NID DAT Marks vs Rank 2026: Qualifying Marks, Tie-breaker Policy

Jahanvi Bakshi

Updated On: December 20, 2025 01:44 PM

Your NID DAT marks reflect your performance across various sections like design ability, sketching, general aptitude, and communication. Your rank, on the other hand, shows how you stand compared to all other candidates in the 2026 exam.

NID DAT Marks vs Rank

NID DAT Marks vs Rank 2026 is the comparison between students' scores vs their possible ranks in the exam. Your rank, based on your All India Rank (AIR) in the NID DAT 2026 exam , is important for getting a seat in your desired program and NID campus. In general, the better your rank, the higher the chances of getting your preferred campus and specialisation. Students eager to know more about the NID DAT 2026 mark vs rank, they can go through the steps results are calculated, qualifying scores, etc.

NID DAT Marks vs Rank 2026: How are Results Calculated?

The final marks of the NID DAT exam or the results are calculated based on the total marks of the DAT Prelims and Mains. The weightage given to both exams is given below in a tabulated format:

NID DAT Prelims

NID DAT Mains

40%

60%

Note: Students who have appeared for the DAT Prelims as well as the DAT Mains Examination are eligible for the NID DAT merit list.

NID DAT Marks vs Rank 2026: Qualifying Scores

Students must manage to attain the minimum qualifying marks as established by the National Institute of Design for the session 2026-26, to be eligible for admissions to some of the top NID campuses in India:

Open

Gen-EWS

OBC-NCL

SC

ST

PwD

Overseas

50%

50%

45%

40%

40%

40%

50%

NID DAT Marks vs Rank 2026: Tie-Breaking Policy

In case the total marks scored by two or more students are the same, the following tie-break policy as mandated by the National Institute of Design will be used for awarding ranks to students in the NID DAT final merit list:

  • A higher rank will be assigned to the applicant who has obtained higher marks in DAT Mains.
  • If this does not break the tie, a higher rank will be assigned to the applicant who has obtained higher marks in the Stage 1 Design Aptitude Test.
  • If this does not break the tie, a higher rank will be assigned to the applicant who has obtained higher marks in Stage 1 Design Aptitude Test Part B.
  • If this does not break the tie, a higher rank will be assigned to the candidate who has obtained higher marks in Stage 1 Design Aptitude Test Part A.

NID DAT Marks vs Rank 2026: Shortlisting Criteria

As for the NID DAT Shortlisting criteria, the NID DAT Information Brochure for the 2026-26 session states that based on the merit list of DAT Prelims released by NID, eligible applicants shall get a chance to appear for the DAT Mains Exam. The number of applicants that will be shortlisted will not be less than three times the number of available seats in each category applied for by the applicant in the respective category (General, General-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD and Overseas) as per merit.

If the total scores of two or more applicants in the DAT Prelims Examination are the same even after applying the tie-break policy, then they will be assigned the same rank in such a case.

Note: Please refer to the NID Information Brochure at admissions.nid.edu for the seat intake of all seven NID campuses in India.

NID DAT Marks vs Rank 2026: Final Merit List

Following the shortlisting of applicants and the execution of the tie-breaking regulation for NID DAT applications by the managing professionals, the final NID DAT 2026 merit lists for all categories are produced using the sum of the cumulative marks that every candidate received in both the DAT Mains and the DAT Prelims examinations. For international students hoping for acceptance in the BDes program, an additional merit list is created. To determine your eligibility, you must access the official NID DAT portal to download the NID DAT 2026 final merit list. This page will also provide the candidates' scorecards and ranks, allowing them to obtain their NID DAT 2026 scores by logging in with their username and password.

So, NID DAT marks VS rank 2026 implies that an applicant's university entrance will be determined by the cutoff scores established by the various NID campuses. A student's rank and, consequently, their preferred institute will be determined by the scores they receive on the NID DAT 2026 exam. The information provided in this article should serve as a starting point for your understanding of how NID assigns rankings based on the sum of the scores that pupils receive in the DAT Mains and Prelims. Furthermore, any queries regarding Top Colleges Accepting NID DAT marks vs rank 2026, log on to our CollegeDekho Q&A Zone or contact our toll-free helpline number 18005729877.

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FAQs

Is it tough to get admission into the National Institute of Design?

Yes, NID DAT is one of the toughest design entrance examinations in India. To get admission to one of the NID campuses, an aspirant needs to begin early and cover every topic that has been mentioned in the NID Syllabus. NID DAT Exam places more emphasis on subjective and drawing-related questions thus, a student is required to practice well for the sketching section and enhance their creativity.

Who is eligible for NID DAT 2026?

The students who have given their Class 12th board examinations from any stream or discipline (Science, Commerce, Arts) from a recognized board with an aggregate score of 50% marks are eligible to apply for the NID DAT 2026 Exam.

How many students are shortlisted for NID admissions?

More than 12,000 students sit for the NID exam on an annual basis and out of 12,000 students, only 1,200 students make it through. This implies that the competition rate for the NID Exam is way too high.

How much should I score to get admission into NID?

A good score in the NID DAT Exam is somewhere between the number of 60 to 66. This score will help you to get admission into any of the NID campuses you wish to take admission into.

What are the qualifying marks for NID 2026?

The qualifying marks for NID 2026 are 40% and 60% aggregate for Prelims and Mains, respectively. Only students who achieve the minimum required marks in Prelims can proceed to attempt the Mains examination.

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