NIFTEE 2026: City Slip (SOON), Exam Date (Feb 8), Admit Card, Test Centre & Live Updates
National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam 2026 ( NIFT Entrance Exam )
Exam On - 8 Feb '26
NIFT 2026 City Intimation slip will be released soon before the Admit card. NIFT Entrance Exam for 2026 will be conducted on February 08, 2026. Read the full updates on the NIFT 2026 exam below.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the NIFT written exams. The written exam has TWO papers - GAT and CAT. GAT was a computer-based exam, whereas the CAT paper is offline. The NIFT exam will be conducted in multiple cities, 102 cities in India. Daman and Vapi are newly added centres this year.
Here, we have listed all the important details about the NIFT Entrance exam, including the NIFT admission schedule, results, counseling, eligibility, syllabus, pattern, and preparation tips.
NTA NIFT 2026 City Intimation Slip will be out soon for all the UG and PG programmes. It will be released on the website. Candidates can download the city slip using the Application ID and password.
NTA NIFT Application correction window is closed for all UG and PG courses. The window closed on January 22, 2026 at 11:50 PM. Candidates could now edit the details mentioned in the NIFTEE Registration form.
Latest Update:
- NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Highlights
- NIFT Entrance Exam Application Form 2026 & Correction Window
- What Can be Edited in the NIFTEE Registration Form 2026?
- Stepwise process to fill out NIFT application Form 2026
- NIFT Entrance Exam Eligibility Criteria 2026
- NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Dates
- NIFT Exam Timing 2026 Stage 1
- NIFT Entrance Exam Admission Process 2026
- NIFT 2026 Syllabus
- NIFT Entrance Exam Test Center 2026
- NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 - Preparation Tips
- NIFT Topper Interviews
- NIFT Entrance Exam Sample Papers 2026
- NIFT Entrance Exam Admit Card 2026
- NIFT Entrance Exam Cut-off 2026
- NIFT Entrance Exam Result 2026
- NIFT Entrance Exam Participating Colleges 2026
NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Highlights
Check important highlights of NIFT Entrance Exam 2026.
| NIFT Exam Features |
Specifications |
|---|---|
| Exam Name |
NIFT Entrance Exam |
| Conducting Body |
National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Exam Level |
National Level Exam |
| Exam Frequency |
Once a Year |
| Exam Mode |
GAT paper will be computer-based, whereas CAT will be offline. |
| Exam Duration |
CAT - 3 hours GAT Exam duration:
|
| Language |
English |
| Exam Purpose |
Admission to 19 participating NIFTs |
| Courses Offered |
B.Des, B.FTech, M.Des, M.FTech, M.F.M |
| Official Website |
nift.ac.in/admission |
NIFT Entrance Exam Application Form 2026 & Correction Window
NTA closed application form for NIFT 2026 for UG and PG. The link was uploaded on the official website of NTA NIFT. The window to edit the NIFT application form was available from January 21, 2026, to January 22, 2026.
What Can be Edited in the NIFTEE Registration Form 2026?
The following items can be edited using the NIFT 2026 application correction window.
| Action |
Fields |
|---|---|
| Non-editable details Candidates shall NOT be allowed to change |
|
| Any one field can be changed |
|
| All fields can be edited |
|
| Candidates shall be allowed to change examination Cities based on their Permanent and Present address |
|
| Candidate shall be allowed to change all the fields |
|
| Candidate shall be allowed to edit the fields
|
Programme Selection |
Stepwise process to fill out NIFT application Form 2026
- Click on the registration link given on this page
- Create a login ID by entering details such as name, date of birth, category, and email ID
- Fill out the NIFT application form
- Upload a scanned photo and signature in JPG/JPEG format in less than 50 KB
- Pay the NIFT application fee of INR 2,000 (Rs 500 for SC/ST/PH category) online
- Take a printout of the application form.
You can select the NIFT exam city when filling out the application form for NIFT 2026. With regular fees, the application will be open from the last week of November to the first week of January 2026. However, with late fees, applications are most likely to be accepted till the first week of January 2026.
NIFT Entrance Exam Eligibility Criteria 2026
NIFT eligibility criteria vary for different courses offered through the Design entrance exam. The NIFT Eligibility Criteria 2026: Given below is the basic eligibility required for all courses.
| NIFT Courses |
NIFT 2025 Eligibility |
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| MFM |
|
Check the detailed NIFT Entrance Exam eligibility criteria.
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NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Dates
NTA is to conduct the NIFTEE Entrance Examination on February 08, 2026.
| Event | Dates |
|---|---|
| NIFT 2026 online application form opens | OUT |
| Last date to submit applications with regular fees | January 16, 2026 |
| Submit applications with late fees | 17 January 2026 to 18 January 2026 |
| Window to edit the application form | 21 January 2026 to 22 January 2026 (Closed) |
| City Intimation Slip | To be out anytime |
| Issue of admit cards | Third week of January 2026 |
| NIFT 2026 exam date for written tests | February 08, 2026 |
| Release of Answer Keys + Question Paper | February 2026 |
| File objections against the GAT answer key | February 2026 |
| Declaration of results for written tests | Third week of April 2026 |
| Choice filling for Situation Test (B.Des) | Last week of April 2026 |
| Uploading documents for (PI) | April - May 2026 |
| Admit card for situation test | First week of June 2026 |
| Situation Test for BDes | Second Week of June 2026 |
| Personal Interview | Last week of May to first week of June 2025 |
| Declaration of FINAL results for NIFT 2025 | Second week of June 2026 |
| Counseling and seat allotment | Last week of June 2026 |
Along with going through the textbooks and solving problem sets, candidates must also solve previous years question papers to prepare for NIFT 2026. One of the main benefits of solving sample papers is that candidate will get to know the difficulty level, types of questions asked, and marking scheme. By analyzing the previous years question papers, candidate may also figure out trends that are followed in drafting question.
NIFT 2026 entrance exam for the B. Des programme will include CAT and GAT written tests in stage 1. Candidates who qualify stage 1 have to next appear in a Situation Test. To prepare for the GAT written exam, the candidate needs to work on improving their analytical and logical abilities, and also keep track of GK and Current Affairs.
Some of the best books to prepare for the NIFT exam are: NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam Guide by Surendra Kavimandan, Arihant NIFT Entrance Exam Self-Study, NIFT Entrance Examination (Guide) by D Mittal, and Bright Careers Guide NIFT Entrance Exam. To practice for the CAT paper, the candidate needs to work on their drawing, observation, and creative skills. The candidate must lean various types of drawing, including line, silhouette, cartoon, sketch, figure, photorealism, etc.
NIFT Exam Timing 2026 Stage 1
Check out the exam timing for NIFT Stage 1.
| Programmes |
Test |
Examination Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Design |
GAT |
10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon |
| CAT |
03:00 PM to 06:00 PM |
|
| Bachelor of Design (NLEA) |
GAT |
10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon |
| Bachelor of Fashion Technology |
GAT |
10:00 AM to 01:00 PM |
| Bachelor of Fashion Technology (NLEA) |
GAT |
10:00 AM to 01:00 PM |
| Bachelor of Fashion Technology and Bachelor of Design |
GAT |
10:00 AM to 01:00 PM |
| CAT |
03:00 PM to 06:00 PM |
|
| Master of Design |
GAT |
10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon |
| CAT |
03:00 PM to 06:00 PM |
|
| Master of Fashion Management |
GAT |
10:00 AM to 01:00 PM |
| Master of Fashion Management and Master of Design |
GAT |
10:00 AM to 01:00 PM |
| CAT |
03:00 PM to 06:00 PM |
|
| Master of Fashion Technology |
GAT |
10:00 AM to 01:00 PM |
NIFT Entrance Exam Admission Process 2026
NIFT selection process varies for different courses. Check out the table below to have an overview of the selection process and exam pattern of all the courses:
| Course-Wise NIFT Tests/Admission Rounds |
Test Weightage (in %) |
|---|---|
| B.Des program | |
| Creative Ability Test (CAT) |
50 |
| General Ability Test (GAT) |
30 |
| Situation Test |
20 |
| B.F.Tech program | |
| GAT |
100 |
| M.Des program | |
| CAT |
40 |
| GAT |
30 |
| GD/PI |
30 |
| M.F.Tech | |
| GAT |
70 |
| GD/PI |
30 |
| M.F.M program | |
| GAT |
70 |
| GD/PI |
30 |
NIFT 2026 Syllabus
Check the course-wise NIFT syllabus for different stages of the exam below:
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| Course-Wise NIFT Tests |
NIFT Syllabus |
|---|---|
| B.Des program | |
| CAT |
Design Theory, Colour Terminology, Elements & Principles Of Design, Optical Illusion, Form & Function, Drawing Fundamentals, etc. |
| GAT |
4 subjects – Quantitative Ability, Communication Ability & English Comprehension, Analytical & Logical Ability, General Knowledge & Current Affairs |
| Situation Test |
Material handling test to evaluate candidates’ Conceptualisation Skills, Aesthetic Appeal, Colour Scheme, etc. |
| B.F.Tech program | |
| GAT |
5 subjects – Quantitative Ability, Communication Ability & English Comprehension, Analytical & Logical Ability, General Knowledge & Current Affairs, Case Study |
| M.Des program | |
| CAT |
Design questions to test Design Ability, Intuitive Ability, Observation Skills, Concept Development Skills, Illustration Skills |
| GAT |
5 subjects – Quantitative Ability, Communication Ability, English Comprehension, Analytical & Logical Ability, General Knowledge & Current Affairs |
| GD/PI |
15 to 20 minutes discussion on an assigned case study followed by interview |
| M.F.Tech program | |
| GAT |
5 subjects – Quantitative Ability, Communication Ability & English Comprehension, Analytical & Logical Ability, General Knowledge & Current Affairs, Case Study |
| GD/PI |
15 to 20 minutes discussion on an assigned case study followed by interview |
| M.F.M program | |
| GAT |
5 subjects – Quantitative Ability, Communication Ability & English Comprehension, Analytical & Logical Ability, General Knowledge & Current Affairs, Case Study |
| GD/PI |
15 to 20 minutes discussion on an assigned case study followed by interview |
NIFT Entrance Exam Test Center 2026
The NTA has released the city-wise list of NIFT 2026 exam centers through the Information Bulletin. The written exams will be conducted in 82 cities across India. The candidate must select their choice of exam city when filling out the NIFT 2026 application form. The name and address of the NIFT Entrance Exam Test Center 2026 allocated to the candidate will be mentioned in the NIFT 2026 admit card.
List of NIFT exam centers 2026
The test centres for NIFT Exam Centres 2026 are:
| State | City | |
|---|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | Port Blair | |
| Andhra Pradesh | Kurnool | |
| Andhra Pradesh | Vijayawada | |
| Andhra Pradesh | Visakhapatnam | |
| Andhra Pradesh | Rajahmundry | |
| Andhra Pradesh | Tirupathi | |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Naharlagun | |
| Assam | Guwahati | |
| Bihar | Muzaffarpur | |
| Bihar | Patna | |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh/Mohali | |
| Chhattisgarh | Raipur | |
| Chhattisgarh | Jagdalpur | |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli | Silvassa | |
| Delhi | Delhi NCR | |
| Goa | Mapusa | |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad/ Gandhinagar | |
| Gujarat | Rajkot | |
| Gujarat | Surat | |
| Gujarat | Anand | |
| Gujarat | Gandhinagar | |
| Gujarat | Mehsana | |
| Haryana | Hisar | |
| Haryana | Kurukshetra | |
| Himachal Pradesh | Bilaspur Hp | |
| Himachal Pradesh | Kangra | |
| Jammu And Kashmir | Jammu | |
| Jammu And Kashmir | Srinagar | |
| Jharkhand | Dhanbad | |
| Jharkhand | Ranchi | |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru | |
| Karnataka | Mysuru (Mysore) | |
| Karnataka | Mangalore (Mangalore) | |
| Kerala | Ernakulam | |
| Kerala | Kannur | |
| Kerala | Kozhikode | |
| Kerala | Kollam | |
| Kerala | Kottayam | |
| Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram | |
| Kerala | Thrissur | |
| Ladakh | Leh / Kargil | |
| Lakshadweep | Kavaratti | |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | |
| Madhya Pradesh | Jabalpur | |
| Madhya Pradesh | Gwalior | |
| Madhya Pradesh | Satna | |
| Madhya Pradesh | Ujjain | |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai / Thane | |
| Maharashtra | Nagpur | |
| Maharashtra | Pune | |
| Maharashtra | Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar | |
| Maharashtra | Amravati | |
| Maharashtra | Kolhapur | |
| Maharashtra | Nanded | |
| Manipur | Imphal | |
| Meghalaya | Shillong | |
| Mizoram | Aizawl | |
| Nagaland | Kohima | |
| Odisha | Berhampur-Ganjam | |
| Odisha | Bhubaneswar | |
| Puducherry | Pondicherry | |
| Punjab | Ludhiana | |
| Rajasthan | Jaipur | |
| Rajasthan | Jodhpur | |
| Rajasthan | Udaipur | |
| Sikkim | Gangtok | |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai | |
| Tamil Nadu | Coimbatore | |
| Tamil Nadu | Madurai | |
| Tamil Nadu | Salem | |
| Tamil Nadu | Tiruchirappalli | |
| Tamil Nadu | Vellore | |
| Telangana | Hyderabad | |
| Tripura | Agartala | |
| Uttar Pradesh | Meerut | |
| Uttar Pradesh | Muzaffarnagar | |
| Uttar Pradesh | Kanpur | |
| Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow | |
| Uttar Pradesh | Varanasi | |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun | |
| Uttarakhand | Haldwani | |
| West Bengal | Kolkata | |
The list of exam centers will be released separately for the Situation Test/ Personal Interview.
The exam pattern for NIFT GAT varies from one course to another. The total number of questions asked in NIFT GAT is mentioned below: BDes: 100 questions, BFTech: 150 questions, MDes: 120 questions, MFTech: 150 questions, MFM: 150 questions. Note that the GAT or the General Ability Test will be conducted in a computer-based mode. Questions will be objective-type. The GAT paper for the B. Des and M.Des programs will be of 120 minutes. However, the GAT paper for the B.FTech, M.FTech, and MFM courses will be for 180 minutes.
The NIFT CAT exam will be administered in an offline mode and will be a drawing-based exam. During the course of the exam, the candidate is not allowed to write any personal details and place identification marks. The CAT exam will evaluate the candidate on parameters like intuitive ability, power of observation in concept development, and design ability. To prepare for the CAT the candidate needs to work on geometrical shapes, product drawing, line quality, shading, human figures, principles of composition, etc. To improve ones figure drawing skills, one may stick drawing, before moving on to block drawing, and then evolving to add clothes and other items.
NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 - Preparation Tips
The following tips will help you prepare for the NIFTEE Entrance Examination 2026. You need to get going with your NIFT entrance exam preparation 2026.
- Go through the NIFT syllabus and exam pattern thoroughly
- It is also important that you have the best collection of NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 preparation material
- Plan well and make a monthly and weekly timetable
- Do a timely revision. Work more on the weak areas.
- Solve past years’ NIFT question papers
- Leading up to the exam, take mock tests.
NIFT Topper Interviews
Click on the links below to get NIFT preparation insights from past year toppers:
NIFT Entrance Exam Sample Papers 2026
Any candidate who is appearing in the NIFT 2026 exam must make it a point to solve sample papers and previous years' question papers of NIFT. It is because this exercise of solving NIFT Entrance Exam Sample Papers 2026 will not only help the candidate get in tune with the requirements of the exam, including the difficulty level, but will also help them develop the skills necessary to solve different types of questions.
Sample papers will typically include the same types of questions that are asked in the entrance exam. For instance, they will be of the same difficulty level, cover the same topics, and so on. The candidate must make it a habit to solve sample papers very early on in their preparation. Likewise, previous years' question papers are necessary to understand the exam trends.
NIFT Entrance Exam Admit Card 2026
The NTA will release the admit cards of NIFT 2026 for the written exam in the 3rd week of January 2026. The NIFT Entrance Exam Admit Card 2026 will be issued to all candidates who successfully complete the registration process and pay the exam fee.
It will carry details like the date and time of the NIFT 2026 exam, roll number, reporting time, name and address of the exam center, and exam-day guidelines.
Step-wise process to download NIFT 2025 admit card
- Go to the NTA admission portal
- Click on the admit card download link
- You will be redirected to a log-in window
- Enter your application number, date of birth, and the security code displayed on the screen
- On successful log-in, you can download the admit card.
Separate admit cards to be issued for the Situation Test/ Personal Interview
Candidates will be shortlisted for the Situation Test/ PI based on their performance in the written exam. Shortlisted candidates will have to select their choice of exam city. Before the release of the admit cards, NTA will release a city-intimation slip.
NIFT Entrance Exam Cut-off 2026
The admission to the design courses offered by the NIFTs will be contingent on the candidate meeting the NIFT Entrance Exam cut-off for their selected program. The cut-off for a program is the minimum score a candidate needs to score to get admission. Any candidate scoring less than the cut-off score will not be offered admission.
Each of the NIFT 2026 participating colleges will release program- and category-wise cut-offs. Also, the cut-off will be released for each seat allotment round.
If the candidate fails to meet the admission cut-off in any of the seat-allotment rounds, he or she will be considered for admission in the next round. However, if the candidate fails to meet the cut-off criteria in the last round of allotment, the candidate will not get admission at all.
Factors Determining NIFT 2026 Cut-off
The cut-off will be based on the following parameters:
- The total number of applicants
- The performance of these applicants in the NIFT 2026 exam
- Seat intake for the applied program
- Category under which admission is sought
- Previous years' cut-off trends
NIFT Entrance Exam Result 2026
The NTA will declare the results of the NIFT 2026 written exams in the last week of April 2026. The results will be declared at exams.nta.ac.in/NIFT.
To check NIFT entrance exam result 2026, follow these steps:
- Go to the result portal and click on the result link
- A result log-in window will open
- Enter your application number and date of birth
- Also, enter the security code displayed on the screen
- On log-in, you can download the scorecard.
The scores of the written exam will be used to shortlist candidates for the Situation Test/ Personal Interview. The FINAL results of NIFT 2026 will be prepared by giving weightage to the written exam and Situation Test/ Personal Interview.
NIFT 2026 program-wise exam components and weightage for FINAL results
The weightage for NIFTEE Final Result 2026 are:
| Program |
Test |
Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| CAT |
50% |
|
| GAT |
30% |
|
| Situation Test |
20% |
|
| GAT |
100% |
|
| CAT |
40% |
|
| GAT |
30% |
|
| GD/PI |
30% |
|
| GAT |
70% |
|
| GD/PI |
30% |
|
| Master of Fashion Management (MFM) |
GAT |
70% |
| GD/PI |
30% |
NIFT Entrance Exam Participating Colleges 2026
The participating colleges of NIFT 2026 will only consider NIFT 2026 merit ranks for filling their UG and PG seats. They will not accept scores of other top exams like NID DAT and UCEED for admission purposes. Currently, there are 19 NIFT Entrance Exam Participating Colleges 2026. These colleges are expected to have a combined intake of 4,837 seats.
NIFT 2026 - Program-wise Seat Intake
The Expected Seat Intake of NIFT 2026 is:
| Programs |
TOTAL |
TOTAL |
G. TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open, SC, ST, OBC(NCL), GEN-EWS, PwD (Open, SC, ST, OBC (NCL) |
State Domicile |
G. Total |
|
| Bachelor Programmes - Bachelor of Design (B.Des) |
|||
| Fashion Design (FD) |
644 |
75 |
719 |
| Leather Design (LD) |
152 |
0 |
152 |
| Accessory Design (AD) |
542 |
54 |
596 |
| Textile Design (TD) |
606 |
75 |
681 |
| Knitwear Design (KD) |
296 |
14 |
310 |
| Fashion Communication (FC) |
644 |
75 |
719 |
| Fashion Interior (FI) |
34 |
7 |
41 |
| Bachelor Programme - Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F.Tech.) |
|||
| Apparel Production (AP) |
542 |
49 |
591 |
| Master Programmes |
|||
| Master of Design (M.Des.) |
254 |
21 |
275 |
| Master of Fashion Management (M.F.M) |
644 |
75 |
719 |
| Master of Fashion Technology (M.F.Tech.) |
34 |
0 |
34 |
| Total (Expected) |
4392 |
445 |
4837 |
As the NIFT 2026 admission cycle progresses, candidates are encouraged to stay updated and well-prepared as they move closer to joining one of India’s top design institutes. Stay tuned for more updates.
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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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?
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.