The GAT paper will be administered in a computer-based mode, whereas the subjective-based CAT paper will be held in an offline mode. Read here for last-minute tips to ace the exam.
Last-minute exam preparation tips for the NIFT Entrance Exam - NTA will conduct the NIFT 2026 exam in the second week of February. The mode of exam is online for the NIFT GAT written test, and offline for the sketching-based CAT written test. On the day of the NIFT exam, the candidate needs to report to the exam center as per the reporting time mentioned in the admit card. Candidates appearing in the NIFT exam must refer to the last-minute tips mentioned here to get a good enough score for admission to one of the top participating institutes. The National Institute of Fashion Technology conducts the NIFT exam for admission to its various design courses; exam scores will be used for admission to B.Des, M.Des, B.FTech, M.F.Tech., and MFM courses.
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Last-minute Tips to Ace NIFT Exam 2026
The tips to prepare for the NIFTEE Exam in the last minutes are:
- Solve sample papers - With two or so months left for the exam, solve as many NIFT sample papers as you can. This will help you hone your problem-solving skills, fix those small errors, figure out areas where you are getting stuck or making silly errors, and learn time management.
- Take mock tests - NIFT Mock tests are a simulation of the real thing. So, you get to learn a lot about what the exam environment looks like, how to respond to pressure-cooker situations, and keep your head up.
- Go through your notes - If you are maintaining a notebook of all the key points, you can cover more NIFT syllabus in less time. In contrast, if you start reading textbooks, you have to go through large blocks of text, which will eat up a lot of your revision time. So, start taking notes if you haven't already.
- Important points mentioned in textbooks - It is not that you avoid textbooks altogether! However, you must read them judiciously, like going through underlined or marked points. Sometimes you may have to take the help of these books if the notes (s) you have made don’t make sense or are incomplete.
- Don’t read new topics - It is because there is very little time, and you must focus all your energies on revision. So, if you start with a new topic now, it will simply leave you with very limited time to quickly go through the syllabus.
- Keep a positive attitude - To keep a positive frame of mind, the best thing to do is to stay in the present and not look too far ahead. Do all your tasks with dedication and clarity of thought.
- Eat healthily and sleep well - You need your mind, body, and brain to be working at their full potential on the day of the NIFT entrance exam 2026. That will be possible if you eat healthy and light food, stay hydrated, and sleep the necessary quota.
- Keep exam-day items ready - The NIF admit card will be available a few weeks before the exam. You must download and keep it ready.
Unless you have finished the NIFT 2026 syllabus and solved the sample papers, it is a safe bet not to start with any new chapters or topics, simply because there is not so much time left and revision needs to be the priority.
The NIFT 2026 admit card will be available for download in the first week of February 2026. Candidates who have successfully registered for the exam can download the admit card from the NIFT admission portal.
NIFT 2026 Exam Day Guidelines
The guidelines or instructions for the NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 are:
- As per the NIFT 2026 exam pattern, the candidate needs to report for the exam an hour in advance.
- The candidate should not carry any electronic gadgets like smartphones, smartwatches, cameras, etc., on the day of the exam.
- Adopting unfair means like cheating or disturbing other candidates could lead to disqualification.
- The candidate also must carry their NIFT admit card and valid ID proof with them; without these documents, the candidate will not be allowed to take the NIFT exam.
Also Read:
The NIFTEE written exam 2026 will be conducted in computer-based mode, while the sketching-based CAT paper will be held in offline mode.
Yes, it is very important to solve NIFT sample papers to gauge one's exam readiness. In addition, sample papers will help the candidate rectify silly mistakes, learn time management, and learn how to use various concepts to solve problems.
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.

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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