NIFT Study Material 2026 - Recommended Books, Sample Papers and Mock Tests

While preparing for NIFT 2026, the study material must be top-notch to ensure that your efforts don't go in vain. After all, nothing can sabotage your preparation than poor-quality books that are poorly written and riddled with errors. So, here we bring you the best books recommended by toppers and experts to prepare for NIFT 2026. Keep reading.

NIFT Study Material 2026 - The National Institute of Technology (NIFT) is expected to conduct the NIFT 2026 written exams in the second week of February. The written exams include the Creative Ability Test (CAT) and the General Ability Test (GAT). B.Des and M.Des candidates need to appear in both the GAT and CAT. However, B.F.Tech, M.F.Tech, and M.F.M applicants only need to take the GAT. Given that NIFT is one of the toughest design entrance exams in the country, the candidate needs to ensure the preparation, among others, starts on the right foot. This more or less means getting the right mix of study material for NIFT. 

Latest Update:

• NIFT 2025 e-Counselling Begins June 24

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Why is it important to follow the right NIFT Study Material?

Here are some of the key reasons why the reference material for NIFT preparation should be top-notch.

1. If the study material is poor, it may contain lots of silly errors, some of which may be grammatical, but the more serious types are conceptual errors. Note that it is easy to learn something, rather than to learn and unlearn something.
2. Also, if the books are not up to the mark, they may not cover the NIFT 2026 exam syllabus and instead waste your precious time.
3. The third reason why you need to avoid poor quality study material is that it will contain lots of textual stuff, with bombastic theoretical rhetoric, but very few examples explain those concepts. So, you will end up spending hours learning those concepts without any examples to edify or test those concepts.

Study Material for NIFT 2026 Exam

Now that you know about the dangers that lurk in following substandard NIFT study material 2026, here we bring you the list of books that you can rely on. The study material for NIFT 2026 provided below is recommended by previous toppers and experts.

NIFT 2026 Study Material - Subject-wise books for exam preparation are:

Other important Resources to prepare for NIFT 2026 Exam

While the books mentioned above can be the springboard, the candidate also needs a lot of other resources to do well in an entrance exam of the caliber of NIFT 2026.

Here are some other resources the candidate needs to lay their hands on:

• NIFT 2026 sample papers
• NIFT 2026 previous years’ question papers
• Mock tests

NIFT 2026 Sample Papers

The sample papers will contain the same types of questions as the ones that will be asked in the actual entrance exam. So, the questions included in the NIFT 2026 sample papers will be of the same difficulty level, carry equal weightage, and be as per the marking scheme outlined in the NIFT 2026 exam pattern.

Consequently, by solving sample papers, the candidate will be able to develop their problem-solving ability. The candidate may start solving sample papers very early on in their NIFT 2026 exam preparation. After completing a topic, the candidate may solve all the questions related to that topic given in the sample papers. Sample papers can also help the candidate improve time-management skills.

NIFT Question Papers 2026

Along with sample papers, the candidate also needs to solve previous years' question papers. This exercise will give the candidate a clear idea of the type of questions asked in the entrance exam, the difficulty level, and the marking scheme. Also, if there are any specific trends in the last couple of years, the candidate can identify them by solving the question papers. Note that without having a close look at the previous year's question papers, it is not easy to judge what to expect in the entrance exam.

NIFT Mock Tests

Mocks are usually taken closer to the exam, typically in the last 2-3 weeks. The NIFT mock tests are intended to get an idea about the exam ambiance and learn how to navigate through various stages of the exam. Mocks can also be used to check the layout of the exam, the types of questions asked, and the marking scheme.

NIFT 2026 Application Form

The National Institute of Fashion will release the application form for NIFT 2026 in the last week of November. The application form has to be filled out online at niftadmissions.in. As part of the online application filling process, the candidate will have to get registered, fill in personal, academic, and contact details, upload documents, and pay the application fees. The application fee for NIFT 2026 will be around INR 3,000.

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