The NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT) is a crucial step for aspiring designers. Understanding the NID syllabus is crucial for excelling in the exam. Let’s go through the NID syllabus for both the Mains and Prelims exams.
The NID exam is known for its rigorous testing and comprehensive syllabus, which assesses candidates in various aspects of design, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
To succeed in the NID Entrance Exam, a clear understanding of the syllabus and exam pattern is required. In this article, we explore a detailed overview of the NID syllabus, providing valuable insights and important information to help aspiring designers in their preparation journey.
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NID Syllabus 2025 and Exam Pattern
The NID entrance exam is conducted in two stages for both B.Des and M.Des:
- NID DAT Prelims
- NID DAT Mains
There will be two sections in the NID DAT Prelims exam:
- Creative Ability Test (CAT)
- General Ability Test (GAT)
The pattern of the NID DAT Prelims exam is mentioned below:
| Particulars | Description |
| Exam Duration | 3 Hours |
| Mode of Exam | GAT – OfflineCAT – Pen-paper-based |
| No. of Questions | GAT – 22 QuestionsCAT – 4 Questions |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Language | English |
In the NID DAT Mains exam, there will be the Studio Test and Personal Interview round. The exam pattern is mentioned below:
| Particulars | Description |
| Exam Duration | 3 Hours |
| Mode of Exam | Hybrid |
| Types of Questions | Theme poster on the assigned topic, SoP and Portfolio Submission |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Language | English |
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NID Syllabus for B.Des and M.Des
The NID DAT is an extensive evaluation of your creative abilities, design aptitude, and general knowledge. The NID syllabus is vast, but it can be classified into the following categories:
| Category | Description |
| Creativity and Problem-Solving | Evaluates your creative thinking and problem-solving abilities. You should be able to create imaginative and unique solutions to design challenges. |
| Drawing Fundamentals | Tests your core drawing abilities, including perspective, shading, texture, and composition. |
| Design Theory | Assesses your understanding of fundamental design theory, such as design elements and principles, color theory, typography, and graphic design essentials. |
| General Knowledge | Encompasses science, technology, current affairs, and social and cultural knowledge. |
NID Syllabus for B.Des Program
- Topics of the NID DAT Prelims for the B.Des program:
- Creative Ability Test (CAT)
- Design Outline
- Colour Terminology
- Inspiration & Design Development
- Elements & Principles Of Design
- Design Theory
- Mood, Theme & Colour Inter-relationship
- Geometrical Form
- Colour, Pattern & Texture
- Innovation in Design
- Form & Function
- Principles of Composition Lettering
- Optical Illusion
- Understanding Light & Shade
- Colour Psychology & Optical Illusions
- Design Awareness
- Creative thinking & writing
- Drawing Fundamentals
- Visual Logic
- Picture Analysis
- Good Design vs Bad Design
- Theme Development
- Use of Measurements, Scale & Proportions
- Developing Themes & Colour Associations
- 3D Visualisation
- Memory Drawing
- Graphics & Pictograms
- Exercises on imagination
- Usage of Colour in Compositions
- Lateral Thinking & Story Pictures
- General Ability Test (GAT)
- Ratio & Proportion, Percentage
- Profit & Loss, Interest
- Averages, Speed, Time & Distance
- Mixture And Allegation, Work & Time
- Numbers System
- Area, Volume & Surface Area
- Permutations & Combinations, Probability
- Sets, Relations & Functions
- Quadratic Equations And Complex Numbers
- Determinants And Matrices
- Permutations & Combinations, Probability, Statistics
- Musicians & Instruments
- Direction Sense
- Series Completion
- Seating Arrangement
- Arithmetic Reasoning
- Clocks And Calendar
- Blood Relations
- Character Puzzle
- Venn Diagrams
- Series, Paper Folding, Grouping Of Images
- Analogy, Mirror Images, Pattern Completion, Paper Cutting
- Dot Situation, Cube And Dice
- Figure Matrix
- Reading Comprehension (Passages)
- Error Detection
- Statement Conclusion
- Para Jumble
- Cloze Test
- Synonyms/Antonyms
- Singular/Plural
- Painter & Paintings
- Indian Textile Craft
- Current Affairs
- World Heritage Sites
- Indian Geography
- Topics of the NID DAT Mains exam for the B.Des program
- Model Making
- Doodling
- Audio-Visual Exercises
- Material Manipulation
- Portfolio Making
- How to Evolve Ideas
- Personal Interview Questions
- Previous Years’ Question Papers of the Studio Test and Interview
- Body Language and it’s Importance
NID Syllabus for M.Des program
- Topics of the NID DAT Prelims for the M.Des program:
- Creative Ability Test (CAT)
- Design Outline
- Colour Terminology
- Inspiration & Design Development
- Elements & Principles Of Design
- Design Theory
- Mood, Theme & Colour Inter-relationship
- Geometrical Form
- Colour, Pattern & Texture
- Principles of Composition Lettering
- Optical Illusion
- Innovation in Design
- Understanding Light & Shade
- Form & Function
- Colour Psychology & Optical Illusions
- Design Awareness
- Drawing Fundamentals
- Creative thinking & writing
- Picture Analysis
- Visual Logic
- Theme Development
- Use of Measurements, Scale & Proportions
- 3D Visualisation
- Developing Themes & Colour Associations
- Lateral Thinking & Story Pictures
- Ornaments & Motifs
- Memory Drawing
- Exercises on imagination
- Imagination & Doodling
- Presentation Techniques
- General Ability Test (GAT)
- Ratio & Proportion, Percentage
- Profit & Loss, Interest
- Averages, Speed, Time & Distance
- Mixture And Allegation, Work & Time
- Numbers System
- Area, Volume & Surface Area
- Permutations & Combinations, Probability
- Sets, Relations & Functions
- Quadratic Equations And Complex Numbers
- Determinants And Matrices
- Arithmetic Reasoning
- Series Completion
- Direction Sense
- Reading Comprehension (Passages)
- Error Detection
- Clocks And Calendar
- Seating Arrangement
- Blood Relations
- Venn Diagrams
- Series, Paper Folding, Grouping Of Images
- Character Puzzle
- Analogy, Mirror Images, Pattern Completion, Paper Cutting
- Error Detection
- Statement Conclusion
- Synonyms/Antonyms
- Singular/Plural
- Para Jumble
- Indian Textile Craft
- Current Affairs
- World Heritage Sites
- Indian Geography
- Topics of the NID DAT Mains for M.Des program:
- Model Making
- Doodling
- Audio-Visual Exercises
- Material Manipulation
- Creative Thinking
- Evolving Ideas
- Portfolio Making
- Interview Questions
NID Prelims & Mains Exam: Sectional Weightage
| Exam | Weightage (B.Des) | Weightage (M.Des) |
| NID DAT Prelims | 40% | 30% |
| NID DAT Mains | 60% | 40% – Studio Test30% – PI Round |
NID Syllabus – FAQs
The application fee of NID DAT 2025 for the B.Des for General, General-EWS, and OBC-NCL candidates is INR 3,000. SC, ST, and PwD candidates only need to pay INR 1,500.
The NID Entrance Exam is considered to be one of the toughest design entrance exams conducted in the country. In NID syllabus, more weightage is given to subjective, drawing-related questions. Thus, candidates need to be extremely creative and have a clear understanding of their concepts when appearing for the NID exam.
The NID syllabus for the Studio Test include topics like Model Making, Evolving Ideas, Creative Thinking, etc.
No, the topics for B.Des and M.Des vary as per the NID syllabus.