NID DAT 2026 registration begins; prelims exam on December 21

The National Institute of Design (NID) has commenced the registration process for the Design Aptitude Test (DAT) 2026 for admission to the BDes and MDes programmes for the academic session 2026-27. Eligible aspirants will be able to apply for NID DAT 2026 on the official website, admissions.nid.edu. The last date for submission of applications is December 1. NID DAT exam date 2026 is December 21.

NID entrance exam will be conducted in two stages – prelims and mains. Candidates are required to clear both prelims and mains exam to secure admissions.

As per the minimum eligibility criteria, students who have passed or will appear for Class 12 qualifying exam in the academic year 2025-26 in any stream from any recognized board are eligible to apply for BDes programmes.

Also read IIT JAM 2026 registration begins; MS, MSc entrance exam on February 15

For MDes, those with a bachelor’s degree of three or four years from a recognised university or a full-time diploma in design, fine arts, applied arts, or architecture after Class 12 from a recognized institution are eligible.

NID DAT 2026 application fee

The category-wise application fee for the BDes programme for the 2024-25 academic year are given below.

Here’s category-wise application fee for MDes programmes.

How to fill out the NID DAT application form 2026?

Students can follow the steps given below to apply for BDes, MDes programmes.

• Go to the official website of NID - admissions.nid.edu.
• In the ‘How to apply’ section, click on signup
• Enter the required details and login with generated credentials
• Fill the application form and upload the necessary documents
• Pay the required fee and submit the form
• Download and take a printout of the form