NIFT Statistics 2026: How Many Students Appeared for the Exam; Attendance and Participation
National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam 2026 ( NIFT Entrance Exam )
NIFT Spot Round 2026
19 Jul '26 - 27 Jul '26
NTA released the Statistics for NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 along with the results. The statistics include the number of candidates in each stage, shift, programme, etc. It also released the data on the basis of gender. In this article, we will have a look at the number of students who registered and appeared for the NIFT Examination under different categories, gender and stages of the exam for NIFT UG and PG programmes.
NIFT Statistics
NTA conducted the NIFT Stage 1 Entrance Exam on February 08, 2026 for all the UG and PG programmes. NIFT UG Programmes included Bachelor of Design (B.Des.), Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F.Tech.), B.Des. (Artisans) and NIFT PG Programmes included Master of Design (M.Des.), Master of Fashion Management (M.F.M.), Master of Fashion Technology (M.F.Tech.) and Lateral Entry Programmes - B.Des. (NLEA), B.F.Tech. (NLEA) for NIFT Admissions. There were 129 centres located in 97 Cities. The exam was conducted in Hindi and English mediums in Computer-Based Test (CBT) / Paper-Based Test (PBT) mode.
A total of 21307 unique candidates registered for the NTA NIFTEE 2026 Stage 1 examination. The exam was conducted in shifts on the same day: NIFT GAT and NIFT CAT. Total registration received for NTA NIFT Stage 1 was 40247. Of these, 35596 appeared for the exam, marking an overall attendance of 88.44%.
- NIFT Stage 1 Statistics 2026
- Number of candidates for NIFT Stage 1 for UG and PG Programmes
- Category-wise Distribution: Stage 1
- Gender-wise Distribution: Stage 1
- NIFT Stage 2 Statistics for Personal Interview
- NIFT Stage 2 Statistics for Situation Test
NIFT Stage 1 Statistics 2026
Check out the NIFT Stage 1 registered and appeared statistics.
| Shift | Examination | Registered | Appeared |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shift 1 | General Ability Test (GAT) | 21,307 | 18,867 |
| Shift 2 | Creative Ability Test (CAT) | 18,940 | 16,729 |
| Grand Total | - | 40,247 | 35,596 |
Commonly asked questions
The allotment of seats will be based on:
- Choice opted at the time of counseling registration (academic programs + campuses)
- The category of the candidate
- Seat intake in the college opted for admission
- NIFT merit rank of the candidate.
We at Shiksha.com will bring you student reactions for the NIFT exam. Our representatives will be present at the NIFT 2024 exam centre to do live coverage and provide insights into various aspects of the exam. We will get in touch with students appearing in the NIFT 2026 exam after they have appeared in the entrance exam. The student reactions will cover aspects like difficulty level of the exam, types of questions asked, expected cut-off, etc. Note that the student reactions will be available for all the design courses - M.Des B. Des, B.FTech M.FTech and MFM.
The information provided by the candidate when filling out the NIFT 2026 application form will be verified by NIFT officials before any candidate is considered for admission.
The verification of original documents will be conducted at the campus when the candidate reports for the alloted regular programme. When reporting for verification, along with the original documents, the candidate must also bring with them self-attested photocopies.
Also, if the certificates are in any other language than Hindi/ English, then a certified translation in Hindi/ English produced duly verified by the issuing institution/ gazetted officer. If the candidate fails to produce the translation, the candidate may be denied admission.
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.
Number of candidates for NIFT Stage 1 for UG and PG Programmes
The exam for NIFT Stage 1 was conducted in two shifts for NIFT GAT and NIFT CAT. 21307 candidates registered for GAT and 18,867 appeared. 18,940 registered for CAT and 16,729 appeared.
| Course | Shift 1 (GAT) Registered | Shift 1 (GAT) Appeared | Shift 2 (CAT) Registered | Shift 2 (CAT) Appeared |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Design (GAT) | 13,916 | 12,546 | 13,916 | 12,486 |
| Bachelor of Fashion Technology | 1,179 | 982 | NA | NA |
| Bachelor of Fashion Technology and Bachelor of Design (GAT) | 3,433 | 2,947 | 3,433 | 2,892 |
| Bachelor of Design (NLEA) | 61 | 48 | NA | NA |
| Bachelor of Fashion Technology (NLEA) | 15 | 14 | NA | NA |
| Master of Design (GAT) | 1,079 | 929 | 1,079 | 921 |
| Master of Fashion Management | 1,044 | 908 | NA | NA |
| Master of Fashion Management and Master of Design (GAT) | 512 | 442 | 512 | 430 |
| Master of Fashion Technology | 68 | 51 | NA | NA |
| Grand Total | 21,307 | 18,867 | 18,940 | 16,729 |
Category-wise Distribution: Stage 1
The number of candidates for Shift 1 and Shift 2 for NIFT CAT and NIFT GAT for different categories is given below.
| Category | Shift 1 (GAT) Registered | Shift 1 (GAT) Appeared | Shift 2 (CAT) Registered | Shift 2 (CAT) Appeared |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OBC-NCL (As Per Central List) | 5,248 | 4,850 | 4,601 | 4,246 |
| Open | 12,046 | 10,632 | 10,813 | 9,538 |
| Open-EWS | 884 | 834 | 799 | 752 |
| Scheduled Caste | 2,134 | 1,779 | 1,858 | 1,532 |
| Scheduled Tribes | 995 | 772 | 869 | 661 |
| Grand Total | 21,307 | 18,867 | 18,940 | 16,729 |
Commonly asked questions
NIFT 2026 Situation Test was conducted on April 26, 2026.
The reporting time for NIFT 2026 entrance exam will be mentioned on the admit card issued to candidates.
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 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.
The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will release the seat allotment of NIFT 2026 for Round I around the 3rd week of June 2026.
The seat allotment will be based on the merit rank of candidates and the academic option picked at the time of counseling registration. Note that NIFT 2026 counseling will be conducted in four regular and one spot rounds. The admission fee amount for regular seats at all campuses is INR 1,83,000..
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Gender-wise Distribution: Stage 1
The number of candidates for Shift 1 and Shift 2 for NIFT CAT and NIFT GAT for each gender is given below. There were more female candidates can male in the NIFT Stage 1.
| Gender | Shift 1 (GAT) Registered | Shift 1 (GAT) Appeared | Shift 2 (CAT) Registered | Shift 2 (CAT) Appeared |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FEMALE | 17,612 | 15,643 | 15,752 | 13,967 |
| MALE | 3,695 | 3,224 | 3,188 | 2,762 |
| Grand Total | 21,307 | 18,867 | 18,940 | 16,729 |
NIFT Stage 2 Statistics for Personal Interview
NIFT Stage 2 exam was conducted in April for the shortlisted candidates. Interview was conducted for NIFT PG and Situation test was conducted for NIFT UG. Personal Interviews for NIFT PG Programmes (M.Des., M.F.M., M.F.Tech.) were conducted in New Delhi from April 06, 2026 to April 11, 2026.
| Programme | Registered | Appeared |
|---|---|---|
| Master of Design (M.DES.) | 680 | 553 |
| Master of Fashion Management (M.F.M.) | 608 | 759 |
| Master of Fashion Technology (M.F.Tech.) | 51 | 36 |
| M.Des. & M.F.M. both | 442 | 355 |
| Grand Total | 2081 | 1703 |
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NIFT Stage 2 Statistics for Situation Test
Check out the statistics for NIFT Stage 2 Situation test.
| Programme | Registered | Appeared |
|---|---|---|
| B.Des (Artisans) | 53 | 34 |
| B.Des (NLEA) | 48 | 27 |
| B.F. Tech (NLEA) | 14 | 7 |
| B.F. Tech & B. Des. (Both) | 2,064 | 1,717 |
| Bachelor of Design (B.Des) | 9,886 | 8,647 |
| Grand Total | 12,065 | 10,432 |
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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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