NID Exam 2025: Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Eligibility Criteria & Exam Schedule [Check Complete Details]

Author : Palak Khanna

Updated On : March 12, 2024

SHARE

Summary: Dive in now to be the first to mark your calendar with "NID exam 2025 important dates" released by the National Institute of Design for 2025Prepare in advance to unlock your door to a brighter design career by starting your preparations early! 

As thousands eagerly await this pivotal moment in the design aspirants' calendar, we bring you the first glance at the schedule. The National Institute of Design (NID) Exam is a national-level design entrance examination in India.

It is conducted by the National Institute of Design for admission into its various undergraduate and postgraduate design courses at campuses across India, offering students the opportunity to pursue a career in fields such as product design, graphic design, animation, and more.

This post shall guide you through detailed information about NID Exam 2025 to stay ahead and plan your preparation accordingly!

Table of Content

Important NID Exam 2025 Updates:

  • Don't miss out on the NID 2025 Exam calendar!! The NID application process is already in full swing. Know the NID DAT prelims and Mains dates by scrolling below. 

What is the NID Exam 2025?

All about the NID Entrance Exam:

The NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT) is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the National Institute of Design to provide admission to design UG and PG programs.

  • Bachelor of Design (B.Des - 4 Years) is offered at NID Ahmedabad, NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Haryana, NID Madhya Pradesh and NID Assam. 
  • Master of Design (M.Des - 2.5 Years) is offered at NID Ahmedabad (and its extension campuses at Gandhinagar and Bengaluru).

NID Full Form: National Institutes of Design

NID Exam 2025 Highlights

Particulars NID Entrance Exam Details
Exam name National Institute of Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT)
Conducting Body NID
Exam frequency Once a year
Exam purpose Admission to Design courses offered by NIDS and some private colleges
Courses offered BDes, MDes
Application fee INR 3,000 
Exam duration 3 hours
Official website https://admissions.nid.edu

NID Exam 2025 Dates & Schedule

When is NID entrance exam 2025?

The National Institute of Design will release the official notification & brochure for the NID 2025 exam on its official website around October – November 2025. 

The entrance exam is conducted in two stages:

  • DAT Prelims
  • DAT Mains

There are two sections included in the Prelims exam, i.e., 

  • Creative Ability Test (CAT) 
  • General Aptitude Test (GAT) 

The prelims examination is a pen and paper-based written test. 

In the Mains exam, there will be a - 

  • Studio test and 
  • Personal interview 

NID 2025 Exam Dates (For Reference)

Check out the table below to know all the important events related to the NID Exam 2025. NID DAT exam date is provided below:

Events NID Exam Dates 2025 (Announced)
Release of NID 2025 Notification To be notified
The NID 2025 application process starts from To be notified
Last date for submitting NID Online Application Form To be notified
The last date for submitting the NID Application Form with the late fee To be notified
Application correction window To be notified
NID admit card download begins for NID DAT Prelims To be notified
NID DAT Prelims Exam/ NID BDes exam date 2025 To be notified
Declaration of NID DAT Prelims Results To be notified
Rechecking request for DAT prelims To be notified
Download the NID DAT Mains Exam Admit Card To be notified
NID DAT Mains Exam/ NID 2025 Exam Date To be notified
NID DAT 2025 Mains Result To be notified
Window for submission of Campus Preference To be notified
Rechecking request for DAT Mains To be notified
Seat Allotment, Payment of Token Fees and Uploading of documents To be notified
Provisional offer letter To be notified
Payment of remaining fees To be notified
Subsequent rounds of seat allotment, along with the payment of full fees To be notified
Physical verification of documents at the respective NIDs To be announced later by the respective NIDs

Check: NID 2025 Admission

NID Exam 2025 Eligibility Criteria

Only those who will satisfy the criteria set by the exam conducting body are eligible to apply for the exam.

Your candidature will get cancelled if you do not satisfy the Eligibility Criteria for NID Exam 2025

Check out the detailed criteria for age and qualification from the post below.

NID Aptitude Test - Age Limit

  • As per the official notification, Indian Nationals belonging to the general category and general EWS category must have been born on or after 01 July 2004, whereas those belonging to the SC/ST/OBC-NCL category must have been born on or after 01 July 2001 to apply for the NID entrance exam. 
  • If you belong to the PwD category, you must have been born on or after 01 July 1999 to be eligible for admission.
  • For Foreign nationals in the overseas category, only those candidates born or after 1 July 2004 are eligible to apply for admission.

Educational Qualification

  • You must have completed the final examination of 10+2 or equivalent from a recognized board (AISSE/ICSE/CBSE) to be eligible for the exam. 
  • Those appearing for the higher secondary examination in the academic year 2025 can also apply for the NID DAT exam.
  • Applications for the academic year 2025-26 are open to candidates who have passed or will appear for higher secondary (10+2) qualifying examinations in any stream (Science, Arts, Commerce, Humanities etc.) from any recognized board of education such as CBSE, IB, ICSE or equivalent. 

Visit the respective official website of each campus to learn about the NID Ahmedabad entrance exam.

Check: How is Life at NID?

How to Apply for NID 2025?

The entire application process for NID DAT 2025 is only done online.

There are four stages involved in the NID application process, i.e., online registration, filling out the application form, uploading documents, and paying the application fee.

  • Visit the official website of NID, i.e. www.nid.edu.
  • Click on the "New Registration" tab.
  • Provide a valid mobile number, email ID, and Date of birth, and click on the submit button.
  • After registration, login credentials will be emailed to the registered email ID and mobile number.
  • Re-login to the portal using the credentials received after registration.
  • Fill out the application form by entering all the details correctly. 
  • Upload all the necessary documents in the specified format.
  • Pay the application fee either online or offline mode. 

Check: NID 2025 Application Form

NID Coaching

NID Coaching

NID Admission Process 2025

NID 2025 Admission Process is a 2-tier procedure that includes Prelims and Mains. Qualifying both stages will result in making you eligible for sitting in counselling for admission into the desired NID. 

You can check out the detailed admission process in the post below.

Registration

  • You can only proceed with the application process if you satisfy the eligibility criteria. 
  • Ensure to keep all the required documents ready before proceeding with the process. 
  • You can pay the application fee either online or offline. 
  • Also, you need to take a printout of the form for future reference. 

NID Prelims Exam 2025 

  • The first stage of the Design Aptitude Test is a written test comprising objective (GAT) and subject (CAT) questions. 
  • The time duration of the preliminary exam is 3 hours.

Check: Tips to Improve Drawing Skills for NID 2025

NID 2025 Admit Card

The NID 2025 Admit Card is the mandatory document that has to be carried to the exam hall without fail. The admit card can be downloaded by following the below steps:

  • Visit the official website of NID 
  • Click on the link “NID 2025 Admit Card” 
  • Enter the login credentials such as registration number and password 
  • Click on the submit button 
  • The Admit Card will be displayed on the screen 
  • Take a printout for future reference (All Pages – 2 copies) 

NID 2025 Exam Pattern

As per the notification, the NID exam involves two stages: prelims and mains for both B.Des. and M.Des.  

Look at the table below to learn the detailed NID Exam Pattern for both UG and PG programs.

NID DAT 2025 Exam B.Des M.Des
Mode of Exam Offline Offline
No. of Questions Section A: 64 (MCQ)* 
Section B: 3 (Subjective)**
Section A: 59 (MCQ)*
Section B: 3 (Subjective)**
No. of Sections 2 2
Total Marks 100 100
Negative Marking No No
Duration 3 hours 3 hours to 3.5 hours**
  • *& ** No. Of Questions may vary every year 
  • *** Depending upon the no. of specialization, the time may vary. 

Sectional Weightage 2025

Exam Weightage (B.Des) Weightage (M.Des)
DAT Prelims 30-40% 30%
DAT Mains 60-70% 70%

NID Exam 2025 Syllabus

Before starting your preparation, it is important to go through the detailed NID syllabus as it will help you know the important topics from the exam point of view.

The table below explains the important topics for the NID DAT for both the aptitude and studio tests.

Exam Syllabus
Aptitude Test Includes various topics like Creativity, Comprehension, Knowledge and Visualization, Drawing Skills, Memory Drawing, General Mental Ability, etc.
Studio Test Comprises of topics such as 3D Modeling, Body Language, Observation Test, Portfolio Making, Creative Thinking, etc

Check: NID Study Plan 2025    

NID 2025 Exam Centers

NID Entrance Exam 2025 will be conducted at various exam centres across India. The table below shows the list of exam cities.

Ahmedabad Hyderabad Patna
Bengaluru Guwahati Nagpur
Bhopal Lucknow Raipur
Jaipur New Delhi Kolkata
Chandigarh Mumbai Thiruvananthapuram
Chennai - -

How to Prepare for NID 2025?

NID DAT Prelims consist of both objective and subjective type questions. So you must ensure to prepare equally for both types of questions. Here, we have provided a few tips to enhance your NID Preparation.

  • One of the important tips by toppers is to practice sketching objects and human figures.
  • Be thorough with the detailed syllabus and pattern of the exam.
  • List out all the important topics you need to focus on.
  • Give more time for the topics that you feel are difficult.
  • Solve more and more questions from the previous year's NID Sample Papers to know the difficulty level of the exam and the type of questions asked.
  • Try to attempt at least one to two mock tests weekly.
  •  Also, make sure to analyze your performance after the completion of each paper.

Check: NID Preparation Books

NID Exam Analysis [Previous Year Exams]

Let us look at the previous year's NID Exam Analysis and get an idea about the difficulty level of the exam.

NID Exam Analysis 2022

Based on the exam analysis of the NID 2022 exam, the overall complexity of the NID entrance examination was rated as moderate.

  • The question paper comprised a total of 26 questions, with 22 of them being Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and the remaining 4 being in the form of long answer-type questions.
  • The segment dedicated to logical reasoning and aptitude was categorized as easy, while the general knowledge section exhibited a level of difficulty ranging from easy to moderate. In contrast to the previous year, the drawing section featured questions that were both lengthy and intricate.
  • Students needed to effectively manage their time in order to tackle the drawing questions, as these questions presented a certain level of complexity. Within the drawing section, there was a question centred around perspective.
  • Furthermore, students were tasked with illustrating a kingfisher across 3 different slides. The general knowledge section included questions pertaining to Padma Shree Awards and vaccines.

Refer: NID Interview Questions with Answers 2025

NID 2021 Exam Review

  • As per the paper analysis, the exam had a moderate difficulty level.
  • In the general knowledge section, questions related to Padma Shree Awards were asked.
  • The aptitude test included questions based on the half-triangle, half-square, half-hexagon, and Tongue Twister.
  • Also, the drawing questions were quite lengthy.

NID 2020 Exam Review

  • Per the student's feedback, the exam was moderate difficulty. All questions were doable. 
  • Most students said the question paper was lengthy, as they had to attempt 6 subjective questions. 

Check: NID Exam Analysis

NID Exam 2025 Result & Merit List

The results are declared after the exam is completed and published as a PDF. 

You can check NID Exam Result from the official website by following the below steps:

  • Visit the official site of NID: results.nid.edu.
  • Click on the link NID 2025 Result
  • Enter the roll number, the application number
  • Click on the submit button
  • The result PDF will be displayed on the screen.
  • Take a printout of the same for future reference.

NID Exam 2025 Answer Key

The answer key is also made available by the National Institute of Design (NID) in two stages:

  • Provisional Answer Key
  • Final Answer Key

The right responses to every question on the NID admission exam are provided in the answer key.

It is crucial to remember that the answer key only contains the right answers, not the solutions to the problems. Students preparing for the entrance exam can greatly benefit from the NID answer key.

It may provide students with the information and comprehension they require to do well on the test.

Check: NID Answer Key

NID DAT 2023 Cut-Off Marks 

Generally, the cut-off marks will be released after the declaration of results. You must remember that scoring above the NID Exam Cut Off only results in being shortlisted for the merit list. 

To help you understand the expected cut-off, we have provided the cut-off for the previous year in the table below.

Institute Category
Open Gen - EWS OBC - NCL SC ST PwD Overseas
NID Ahmedabad 96.84 65.96 79.41 65.27 63.49 52.16 65.48
NID Andhra Pradesh 94.17 NE 71.72 53.33 50.51 47.98 NA
NID Haryana 91.15 NE 65.82 46.12 47.91 46.33 NA
NID Madhya Pradesh 88.16 NE 60.95 50.17 46.19 NE NA
NID Assam 87.10 NE 57.17 45.98 NE NE NA

NID Exam 2025 Reservation Policy

The National Institute of Design follows the reservation norms for all courses.

The category-wise reservation of seats for all courses as per the NID Reservation policy is as tabulated below:

Category Reservation (in %)
Economically Weaker Section (EWS) 10
Other Backward Classes (OBC) 27
SC 15
ST 7.5

Persons with disabilities (PwD) will be given a 5% horizontal reservation of seats from the parent category in each program, cutting across all sections, i.e. SC, ST, OBC (Non-Creamy only), and General category. 

Check: NID Seats 2025

B.Des DAT Mains Seats Matrix 2025

Institute Total No of Seats GEN-EWS (10%) OBC-NCL (27%) SC (15%) ST (7.5%)
NID Ahmedabad 125 13 34 19 9
NID Andhra Pradesh 75 8 20 11 6
NID Haryana 75 8 20 11 6
NID Madhya Pradesh 75 8 20 11 6
NID Assam 75 8 20 11 6

NID Reservation for Overseas Category

  • There is a provision for a 15% reservation of supernumerary seats in B. Des. and M. Des. Programs for the overseas category.
  • If you belong to the NRI category (Non-Resident of India), you must apply as an Indian Citizen.

Click here to enroll: NID Online Coaching Classes

NID Exam 2025 Counselling

Only those who will qualify in both prelims and mains exams will get shortlisted for the counselling process. The National Institute of Design conducts the counselling process in 2 stages and as explained below:

Online Consent by Qualified Aspirants

An online consent has to be sent by you to be eligible for the next stage of counseling. The merit list will be released and uploaded regularly on the official NID website based on online consent.

Online Uploading of Documents

After releasing the final merit list, you must upload a few documents in JPEG format for verification. The documents required are as follows:

  • 10th mark sheet
  • 12th mark sheet
  • Birth certificate
  • Graduation degree for admission to M.Des.

The information mentioned in the NID application form will verify the uploaded documents. In case of any mismatch, your admission is liable to cancellation.

Know more: NID DAT Counselling 2025: Documents Required

Colleges Accepting NID Exam 2025 Scores

The NID Exam Scores are accepted in all 7 NID campuses that are listed below:

NID Ahmedabad NID Gandhinagar
NID Vijayawada NID Bengaluru
NID Bhopal NID Jorhat
NID Kurukshetra -

Courses Offered Through NID Exam 2025

The National Institute of Design offers various specializations under B.Des, GDPD, and M.Des.

Check out the table below to know the institute's list of NID Courses.

BDes Courses at NID
Ceramic and Glass Design Furniture and Interior Design
animation film design Textile Design
Film and Video Communication Graphic Design
Exhibition Design Product Design
GDPD Courses at NID
Industrial Design Communication Design
Textile and Apparel Design
MDes Courses at NID
Ceramic and Glass Design Animation Film Design
Graphic Design Product Design
Apparel Design Textile Design
Furniture and Interior Design Film and Video Communication
Strategic Design Management Photography Design
Transportation and Automobile Design Toy and Game Design
Universal Design Interaction Design
Digital Game Design Design for Rental Experience
Lifestyle Accessory Design Information Design
New Media Design

Check: List of courses offered in NID colleges

Conclusion

In conclusion, the NID entrance exam is as difficult as other design entrance exams. Candidates should take the time to become familiar with NID exam patterns, syllabi and mock papers. With the proper preparation and attitude, the NID exam 2025 can be cleared with flying colours. 

Read more: Jobs After NID

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the the NID Notification 2025 released?

Is there any limitation on number of attempts in NID DAT Exam?

Can a student from Class 12 Arts stream apply for NID Entrance Exam 2025?

What is the age limit to apply for NID DAT Exam 2025?

What is the education qualification required to apply for NID DAT 2025?

What is the NID DAT 2025 Entrance Exam Pattern?

Can I request a change in the exam center for the NID Entrance Exam 2025?

How can I apply for the NID Entrance Exam 2025?

NID Exam 2025: Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Eligibility Criteria & Exam Schedule [Check Complete Details]

Author : Palak Khanna

March 12, 2024

SHARE

Summary: Dive in now to be the first to mark your calendar with "NID exam 2025 important dates" released by the National Institute of Design for 2025Prepare in advance to unlock your door to a brighter design career by starting your preparations early! 

As thousands eagerly await this pivotal moment in the design aspirants' calendar, we bring you the first glance at the schedule. The National Institute of Design (NID) Exam is a national-level design entrance examination in India.

It is conducted by the National Institute of Design for admission into its various undergraduate and postgraduate design courses at campuses across India, offering students the opportunity to pursue a career in fields such as product design, graphic design, animation, and more.

This post shall guide you through detailed information about NID Exam 2025 to stay ahead and plan your preparation accordingly!

Table of Content

Important NID Exam 2025 Updates:

  • Don't miss out on the NID 2025 Exam calendar!! The NID application process is already in full swing. Know the NID DAT prelims and Mains dates by scrolling below. 

What is the NID Exam 2025?

All about the NID Entrance Exam:

The NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT) is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the National Institute of Design to provide admission to design UG and PG programs.

  • Bachelor of Design (B.Des - 4 Years) is offered at NID Ahmedabad, NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Haryana, NID Madhya Pradesh and NID Assam. 
  • Master of Design (M.Des - 2.5 Years) is offered at NID Ahmedabad (and its extension campuses at Gandhinagar and Bengaluru).

NID Full Form: National Institutes of Design

NID Exam 2025 Highlights

Particulars NID Entrance Exam Details
Exam name National Institute of Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT)
Conducting Body NID
Exam frequency Once a year
Exam purpose Admission to Design courses offered by NIDS and some private colleges
Courses offered BDes, MDes
Application fee INR 3,000 
Exam duration 3 hours
Official website https://admissions.nid.edu

NID Exam 2025 Dates & Schedule

When is NID entrance exam 2025?

The National Institute of Design will release the official notification & brochure for the NID 2025 exam on its official website around October – November 2025. 

The entrance exam is conducted in two stages:

  • DAT Prelims
  • DAT Mains

There are two sections included in the Prelims exam, i.e., 

  • Creative Ability Test (CAT) 
  • General Aptitude Test (GAT) 

The prelims examination is a pen and paper-based written test. 

In the Mains exam, there will be a - 

  • Studio test and 
  • Personal interview 

NID 2025 Exam Dates (For Reference)

Check out the table below to know all the important events related to the NID Exam 2025. NID DAT exam date is provided below:

Events NID Exam Dates 2025 (Announced)
Release of NID 2025 Notification To be notified
The NID 2025 application process starts from To be notified
Last date for submitting NID Online Application Form To be notified
The last date for submitting the NID Application Form with the late fee To be notified
Application correction window To be notified
NID admit card download begins for NID DAT Prelims To be notified
NID DAT Prelims Exam/ NID BDes exam date 2025 To be notified
Declaration of NID DAT Prelims Results To be notified
Rechecking request for DAT prelims To be notified
Download the NID DAT Mains Exam Admit Card To be notified
NID DAT Mains Exam/ NID 2025 Exam Date To be notified
NID DAT 2025 Mains Result To be notified
Window for submission of Campus Preference To be notified
Rechecking request for DAT Mains To be notified
Seat Allotment, Payment of Token Fees and Uploading of documents To be notified
Provisional offer letter To be notified
Payment of remaining fees To be notified
Subsequent rounds of seat allotment, along with the payment of full fees To be notified
Physical verification of documents at the respective NIDs To be announced later by the respective NIDs

Check: NID 2025 Admission

NID Exam 2025 Eligibility Criteria

Only those who will satisfy the criteria set by the exam conducting body are eligible to apply for the exam.

Your candidature will get cancelled if you do not satisfy the Eligibility Criteria for NID Exam 2025

Check out the detailed criteria for age and qualification from the post below.

NID Aptitude Test - Age Limit

  • As per the official notification, Indian Nationals belonging to the general category and general EWS category must have been born on or after 01 July 2004, whereas those belonging to the SC/ST/OBC-NCL category must have been born on or after 01 July 2001 to apply for the NID entrance exam. 
  • If you belong to the PwD category, you must have been born on or after 01 July 1999 to be eligible for admission.
  • For Foreign nationals in the overseas category, only those candidates born or after 1 July 2004 are eligible to apply for admission.

Educational Qualification

  • You must have completed the final examination of 10+2 or equivalent from a recognized board (AISSE/ICSE/CBSE) to be eligible for the exam. 
  • Those appearing for the higher secondary examination in the academic year 2025 can also apply for the NID DAT exam.
  • Applications for the academic year 2025-26 are open to candidates who have passed or will appear for higher secondary (10+2) qualifying examinations in any stream (Science, Arts, Commerce, Humanities etc.) from any recognized board of education such as CBSE, IB, ICSE or equivalent. 

Visit the respective official website of each campus to learn about the NID Ahmedabad entrance exam.

Check: How is Life at NID?

How to Apply for NID 2025?

The entire application process for NID DAT 2025 is only done online.

There are four stages involved in the NID application process, i.e., online registration, filling out the application form, uploading documents, and paying the application fee.

  • Visit the official website of NID, i.e. www.nid.edu.
  • Click on the "New Registration" tab.
  • Provide a valid mobile number, email ID, and Date of birth, and click on the submit button.
  • After registration, login credentials will be emailed to the registered email ID and mobile number.
  • Re-login to the portal using the credentials received after registration.
  • Fill out the application form by entering all the details correctly. 
  • Upload all the necessary documents in the specified format.
  • Pay the application fee either online or offline mode. 

Check: NID 2025 Application Form

NID Coaching

NID Coaching

NID Admission Process 2025

NID 2025 Admission Process is a 2-tier procedure that includes Prelims and Mains. Qualifying both stages will result in making you eligible for sitting in counselling for admission into the desired NID. 

You can check out the detailed admission process in the post below.

Registration

  • You can only proceed with the application process if you satisfy the eligibility criteria. 
  • Ensure to keep all the required documents ready before proceeding with the process. 
  • You can pay the application fee either online or offline. 
  • Also, you need to take a printout of the form for future reference. 

NID Prelims Exam 2025 

  • The first stage of the Design Aptitude Test is a written test comprising objective (GAT) and subject (CAT) questions. 
  • The time duration of the preliminary exam is 3 hours.

Check: Tips to Improve Drawing Skills for NID 2025

NID 2025 Admit Card

The NID 2025 Admit Card is the mandatory document that has to be carried to the exam hall without fail. The admit card can be downloaded by following the below steps:

  • Visit the official website of NID 
  • Click on the link “NID 2025 Admit Card” 
  • Enter the login credentials such as registration number and password 
  • Click on the submit button 
  • The Admit Card will be displayed on the screen 
  • Take a printout for future reference (All Pages – 2 copies) 

NID 2025 Exam Pattern

As per the notification, the NID exam involves two stages: prelims and mains for both B.Des. and M.Des.  

Look at the table below to learn the detailed NID Exam Pattern for both UG and PG programs.

NID DAT 2025 Exam B.Des M.Des
Mode of Exam Offline Offline
No. of Questions Section A: 64 (MCQ)* 
Section B: 3 (Subjective)**
Section A: 59 (MCQ)*
Section B: 3 (Subjective)**
No. of Sections 2 2
Total Marks 100 100
Negative Marking No No
Duration 3 hours 3 hours to 3.5 hours**
  • *& ** No. Of Questions may vary every year 
  • *** Depending upon the no. of specialization, the time may vary. 

Sectional Weightage 2025

Exam Weightage (B.Des) Weightage (M.Des)
DAT Prelims 30-40% 30%
DAT Mains 60-70% 70%

NID Exam 2025 Syllabus

Before starting your preparation, it is important to go through the detailed NID syllabus as it will help you know the important topics from the exam point of view.

The table below explains the important topics for the NID DAT for both the aptitude and studio tests.

Exam Syllabus
Aptitude Test Includes various topics like Creativity, Comprehension, Knowledge and Visualization, Drawing Skills, Memory Drawing, General Mental Ability, etc.
Studio Test Comprises of topics such as 3D Modeling, Body Language, Observation Test, Portfolio Making, Creative Thinking, etc

Check: NID Study Plan 2025    

NID 2025 Exam Centers

NID Entrance Exam 2025 will be conducted at various exam centres across India. The table below shows the list of exam cities.

Ahmedabad Hyderabad Patna
Bengaluru Guwahati Nagpur
Bhopal Lucknow Raipur
Jaipur New Delhi Kolkata
Chandigarh Mumbai Thiruvananthapuram
Chennai - -

How to Prepare for NID 2025?

NID DAT Prelims consist of both objective and subjective type questions. So you must ensure to prepare equally for both types of questions. Here, we have provided a few tips to enhance your NID Preparation.

  • One of the important tips by toppers is to practice sketching objects and human figures.
  • Be thorough with the detailed syllabus and pattern of the exam.
  • List out all the important topics you need to focus on.
  • Give more time for the topics that you feel are difficult.
  • Solve more and more questions from the previous year's NID Sample Papers to know the difficulty level of the exam and the type of questions asked.
  • Try to attempt at least one to two mock tests weekly.
  •  Also, make sure to analyze your performance after the completion of each paper.

Check: NID Preparation Books

NID Exam Analysis [Previous Year Exams]

Let us look at the previous year's NID Exam Analysis and get an idea about the difficulty level of the exam.

NID Exam Analysis 2022

Based on the exam analysis of the NID 2022 exam, the overall complexity of the NID entrance examination was rated as moderate.

  • The question paper comprised a total of 26 questions, with 22 of them being Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and the remaining 4 being in the form of long answer-type questions.
  • The segment dedicated to logical reasoning and aptitude was categorized as easy, while the general knowledge section exhibited a level of difficulty ranging from easy to moderate. In contrast to the previous year, the drawing section featured questions that were both lengthy and intricate.
  • Students needed to effectively manage their time in order to tackle the drawing questions, as these questions presented a certain level of complexity. Within the drawing section, there was a question centred around perspective.
  • Furthermore, students were tasked with illustrating a kingfisher across 3 different slides. The general knowledge section included questions pertaining to Padma Shree Awards and vaccines.

Refer: NID Interview Questions with Answers 2025

NID 2021 Exam Review

  • As per the paper analysis, the exam had a moderate difficulty level.
  • In the general knowledge section, questions related to Padma Shree Awards were asked.
  • The aptitude test included questions based on the half-triangle, half-square, half-hexagon, and Tongue Twister.
  • Also, the drawing questions were quite lengthy.

NID 2020 Exam Review

  • Per the student's feedback, the exam was moderate difficulty. All questions were doable. 
  • Most students said the question paper was lengthy, as they had to attempt 6 subjective questions. 

Check: NID Exam Analysis

NID Exam 2025 Result & Merit List

The results are declared after the exam is completed and published as a PDF. 

You can check NID Exam Result from the official website by following the below steps:

  • Visit the official site of NID: results.nid.edu.
  • Click on the link NID 2025 Result
  • Enter the roll number, the application number
  • Click on the submit button
  • The result PDF will be displayed on the screen.
  • Take a printout of the same for future reference.

NID Exam 2025 Answer Key

The answer key is also made available by the National Institute of Design (NID) in two stages:

  • Provisional Answer Key
  • Final Answer Key

The right responses to every question on the NID admission exam are provided in the answer key.

It is crucial to remember that the answer key only contains the right answers, not the solutions to the problems. Students preparing for the entrance exam can greatly benefit from the NID answer key.

It may provide students with the information and comprehension they require to do well on the test.

Check: NID Answer Key

NID DAT 2023 Cut-Off Marks 

Generally, the cut-off marks will be released after the declaration of results. You must remember that scoring above the NID Exam Cut Off only results in being shortlisted for the merit list. 

To help you understand the expected cut-off, we have provided the cut-off for the previous year in the table below.

Institute Category
Open Gen - EWS OBC - NCL SC ST PwD Overseas
NID Ahmedabad 96.84 65.96 79.41 65.27 63.49 52.16 65.48
NID Andhra Pradesh 94.17 NE 71.72 53.33 50.51 47.98 NA
NID Haryana 91.15 NE 65.82 46.12 47.91 46.33 NA
NID Madhya Pradesh 88.16 NE 60.95 50.17 46.19 NE NA
NID Assam 87.10 NE 57.17 45.98 NE NE NA

NID Exam 2025 Reservation Policy

The National Institute of Design follows the reservation norms for all courses.

The category-wise reservation of seats for all courses as per the NID Reservation policy is as tabulated below:

Category Reservation (in %)
Economically Weaker Section (EWS) 10
Other Backward Classes (OBC) 27
SC 15
ST 7.5

Persons with disabilities (PwD) will be given a 5% horizontal reservation of seats from the parent category in each program, cutting across all sections, i.e. SC, ST, OBC (Non-Creamy only), and General category. 

Check: NID Seats 2025

B.Des DAT Mains Seats Matrix 2025

Institute Total No of Seats GEN-EWS (10%) OBC-NCL (27%) SC (15%) ST (7.5%)
NID Ahmedabad 125 13 34 19 9
NID Andhra Pradesh 75 8 20 11 6
NID Haryana 75 8 20 11 6
NID Madhya Pradesh 75 8 20 11 6
NID Assam 75 8 20 11 6

NID Reservation for Overseas Category

  • There is a provision for a 15% reservation of supernumerary seats in B. Des. and M. Des. Programs for the overseas category.
  • If you belong to the NRI category (Non-Resident of India), you must apply as an Indian Citizen.

Click here to enroll: NID Online Coaching Classes

NID Exam 2025 Counselling

Only those who will qualify in both prelims and mains exams will get shortlisted for the counselling process. The National Institute of Design conducts the counselling process in 2 stages and as explained below:

Online Consent by Qualified Aspirants

An online consent has to be sent by you to be eligible for the next stage of counseling. The merit list will be released and uploaded regularly on the official NID website based on online consent.

Online Uploading of Documents

After releasing the final merit list, you must upload a few documents in JPEG format for verification. The documents required are as follows:

  • 10th mark sheet
  • 12th mark sheet
  • Birth certificate
  • Graduation degree for admission to M.Des.

The information mentioned in the NID application form will verify the uploaded documents. In case of any mismatch, your admission is liable to cancellation.

Know more: NID DAT Counselling 2025: Documents Required

Colleges Accepting NID Exam 2025 Scores

The NID Exam Scores are accepted in all 7 NID campuses that are listed below:

NID Ahmedabad NID Gandhinagar
NID Vijayawada NID Bengaluru
NID Bhopal NID Jorhat
NID Kurukshetra -

Courses Offered Through NID Exam 2025

The National Institute of Design offers various specializations under B.Des, GDPD, and M.Des.

Check out the table below to know the institute's list of NID Courses.

BDes Courses at NID
Ceramic and Glass Design Furniture and Interior Design
animation film design Textile Design
Film and Video Communication Graphic Design
Exhibition Design Product Design
GDPD Courses at NID
Industrial Design Communication Design
Textile and Apparel Design
MDes Courses at NID
Ceramic and Glass Design Animation Film Design
Graphic Design Product Design
Apparel Design Textile Design
Furniture and Interior Design Film and Video Communication
Strategic Design Management Photography Design
Transportation and Automobile Design Toy and Game Design
Universal Design Interaction Design
Digital Game Design Design for Rental Experience
Lifestyle Accessory Design Information Design
New Media Design

Check: List of courses offered in NID colleges

Conclusion

In conclusion, the NID entrance exam is as difficult as other design entrance exams. Candidates should take the time to become familiar with NID exam patterns, syllabi and mock papers. With the proper preparation and attitude, the NID exam 2025 can be cleared with flying colours. 

Read more: Jobs After NID

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the the NID Notification 2025 released?

Is there any limitation on number of attempts in NID DAT Exam?

Can a student from Class 12 Arts stream apply for NID Entrance Exam 2025?

What is the age limit to apply for NID DAT Exam 2025?

What is the education qualification required to apply for NID DAT 2025?

What is the NID DAT 2025 Entrance Exam Pattern?

Can I request a change in the exam center for the NID Entrance Exam 2025?

How can I apply for the NID Entrance Exam 2025?

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