NID DAT 2027 is the Design Aptitude Test of the National Institute of Design for admissions 2027-28 to its 5.5-year Integrated M.Des, B.Des and M.Des programmes. Applications are open at admissions.nid.edu till 30 November 2026. The DAT Prelims is on Sunday, 20 December 2026; DAT Mains dates come later.
NID DAT 2027
This page covers NID DAT 2027 dates, how to apply, programmes and seats, eligibility, the two-stage exam pattern and selection.
| Full name | NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT) 2027, for admissions 2027-28 |
|---|---|
| Conducted by | National Institute of Design (NID) Admissions Cell, Ahmedabad |
| Exam level | National; two stages, DAT Prelims and DAT Mains |
| Courses / Purpose | 5.5-year Integrated M.Des and B.Des after Class 12; 2.5-year M.Des after graduation |
| Exam date | DAT Prelims: Sunday, 20 December 2026; DAT Mains dates to be announced |
| Application | 10 September to 30 November 2026, online only |
| Application fee | Rs 3,000 Gen/EWS/OBC-NCL; Rs 2,000 female; Rs 1,500 SC/ST; Rs 500 PwD and third gender; US$125 overseas |
| Eligibility | UG: Class 12 in any stream, passed or appearing in 2026-27; M.Des: bachelor's degree; age limits apply |
| Mode | Prelims: pen-and-paper, text and visual questions, English only |
| Duration | Prelims duration will be printed on the admit card |
| Official website | admissions.nid.edu |
NID DAT 2027 Important Dates
NID has fixed the dates up to the Prelims result in the Admissions Handbook 2027-28; DAT Mains, the Mains result and counselling dates will be announced later on admissions.nid.edu.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications open (Integrated M.Des / B.Des and M.Des) | 10 September 2026 |
| Last date to apply | 30 November 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Window to edit the application form | 4 PM, 1 December to 11:59 PM, 3 December 2026 |
| DAT Prelims admit card | 4 PM, 10 December 2026 |
| DAT Prelims | Sunday, 20 December 2026 |
| DAT Prelims result (M.Des) | 4 PM, 16 February 2027 |
| DAT Prelims result (Integrated M.Des / B.Des) | 4 PM, 16 March 2027 |
| DAT Mains and Mains result | To be announced |
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Online application | 10 September to 30 November 2026 Open |
| Application correction | 1 to 3 December 2026 Upcoming |
| DAT Prelims admit card | 10 December 2026, 4 PM Upcoming |
| DAT Prelims | 20 December 2026 Upcoming |
| Edit category certificate (M.Des) | 15 January 2027 Upcoming |
| DAT Prelims result (M.Des) | 16 February 2027, 4 PM Upcoming |
| Re-totalling of Prelims marks (M.Des) | 16 to 18 February 2027 Upcoming |
| Edit category certificate (Integrated M.Des / B.Des) | 16 to 28 February 2027 Upcoming |
| DAT Prelims result (Integrated M.Des / B.Des) | 16 March 2027, 4 PM Upcoming |
| Re-totalling of Prelims marks (Integrated M.Des / B.Des) | 16 to 17 March 2027 Upcoming |
| DAT Mains admit card | To be announced |
| DAT Mains | To be announced |
| DAT Mains result | To be announced |
| Counselling | To be announced |
| PhD: edit window and DRT | To be announced |
How to Apply for NID DAT 2027
You apply online only, on the NID admissions portal, by 11:59 PM on 30 November 2026. One application covers the common DAT for all NIDs, but you cannot apply for both the undergraduate programmes and M.Des, because both Prelims are held on the same day.
Apply Online for NID DAT 2027
Applications for NID DAT 2027 are open: 10 September to 30 November 2026.
- Sign up on admissions.nid.edu with your programme, nationality, category, email ID and mobile number, and verify both with the OTPs sent to them.
- Log in with the credentials emailed to you (registered email ID, date of birth and password).
- Fill in the application form and choose your DAT Prelims test city.
- Upload a studio colour photograph and your signature (JPG, 50 to 200 KB each) and, if you claim a reserved category, the certificate in PDF (up to 1 MB).
- Pay the fee by debit card, credit card or net banking, then print the auto-generated application form. Your application is complete only when this form is generated.
| Category | Application fee (2027-28) |
|---|---|
| General, Gen-EWS, OBC-NCL | Rs 3,000 |
| Female (except SC, ST and PwD) | Rs 2,000 |
| SC and ST | Rs 1,500 |
| PwD | Rs 500 |
| Third gender | Rs 500 |
| Overseas (supernumerary) | US$ 125 |
The fee is the same for all NIDs and is not refundable. For M.Des at NID Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Bengaluru the fee is charged per discipline. You can edit the form, except programme, name, date of birth, email ID and mobile number, from 4 PM on 1 December to 11:59 PM on 3 December 2026; a change of category or gender may need an extra fee.
Which programmes and seats can you get through NID DAT 2027?
From 2027-28, NID Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Bengaluru no longer take a 4-year B.Des batch after Class 12. They admit students to a 5.5-year Professional Education Master of Design (Integrated Pathway) with 15 disciplines of 9 seats each, 135 seats in all.
| Institute | Programme after Class 12 | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| NID Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Bengaluru | 5.5-year Integrated M.Des, 15 disciplines | 135 (9 per discipline) plus overseas seats |
| NID Haryana | 5.5-year Integrated M.Des, 6 disciplines (amendment of 24 September 2026) | 78 (13 per discipline) |
| NID Madhya Pradesh | 5.5-year Integrated M.Des (amendment of 24 September 2026) | 9 or 13 per discipline |
| NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Assam | B.Des / 5.5-year Integrated M.Des | Published on the institute’s own website |
The M.Des at NID Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Bengaluru is now 2.5 years long, with 22 disciplines in six groups (mostly 19 seats each); you can choose up to three disciplines. NID Madhya Pradesh and NID Haryana take M.Des applications through a separate link. Reservation is 10% GEN-EWS, 27% OBC-NCL, 15% SC, 7.5% ST and 5% PwD.
Who can apply for NID DAT 2027?
Eligibility has two parts, age and qualification, and is the same at every NID.
| Programme | Qualification | Age limit (born on or after) |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated M.Des / B.Des | Class 12 (10+2) in any stream, passed or appearing in 2026-27; marksheet by 15 July 2027 | General and Gen-EWS: 1 July 2006; OBC-NCL, SC, ST: 1 July 2003; PwD: 1 July 2001 |
| M.Des (2.5 years) | Bachelor’s degree in any discipline (final-year students can apply) | General and Gen-EWS: 1 July 1995; OBC-NCL, SC, ST: 1 July 1992; PwD: 1 July 1990 |
Class 12 must be passed in the first attempt; a backlog, compartment or supplementary cancels the admission. Overseas candidates apply under the supernumerary category with the general age limit.
What is the NID DAT 2027 exam pattern?
NID DAT has two stages. The Prelims is only for shortlisting, and its score is not carried into the final merit.
| Stage | What happens | Key rules |
|---|---|---|
| DAT Prelims, 20 December 2026 | Pen-and-paper test with text and visual questions, same time at all centres in 17 cities | English only; duration printed on the admit card; one common M.Des paper |
| DAT Mains (Integrated M.Des / B.Des) | Studio Sensitivity Test and In-Person Sensitivity Test | 2.5 times the seats in each category are shortlisted; weightages to be announced |
| DAT Mains (M.Des) | Studio Test and discipline-wise interview | Held by NID Ahmedabad for its three campuses; NID MP and Haryana hold their own |
The final merit list is based on DAT Mains marks only, and you must appear in both Mains tests to be ranked. Recent Prelims papers had an objective part and a drawing and design part; see the NID DAT 2027 syllabus for the topics.
Prelims test cities: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jorhat, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi and Patna.
How does selection work after the NID DAT 2027 Prelims?
- NID declares the Prelims result category-wise: 16 February 2027 for M.Des and 16 March 2027 for Integrated M.Des / B.Des.
- Shortlisted candidates download the DAT Mains admit card and take the Mains.
- NID publishes the Mains result with scores and ranks; the scorecard stays online for 20 days only.
- You submit a separate online application for admission within the deadline, or you lose your seat chance at all NIDs.
- Seats are allotted by merit, category and your preferences, followed by fee payment and document verification.
Independent NIDs may hold an extra Mains for seats left vacant. Past closing scores are on the NID DAT result and cut off page.
NID DAT 2027 Official Notices and Downloads
- PDFNID Admissions Handbook 2027-28: 5.5-year Integrated M.Des / B.Des (published 10 September 2026) (10 September 2026)Official site · admissions.nid.eduOpen
- PDFNID Admissions Handbook 2027-28: M.Des (NID Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Bengaluru)Official site · admissions.nid.eduOpen
- LINKAmendment: window to edit the application form (15 September 2026)Official site · admissions.nid.eduOpen
- LINKAmendment: Integrated M.Des disciplines and seats at NID Madhya Pradesh and NID Haryana (24 September 2026)Official site · admissions.nid.eduOpen
- LINKAmendment: M.Des discipline offered at NID Haryana (29 September 2026)Official site · admissions.nid.eduOpen
- LINKAmendment: PhD in Design application deadline extended to 30 November 2026; edit window and Doctoral Research Test (DRT) dates to be announced (3 October 2026)Official site · admissions.nid.eduOpen
- LINKNID Admissions 2027-28 portal (apply and log in)Official site · admissions.nid.eduOpen