NIFT Admission through SAT/GRE/GMAT: Admission Process, Eligibility Criteria and Seat Intake
National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam 2026 ( NIFT Entrance Exam )
Admit Card - To be notified
NIFT Admission Process for Foreign National/NRI /OCI/PIO/SAARC is different from that of Indian Students. The procedure, eligibility criteria, and admission process are different. Read the article to find how.
NIFT Admission Process for Foreign National/NRI /OCI/PIO/SAARC
Candidates under the Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories are not required to appear for the NIFT Entrance Examination. They get admission to the NIFT Institutes based on the scores of SAT/GMAT/GRE examinations. The application process for NIFT Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC candidates is open. All the candidates who fulfill the eligibility criteria under this category can apply before April 30, 2026.
- Who can Apply for NIFT Admission (residing in India or abroad)?
- What are the eligibility criteria to apply under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories?
- Procedure under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories
- Dates for NRI/Foreign National /OCI/PIO/SAARC
- Seat Intake at NIFT for Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories
- How to apply for NIFT B.Des and B.F.Tech Programme under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories?
- How to apply for NIFT M.F.M, M.Des & M.F.Tech Programmes under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories?
Who can Apply for NIFT Admission (residing in India or abroad)?
Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC candidates (residing in India or abroad) with the following status and who meet the eligibility may apply for NIFT 2026 admission.
- Foreign National: A foreign national is a citizen of a country other than India, and who is not of Indian origin.
- NRI (Non-Resident Indian): An Indian citizen who is ordinarily residing outside India or in India and holds an Indian Passport with NRI Status.
- PIO (Person of Indian Origin): A person who or whose any of the ancestors was an Indian national and who is presently holding another country’s citizenship/nationality, i.e. he/she is holding a foreign passport.
- OCI (Overseas Citizen of India): A person registered as an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholder under section 7A of the Citizenship Act., 1955.
- SAARC: (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation): The citizen from the countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Commonly asked questions
Candidates will be shortlisted for NIFT 2026 Studio Test/ Interview based on performance in NIFTEE Stage 1. NIFT 2026 written exams comprise the GAT and CAT exams.
If the candidate fails to be included in the shortlist, he or she is not eligible to appear in the Situation Test/ Interview.
Candidates applying for B. Des course need to have passed 10+2 exam from a recognised institute and should be less than 24 years as of August 1, 2026. Relaxation of 5 years in the upper age limit applies for candidates belonging to SC, ST and PwD categories.
Candidates will be able to check the cutoff for NIFT Delhi on the website of NIFT: nift.admissions.nic.in. The opening and closing rank of all the programmes is given on this page. This year, NIFT 2026 cutoff is expected to be on the lower side.
What are the eligibility criteria to apply under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories?
The eligibility criteria for NIFT Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories is given below.
- Candidate must have appeared in SAT/ GMAT/GRE score.
- The minimum requirement of SAT/ GMAT/GRE score is 50%.
-
Age Limit: For UG programmes, the maximum age should be less than 24 year as on 1st August of the year of admission. For PG programmes, there is no age limit.
Procedure under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories
Those who want admission under this category have to apply online at NIFT website: nift.ac.in/admission. The last date for applying under this category is April 30, 2026. The candidates who fulfill the admission criteria specified for this category may apply online with the requisite application fee of Rs. 11,100/- through the online NIFT payment gateway.
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Commonly asked questions
The expected cutoff for NIFT 2026 for B.Des is:
| Category | Expected Cutoff for B.Des |
|---|---|
| Open | 30-80 |
| EWS | 26-29 |
| OBC | 26-29 |
| SC | 22 |
| ST | 19 |
The Cut off for NIFT Gandhinagar 2025 will be out soon on the official website. The Cut off for NIFT Gandhinagar 2024 can give a fair idea for this year.
The following table shows the NIFT Gandhinagar 2024 Round 1 Cutoff for Fashion Design:
| Category | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|
| OBC | 725 | 1485 |
| Gen-EWS | 1105 | 2770 |
| Open | 208 | 466 |
| Open (PwD) | 8824 | 8824 |
| SC | 876 | 2586 |
| ST | 3004 | 3306 |
The National Instituite of Fashion Technology will release the NIFT 2026 at the time of seat allotment and counseling.
The cut-offs will be available institute and category-wise for all the program at nift.admissions.nic.in.
The cut-offs will be prepared by considering factors like the seat intake, the merit rank of candidates, admission category, etc. Note that if the seat intake is increase the cut-off would likely go down and vice versa.
The cut-offs are available for the following titles:
- Opening and Closing Rank Details for NIFT UG Counselling 2026
- Opening and Closing Rank Details for NIFT UG (Lateral Entry) Counselling 2026
- Opening and Closing Rank Details for NIFT PG Counselling 2026
To download the cut-offs, visit: https://nift.admissions.nic.in/or-cr/
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Dates for NRI/Foreign National /OCI/PIO/SAARC
Check out the important dates for NRI/Foreign National /OCI/PIO/SAARC.
| UG / PG Programmes - NRI/Foreign National /OCI/PIO/SAARC |
|
|---|---|
| Activities |
Timeline |
| Online Registration |
08th December, 2025 |
| Last date for online registration |
30th April, 2026 |
| Last date to receive SAT / GMAT / GRE Scores |
30th April, 2026 |
| Seat allotment and payment of Fee |
*June/July, 2026 |
Seat Intake at NIFT for Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories
Check out the seat intake for NIFT Admission through NRI Category.
| NIFT Institutes | Seats | Programmes |
|---|---|---|
| NIFT Campuses Bengaluru, Chennai, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi | 5 (supernumerary) seats for each programme | All Programmes |
| Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Daman, Jodhpur, Kangra, Kannur, Nava Raipur, Panchkula, Patna, Shillong and Varanasi | 3 (supernumerary) seats for each programme | All Programmes |
Commonly asked questions
The cut-off of NIFT for the various academic courses is not fixed. This is because the cut-off depends on variables like seat intake, the performance of applicants in the NIFT exam, total number of applications received for admission, etc. Now these variables may change from year to year. For instance, the number of candidates appearing in NIFT and qualifying the exam may be different across the years. And when that happens, the cut-off also changes. Typically, if the seat intake increases, the cut-off goes down and vice versa. Likewise, if the number of applicants increases, expect a higher cut-off.
Candidates can check NIFT cutoff 2026 online on the official website of the National Institute of Fashion Technology. NIFT cutoff is released as a PDF file containing the opening and closing ranks. The cut-off would be category-specific. So, the candidate needs to check the cut-off for the category they belong to. Also, note that candidates from reserved categories will be considered for admission under general category as well. However, candidates belonging to open category will not be considered for admission under reserved categories.
How to apply for NIFT B.Des and B.F.Tech Programme under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories?
Candidates should have the following to apply for Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories.
- Candidates applying for Bachelor Programmes of NIFT need to arrange to send SAT scores directly from the College Board USA to NIFT through College Board Portal.
- SAT scores have to be submitted through the College Board, USA, to NIFT before April 30, 2026. The Designated Institution (DI) Code is 7258.
- Candidates at the time of NIFT registration for SAT should indicate DI code: 7258.
- Candidates whose SAT scores have not been received from the College Board, USA, may not be considered for admission under this category.
- The Campus and Programme will be allotted to the successful candidates based on a merit list drawn as per SAT score of the candidates and the preference of the candidate.
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How to apply for NIFT M.F.M, M.Des & M.F.Tech Programmes under Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories?
Candidates should have the following to apply for Foreign Nationals/NRIs/OCIs/PIOs/SAARC categories.
- Candidates applying for Master of Fashion Management (M.F.M) need to arrange to send GMAT test scores.
- Candidates applying for Master of Design (M.Des.) and Master of Fashion Technology (M.F.Tech.) should arrange to send GRE test scores directly to Admissions Department, NIFT Head Office, New Delhi.
- The candidates must designate NIFT Programmes as a choice in the GRE/GMAT.
- Candidates whose GRE/GMAT scores have not been received from the Educational Testing Services/Graduate Management Admission Council may not be considered for admission under this category.
- The campus and programme will be allotted to the successful candidates based on merit list drawn as per GRE/GMAT score of the candidates as well as the preference of the candidate.
- Candidates who want admission under this category should apply online in the prescribed application form.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a week ago
Taking mock tests of other exams can help you improve your test taking skills. But it is recommended to focus on mock tests designed for NIFT exam.
NIFT has its own exam pattern, syllabus, and marking scheme. By practicing with NIFT mock tests, you can get familiar with the exam format, time questio
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
There is no fixed number of mock tests one should take before the NIFT Entrance Exam. A candidate should take at least one mock test daily for the NIFT Entrance Preparation. 10-15 mock tests will really help in preparing for the exam.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
There are 20 participating institutes of NIFT that offer the B. Des and B.F.Tech programmes. B. Des programme offers specializations in the following programs: Fashion Design (FD), Leather Design (LD), Accessory Design (AD), Textile Design (TD), Knitwear Design (KD), Fashion Communication (FC).
For B
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
NIFT cutoff for a participating NIFT is the last rank for which admission is offered in for a particular programme and category. This means, if a candidate fails to score a rank equal to or higher than the cutoff rank, they don't get admission. Typically, a higher ranked institute will invite: More
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
NIFT Delhi is frequently ranked among the top design colleges in the country. So, the admission cut-off for the institute is pretty high, especially when compared to the lower-ranked colleges. This is because being a higher-ranked college, NIFT Delhi receives a higher number of applicants. Another f
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Yes, Pearl Academy, Mumbai BBA students who wish to avail the NIFT Rank scholarship are required to appear for the NIFT entrance exam separately. This can be done either before or after securing the BBA admission at Pearl Academy, Mumbai.
There are also other BBA scholarships that do not require cand
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month 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
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month 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
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months 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
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
No, there is no negative marking in NIFT Situation Test. Negative marking is only there in NIFT GAT part in stage 1.
S
Contributor-Level 10
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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