Sayeba
Sayeba Naushad
Assistant Manager
Updated on Feb 8, 2026 19:40 IST
NTA releases data on how many students registered for NIFT UG and PG. NIFT Stage 1 Entrance Exam is a national-level entrance test conducted by the National Testing Agency for admission to Undergraduate (UG) and Post Graduate courses offered by NIFT institutes. It is one of the biggest Design entrance exam.

NTA releases the number of students who applied and appeared for the NIFT 2026 Entrance Exam. The number of students who registered/appeared for NIFT Stage 1 and NIFT Stage 2 will be released soon. Aspirants can check how many students appear for NIFTEE year-wise and the acceptance rate here.

How many Appeared for NIFT 2026?

How many Appeared for NIFT 2026?

NIFT Exam was conducted today, February 08, 2026 for all the UG and PG programmes for Stage 1. The number of students expected to sit in the NIFT Stage 1 is around 35,000. NIFT Exam 2026 is conducted in two shifts: NIFT GAT and NIFT CAT. NIFT GAT is computer-based and NIFT CAT is in paper based mode. NIFT GAT is from 10 AM to 1 PM. NIFT CAT is from 3 PM to 6 PM. After this NIFT Answer Key will be released by NTA for GAT exam.

Latest Updates:

Table of contents
  • NIFTEE 2026 Stage 1 Statistics for GAT and CAT (Expected)
  • NIFT Acceptance Rate 2026
  • NIFTEE 2025 Stage 1 Statistics for GAT and CAT
  • How many students appeared for NIFTEE 2025 Stage 1 Examination for UG and PG programs?
  • How many males and females registered for NIFT 2025 Entrance test?

NIFTEE 2026 Stage 1 Statistics for GAT and CAT (Expected)

The NIFT GAT and CAT statistics are:

Shift

NIFTEE Stage 1 2026 Exam

Registered

Appeared

Shift 1

General Ability Test (GAT)

18000+

17000+

Shift 2

Creative Ability Test (CAT)

16000+

15000+

Total

 

34000+

32000+

Q:   What materials can be used for making the model during NIFT Situation Test?
A:

Candidates will be provided with the items for making the model during the NIFT Situation Test. Materials that students may be provided with are Glaze Papers, Plasticine Clay, Copper Wire, Ivory Sheets, Cardboard, Thermocol (thick And Thin), Kite Papers, Handmade Sheet, Coloured Clay, Cellophane, Fabric, Thread, Ribbon, Straw, Aluminum Foil, etc. The candidate can not use any other items except the ones provided in the exam hall. 

Q:   When do I need to start my preparation for NIFT 2026 exam?
A:

The NIFT exam is among the competitive and is also considered among the toughest. So, it is recommended that the candidate starts their exam preparation early. NIFT exam has various components like written exam and Situation Test /Personal Interview. Candidates seeking admission to the B. Des and M.Des courses need to prepare for both the CAT and GAT. The CAT is a drawing-based exam. Now unless the candidate is already well-versed, the exam will be very difficult. So, start early. The same goes for the GAT.

Q:   How many test centres are there for NIFT 2026 situation test?
A:

NIFT Situation Test will be conducted in an offline mode at the various NIFT campuses. Considering there are 19 NIFTs, the candidate will be able to select any of these institutes to appear in the Situation Test. The window to select test centres for the Situation Test will be announced soon after the declaration of NIFT results for the written exam. Test centres for the Situation Test will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. So, candidates need to book their slots as soon as possible. Note that if seats in a particular centre (or institute) fill out, the candidate will not be able to be offered slots for that institute.

NIFT Acceptance Rate 2026

Check out the acceptance rate for NIFT.

Academic Session

Registration

Seats

Acceptance Rate

2026-2027

To be Announced

5076

To be Announced

2025-2026

33,877

5,289 

13-15%

2021-22

20242

3777

18.7%

2020-21

26604

3810

14.3%

2019-20

29195

3692

12.6%

2018-19

31862

3305

10.4%

2017-18

29000

3319

11.4%

2016-17

26160

3279

12.5%

2015-16

27537

3006

10.9%

2014-15

26391

2742

10.4%

2013-14

19436

2680

13.8%

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NIFTEE 2025 Stage 1 Statistics for GAT and CAT

The NIFT GAT and CAT statistics are:

Shift

Exam

Registered

Appeared

Shift 1

General Ability Test (GAT)

17,974

16,475

Shift 2

Creative Ability Test (CAT)

15,903

14,586

Total

 

33,877

31,061

Q:   When will slot booking open for the situation test at NIFT 2026?
A:

Slot booking process for the NIFT Situation Test 2026 will be held a few weeks before the Situation Test. Slot booking process will be held online and will be open for candidates who have qualified in NIFT written exams. As part of the slot booking process, candidate needs to book their date and time slots for Situation Test. Note that slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The details of the slot allocated to the candidate, exam centre, and other key details will be mentioned on the admit card.

Q:   When will slot booking open for the NIFT 2026 Personal Interview?
A:

Candidates seeking admission to the PG courses at the NIFTs need to appear in a Personal Interview after qualifying the written exam. The slot booking process for the Personal Interview will open soon after results of the NIFT written exams are declared. The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will release the detailed schedule on its admission portal - niftadmissions. In. The slot booking process has to be conducted online. To book a slot, click on the relevant link, log in, and then select the campus and time slot from the available options. Note that slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Q:   When will NIFT seat allotment announced for Round 1?
A:

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will release the seat allotment of NIFT 2026 for Round I around the 3rd week of June 2026.

The seat allotment will be based on the merit rank of candidates and the academic option picked at the time of counseling registration. Note that NIFT 2026 counseling will be conducted in four regular and one spot rounds. The admission fee amount for regular seats at all campuses is INR 1,83,000..

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How many students appeared for NIFTEE 2025 Stage 1 Examination for UG and PG programs?

Stage 1 examination was conducted on February 09, 2025, for various undergraduates and graduate programs. Also, there was no second stage examination for the Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F.Tech.) programme. The selection process was based on the performance of the General Ability Test (GAT) in Stage 1. The following list has program-wise statistics of the registered and appeared candidates.

Programme

Registered

Appeared

B.Des (Shift 1)

11,944

11,071

B.Des Lateral (Shift 1)

44

37

B.F.Tech (Shift 1)

1,015

888

B.F.Tech and B.Des (Shift 1)

2,492

2,264

B.F.Tech Lateral (Shift 1)

9

9

M.Des (Shift 1)

1,078

977

M.F.M. (Shift 1)

950

845

M.F.M. and M.Des (Shift 1)

389

338

M.F.Tech (Shift 1)

53

46

CAT B.Des (Shift 2)

11,944

11,044

CAT B.F.Tech and B.Des (Shift 2)

2,492

2,245

CAT M.Des (Shift 2)

1,078

962

CAT M.F.M and M.Des (Shift 2)

389

335

Grand Total

33,877

31,061

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How many males and females registered for NIFT 2025 Entrance test?

The number of female registrations was more than that of males in the NIFTEE 2025 Examination. The gender wise distribution of the NIFTEE Examination is:

Gender

Registered

Appeared

Female

28,080

25,783

Male

5,797

5,278

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About the Author
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Sayeba Naushad
Assistant Manager

Sayeba Naushad is a commerce postgraduate from Banaras Hindu University. She has over five years of experience in content writing and editing. She has a nose for current events in design field. At Shiksha.com, she s

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Answered 2 days ago

The material kit of NIFT Situation Test 2026 can include the following:

  • Corrugated sheets: 2
  • Cardboard: 1
  • OHP Sheets: 1
  • Translucents Sheet: 1
  • Coloured sheets: 4
  • Ice cream sticks: 8-10
  • Toothpicks: 6-7
  • All pinks
  • Jute Thread: 2m
  • Needle
  • Balloon
  • Clay: 2 colors
  • Chopsticks: 2
  • Quilling strips
  • Paper plate: 2
  • Bubble wrap: 1
  • M

...Read more

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 days ago

Some of the important topics for NIFT Situation Test are:

  • Momentoes
  • Badges
  • product Design
  • Set Design
  • Book Cover/Diaries
  • Window Display: For Shoes, Clothes, etc.
  • Accessories
  • Character Design

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

NIFT Situation Test is a hands on test. It evaluates a candidate skills for material handling and innovative ability with a given set of materials. Candidates are required to make a 3D model.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

No, there is no negative marking in NIFT Situation Test. Negative marking is only there in NIFT GAT part in stage 1.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

NIFT exam is among the most competitive and the toughest. So, it is recommended that candidate start their exam preparation in advance, around 1 year before.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

After completing NIFT 3D model in Situation Test, candidates are required to write a brief explanation of model. This is known as Write Up. It should be clear, concise and structured. It should explain process, inspiration, theme and materials.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

Technical Ability Test (TAT) and Personal Interview will be conducted for NIFT Stage 2 examination of B.F.Tech. (NLEA). The format of the exam will be in paper-based (OMR) format. 

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

NIFT Situation Test will be of 2 hours. In this time, candidates have to draw the given 3D model and write about it. 

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

There is no dress code for the NTA NIFT 2026 Situation Test. But it is advisable to dress up neatly and smartly. Students should avoid chunky jewellry flashy logos for the exam.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

After NIFT Situation Test, NIFT prepares a final merit list based on the weighted average of GAT, CAT, and Situation Test and Interview scores. Qualified candidates are then invited for counselling.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10