NID Interview Questions with Answers 2026: Guide and Preparation Tips

Q: What all is expected in an NID interview?

There will be a panel of at least four people in the interview. You will be asked to show your portfolio and then they will start asking questions based on your portfolio, candidates will be evaluated by the Interview Panel based on academic and co-curricular achievements, creative and lateral thinking ability, communication skills, and ultimately, career orientation and aptness for the selected program. Candidates will be asked some of the common questions like why do you want to join NID, What are your hobbies, Future plans as a designer, Past experience if any, etc.

Q: How long will the interview be?

The interview will be of 45 minutes approx. As there will be a panel of at least four interviewers it will be more of a rapid round, as soon as you answer the next one will be ready with the questions for you.

Q: Is there any tricky questions asked in the NID interview round?

No tricky questions are likely to be asked in NID 2026 but the frequency of the question might confuse candidates and can build unwanted pressure: <ul><li>In the instance that you confront a question to which you do not know the answer, let them know that you do not know the answer.</li><li>Do not attempt to make things up for your interviewer, since they are much more proficient in this field than you are.</li><li>You don't have to be worried if interviewers try to frighten you, your confidence is what will reflect on your personality.</li></ul>

Q: How to prepare for an NID 2026 interview?

Candidates should be clear in their mind that the NID interview is not about evaluating their intelligence, it is about assessing their attitude, etiquette, personality, etc. The main advice for the interview round is that your thinking should be optimistic and straightforward whenever you go to the interview round, and it should look like you're the right person for that role.<ul><li>Research the Fashion Industry</li><li>Be More Descriptive</li><li>Set Your First Impression</li><li>Don't Waste Interviewers Time</li><li>Be Prepared For Commonly Asked Questions</li><li>Show gratitude</li></ul>

Q: What are the important things to carry in the NID 2026 interview ?

Photo ID Proof- Candidates must carry a valid identity proof <ul><li>Passport, Voters ID card ,PAN card, Driving license, Aadhaar card, Student ID card issued by current school</li></ul>Stationery - Candidates should carry their own stationery products. <ul><li>Ruler, Sharpener, Eraser, Lead pencils, Black ballpoint pen, and a notebook</li></ul>Items which are not permitted include smart watches, cell phones or any other electronic device. Any candidate found to have any of these will be asked to leave.

Author : Vineeta Agrawal

October 11, 2025

Summary: The National Institute of Design (NID) every year conducts an entrance exam called the Design Aptitude Test (DAT). It's conducted in two phases, Prelims & Mains. Candidates who qualify Prelims can appear for the NID Mains exam which consist of a Situation Test, followed by a Personal Interview Round, where candidates are asked various NID Interview Questions.

Preparing for an interview at the National Institute of Design (NID) is a blend of anticipation and excitement. Aspiring designers and creative minds from around the country strive to secure a place in this prestigious institution known for its innovation and artistic excellence.

NID interview is part of the mains exam that involves facing a panel of interviewers who assess not just your skills but also your passion and potential. While the NID studio test practically evaluate aspirants on problem solving skills, the NID exam interview tests their communication skills, design knowledge, and overall confidence & personality.

To navigate this process smoothly, understanding the NID interview questions with answers and crafting thoughtful responses is crucial.

There are around 425 seats for the Bachelor of Design (B.Des) program and 347 seats for the Master of Design (M.Des) program across all the NIDs combined. Personal NID interview is part of the NID DAT exam only for M.Des admissions. The NID DAT for B.Des only have a Studio Test as part of their Mains examination, there's no interview round.

In this article, you will get to know about the questions that have previously been asked in the personal interview round of the National Institute of Design (NID) - Design Aptitude Test (DAT), how to answer them and preparation tips.

NID DAT Entrance Exam Overview

As per the NID exam pattern, the entrance exam is conducted in 3 stages:-

Stage 1:- NID DAT (Prelims) - Pen & paper-based written test
Stage 2:- NID DAT (Mains) – Written Exam
Stage 3:- Studio Test and Personal Interview

This NID Prelims exam consists of a total of 17-28 questions divided into 2 sections i.e., Section A GAT (General Aptitude Test) with 14-25 questions of objective type and Section B CAT (Creative Ability Test) with 3-4 questions of subjective type.

The total weightage of the test is 100 marks. This is a pen and paper-based test. The medium of instruction for NID DAT 2026 is English.

Once you pass the prelims stage, you will have to appear for the NID Mains exam that includes a studio test and a portfolio + personal interview round.

Before going through the interview questions, let's understand a few strategies to crack the NID interview on the first attempt.

Also Read: NID Studio Test 2026: Preparation Strategy and Study Plan

Resource: Download the NID Interview Questions PDF & Prep Kit that includes interview questions asked from previous year NID toppers, interview day checklist, and portfolio tips + creative self-exercises as a bonus.

How to Crack the NID Interview 2026?

A panel of experts from industries/Academics will take a personal interview to assess your overall personality based on general awareness, extracurricular activities, academics, and specific fields of interest.

The following are some of the best tips to enhance your NID Interview preparation.

You should maintain a cheerful attitude and a pleasant facial expression throughout the interview.
All answers should be precise and to the point.
Try maintaining eye contact with the interviewers, as this shows that you are confident and well-aware of the questions that the interviewer put before you.
Wear smart formals and pay special attention to the footwear you wear.
Make sure to take permission before entering the interview room.

Check: NID Eligibility Criteria 2026

Things to know about the NID Interview 2026

1. There's no certain duration as to how long the interview part can be. However it can be roughly around 15-30 minutes, depending on the panel's interest in your portfolio/answers or any cross-discussions at the time. Instead of perceiving it as a separate part of the exam, rather consider it as one of the component of the Mains selection process.

2. The panel might include a senior NID faculty, portfolio reviewer, subject specialist as per your chosen design field and other experts.

3. If you are a design fresher without much experience in the field yet, you can

4. NID doesn't share any outline of what they might ask as part of the NID Interview round. But as per our NID Alumni mentors at Toprankers and student insights, we have curated 10 NID interview questions that are most likely to be asked. Scroll below to check them out.

Also read: NID Entrance Exam Section wise Preparation

10 Main NID Interview Questions & How to Answer them

Wondering what kind of questions are asked in NID? Below we have mentioned some of the important NID interview questions with answers that are asked by the interviewer in the interview round of the NID DAT examination.

Question 1: Tell me something about yourself?

Answer: By asking this question the interviewer only wants to know what is most important to you and are you fit for the job or not. So, to answer this question we can talk about our schooling, college, our Academics and all the subjects which we have studied till now.

You can talk about our strengths, something that we are confident about and we can also talk about our special skills. These special skills could be any hobbies you have recently picked up but it is very important that you should be honest with your answers.

So, if you say that I love singing or dancing or coding, whatever your answer is you should have to be prepared to answer questions related to that.

If you say that I can sing or I love singing then it is very likely that some professor who is taking your interview might actually ask you to sing or they might ask you to dance if you say that I love dancing.

So, we should be prepared for that situation as well.

Read more: Admission process at NID institute

Question 2: Where are you from And What is this place famous for?

Answer: For this question’s answer your judge or professor is not interested in the geographical detail of your place. They are actually trying to see how good you are with questions and how curious you are as a person.

To be a good designer it is very important that we enjoy details and we love exploring things around us.

So, for example:

You say that I am from Kerala then they expect you to know something which is very special about Kerala. It can be the food, the culture, the art, craft, handlooms, dance forms, and etc it could be anything. If you know about it then make sure to speak about it and to show that you enjoy details.

Question 3: If you could redesign (an existing product), what changes would you make?

Answer: By asking this question, the examiner is trying to asses your understanding of the design principle & functioning of an existing product, if you find any flaw or opportunity for improvement in it's design, and how do you think they can be solved innovatively. Basically, your ability to solve problems, identify design requirements, understand user behavior and develop relevant effective solutions.

For example: If the panel ask you what changes would you make to a school bag, if you were to redesign it:

- I would use an approach to redesign the bag to be more comfortable and ergonomic.

- The compartments can be made to be detachable based on daily needs, and the straps would adjust to distribute weight evenly.

- Additionally, I’d use sustainable materials like upcycled fabric, and add a small e-paper panel for students to personalize with doodles or daily messages — making the bag functional and emotionally engaging.

Question 4: Why do you want to be a designer? OR What is the design according to you?

Answer: This question can be a little tricky at first so we will give a brilliant answer for this question so that you can answer this question with full confidence.

Design is a rare combination of science and art. It is one of those fields in which we solve everyday problems in an aesthetic way and the most amazing part is that a good design can make every service more eco-friendly and user-friendly at the same time.

This is why I am very interested in this field of design.

Check: NID Sample Papers

Question 5: Which is your favorite product and why?

Answer: To answer this question you should be clear which product is your favourite product and you have to study every detail about that product thoroughly.

For example: If you want to be a car designer then which is your favourite car and why? This type of question will be asked from you so the answer for this question will be.

- To be able to answer this question of course we have read about all the cars and products around us. And after that, we can answer this question however we like it. But we have to keep in mind that we don’t just have to focus on aesthetics.

Like the car looks very cool so I like it or it looks very expensive so I want to buy it is not a very strong reason.

- We have to support it with something slightly more functional. We have to talk about functionality because the design is not just about beautification so if you say that you like a car then there must be something very special about the car.

Like you can say that the seat of the car is very comfortable or the material of the car is very eco-friendly.

- And the most important thing is that if you know something which is unique in that car then that will be excellent for your answer and i guarantee you that the interviewer will be impressed with that one unique thing.

Question 6: Who is your favorite designer?

Answer: To answer this question you have to take out a few hours of your day and you need to google all the top designers in the world and you need to quickly read about them.

Out of the list of the world’s top designers, the one who inspires you the most makes sure that you remember their name, where they are from, and what all things they have designed till now.

So, if you want to be a car designer it is advisable that you know at least one car designer name, where the designer is from, and what all cars they have designed.

Check: NID Fee Structure

Question 7: Why do you wish to join this college and how did you come to know about this college?

Answer: To be able to answer this question, of course, we have to read about the college we are applying to and we should know what this college is famous for. And we need to mention that in this answer.

The professor can ask you one more question in between: what would you do if you don’t secure a seat in this college?

This is the only question in which we don’t have to be 100% honest. We have to avoid taking names of any other fellow design schools or colleges saying that this is my backup option.

Because it gives the impression that we do not have a focused approach instead a much higher, humble, and positive way of answering this question is by saying i try my best to apply next year as well.

Also check: Placements Statistics for NID 2026

Question 8: The next question might be about General knowledge and current affairs?

Answer: To answer this question it is important for us to read newspapers, watch the news, and be updated with current affairs.

The professors can ask us a hypothetical question like if you become the prime minister of our country for one day then how will you solve this coronavirus problem? Or they can ask you if India can afford the second lockdown.

And if you want to add more matter to your answer then it is important for you to have more information. This can only be possible if you read the newspaper or watch the news regularly and be updated of what is going on in our country.

Question 9: What did you have learned from this artwork which you have mentioned in your portfolio?

Answer: In this question, our professors may ask us to show them our artwork or portfolio. Or ask us to speak about our artwork. They may ask us to tell them about your favorite artwork and what you have learned while doing that artwork.

You can choose one artwork from all the work you have done which you think is the best work you have done because that will impress the professors a lot and will go in favor of you.

Question 10: Explain a challenge you faced and how you overcame it?

Answer: This will showcase your problem identifying and solving skills + your resilience. The examiner wants to assess how you approach a problem, strategies you use to overcome it and innovative solutions you come up with under pressure.

For example: Say you redesigned a software app as part of your college project, you can mention the struggles you faced, how you tested it, what was the reaction of users, how did the challenge affected them, etc.

Then you mention the changes you made in the interface, your thought process behind the solution you came up with and how it finally boosted the usability.

Conclusion

Preparing for your NID interview involves more than just rehearsing answers; it's about showcasing your creativity, passion, and readiness to learn. By understanding the types of questions you may encounter including NID interview questions with answers and preparing thoughtful responses, you can confidently navigate the interview process. Remember, the interview is not only an assessment but also an opportunity to demonstrate how you can contribute to NID's legacy of design excellence. Embrace the challenge, stay true to your vision, and let your passion for design shine through.

Check: List of NID Courses across india

Attempt a Free NID Mock Test

Fill your details

Recently Published

NID Studio Test Questions with Solutions [Download Free PDF]