Do you want to pursue a UG programme from NIFT, and wondering which programme is best for you? NIFT offers B.Des and B.F.Tech in the category of UG programmes. Read on to find which is better. NIFT B.Des or NIFT B.F.Tech?
B.Des stands for Bachelor of Design. It focuses on designing products, visuals, apparel, jewellery, etc. NIFT has many specialisations like Fashion Design, Fashion Communication, Interior Design, Graphic Design, Animation, etc. The career options after pursuing B.Des are Fashion Designer, Fashion Stylist, Design Consultant, Jewellery Designer, etc., whereas NIFT B.FTech or Bachelor of Fashion Technology is a 4-year UG degree course that provides knowledge and techniques used in the production of fashion garments and accessories. It was first introduced by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). It focuses more on the technical aspects of fashion.
The Application for NIFT, for B.Des and B.F.Tech opens in the first week of December. The exam is held at the NIFT Centres for both programmes. NIFT Entrance Exam for these programmes are held in the second week of February.
- NIFT B.Des Overview 2026
- NIFT B.F.Tech Overview
- NIFT B.Des vs NIFT B.F.Tech: Which is better?
- NIFT B.Des and NIFT B.F.Tech Specialisation and Duration
- Eligibility Criteria for NIFT B.Des and NIFT B.F.Tech
- NIFT B.Des and NIFT B.F.Tech Weightage
- NIFT B.Des and NIFT B.F.Tech Pattern
NIFT B.Des Overview 2026
Check out the highlights of NIFT B.Des.
| Parameters | B.Design Course Details |
|---|---|
| B.Des Full Form | Bachelor of Design |
| B Design Course Duration | 4 Years |
| B.Des Course Level | Undergraduate |
| B.Des Admission Process | NIFT Entrance Exam |
| B Des Eligibility Criteria | Class 12 with a minimum 50% aggregate score from a recognised board. |
| NIFT Institutes | 20 NIFT Institutes |
| Average B.Des Salary | INR 4 LPA - INR 6 LPA |
| B.Des Job Profiles | Fashion Designer, Graphic Designer, UI/UX Designer, Textile Designer, Product Designer, Industrial Designer, and Art Director. |
| B.Des Top Recruiters | Amazon, Snapdeal, Benetton, Pearl Global, Pantaloons, Shoppers Stop, Ubisoft, EA, Arvind Ltd, Vardhman Textiles Ltd., Welspun India Ltd., Raymond Ltd., etc. |
Commonly asked questions
To calculate the scores from NIFT Provisional Answer Key:
- Download the NIFT answer key from the NTA NIFT Website.
- Compare your answers with the answer key to calculate the number of correct attempts.
- Using the NTA NIFT marking scheme, calculate probable scores.
- Probable scores can be used by the candidate to assess the chances of admission.
The expected cutoff for NIFT M.Des is given below:
| Category | Expected Cutoff M.Des |
|---|---|
| Open | 26-70 |
| EWS | 22 |
| OBC | 22 |
| SC | 16 |
| ST | 16-18 |
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 |
NIFT Stage 2 will have Situation Test and Personal Interview.
| Programme | Stage 2 Components |
|---|---|
| B.Des (Bachelor of Design) | Situation Test – Model-making, material handling, creativity, innovation |
| B.Des (NLEA) | Studio Test + Personal Interview |
| B.Des (Artisans) | Artisan Skill Test + Personal Interview |
| B.F.Tech (NLEA) | Technical Ability Test (OMR-based) + Personal Interview |
| PG Programmes (M.Des, M.F.M., M.F.Tech) | Personal Interview |
NIFT B.F.Tech Overview
Check out the highlights of NIFT B.F.Tech.
| Parameters | B.Design Course Details |
|---|---|
|
B.F.Tech Full Form
|
Bachelor of Fashion Technology
|
|
B.F.Tech Course Level
|
Undergraduate
|
|
B.F.Tech Course Duration
|
4 Years
|
|
B.F.Tech Eligibility Criteria
|
Class 12 with Mathematics
|
|
B.F.Tech Admission Criteria
|
NIFT Entrance Exam
|
|
B.F.Tech Average Fees
|
INR 20,830 - INR 12.96 Lakh
|
|
B.F.Tech Top Colleges
|
NIFT Institutes |
|
B.F.Tech Job Profiles
|
Production Controller, CSR Professional, Sampling Room Coordinator, Industrial Engineer, Industrial Manager.
|
|
Average B.F.Tech Salary
|
INR 6 LPA
|
|
B.F.Tech Top Recruiters
|
Raymonds, Benetton, Arvind Garments, ITC Ltd., Levi's, Lifestyle, Madura Garments, Modelama Exports, etc.
|
NIFT B.Des vs NIFT B.F.Tech: Which is better?
Candidates must choose B.Des, if they are more interested in drawing, sketching, fashion, etc. The specialisation here will be Fashion communication, Textile design, etc. Choose this if you have a creative mindset and strong imagination skills.
Candidates must choose B.F.Tech, if they are more interested in how the apparel industry functions, what techniques are used, etc. It is for candidates who have a technical mindset. Further, this leads to garment engineering, IT in Fashion, etc.
Check out the difference between NIFT B.Des and NIFT B.F.Tech.
| Parameter | NIFT B.Des | NIFT B.F.Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Focus Area | NIFT B.Des focuses on creativity, aesthetics and design thinking. | NIFT B.F.Tech focuses on technical operations, manufacturing and management related to apparel. |
| Eligibility | 10+2 All streams | 10+2 with Mathematics |
| NIFT Entrance Exam | Stage 1: GAT and CAT Stage 2: NIFT Situation Test |
Stage 1: GAT and CAT |
| Result Declaration | Last week of April 2026 | Last week of April 2026 |
| Job Roles | Fashion Designer, UI/UX designer/illustrator | Production Manager, Merchandiser, Quality Controller |
Commonly asked questions
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.
NID DAT Entrance Exam 2027 Prelims exam will be conducted offline in pen and paper mode. It will be conducted at the NID test centres.
NID DAT Mains exam: Studio Test and Interview, will be conducted offline at the test centres in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Gandhinagar.
The allotment of seats will be based on:
- Choice opted at the time of counseling registration (academic programs + campuses)
- The category of the candidate
- Seat intake in the college opted for admission
- NIFT merit rank of the candidate.
NIFT Situation Test will be of 2 hours. In this time, candidates have to draw the given 3D model and write about it.
Explore colleges based on NIFT Entrance Exam
NIFT B.Des and NIFT B.F.Tech Specialisation and Duration
Read the table given below to know the duration and specialisation offered by NIFT for B.Des and B.F.Tech.
| NIFT Program |
Duration |
Specialisation |
|---|---|---|
|
Bachelor Programmes (B.DES.) |
4 Years |
Fashion Communication (FC) |
| Fashion Design (FD) |
||
| Knitwear Design (KD) |
||
| Fashion Interiors (FI) |
||
| Bachelor Programmes (B.F. TECH) |
4 Years |
Also Read:
Eligibility Criteria for NIFT B.Des and NIFT B.F.Tech
Check out the eligibility Criteria for NIFT B.Des and NIFT B.F.Tech. For both the UG programmes, the age limit is the same. Only for NIFT B.F.Tech, it is necessary to have Mathematics as a subject in 10+2.
| Eligibility Criteria | NIFT B. Des. | NIFT B.F.Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Age Limit | For Bachelor’s Programmes, B. Des, the maximum age should be less than 24 years as on 1st August of the year of admission. The upper age limit may be relaxed by a period of 5 (five) years for candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/ Person with Disability (PwD) categories |
For Bachelor’s Programmes, the maximum age should be less than 24 years as on 1st August of the year of admission. The upper age limit may be relaxed by a period of 5 (five) years for candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/ Person with Disability (PwD) categories |
| Educational Qualification | Passed the plus 2 level examination in the 10+2 pattern of examination from any recognized Central/State Board of Secondary Examination, such as the Central Board of Secondary Education/State Board New Delhi/Council for Indian School Certificate Examination, New Delhi. OR A pass grade in the Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Open School with a minimum of five subjects. OR 3 or 4 years diploma recognized by AICTE or a State Board of Technical Education after secondary examination/10th standard. OR Any Public School/Board/University Examination in India or in foreign countries recognized by the Association of Indian Universities as equivalent to the 10+2 system. OR General Certificate Education (GCE) Examination (London/Cambridge/Sri Lanka) at the Advanced (A) level/International Baccalaureate (IB). |
Passed the plus 2 level examination in the 10+2 pattern of examination from any recognized Central/State Board of Secondary Examination, such as the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi/Council for Indian School Certificate Examination, New Delhi with Mathematics. OR A pass grade in the Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Open School with a minimum of five subjects with Mathematics. OR 3 or 4 years diploma in any branch of Engineering recognized by AICTE or a State Board of Technical Education after secondary examination/10th standard. OR Any Public School/Board/University Examination in India or in foreign countries recognized by the Association of Indian Universities as equivalent to the 10+2 system with Mathematics. OR General Certificate Education (GCE) Examination (London/Cambridge/Sri Lanka) at the Advanced (A) level with Mathematics/International Baccalaureate (IB). |
Commonly asked questions
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.
NIFT B.Des and NIFT B.F.Tech Weightage
In NIFT B.Des, the candidate has to appear for NIFT Stage 1 and NIFT Stage 2. But in NIFT B.F.Tech, there is only one stage for NIFT B.F.Tech. Read the weightage given by NIFT for both the programmes.
| Program |
Exam |
Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| B. Des. |
GAT |
30% |
| CAT |
50% |
|
| Situation Test |
20% |
|
| B.F. Tech. |
GAT (Sec-A) |
30% |
| GAT (Sec-B) |
70% |
NIFT B.Des and NIFT B.F.Tech Pattern
Check out NIFT B.Des and NIFT B.F.Tech.
| Program |
Paper Name |
Language of Written Test |
Test Duration (minutes) |
No. of Questions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B. Des |
GAT (CBT) CAT (PBT) |
English/Hindi |
120 + 180 |
100 + 3 |
| B.F. Tech |
GAT - Section A (CBT) |
English/Hindi |
120 |
100 |
| GAT - Section B (CBT) |
English/Hindi |
60 |
50 |
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