National Institute of Fashion Technology Kolkata Salt Lake City Answered Questions

NIFT lateral entry admission (NLEA) provides an opportunity to candidates who have completed their Diploma in relevant / related fields of Design & Technology for direct admission to the third semester of UG programmes of NIFT at NIFT campuses.
Eligibility criteria : Passed Secondary School Examination/10th AND Passed 3 or 4-years diploma recognized by AICTE/AIU/UGC or a State Board of Technical Education in courses related to Fashion / Apparel / Textile and Accessories / Home Science/ Hand loom Technology / Products / Visual Communication / Graphic Design / Industrial Design / Interior Design / Multimedia Design / Apparel Technology / Leather/ Fine arts.
The candidates who have acquired Diploma/Degree will compete at an All India Entrance Exam to get lateral admission in the 3rd semester of UG programmes of NIFT. The admission to these candidates will be strictly on merit which will be prepared based on the performance of candidates in written test, studio test/technology aptitude test, and a personal interview. The candidates selected through lateral entry will
join the regular UG students of NIFT in their second year for seats.
So if you are meeting the above eligibility criteria than can be eligible for All India Entrance Exam.

The eligibility criteria of M.Des of NIFT is given below: Eligibility criteria: Undergraduate degree in any discipline from any university or institute which is recognized by the Indian government. Master of Design (M.Des.) is an advanced course that demands an understanding of fundamentals in design and presupposes that candidates would be familiar with the basic skills and theories for successful completion of the programme. The course would not provide any basic knowledge and skill development in design as a part of its Masters programme. Note: Candidates appearing in the qualifying examination are also eligible to apply provided: (a) That they produce a proof of having acquired the minimum prescribed qualifications at the time of counselling/ admission.

You can visit the following link to check the eligibility criteria for admission in B.Des. in Fashion Design from NIFT - National Institute of Fashion Technology
https://www.shiksha.com/design/fashion-design/course/b-des-in-fashion-design-national-institute-of-fashion-technology-kolkata-salt-lake-city-97541

Fashion and Clothing Technology course at NIFT, Kolkata is a one year duration course with a total intake of 30 seats. The course fee is about Rs 1,00,300 and the eligibility criteria is 10+2.
This is a short duration and part time evening/week end course designed for working professionals. Hence, there is no age limit.

Different designing colleges have different entrance exams. NIFT's entrance this year was in the month of January. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait for next year now. Usually the dates are declared in the month of October when the admission forms are out.

Hi,
You can apply for NIFT for the year 2019. You do not require to drop a year to appear for the NIFT entrance examination. However, the competition there is fierce and requires rigorous preparation. I'd suggest you open options for yourself and apply for other design programmes as well. I have curated a few options, where you can apply:
National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, offers B.Des in many disciplines including Exhibition Design, Film and Animation, Ceramic Design, Film & Communication Design, Interior Design, Space Design, Product Design and Textile Design, to mention some.
Claiming to be the first Design University of India, Anant National University offers B.Des in Interior, Space, Interaction, Product and Communication Design.
JK Lakshmipat University, the corporate university of the 125-year-old JK Organisation, offers B.Des programmes in Product, Interaction and interdisciplinary design.
I would especially recommend the B.Des programme in interdisciplinary design if you are still uncertain about your calling in design since it provides you with a holistic flavor of design as a concept, rather than just concentrating in one aspect of it.