NID Exam 2026

10 Tips for How to Crack NID

1. The most common misconception among NID aspirants is that if you draw well, then you can crack NID, which is totally false. Though good sketching is essential, the questions are framed to judge a candidate’s creativity, imagination, visualization skills, observation, and general awareness. So, developing these skills is equally important.
2. Be Creative – Creativity is a mysterious trait. Many people have tried to define creativity in their own ways, but there is no single universally accepted definition. It is the ability to come up with new, original ideas that are unconventional. A creative person breaks away from stereotypes and has a deeper insight into problem-solving.
3. Understand that your drawing and creative skills are useless if you cannot present your thoughts within the limited time in the exam. You lose marks for incomplete or unanswered questions, regardless of how good your work is. So, time management and speed are crucial.
4. Go through all previous NID question papers. Solve at least 8–10 past papers within the time limit. This helps you develop a comfortable answering sequence and exam strategy.
5. Don’t practice in A3 size sketchbooks. Practice in A4 size sheets as that is typically the standard answer sheet size used in the actual examination.
6. If you face a mental block, take deep breaths, relax, and then try to approach the question calmly.
7. Find your own deep and compelling reason to clear NID. Motivate yourself. Work with enthusiasm, and you’ll be amazed at the ideas and creations you come up with.
8. In questions requiring drawing, always sketch lightly first to create an outline. Once you’re satisfied with the proportions and placement, go ahead and finalize the details. This saves the time usually lost in erasing and redrawing.
9. Practice more with dry color mediums (like pencil colors, crayons, etc.), as they are convenient to use and save time during the actual exam.
10. Plan your time wisely between school/college studies and entrance preparation. Use a time table to effectively manage and balance both.