NID DAT 2026 is the Design Aptitude Test conducted by the National Institute of Design for admission to Bachelor of Design (B.Des) and Master of Design (M.Des) programmes at all NID campuses — Ahmedabad (Main), Gandhinagar, Bengaluru, Kurukshetra, Vijayawada, Bhopal, Jorhat. The exam has two stages: Prelims (DAT-Prelims, written) and Mains (DAT-Mains, hands-on studio test). B.Des admits ~120 students per year across campuses; M.Des is offered in 20+ specialisations including Industrial, Communication, Textile and Universal Design. Final selection considers DAT-Prelims, DAT-Mains and a personal interview round.