID Madhya Pradesh, NID Assam	NID Ahmedabad, NID Gandhinagar, NID Bengaluru
Minimum Educational Qualification	Must have passed or be appearing for Class 12 (10+2) exam in 2025–26 in any stream (Science, Commerce, Arts, Humanities) from a recognized board (CBSE, ICSE, IB, State Board, etc.)	Must have a Bachelor’s degree (minimum 3 years) in any discipline from a recognized institute or university (as per UGC Act, 1956)
NID Eligibility Criteria Before Admissions	Eligible, provided they pass Class 12 in the first attempt and submit marksheet by 15 July 2026	Eligible, provided they clear all semesters by 28 June 2026 and submit degree/marksheets by 31 July 2026
Age Limit (General Category)	Born on or after 1 July 2005	Born on or after 1 July 1994
Age Limit (OBC-NCL, SC, ST)	Born on or after 1 July 2002	Born on or after 1 July 1991
Age Limit (PwD Category)	Born on or after 1 July 2000	Born on or after 1 July 1989
Age Limit (Overseas Candidates)	Born on or after 1 July 2005	Born on or after 1 July 1994
Proof of Eligibility	Class 10 Certificate for DOB proof, Class 12 Marksheet	Degree Certificate / Provisional Certificate / AIU Equivalence (for foreign degrees)

Check: NID Exam day Instructions

Documents Required for NID Admission 2026

The candidates should have the original documents and the attested copies for proof of NID eligibility -

• The candidates have to submit the Attested copy of their Passport.
• In the case of B.Des candidates, the certified copies of S.S.C. and H.S.C mark sheets.
• To fulfill NID M.Des eligibility criteria, candidates will need the attested copies of mark sheets of S.S.C., H.S.C., completed years of graduation along with degree certificate / provisional certificate/passing certificate.
• If the candidate is from the Association of Indian Universities (A.I.U.), an equivalence certificate must be produced before NID admissions in 2026.

Note:

1. For the B.Des (Bachelor of Design) and M.Des (Master of Design) programs, the National Institute of Design (NID) allocates an additional 15% of seats specifically for overseas candidates.

2. Candidates must submit their student visas for the courses at NID before starting the Bachelor of Design (B.Des) or Masters of Design (M.Des) program.

3. The application will be cancelled if the selected candidates cannot pay the required fees or submit the relevant documents before registration.

4. The seats that are left vacant will not be converted into any other category and will eventually be invalid for any category student.

Why is it Important to Know the NID Eligibility Criteria 2026?

The NID Eligibility criteria for both B.Des and M.Des is important to understand if you are considering to apply for the National Institute of Design's graduate or post-graduate programs. Failing to meet all the official requirements might lead to disqualification at any stage of the NID admissions process even after successful registration.

These are carefully designed conditions by the institute that include a combination of factors like the role being filled, skill requirements for the role, legal mandates, and even aspects related to NID placements to keep it all fair for the applicants.

By reviewing your eligibility for NID entrance exam, you can better understand your chances of being accepted into the NID and which courses best suit your skills and interests.

Learn more: Previous year exam analysis for NID entrance exam

NID Entrance Exam 2026 Overview

The NID entrance exam 2026 will be conducted in 2 stages: 

• Stage 1:- NID DAT (Prelims) - Pen & paper-based written test  
• Stage 2:- NID DAT (Mains) - Studio Test & Interview 

The conducting body imposes NID exam eligibility requirements for every student who intends to take the NID entrance exam. The NID Eligibility Criteria will be based on the various parameters that are: 

• Nationality
• Age
• Qualification

Particulars	Details
Exam Name	NID Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT) 2026
Conducting Body	National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad
Courses Offered	Bachelor of Design (B.Des) and Master of Design (M.Des)
Exam Level	National-level entrance examination
Exam Stages	For B.Des: Stage 1 – DAT Prelims (GAT + CAT written paper) Stage 2 – DAT Mains (Studio Test & In-person Sensitivity Test) For M.Des: Stage 1 – DAT Prelims (GAT + CAT written paper) Stage 2 – DAT Mains (Studio Test + Interview)
Mode of Exam	Offline
Medium of Instruction	English
Exam Frequency	Once a year
Purpose of Exam	To evaluate creativity, visualization, design aptitude, and problem-solving skills of aspirants
Participating Campuses (B.Des)	NID Ahmedabad, NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Haryana, NID Madhya Pradesh, NID Assam
Participating Campuses (M.Des)	NID Ahmedabad, NID Gandhinagar, NID Bengaluru
Official Website	https://admissions.nid.edu
NID 2026 Exam Dates	DAT Prelims – 21 December 2025 DAT Mains – To be announced (2026)
Result Declaration	B.Des DAT Prelims Result – 7th April 2026 M.Des DAT Prelims Result – 17th February 2026
NID Eligibility Requirement	Candidates must meet the age and educational criteria as mentioned above
Selection Process	Prelims scores will only help qualify for Mains. It will not be counted in the final result.  i.e. NID DAT Prelims weightage in final result - 0% Only Mains marks will be counted while preparing the merit list.

Learn more: NID 2025 Sample Papers

NID FREE Study Material for 2026 Prep

FREE NID Study Material Name	Link
NID Study Material for Drawing	Click Here
NID Study Material for Quantitative Aptitude	Click Here
NID Study Material for Verbal Reasoning	Click Here
NID Study Material for Non-verbal Reasoning	Click Here
NID Study Material for Verbal Ability	Click Here
NID Study Material for General Awaraness	Click Here
NID Study Material for UCEED Aptitude	Click Here

Learn more: NID 2026 Syllabus

Conclusion

Getting into NID is tough but it's a gateway to amazing careers in design. If you meet the NID eligibility criteria, and got the skills, passion and a strong portfolio, NID is the perfect launching point for your career in design. 

With the right attitude and impressive design work, you can build a successful future in the design industry.

Preparing for NID 2026? We can help you with exact strategic roadmap, study material and crucial feedback required to ace this exam.

Join CreativEdge, India’s leading NID online coaching and get expert guidance on all NID 2026 subjects. Reach us at 6363286363.