NIFT Lateral Entry Admission 2026: Eligibility, Dates, Process and Programmes
National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam 2026 ( NIFT Entrance Exam )
NLEA 2026 will be tentatively conducted in the second week of February 2026, and the preliminary answer key is expected to be released in the third week of February 2026. The window to challenge the official NIFT 2026 answer key is expected to open in the third week of February, 2026. Get full updates here.
NIFT (Lateral) 2025
NIFT Lateral Entry Admission 2026 - NTA is expected to start the admission process for NLEA 2025 with the application process in the last week of November 2025. The NLEA 2026 entrance exam is expected to be conducted in the second week of February 2026. The written exam included a General Ability Test (GAT). The provisional NIFT answer key 2026 for lateral entry will be released tentatively in the third week of February.
- What is NIFT Lateral Entry?
- NIFT 2026 (GAT) General Ability Test
- NIFT Lateral Entry Admission 2026
- NLEA Admission 2026
- NIFT NLEA 2026 Admission Schedule
- NIFT Lateral Entry Admission (NLEA) 2026 Eligibility Criteria
- NLEA Admission 2026 - Exam Pattern
- NIFT 2026 - NLEA Seat Intake
- NLEA Application Form 2026
- NLEA Exam Center 2026
- NLEA Result 2025
- NIFT 2026 - NLEA Counselling
What is NIFT Lateral Entry?
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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.
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.
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 2025 application form with regular fee closes. The start and last date to fill out the NIFT 2025 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 2025 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.
- 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.
Explore more Design exams with upcoming dates
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15 Nov '25 - 31 Dec '25
1 Jan '26
2 Jan '26
1 Sep '25 - 15 Jan '26
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:
The application form for NIFT 2026 has to be filled online.
To fill out the application form
- Go to the NIFT admission portal and click on the 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.
- Log-in to fill in the rest of the form, including personal, academic, and contact details.
- Documents the candidate has to upload during registration include photograph and signature in jpeg format and size not exceeding 100 kb.
- Pay the application fee to complete the application process.
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 candidate has to select their admission category at the time of filling out the NIFT 2026 application form. The candidate must make sure that they have the requisite valid and verificable certificate supporting their category.
Note that the category selected by a candidate at the time of submitting the application form will be considered as final.
If a candidate selects a reserved category i.e. SC/ST/OBC (NCL)/EWS/PWD but fails to submitted a valid Category Certificate, he or she will be considered for open category seats provided any benefit of relaxed age or income or cut offs has not been availed by the candidate at any stage of the Admission Process. If any benefit has been availed, the candidate’s application will be rejected.
Also, if a reserve category candidate is considered for open category, then he/she will have to pay the difference in amount of application fee as applicable for open category.
- 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.
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.
NLEA Admission 2026
The key points related to the NLEA 2026 admission process are given in the table below.
| Particulars |
Description |
|---|---|
| Exam Name |
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 3,000 |
| Mode of application |
Online |
| NIFT NLEA 2025 application form START date |
Open |
| Release of Exam Notification |
Last week of November 2025 |
| Exam date |
Second week of February 2026 |
| Related exam |
NIFT NLEA 2026 Admission Schedule
The admission schedule for the Artisan category is also given below for reference.
| Events |
Dates (Tentative) |
|---|---|
| Registration open for NIFT admission 2026 |
Last week of November, 2025 |
| Last date to apply |
First week of January, 2026 |
| Last date to apply with a late fee of INR 5000 |
Second week of January 2026 |
| Edit window |
Second week of January 2026 |
| Advance City Intimation Slip |
Last week of January, 2026 |
| Issue of Admit Cards |
First week of February, 2026 |
| Conduct of NIFTEE Entrance Exam |
Second week of February, 2026 |
| Answer Key for GAT Examination only (using registered user ID & password) |
Third week of February, 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.
| Events |
Dates (Tentative) |
|---|---|
| Registration open for NIFT admission 2025 |
Third week of November 2025 |
| Last date to apply |
Last week of February, 2026 |
| Issue of Admit Cards |
March 2026 |
| Artisan Skill Test, Personal Interview and Documents |
May 2026 |
| Declaration of Final Result (Online) |
June 2026 |
| Seat Allocation |
Last week of June 2025 |
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.
NIFT NLEA Admission 2026 Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for NIFT NLEA 2026 are:
| Program |
Eligibility Criteria |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Design (B.Des) |
Passed Secondary School Examination/10th AND Passed 3 or 4-year diploma recognized by AICTE/AIU/ UGC or a State Board of Technical Education in courses related to Fashion / Apparel / Textile and Accessories / Home Science/ Handloom Technology / Products / Visual Communication / Graphic Design / Industrial Design / Interior Design / Multimedia Design / Apparel Technology / Leather/ Fine arts. OR Passed Senior Secondary /12th recognized by AIU. AND Students who have completed the 2-year regular UG Diploma Programme at NIFT after passing the Senior Secondary Examination/ 12th standard. |
| Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F.Tech) |
Passed Secondary School Examination/10th AND Passed 3- or 4-year diploma recognized by AICTE/AIU/UGC or a State Board of Technical Education in courses related to Fashion/Apparel/Textile/Home Science/Handloom Technology. OR Passed Senior Secondary/12th standard recognized by AIU with Mathematics. AND Students who have completed 2 years UG Diploma Program at NIFT after passing Senior Secondary Examination/ 12th Standard |
Also Read:
- NIFT Eligibility Criteria- Age Limit, Qualifying Exam, Marks
- How to prepare for NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 at Home
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 will have 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 expected 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 expected exam pattern of NIFT NLEA are:
| Test |
Weightage |
Timeline (Tentative) |
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. |
| Technical Ability Test (TAT) |
40 |
April 2026 |
|
| Personal Interview |
20 |
||
| Verification of documents/eligibility |
- |
NIFT 2026 - NLEA Seat Intake
The expected 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
The application form for NLEA 2026 is expected to be released in the last week of November 2025.
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 application process.
NLEA Application Fee 2026
The expected category-wise application fee for NLEA 2026 is given below. Note that the application fee is non-refundable.
| Category |
NIFT 2025 Application Fee (non-refundable) |
|---|---|
| General/OBC (Non-Creamy)/GEN-EWS Category |
INR 3,000 |
| SC/ ST/ PwD Category |
INR 1,500 |
NLEA Exam Center 2026
The NIFT 2026 exam will be conducted in 82 cities across India. The candidate can select their choice of exam centers for NLEA 2026 from the list when filling out the application form.
| S. No. |
State |
City |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
Port Blair |
|
| 2 |
Andhra Pradesh |
Kurnool |
|
| 3 |
Andhra Pradesh |
Vijayawada |
|
| 4 |
Andhra Pradesh |
Visakhapatnam |
|
| 5 |
Andhra Pradesh |
Rajahmundry |
|
| 6 |
Andhra Pradesh |
Tirupathi |
|
| 7 |
Arunachal Pradesh |
Naharlagun |
|
| 8 |
Assam |
Guwahati |
|
| 9 |
Bihar |
Muzaffarpur |
|
| 10 |
Bihar |
Patna |
|
| 11 |
Chandigarh |
Chandigarh/Mohali |
|
| 12 |
Chhattisgarh |
Raipur |
|
| 13 |
Chhattisgarh |
Jagdalpur |
|
| 14 |
Dadra & Nagar Haveli |
Silvassa |
|
| 15 |
Delhi |
Delhi NCR |
|
| 16 |
Goa |
Mapusa |
|
| 17 |
Gujarat |
Ahmedabad/ Gandhinagar |
|
| 18 |
Gujarat |
Rajkot |
|
| 19 |
Gujarat |
Surat |
|
| 20 |
Gujarat |
Anand |
|
| 21 |
Gujarat |
Gandhinagar |
|
| 22 |
Gujarat |
Mehsana |
|
| 23 |
Haryana |
Hisar |
|
| 24 |
Haryana |
Kurukshetra |
|
| 25 |
Himachal Pradesh |
Bilaspur Hp |
|
| 26 |
Himachal Pradesh |
Kangra |
|
| 27 |
Jammu And Kashmir |
Jammu |
|
| 28 |
Jammu And Kashmir |
Srinagar |
|
| 29 |
Jharkhand |
Dhanbad |
|
| 30 |
Jharkhand |
Ranchi |
|
| 31 |
Karnataka |
Bengaluru |
|
| 32 |
Karnataka |
Mysuru (Mysore) |
|
| 33 |
Karnataka |
Mangalore (Mangalore) |
|
| 34 |
Kerala |
Ernakulam |
|
| 35 |
Kerala |
Kannur |
|
| 36 |
Kerala |
Kozhikode |
|
| 37 |
Kerala |
Kollam |
|
| 38 |
Kerala |
Kottayam |
|
| 39 |
Kerala |
Thiruvananthapuram |
|
| 40 |
Kerala |
Thrissur |
|
| 41 |
Ladakh |
Leh / Kargil |
|
| 42 |
Lakshadweep |
Kavaratti |
|
| 43 |
Madhya Pradesh |
Bhopal |
|
| 44 |
Madhya Pradesh |
Jabalpur |
|
| 45 |
Madhya Pradesh |
Gwalior |
|
| 46 |
Madhya Pradesh |
Satna |
|
| 47 |
Madhya Pradesh |
Ujjain |
|
| 48 |
Maharashtra |
Mumbai / Thane |
|
| 49 |
Maharashtra |
Nagpur |
|
| 50 |
Maharashtra |
Pune |
|
| 51 |
Maharashtra |
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar |
|
| 52 |
Maharashtra |
Amravati |
|
| 53 |
Maharashtra |
Kolhapur |
|
| 54 |
Maharashtra |
Nanded |
|
| 55 |
Manipur |
Imphal |
|
| 56 |
Meghalaya |
Shillong |
|
| 57 |
Mizoram |
Aizawl |
|
| 58 |
Nagaland |
Kohima |
|
| 59 |
Odisha |
Berhampur-Ganjam |
|
| 60 |
Odisha |
Bhubaneswar |
|
| 61 |
Puducherry |
Pondicherry |
|
| 62 |
Punjab |
Ludhiana |
|
| 63 |
Rajasthan |
Jaipur |
|
| 64 |
Rajasthan |
Jodhpur |
|
| 65 |
Rajasthan |
Udaipur |
|
| 66 |
Sikkim |
Gangtok |
|
| 67 |
Tamil Nadu |
Chennai |
|
| 68 |
Tamil Nadu |
Coimbatore |
|
| 69 |
Tamil Nadu |
Madurai |
|
| 70 |
Tamil Nadu |
Salem |
|
| 71 |
Tamil Nadu |
Tiruchirappalli |
|
| 72 |
Tamil Nadu |
Vellore |
|
| 73 |
Telangana |
Hyderabad |
|
| 74 |
Tripura |
Agartala |
|
| 75 |
Uttar Pradesh |
Meerut |
|
| 76 |
Uttar Pradesh |
Muzaffarnagar |
|
| 77 |
Uttar Pradesh |
Kanpur |
|
| 78 |
Uttar Pradesh |
Lucknow |
|
| 79 |
Uttar Pradesh |
Varanasi |
|
| 80 |
Uttarakhand |
Dehradun |
|
| 81 |
Uttarakhand |
Haldwani |
|
| 82 |
West Bengal |
Kolkata |
|
NLEA Result 2025
- 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.
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 2 months ago
The fee for M.Des programme offered at NIFT is around INR 8 Lakhs.
| Fee Components | Fee Amount (2 Years) (2025) |
|---|---|
| Tuition Fees | 5.86 Lakhs |
| Hostel Fees* | 2.21 Lakhs |
| One-time payment* | 27,200 |
| Total fees | 8.35 Lakhs |
* Hostel fee is calculated on the basis of 1st year. Actual amount may vary. The fees might include components other than hostel fees. Meal Plan is not included in the mentioned fee.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The fee of the B.Des programme at NIFT is around INR 14 lakhs.
| Semester | NIFT Fees 2024 (INR) | NIFT Fees 2025 (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | 1,83,200 | 1,91,700 |
| Semester 2 | 1,43,000 | 1,50,000 |
| Semester 3 | 1,69,800 | 1,78,700 |
| Semester 4 | 1,50,000 | 1,58,000 |
| Semester 5 | 1,78,700 | 1,87,800 |
| Semester 6 | 1,58,000 | 1,66,000 |
| Semester 7 | 1,93,700 | 2,03,200 |
| Semester 8 | 1,66,000 | 1,74,000 |
| Total (4 Years) | 13,42,400 | 14,09,400 |
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi, is the best based on the India Today ranking (2025).
NIFT Delhi is considered the best NIFT campus in India because of the following:
It consistently ranks No. 1 among all NIFTs (India Today Ranking: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021)
It has
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The NIFT entrance exam is considered moderately difficult. The level of difficulty of the exam depends on a student's strengths and preparation. Since seats are limited and competition is high, even average questions feel tougher due to the pressure.
B.Des exam tests creativity, design aptitude, obse
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The educational qualification for NIFT admissions varies from course to course:
| Programme | Educational Qualification Required |
|---|---|
| B.Des (Bachelor of Design) | Passed 10+2 (Class 12) in any stream (Science, Commerce, Arts, Humanities) from a recognised board |
| B.FTech (Bachelor of Fashion Technology) | Passed 10+2 (Class 12) in any stream, but Mathematics as a subject in 10+2 is compulsory |
| M.Des (Master of Design) | Undergraduate degree in any discipline from a recognised university |
| M.FTech (Master of Fashion Technology) | B.FTech from NIFT or B.E./B.Tech from a recognised university |
| MFM (Master of Fashion Management) | Undergraduate degree in any discipline from a recognised university |
S
Contributor-Level 10
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.