NID DAT Exam Centres 2026: Check Prelims & Mains Centres

The NID DAT Exam Centre 2026 list will be provided in the Admission Handbooks. When completing the NID DAT 2026 Application form, candidates must select their preferred exam centre.

The NID DAT Prelims 2026 Exam will be held on December 21, 2025, for B.Des and M.Des. The Prelims Admit Card will be published on December 11, 2025. NID DAT Mains Admit Cards are expected to be released in the last week of February 2026.

The name and address of the exam centre will be listed on the NID DAT 2026 admit card. On the day of the NID DAT exam, candidates must bring their admit card as well as a valid photo ID. When inside the exam centre, one must observe the NID DAT 2026 exam-day procedures.

NID DAT 2026 Exam Centres Updates and New Additions

The list of NID exam centres will be included in the NID DAT 2026 Admission Handbooks for the B.Des and M.Des programs. The DAT Prelims will be held in the following cities across India: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Kurukshetra, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Vijayawada.

A city may have more than one testing centre. NID has the right to add or delete any test centre and to assign a test centre that is not of the candidate's preference. Any request for a change of test centre will be denied.

Also Read: How to Crack NID DAT in First Attempt?: Check Exam Pattern, Preparation Strategies

NID DAT Prelims Exam Centres 2026

Take a look at the table below to know the NID DAT Prelims exam centres.

NID DAT Exam Centres for Prelims Exam
Dehradun	Thiruvananthapuram	Patna
Ranchi	Nagpur	Hyderabad
Vijayawada	Ahmedabad	Bhubaneshwar
Bhopal	Jaipur	Kolkata
Mumbai	Guwahati	Chandigarh
Raipur	Chennai	Kurukshetra
Lucknow	Bengaluru	New Delhi

NID DAT Mains Exam Centres 2026

Take a look at the table below to know the NID DAT Mains exam centre.

Discipline	Location
Textile Design	NID Ahmedabad Campus
Toy & Game Design	NID Gandhinagar Campus
Product Design	NID Ahmedabad Campus
Apparel Design	NID Gandhinagar Campus
Furniture & Interior Design	NID Ahmedabad Campus
New Media Design	NID Gandhinagar Campus
Ceramic & Glass Design	NID Ahmedabad Campus
Strategic Design Management	NID Gandhinagar Campus
Animation Film Design	NID Ahmedabad Campus
Photography Design	NID Gandhinagar Campus
Film & Video Communication	NID Ahmedabad Campus
Transportation & Automobile Design	NID Gandhinagar Campus
Graphic Design	NID Ahmedabad Campus
Lifestyle Accessory Design	NID Gandhinagar Campus
Universal Design	NID Bengaluru Campus
Design for Retail Experience
Information Design	NID Bengaluru Campus
Interaction Design
Digital Game Design	NID Bengaluru Campus

Also Read: What is a Good Score in NID DAT 2026? B,.Des and M.Des Scores, Steps to Calculate

Are the Exam Centres Identical for DAT Prelims and DAT Mains?

The National Institute of Design will provide exam centre information separately for the DAT Prelims and Mains. Information regarding the centre name, address, and reporting time will be on the NID DAT 2026 admit cards. The admit cards will also be released separately for the DAT prelims and DAT mains.

Stage 1: Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Prelims

The Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Prelims will take place in various testing centres throughout India. Candidates will find out what specific centres they have been assigned to in the Admission Handbook of the B.Des and M.Des programmes.

Stage 2: Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Mains

Those candidates who are selected to take the DAT Prelims will then take the DAT Mains in Stage 02. Specific details of what the testing centre will be will be available when the DAT Mains admit card is issued.

Changing the NID DAT Test Centre

Requests for changing a test centre will not be accepted. However, it is at the sole discretion of the exam officials as to whether they may add or eliminate a test centre, or assign a centre that isn't the aspirant’s first choice. Candidates should also keep in mind that a city may have several NID test centres.

Also Read: NID DAT Tie Breaking Policy for B.Des Admissions 2025: How It Works?

Exam Day Guidelines for NID DAT 2026

NID DAT test takers will not be provided any stationery, and they must bring it with them when they attend the NID exam. The following is a list of documents that candidates should bring with them when taking the NID Entrance Exam 2026. 

Documents to Carry to the Exam Centre

Listed below are the documents that are required at the NID DAT exam centre.

• Admit Card
• Photo ID Proof
• Stationery

NID DAT 2026 Exam Schedule

The NID DAT Prelims exam is expected to take place in the first week of January 2026. On exam day, the candidate had to report to the NID DAT exam centre at 8 a.m.

NID DAT Prelims Schedule

Check out the tentative schedule for NID DAT Prelims:

Event	B.Des	M.Des
NID DAT Prelims Exam Date	First week of January 2026	First week of January 2026
Reporting Time	8 AM	8 AM
Gate Closing Time	9:30 AM	9:30 AM
Time of the Exam	10 AM - 1 PM (Part I + Part II)	10 AM - 12.30 PM (Part I + Part II)

Also Read: Tips & Tricks to Score Well in NID DAT Exam for Design Courses 2026

Summary

NID DAT 2026 Prelims will be held in multiple cities across India, allowing candidates to choose a preferred test location. The DAT Mains will be conducted only at selected NID campuses, and the exact centre details will be shared through the Mains admit card. Exam centres may differ for each stage.