The Design Aptitude Test (DAT) is the entrance exam for admission into Bachelor’s (B.Des) and Master’s (M.Des) programmes at the National Institute of Design (NID) campuses in India. The exam evaluates your creative thinking, design skills, and problem-solving abilities, rather than just technical drawing.

Official Admission Handbooks

MDes_AdmissionsHandbook2026-27.pdf

Click below to download

MDes_AdmissionsHandbook2026-27.pdf

BDes_AdmissionsHandbook2026-27.pdf

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BDes_AdmissionsHandbook2026-27.pdf

Simple Details

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B.Des — DAT (Undergraduate)

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✅ Eligibility

• Must have completed Class 12 (or equivalent) in any stream.
• Final-year students of Class 12 are eligible to apply.
• Age limit: Typically, born on or after July 1, 2002 (check annually).
• Number of attempts: No official restriction.

📚 Exam Structure

• DAT (Prelims)
  • Online or offline section testing visual and spatial ability, observation, design thinking, and creativity.
• DAT (Mains / Studio Test)
  • Shortlisted candidates from the prelims appear in a studio test, where design skills, creative expression, and problem-solving are assessed.

(The exam is conducted in multiple stages: Prelims → Mains / Studio Test → Interview for some programmes.)

🕒 Exam Details

• Mode: Prelims online / offline, Mains & Studio Test offline