The National Institute of Design (NID) will not release the NID DAT syllabus 2027 as it does not share any detailed syllabus for the exam. However, the NID syllabus 2027 is divided into two stages: DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. Till 2025, the NID syllabus was designed using GAT and CAT objectives. However, from 2026, GAT was discontinued, and the CAT objective is being used for the Prelims as a qualifying paper.

  • The NID DAT exam pattern 2027 includes 70% objective and 30% subjective questions in English language only.
  • The NID DAT B.Des Prelims syllabus 2027 high-weightage topics are Design Principles & Elements, Visual Reasoning, and General Knowledge, with 5 - 7% weightage each.
  • The NID exam 2027 B.Des Mains Syllabus 2027 high-weightage topic is Creative Problem Solving, with 15 - 20% weightage.
  • The NID DAT M.Des Prelims syllabus 2027 high-weightage topics include Design Principles & Elements, Design Awareness, and Visual Reasoning, with 5 - 7% weightage each.
  • The NID DAT M.Des Mains Syllabus 2027 high-weightage topics are Model Making with 220 - 25% weightage, and Material Manipulation and Creative Thinking with 15 - 20% weightage each.
  • The NID DAT 2027 B.Des paper consists of a Studio Sensitivity Test with 60% weightage and an In-Person Sensitivity Test with 40% weightage. The M.Des paper consists of a faculty-stream-specific Studio Test with 40% weightage + an Interview with 60% weightage.
  • The NID DAT B.Des Prelims and Mains exam duration is 3 hours; for M.Des Prelims it is 2.5 - 4.5 hours, and for M.Des Mains it is 3 hours.
  • The NID DAT 2027 total marks are 100 for each: the DAT Prelims and DAT Mains of both B.Des and M.Des examinations. Further, there is no negative marking.

Related Links:

NID DAT Syllabus 2027

Key Summary

  • The exam is conducted for admission into the B.Des and M.Des programs. Both the B.Des and M.Des papers include the DAT Prelims and DAT Mains exams.
  • Students must note that the final merit list is prepared considering the DAT Mains score. The DAT Prelims is a qualifying paper for the Mains.
  • The NID DAT B.Des 2027 Prelims and Mains exam duration is 3 hours, whereas for M.Des it is 2.5 to 4.5 hours for Prelims and 3 hours for Mains.
  • The NID DAT 2027 B.Des exam includes the Studio Sensitivity Test + In-Person Sensitivity Test, and the M.Des includes Faculty-stream-specific Studio Test + Interview.
  • In the NID DAT Syllabus 2027, the weightage of the B.Des Studio Sensitivity Test is 60%, and the In-Person Sensitivity Test is 40%.
  • The NID DAT Syllabus 2027 weightage of the M.Des Faculty-stream-specific Studio Test is 40%, and for the Interview round it is 60%.

NID DAT Exam Syllabus 2027 PDF Links

The NID 2027 Syllabus PDF has not been released by the official authority on the website. However, students must go through the PDF link prepared based on the previous year's data.

Programs Download Link
NID B.Des Syllabus 2027 Click Here
NID M.Des Syllabus 2027 Click Here

Check the video by Top Rankers explaining the NID DAT syllabus breakdown and preparation strategy.

NID DAT Syllabus 2027: Check B.Des and M.Des Syllabus Topics

The detailed NID DAT Syllabus 2027 topics for the DAT Prelims and DAT Mains papers of the B.Des and M.Des programs are provided below.

NID DAT B.Des Prelims 2027 Syllabus Topics & Weightage

The NID DAT Prelims syllabus 2027 topics for B.Des are Design Principles & Elements with 5 - 7% weightage, Cubes, Nets & 3D Figures with 4 - 6% weightage, Colour Theory with 3 -5% weightage, and many more.

Topic/Chapter Expected Weightage
Design Principles & Elements 5 - 7%
Design Awareness & Functional Design 5 - 7%
Visual Reasoning 5 - 7%
Spatial Reasoning & 3D Visualisation 5 - 7%
Pattern Recognition 4 - 6%
Cubes, Nets & 3D Figures 4 - 6%
Mirror/Water Images & Symmetry 3 - 5%
Logical Reasoning 4 - 6%
Analytical Ability 4 - 6%
General Knowledge 5 - 7%
Current Affairs 3 - 5%
Environment & Sustainability 3 - 5%
Indian Art, Culture & Heritage 3 - 5%
Logos, Symbols & Brand Awareness 3 - 5%
Colour Theory 3 - 5%
Form, Shape, Pattern & Texture 3 - 5%
Perspective Drawing 4 - 6%
Proportion & Scale 3 - 5%
Observation & Memory Drawing 3 - 5%
Creative Problem Solving 5 - 8%
User-Centric Design 5 - 8%
Visual Storytelling/Poster Design 4 - 6%
Reading Comprehension & Interpretation 3 - 5%
Lateral Thinking 4 - 6%

NID DAT B.Des Mains 2027 Syllabus Topics & Weightage

The NID DAT Mains syllabus 2027 M.Des high-weightage topics are Creative Problem Solving with 15 - 20% weightage, Model Making, Material Manipulation with 10 - 15% weightage each, and many more.

Topics Expected Weightage
Creative Problem Solving 15 - 20%
Model Making 10 - 15%
Material Manipulation 10 - 15%
Sketching & Drawing 10 - 15%
In-Person Interaction 10 - 15%
Visual Storytelling 8 - 12%
Observation Skills 8 - 12%
Design Thinking 10 - 15%
Communication & Presentation 8 - 12%
NID DAT B.Des Mains 2027 Syllabus Topics & Weightage

NID DAT M.Des Prelims 2027 Syllabus Topics & Weightage

The NID DAT Prelims syllabus 2027 topics for M.Des are Design History & Movements, Visual Reasoning, Composition & Visual Balance, Environment & Sustainability, etc.

Topic Expected Weightage
Design Principles & Elements 5 - 7%
Design Theory 4 - 6%
Design History & Movements 4 - 6%
Form & Function 4 - 6%
Design Awareness 5 - 7%
Visual Reasoning 5 - 7%
Spatial Visualisation 4 - 6%
Symmetry & Pattern Recognition 4 - 6%
Logical Reasoning 4 - 6%
Analytical Ability 4 - 6%
Colour Theory 4 - 6%
Composition & Visual Balance 3 - 5%
Light, Shade & Shadow 3 - 5%
Perspective & Proportion 3 - 5%
Materials & Manufacturing Awareness 3 - 5%
Art, Architecture & Culture 4 - 6%
General Knowledge 4 - 6%
Current Affairs 3 - 5%
Environment & Sustainability 3 - 5%
Design Ethics 3 - 5%
User-Centred Design 4 - 6%
Creative Thinking 4 - 6%
Lateral Thinking 3 - 5%
Reading Comprehension 3 - 5%

NID DAT M.Des Mains 2027 Syllabus Topics & Weightage

Studying Model Making, Material Manipulation, and Creative Thinking topics of the NID DAT Mains syllabus 2027 will help students cover 50 - 65% of the entire syllabus.

Topic Expected Weightage
Model Making 20 - 25%
Material Manipulation 15 - 20%
Creative Thinking 15 - 20%
Idea Development 10 - 15%
Doodling & Visualisation 8 - 12%
Audio-Visual Exercises 8 - 12%
Design Sensitivity & Observation 5 - 10%
Presentation & Visual Communication 5 - 10%
NID DAT M.Des Mains 2027 Syllabus Topics & Weightage

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Ques. Does NID DAT 2027 have drawing in its syllabus?

Ans. Yes, the NID DAT 2027 exam syllabus contains drawing and visualisation. These two are the most important sections of the NID DAT examination. The drawing paper is used to analyse the observation and communication ideas of the applicants. Students must practice well for the drawing section.

A Reddit user asked for the NID DAT 2027 preparation strategy.

reddit

Replying to that, another user said that you must focus on line quality, ideation, and a bit of GK for three weeks for a strong hold.

reddit

Source: Reddit

NID DAT Exam Pattern 2027: Check Marking Scheme

The NID DAT 2027 exam pattern states that the exam is conducted in offline mode. Go through the NID DAT B.Des and M.Des exam pattern shared below.

NID DAT B.Des Exam Pattern 2027

As per the NID DAT 2027 B.Des exam pattern, the paper will consist of two sections: Section A & B. Section A consists of multiple-choice questions, and Section B will carry subjective questions.

Particulars Details
Exam Mode Offline mode/pen-and-paper-based test
No. of sections 2 (Sections A and B)
No. of Questions Section A: 1 to 22 (MCQ)
Section B: 23 to 26 (Subjective)
Section-Wise Weightage (for final merit list) DAT Prelims: 0%DAT Mains: Studio Sensitivity Test (60%), In-Person Sensitivity Test (40%)
Total Marks 100
Negative Marking No
Duration 3 hours
Question Type Multiple

NID B.Des Marking Scheme 2027

The marking scheme for the NID DAT B.Des exam paper 2027 is provided below.

Type of Questions Total Questions Marks for Each
Objective Type Questions Ques 1 - 14 1 mark each
Ques 15 - 22 2 marks each
Subjective Type Questions Ques 23 15 marks
Ques 24 20 marks
Ques 25 15 marks
Ques 26 20 marks
Total Marks 100 marks

NID DAT M.Des Exam Pattern 2027

The NID DAT M.Des 2027 exam paper consists of 59 multiple-choice questions in Section A and 3 subjective questions in Section B.

Particulars Details
Exam Mode Offline mode/pen-and-paper-based test
No. of sections 2 (Sections A and B)
No. of Questions Section A: 59 (MCQ)
Section B: 3 (Subjective)
Section-Wise Weightage (for final merit list) DAT Prelims: 0%DAT Mains: Faculty-stream-specific Studio Test (40%), Interview (60%)
Total Marks 100
Negative Marking No
Question Type Multiple

NID M.Des Marking Scheme 2027

The marks of the NID DAT M.Des paper are question-specific. The weightage of the NID M.Des exam paper is provided below. It will help students get an idea about the expected marks of the sections.

Sections Weightage
Studio Test 40%
Interview 60%

Check NID DAT Previous Year Question Paper Links:

Ques. Is there any Mathematics in the NID DAT syllabus 2027?

Ans. No, the NID DAT syllabus 2027 does not include Mathematics, as it is not a conventional mathematics-based entrance examination. However, applicants will have to answer some of the basic Mathematical and quantitative questions covered under the Logical Reasoning section.

Which Books Are Best for NID DAT 2027 Exam Preparation?

The list of books students can refer to for preparing for the NID DAT 2027 Prelims and Mains exam for B.Des and M.Des programs is shared below.

NID DAT B.Des Book List 2027

For the preparation of the NID DAT 2027 B.Des paper, students can refer to NID (B.Des.) Entrance Books and Test Series by AFAINDIA, NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam Guide by Surendra, etc.

Book Author/Publisher
Design Drawing Francis D.K. Ching
Basic Rendering Robert W. Gill
NID (B.Des.) Entrance Books and Test Series AFAINDIA
NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam Guide RPH Editorial Board
Arihant's Ultimate Guide for NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam Arihant
NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam Guide Surendra
NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Examination Dharmendra Mittal
The Fundamentals of Figure Drawing Charles Oliver
Origami Design Secrets Robert J. Lang
NIFT/NID (Admission Test) Previous Years' Papers (Solved) R. Gupta

NID DAT M.Des Book List 2027

The NID DAT M.Des 2027 book list includes Basic Rendering by Robert W. Gill, NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Examination by Dharmendra Mittal, and many more.

Book Author/Publisher
Design Drawing Francis D.K. Ching
Basic Rendering Robert W. Gill
NID M.Des. Interdisciplinary Design Studies – Previous Year Studio Test Papers + 5 Mock Studio Tests Qrio Studio
NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam Guide RPH Editorial Board
NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam Guide Surendra
NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Examination Dharmendra Mittal
Origami Design Secrets Robert J. Lang
The Fundamentals of Figure Drawing Charles Oliver
Preparing for a Winning Interview Bibhu Prasad Mishra
How to Answer Interview Questions: 101 Tough Interview Questions Peggy McKee

NID DAT Syllabus 2027 FAQs

Ques. Is the NID DAT syllabus the same for B.Des and M.Des?

Ans. No, the NID DAT syllabus topics are not the same for the B.Des and M.Des programs. The NID B.Des syllabus topics focus on design aptitude, drawing, observation, creativity, and visual reasoning. Whereas the NID M.Des syllabus focuses on advanced design principles, design history, logical reasoning, design philosophy, and analytical abilities.

Ques. What is the NID DAT Studio Test 2027?

Ans. The NID DAT Studio Test is conducted to evaluate the practical creativity of students through activities such as model making, material manipulation, doodling, creative thinking, idea development, and audio-visual exercises.

Ques. What type of questions are asked in NID DAT Prelims?

Ans. The NID DAT Prelims exam paper consists of both objective and subjective questions involving text and visuals. The paper includes visual reasoning, logical problems, drawing-based questions, design aptitude, observation, and creative problem-solving tasks.

Ques. Can I crack NID DAT 2027 without coaching?

Ans. Yes, you can crack the NID DAT 2027 exam without coaching. You just need to have a proper, strategised preparation schedule and the correct approach to preparation. You must be aware of the best resources and topic weightage for a better outcome. Further, it is advised that you must cover the syllabus topics in detail, prepare your own notes, practice previous year papers, appear for mock tests, and analyse your preparation level.

Ques. Is NID DAT 2027 difficult?

Ans. The NID DAT 2027 can be a little challenging for students, as it does not consist of any textbook knowledge; rather, it focuses on testing the creativity, observation, visualisation, reasoning, and design aptitude of students. Thus, applicants must prepare well and practice previous years' question papers for a better understanding of the question structure.