NID Exam Pattern 2026: The National Institute of Design (NID) will release the NID exam pattern 2026 on its official website at admissions.nid.edu. Once the official notification is out, it will provide details regarding the NID exam date 2026, NID exam pattern and syllabus, and eligibility criteria. NID exam 2026 for BDes Prelims is likely to be conducted in January 2026.
The exam will be conducted in two phases, namely DAT Prelims and Mains. NID BDes Prelims will be held in pen-and-paper mode. It will have both objective (MCQ) and subjective questions to test design thinking and visualization. NID DAT Mains will comprise a studio test that evaluates practical and creative skills like model making and drawing. Candidates need to obtain qualifying marks in both stages for final admission.
NID exam pattern 2026 will give a detailed structure of important aspects of the NID exam 2026, such as marking scheme, type of questions asked, stages of exam, etc. The exam is divided into two stages, i.e, NID Prelims and Mains. Both NID stages are held offline, with a total duration of three hours each and a maximum of 100 marks per exam. The following table gives insights into the stages of the NID exam 2026.
NID exam pattern 2026 prelims evaluates candidates based on their design aptitude, creativity, observation, and analytical abilities through both objective and subjective questions, including sketching. The question paper is divided into two sections, namely, Part I (MCQs) and Part II (descriptive or drawing-based questions). Check out the NID exam 2026 Prelims parameters in the following table.
Under the NID exam pattern 2026 for Prelims, you will get to know the marking scheme for each type of question asked in the NID exam 2026. There will be subjective and objective questions asked in the NID exam 2026. As per the NID exam pattern 2026, maximum weightage is given to the subjective questions. Knowing the marketing scheme, candidates can prioritize their preparation accordingly. Refer to the following table to know more about the marking scheme of the NID Prelims exam 2026.
Candidates who qualify the NID Prelims exam are eligible to appear for NID Mains. NID BDes Mains Exam 2026 is designed to assess candidates’ practical design abilities in a real-world setting. It includes a studio test, lasting for 3 hours in offline mode. Candidates need to make models, draw sketches, and show their creative skills. The following are key aspects of the NID BDes Mains Exam Pattern 2026.
NID Prelims and Mains have different weightage in preparing the final NID result. Understanding this structure is important for aspirants to tailor their NID preparation for each stage of the NID selection process.
NID 2026 Syllabus gives candidates an overview of what to expect in both the Prelims and Mains rounds of the entrance exam. Since NID does not officially release the syllabus for the NID exam, candidates rely on the NID previous year question papers to know which topics to study. The Prelims include topics like design aptitude, creativity, drawing fundamentals, analytical thinking, and general awareness, while the Mains assesses your practical abilities, design thinking, and viewpoints to the test through studio tasks and interviews. Here are the important topics based on the NID previous year question paper to study for NID Prelims and Mains exam 2026.
The following are some preparation tips for candidates preparing for NID 2026.