Summary: Aspirants seeking admission to B.Des and M.Des programs in NID campuses must meet the eligibility requirements before registering for the exam. This article will take you through the NID eligibility criteria 2025 and other details you must compulsorily know!

The National Institute of Design (NID) conducts an entrance exam called the Design Aptitude Test (DAT) every year for admissions into their design programs. 

The conducting body imposes eligibility for NID entrance exam requirements for every student who intends to take the exam. 

 The NID Eligibility Criteria 2025 will be based on the various parameters that are: 

• Nationality
• Age
• Qualification

In this article, you will learn about the detailed NID Eligibility Criteria 2025 of all the courses offered at NID campuses.

Check: Explore List of NID Courses in India

Download Free Study Material for NID 2025 by CreativeEdge

B.Des is offered at NID Ahmedabad, NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Haryana, NID Madhya Pradesh and NID Assam. Similarly, M.Des is offered at NID Ahmedabad and its extension campuses at Gandhinagar and Bangalore.

Overview of NID Entrance Exam and NID Eligibility Criteria 2025

The NID entrance exam 2025 will be conducted in 2 stages: 

• Stage 1:- NID DAT (Prelims) - Pen & paper-based written test  
• Stage 2:- NID DAT (Mains) – Studio Test & Interview 

Learn more: NID 2025 Syllabus

NID Eligibility Criteria 2025 for B.Des

Eligibility Criteria for NID - 

The Bachelor of Design (B.Des) program is a 4-year bachelor's program at NID (National Institute of Design). For the Bachelor of Design (B.Des) program, every year, the NID Ahmedabad campus conducts a Design Aptitude Test (DAT) for young talented students to get admission to one of the most prestigious and premium Design Institutes in India.

NID BDes eligibility -

1. NID Eligibility - Age Limit

• For Indian Nationals in the Gen category and GEN EWS: Only those candidates born or after 1 July 2004 are eligible to apply for admission.
• For Indian Nationals in reserved category: Only those candidates born on or after 1 July 2001 are eligible to apply for admission.
• For Indian Nationals in PwD reserved category: Only those candidates born on or after 1 July 1999 are eligible.  
• For foreign nationals overseas: Only those candidates born on or after 1 July 2004 are eligible.  

Refer: Important questions with answers for the NID CAT exam

2. NID Eligibility - Educational Qualification

NID DAT eligibility criteria -

The candidates who have completed their 10 + 2 (Higher Secondary) from AISSCE / IB / ICSE or any recognized board during the academic year 2024 will be eligible to apply for NID. 

The candidates appearing for their 10 + 2 (higher secondary) in year 2025 can also apply for this examination. 

Some of the examinations that are considered identical to class 12 are as follows:

• Central or state board recognized by the Association of Indian Universities conducts a final examination of the 10 + 2 system - aiuweb.org.
• A board or university recognized by the Association of Indian Universities conducts an Intermediate or 2-year Pre-University examination.
• The final year examination of the 2-year course at the Joint Services Wing of the National Defence Academy (N.D.A.).
• The National Institute of Open Schooling conducts senior secondary school examinations with at least five subjects.
• An examination conducted by any public school, board, or university in India or a foreign country that is recognized as equivalent to the 10 + 2 system by the A.I.U.
• H.S.C. vocational examination.
• The advanced (A) level of the general certificate education (G.C.E.) examination (London, Cambridge, or Sri Lanka)
• Cambridge University conducts a high school certificate examination or International Baccalaureate Diploma at the International Baccalaureate Office, Geneva.
• The candidates, who have completed their 10+2 or equivalent examination from outside India or from a board or university not specified in the above list, must compulsorily submit a certificate from the Association of Indian Universities in this regard.

NID Eligibility Criteria 2025 for M.Des

NID master of design eligibility requires candidates applying to the Masters of Design (M.Des) Program can apply to a maximum of 2 disciplines. Once the application is received for one discipline, you can't apply for another.

After receiving the application, you cannot apply or transfer to any other discipline at any stage of application or admission or during the course.

The Master of Design (M. Des) is a 2.5 years Master's program at the National Institute of Design (NID). For the Master of Design (M.Des) program every year NID Ahmedabad, NID Bengaluru, and NID Gandhinagar campus conduct a Design Aptitude Test (DAT) for the young talented students to get admission in one of the prestigious and premium Design Institute of India.

Read more: NID Study Plan 2025

Below are the NID eligibility criteria that must be fulfilled by all the candidates applying for the Master of Design (M.Des) program through the NID Entrance Exam.

1. NID Eligibility - Age Limit

NID MDes Eligibility Criteria - 

• For Indian National in General Category and Gen EWS category: Only those candidates born on or after 1 July 1992 are eligible to apply for admission.  
• For Indian Nationals in reserved category: Only those candidates born on or after 1 July 1989 are eligible to apply for admission.  
• For Indian Nationals, is a Person with Disabilities (PwD) reserved category: only those candidates born on or after 1 July 1987 are eligible to apply for admission. 
• For Foreign Nationals in the overseas category: Only those candidates born on or after 1 July 1992 are eligible to apply for admission.  

Practice with: NID Free Mock Test Series by Creative Edge

2. NID Eligibility - Educational Qualification

Eligibility for MDes in NID - 

There are the following conditions that the candidates have to fulfil before applying for the Master of Design Program.

• The candidate should have a Bachelor's degree under the 10 + 2 + 4 Program. The candidate should have a Bachelor's Degree in any discipline from any recognized University or Institute across India.
• The candidate should have a degree or Diploma in Design from any recognized University or Institute across India under the 10 + 2 + 4 program.

(or)

The candidates should either have completed or should be appearing in the following before July 2022. The candidate should have a Bachelor's degree in any discipline from any recognized Institute or University realized across India under the 10 + 2 + 3 program. 

Note: The candidate must obtain an Equivalence Certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (A.I.U.), New Delhi, before admission (website: www.aiuweb.org), in case the candidate has obtained the degree/certificate from any University/ Board of any foreign country. Check NID PG courses eligibility for all campuses. 

NID Eligibility Criteria 2025 for Overseas Category

Candidates with citizenship in any country other than the Republic of India can apply for this examination under the overseas candidates' category. In the B.Des (Bachelor of Design) and M.Des (Master of Design) programs, overseas candidates hold 15% of the extra seats that the NID allots. (National Institute of Design).

NID Eligibility Requirements for Overseas -

•  The Non-Residents of India (N.R.I.s) candidates only have to apply as citizens of India. 
• The candidates hold a foreign passport with a valid P.I.O. (Person of Indian Origin) or O.C.I. (Overseas Citizen of India) status can apply under any category, i.e., the 'Indian' or 'Overseas' category. The candidates applying under the overseas category have to pay fees equivalent to foreign citizens only; if they use under the Indian category students, they have to pay costs equal to Indian citizens. 
• The overseas candidates can only apply online for the B.Des (Bachelor of Design) or M.Des programs. The official website for admission in this category is admissions.nid.edu. 
• The candidates who opted for the overseas category can only give the Design Aptitude Test (DAT) at the Ahmedabad campus. The DAT is followed by the stage 2 and 3. examinations. 
•  The NID Admit cards will be available for download at the official website, and the candidate will be responsible for taking a print of the same. 

Refer: Important questions for the NID GAT exam

NID Admission Eligibility Documents

The candidates should make the original documents and the attested copies thereof as under:

• The candidates have to submit the Attested copy of their Passport.
• In the case of B.Des candidates, the certified copies of S.S.C. and H.S.C mark sheets.
• In the case of M.Des candidates, the attested copies of mark sheets of S.S.C., H.S.C., completed years of graduation along with degree certificate / provisional certificate/passing certificate.
• An equivalence certificate must be produced before admission if the candidate is from the Association of Indian Universities (A.I.U.).

Note: Candidates who have citizenship of any country other than the Republic of India are eligible to apply for this examination under the overseas candidates' category. In B.Des (Bachelor of Design) and M.Des (Master of Design) programs, overseas candidates hold 15% of the extra seats that are allotted by the NID (National Institute of Design).

Before starting the Bachelor of Design (B.Des) or Masters of Design (M.Des) program, candidates must submit their student visa for the course at NID.

The application will be cancelled if the selected candidates cannot pay the required fees or submit the relevant documents before registration.

The seats which are left vacant will not be converted into any other category and will eventually be invalid for any category student.

Improve your NID 2025 Preparation: NID 2025 Online Coaching by CreativeEdge

Why know the NID Eligibility Criteria? 

The NID Eligibility criteria are important to understand if you are considering applying for the National Institute of Design's programs. This criteria outlines who can apply to the NID, as well as other important eligibility requirements that must be met before you can be accepted into the program.

By reviewing the NID eligibility criteria, you can get a better understanding of your chances of being accepted into the NID and which courses best fit your skills and interests.

Read more: Previous year exam analysis for NID entrance exam

Conclusion for NID Eligibility Requirements

The eligibility criteria for NID are quite strict. However, they provide a great opportunity to pursue a career in the design field. Those who meet the criteria and have the dedication and passion for making a design career will find NID a great place to start. With a strong portfolio and the right attitude, anyone can make a successful career in design.

Refer: NID 2025 Sample Papers

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