NIFT Lateral Entry Admission 2026: Application, Fees, Seat Matrix, Eligibility Criteria
National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam 2026 ( NIFT Entrance Exam )
NLEA 2026 was conducted on February 08, 2026, and the preliminary answer key was released on February 17, 2026. The window to challenge the official NIFT 2026 answer key was open from February 17, 2026 to February 19, 2026. Get full updates here.
NIFT (Lateral) 2026
NIFT Lateral Entry Admission 2026 - NTA started the admission process for NLEA 2026 with the application process on December 08, 2025. The NLEA 2026 entrance exam was conducted on February 08, 2026. The written exam included a NIFT General Ability Test (GAT).
NTA released the NIFT Provisional Answer Key for NIFT Stage 1 on February 17, 2026. It was released on NTA NIFT website: exams.nta.nic.in/niftee. NTA released the Answer Key for the GAT section only. No answer key is released for NIFT CAT. NTA allowed candidates to raise objections online against the Provisional Answer Key by making a payment of ₹ 200/- per challenged question.
Latest Updates:
- What is NIFT Lateral Entry?
- Highlights of NIFT Lateral Entry
- NIFT 2026 (GAT) General Ability Test
- NIFT Lateral Entry Admission 2026
- NLEA Admission 2026
- NIFT NLEA 2026 Admission Schedule
- NIFT 2026 Admission Schedule - Artisan Category
- NIFT Lateral Entry Admission (NLEA) 2026 Eligibility Criteria
- NLEA Admission 2026 - Exam Pattern
- NIFT 2026 - NLEA Seat Intake
- NLEA Application Form 2026
- NLEA Application Fee 2026
- NLEA Exam Center 2026
- NLEA Result 2026
- NIFT 2026 - NLEA Counselling
What is NIFT Lateral Entry?
NIFT NLEA stands for Later NIFT Lateral Entry Admission. It is offered by NIFT to get admissions directly into the second year (third semester) of the undergraduate programme (B.Des and B.F.Tech) at NIFT. The students should fulfill the eligibility criteria to get admission in the NIFT NLEA.
Commonly asked questions
Yes, the National Institute of Fashion Technology will allow candidates with late fees. The late fee application window will open once the deadline to fill out the NIFT 2026 application form with regular fee closes. The start and last date to fill out the NIFT 2026 application form with late fee will be notified by the institute before the regular application form closes or sometime thereabout. The late fee for NIFT 2026 will be INR 5,000. The late fee has to be paid in addition to the application fee, which is INR 3000 for open category candidates.
No, you should not fill out NIFT 2026 application form if you do not meet the eligibility criteria because all documents and information provided by you in application form will be cross checked. And if any discrepancy is found, you can be disqualified at any stage of application process.
The application form for NIFT is closed.
To fill out NIFT registration form
- Go to NIFT admission portal and click on application link.
- A registration form will open. Enter registration details like email ID, mobile number, and phone number
- Upon registration, a unique candidate account will be created.
- Fill in the rest of the form, including personal, academic, and contact details.
- Documents candidate has to upload during registration include photograph and signature in JPEG format and size not exceeding 100 kb.
- Pay application fee to complete application process.
Highlights of NIFT Lateral Entry
The highlights of NIFT Lateral Entry are:
1. Eligibility: Candidates must have a 3-year diploma after Class 12 (or equivalent) in fields related to design, fashion, textiles, or technology from recognized institutions.
- For B.Des: Diploma in design or related fields
- For B.FTech: Diploma in engineering/technology fields
2. Entry: Admission is offered directly into the second year of the regular UG programme.
3. Selection Process: The NIFT selection involves:
- A written test (subject to the department's discretion)
- Personal Interview
4. Courses Available for NLEA: The courses available through NIFT NLEA are: Bachelor of Design (B.Des) and Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.FTech)
NIFT 2026 (GAT) General Ability Test
The GAT is conducted in a computer-based mode. The scores of the written exam will be used to shortlist candidates for:
- NIFT Studio Test + NIFT Personal Interview (B.Des course)
- Technical Ability Test (TAT) + Personal Interview (B.F.Tech)
Under the NLEA scheme, candidates will be considered for admission directly into the 3rd semester. For regular admission, candidates need to apply for NIFT 2026.
Commonly asked questions
The Situation Test/ Personal Interview (PI) are the 2nd stage of the NIFT 2026 entrance exam. Candidates were shortlisted for the Situation Test/ PI based on the NIFT 2026 written exam scores.
Note that if the candidate fails to qualify for the 2nd stage, he or she is not considered for admission to various design courses offered by the NIFTs.
The only exception is B.F.Tech program, where the merit list for admission will be prepared solely on the basis of GAT scores.
In the case of other courses, the merit list will be prepared by giving weightage to the written exams and Situation Test/ PI.
The NIFT Bengaluru admission cut-offs are now available for Round I, II, and III. The cut-off has been released for all the 18 participating colleges. To check the cut-off, you need to go to the https://admissions.nic.in/ portal.
Under eServices, select OR-CR. The roundwise NIFT cut-off or closing rank (All-India Quota) for the open category for NIFT Bengaluru for the 3rd Round are given below:
- Round I - 29 (opening rank), 234 (closing rank)
- Round II - 208 (opening rank), 236 (closing rank)
- Round III - 256 (closing rank)
Yes, candidates belonging to the SC, and other reserved categories will be considered for admission under both the respective and open categories.
Considering you belong to the SC category, this means you will be considered for open and SC admission lists. If you meet the cut-off in any of these lists, you will get admission.
But the institute you are being allocated will depend on the course you have selected (and their order of priority) at the time of choice-filling. Note that if you are not offered the first preferred seat, you are typically considered for upgradation in subsequent rounds.
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NIFT Lateral Entry Admission 2026
Under the NLEA admission scheme, eligible candidates will be considered for admission directly to the 3rd semester of the UG program of NIFT. The NLEA admission route is open for candidates who have completed their Diploma in a relevant or related field of Design & Technology. Interested candidates will have to appear for NIFT entrance examination to get lateral admission. NLEA 2026 admission will be merit-based. Candidates selected through lateral entry will join the regular UG students of NIFT in their second year.
Also Read:
NLEA Admission 2026
The key points related to the NLEA 2026 admission process are given in the table below.
| Particulars |
Description |
|---|---|
| Exam Name |
NIFT NLEA Admission |
| Conducting Body |
NTA |
| Frequency of exam |
Once every year |
| Number of Attempts |
There is no limit on the number of attempts |
| Mode of exam |
GAT - Computer-based mode Studio Test + Personal Interview - Offline TAT + Personal Interview - Offline |
| Courses offered |
B.Des, B.F.Tech |
| Application fee |
INR 2,000 for General and INR 500 for ST and SC |
| Mode of application |
Online |
| NIFT NLEA 2026 application form START date |
Closed |
| Release of Exam Notification |
December 08, 2025 |
| Exam date |
February 08, 2026 |
| Related exam |
NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 |
NIFT NLEA 2026 Admission Schedule
The admission schedule for the Artisan category is also given below for reference.
| Events |
Dates |
|---|---|
| Registration open for NIFT admission 2026 |
December 08, 2025 |
| Last date to apply |
January 16, 2026 |
| Last date to apply with a late fee of INR 5000 |
January 17, 2026 to January 19, 2026 |
| Edit window |
January 21, 22, 2026 |
| Advance City Intimation Slip |
January 29, 2026 |
| Issue of Admit Cards |
February 04, 2026 |
| Conduct of NIFTEE Entrance Exam |
February 08, 2026 |
| Answer Key for GAT Examination only (using registered user ID & password) |
February 17, 2026 |
| Result of Entrance Examination |
Last week of April 2026 |
| Situation Test (Regular) / Studio Test, Personal Interview & documents verification (NLEA) at Test Centres |
May - June 2026 |
| Declaration of Final Result (Online) |
Last week of June 2026 |
| Seat Allocation |
June 2026 |
NIFT 2026 Admission Schedule - Artisan Category
The admission schedule for the Artisan category is also given below for reference.
| Activities |
Timeline |
|---|---|
| Online Registration |
08 December 2025 |
| Last date for Online Registration |
28 February 2026 |
| Admit Card (Online only) |
To be announced later on website |
| Artisan Skill Test and Personal Interview |
April 2026 |
| Declaration of Final Result (Online) |
April 2026 |
| Seat Allocation* |
May/June 2026 |
NIFT Lateral Entry Admission (NLEA) 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Candidates seeking admission to the B.Des or B.F.Tech programs need to meet the following eligibility criteria. Note that admission officials will verify the information shared by the candidate, and if any anomaly is discovered, the candidate can be disqualified.
The eligibility criteria for NIFT NLEA 2026 are:
| Programme |
Eligibility Criteria |
|---|---|
|
Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) NLEA |
|
| OR |
|
|
|
| OR |
|
| Candidates who have completed 2-year regular UG Diploma Programme at NIFT after passing Senior Secondary Examination/ 12th standard. |
|
|
Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F. Tech) NLEA |
|
| OR |
|
|
|
| OR |
|
| Candidates who have completed 02 years UG Diploma Programme at NIFT after passing Senior Secondary/12th standard recognized by AIU with Mathematics. |
Also Read:
- NIFT 2026 Situation Test and Personal Interview; Get Past 10 Years Questions
- NIFT 2026 Situation Test Write-Up: Format, Marks, Tips, and Importance
NLEA Admission 2026 - Exam Pattern
The exam pattern provides insights into the question paper structure, including the sections, weightage, exam timings, etc. The NLEA question paper had questions from GAT. Here is how to prepare for the NIFT GAT paper. The candidate must strictly refer to the exam pattern when preparing for the NLEA 2026 entrance exam.
B.Des - NLEA 2026 Exam Pattern
The pattern of NIFT NLEA B.Des is:
| Test |
Weightage |
Timeline (Expected) |
Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAT |
40 |
Exam date - Second week of February Timings: 9:00 am to 11:00 am |
The test center is allotted as per the choices selected during the application. |
| Studio Test |
40 |
April 2026 |
|
| Personal Interview |
20 |
||
| Verification of documents/eligibility |
- |
B.F.Tech - NLEA 2026 Exam Pattern
The exam pattern of NIFT NLEA is:
| Test |
Weightage |
Timeline (Tentative) |
Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAT |
40 |
Timings: 9:00 am to 11:00 am |
The test center is allotted as per the choices selected during the application. |
| Technical Ability Test (TAT) |
40 |
April 2026 |
|
| Personal Interview |
20 |
||
| Verification of documents/eligibility |
- |
NIFT 2026 - NLEA Seat Intake
The program-wise seat intake for the NLEA 2026 admission is given below for the reference of the candidate.
| Programs |
TOTAL |
G. TOTAL |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open/OBC/EWS |
SC |
ST |
NRI |
||
| Bachelor Programmes - Bachelor of Design (B.Des) |
|||||
| Fashion Design (FD) |
5 |
3 |
19 |
24 |
51 |
| Leather Design (LD) |
3 |
10 |
9 |
15 |
37 |
| Accessory Design (AD) |
9 |
29 |
39 |
40 |
117 |
| Textile Design (TD) |
15 |
33 |
49 |
37 |
134 |
| Knitwear Design (KD) |
1 |
6 |
19 |
18 |
44 |
| Fashion Communication (FC) |
3 |
6 |
32 |
21 |
62 |
| Bachelor Programme - Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F.Tech.) |
|||||
| Apparel Production (AP) |
128 |
67 |
50 |
59 |
304 |
| Total |
164 |
154 |
217 |
214 |
749 |
NLEA Application Form 2026
Candidates meeting the program-wise eligibility criteria to apply had to follow the steps given below:
- Register for the exam - The candidate can register for the NIFT 2026 exam using their Aadhaar details. On successful registration, a candidate account will be created.
- Log-in to fill out the form - The candidate has to log in to the account and fill in personal, academic, and contact details.
- Select test center - The candidate has to next select an exam city from the drop-down list. The entries must be in the order of priority.
- Upload documents - Follow the document specifications when uploading the documents.
- Pay the application fee to complete the NIFT application process.
NLEA Application Fee 2026
The category-wise application fee for NLEA 2026 is given below. Note that the application fee is non-refundable.
| Category |
NIFT 2026 Application Fee (non-refundable) |
|---|---|
| General/OBC (Non-Creamy)/GEN-EWS Category |
INR 2,000 |
| SC/ ST/ PwD Category |
INR 500 |
NLEA Exam Center 2026
The NIFT 2026 exam was conducted in 102 cities across India. The candidate can select their choice of exam centers for NLEA 2026 from the list when filling out the application form.
| 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 |
|
NLEA Result 2026
- NTA will declare the results in the last week of June 2026.
- To check your results, you need to go to the result portal and log-in using your candidate credentials.
- The written exam results will be used to shortlist candidates for a Studio Test/ PI (B.Des) / Technical Ability Test/ PI.
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NIFT 2026 - NLEA Counselling
- The counseling and seat allotment for NLEA 2026 will be conducted after the declaration of the results. Registration for counseling will start around June 2026.
- Candidates will be considered for seat allotment based on their merit rank in the NIFT NLEA 2026 entrance exam.
- Upon seat allotment, the candidate will have to pay the seat acceptance fee and confirm their admission. If the fee is not paid by the given deadline, the allotment can be cancelled.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 3 weeks 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 3 weeks 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
Answered 3 weeks 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
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks 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
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
A 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
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks 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
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks 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
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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