NID DAT Eligibility Criteria 2026: National Institute of Design will provide the eligibility criteria of NID 2026 at admissions.nid.edu. Aspirants must have all the details of NID DAT 2026 eligibility before filling the forms. NID DAT exam eligibility contains minimum age limit, qualifying exam, marks required and more.
NID DAT entrance exam 2026 will be held in two stages- Preliminary Exam and Mains Exam. As per aspirants qualified for the NID entrance exam, the National Institute of Design will offer admission to the candidates. While filling the NID application form, candidates do not forget to fill the column of eligibility criteria. Candidates stay connected with the article to get more details about the NID Eligibility Criteria 2026.
NID DAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 Highlights
| Exam Conducting Body | National Institute of Design (NID) |
| Examination name | National Institute of Design- Design Aptitude Test 2026 |
| Acronyms | NID DAT |
| Category | NID DAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 |
| Stages |
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| Mode of exam | Pen-Paper Based |
NID DAT 2026- Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria determine whether candidates can apply for NID DAT or not. These criteria vary for different courses. Below, we have shared the complete details about the NID DAT eligibility criteria.
Nationality:- Candidates must be Indian citizens to apply for the NID DAT exam. Only Indian nationals are eligible to apply.
NID DAT Age Limit:- Candidates must be above the age of 17 and below the age of 20 years to apply for NID DAT courses.
- PwD candidates are granted a relaxation of 5 years.
- SC/ST/OBC candidates receive a relaxation of 3 years.
NID Eligibility Criteria 2026 – Educational Qualification
Candidates who have passed their 12th-grade exams (from any stream such as Arts, Commerce, Science, or Humanities) from a recognized board of education can apply for NID admission 2026. Candidates must meet the following qualifications:
- Final examination of the 12th-grade system under a central or state board recognized by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
- Candidates who have passed the intermediate or two-year pre-university examination under a board or university recognized by AIU.
- Aspirants with a minimum of five subjects in the senior secondary school examination under the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
- Candidates who have passed the H.S.C vocational examination can also apply for NID admission.
- Examination of Class 10+2 from a public school, board, or university in India or any foreign country recognized as equivalent to the 10+2 system by AIU.
- A three-year full-time diploma course after Class 10th, offered by the Board of Technical Education of any state or Union Territories (UTs) in India, is accepted by AICTE.
- Candidates from the Joint Services Wing of the National Defence Academy who have passed the two-year course can apply.
- Candidates who have taken the 10+2 final examination or its equivalent from foreign countries or overseas boards not mentioned above must obtain a certificate from AIU to confirm that their examination is equivalent to the 10+2 examination in India. This certificate must be submitted during document verification.
NID DAT 2026 – Application Form
The National Institute of Design (NID) will release the notification for the NID DAT 2026 application form. Candidates who wish to appear for the exam must fill out the application form online. Below are the key points regarding the application form:
- The NID DAT application form will be available online.
- Candidates must complete all sections of the application form.
- Aspirants must upload their photograph and signature.
- The application form fee must be paid online.
Application Fee Details:
- Reserved category candidates: INR 750/-
- General category candidates: INR 1500/-
- General category candidates applying for M.Des: INR 3000/-
- The application fee is non-refundable.
- The fee can be paid online via credit card, debit card, or net banking.
- For offline payment, candidates can use a Demand Draft (DD).
NID DAT Exam 2026
The exact date for the NID DAT 2026 exam has not yet been released. The examination date will be announced on the official NID website. Candidates aiming for admission to NID institutes must clear the entrance exam, which consists of two stages: the preliminary exam and the mains exam. The preliminary exam will be a written test, while the mains exam will be different. To appear for the exam, candidates must fill out the application form. After passing the prelims, candidates will be eligible for the NID Mains examination.
NID DAT 2026 Examination Pattern
The NID DAT consists of only one paper. Candidates should review the exam pattern to manage their time effectively during the test. The exam pattern includes information on the duration, total marks, types of questions, and other details. Candidates can plan their studies accordingly based on the tentative NID DAT exam pattern for 2026, outlined below.
NID DAT Exam Pattern 2026
| NID DAT Particulars | Details |
| Exam Duration | 3 hours |
| Medium of Language | English |
| Types of Questions | Both Objective and Subjective types of question |
| Maximum Marks | 100 marks |
| Maximum Questions | 26 questions |
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