NIFT NLEA (Lateral Entry) Admission 2026: Application (OPEN), Date (OUT), Eligibility, and Latest Updates

NLEA 2026 conducted on February 08, 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 starts 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 is all set to release the NIFT Provisional Answer Key for NIFT Stage 1 anytime soon. It will be released on NTA NIFT website: exams.nta.nic.in/niftee. NTA will be releasing the Answer Key for GAT section only. No answer key will be released for NIFT CAT. NTA will allow candidates to raise objection online against the Provisional Answer Key by making a payment of ₹ 200/- per challenged question.

Latest Updates:

• NIFT Answer Key 2026 (Shortly) LIVE UPDATES: Provisional Answer Key PDF Link @exams.nta.nic.in/niftee, Raise Objection

• NIFT Expected Cutoff 2026: Ranks & Admission Chances Across Top NIFT Campuses

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. 

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. 

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.

NIFT NLEA 2026 Admission Schedule

The admission schedule for the Artisan category is also given below for reference.

NIFT 2026 Admission Schedule - Artisan Category

The admission schedule for the Artisan category is also given below for reference.

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:

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:

B.F.Tech - NLEA 2026 Exam Pattern

The expected exam pattern of NIFT NLEA are:

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.

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:

1. 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.
2. Log-in to fill out the form - The candidate has to log in to the account and fill in personal, academic, and contact details.
3. 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.
4. Upload documents - Follow the document specifications when uploading the documents. 
5. 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.

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.

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.