Sample Questions for NIFT Entrance Exam 2026: Previous Year Question Papers

Candidates appearing in the NIFT Entrance Exam must make it a point to solve sample papers, as this exercise will help them improve their problem-solving and time-management skills. Sample papers can be solved very early on in one's exam preparation. Download here sample papers for NIFT.

 

Sample Questions for NIFT Entrance Exam - If you are familiar with the NIFT entrance examination pattern, the next big question is what kind of questions to expect in the exam. The General Ability test (GAT) is still a familiar zone as other entrances, including those conducted for hotel management, business management, CLAT, banking, etc., as a part of their screening process. The NIFT 2026 syllabus for the GAT exam will include questions from topics like Quantitative Ability, Communication Ability and English Comprehension, Analytical Ability and Logical Ability, GK and Current Affairs, and Case study. The questions can be an extension of what we have been learning at the school/ college level. What sets the NIFT written entrance for Design apart from the rest is the Creative Ability Test (CAT).

The business domain needs you to be more aware of the fashion and apparel industry. One needs to be abreast of the various brands, their tag lines, the parent companies, the brand ambassadors, art, books and authors, culture, festivals, embroideries, handicrafts, cinema, literature, awards, and iconic elements. etc.

The CAT paper has questions to test one’s imagination, creativity, observation, sense of proportion, out-of-the-box, and lateral thinking in terms of 3D, perspective, space design, human figures, visual communications, etc. It is all better understood viz a viz some sample question.

Previous Year NTA NIFT Question Paper

Here are a few questions from NIFT Previous Year Question papers, asked in NIFT examinations from 2010 to 2014. This shall enable aspirants to get a fair idea of what to expect in the upcoming examinations.

NIFT 2014 (DESIGN)

Q1. Your state tourism department would like to introduce a uniform for the licensed tourist guides. Design a uniform for male tourist guides considering the following:

1. Cultural background
2. Social sensibilities
3. Functional utility

Q2. The evil of corruption is a matter of grave concern & the people are agitated. Design a poster to spread anti-corruption awareness. You may use text, graphics or both.
Q3. You have gone on a long expedition. Picture your feelings, emotions and physical status from the beginning to end of the expedition in the following four boxes. (four boxes were given)

Q4. You have at your disposal the following 7 objects: 2 cubes, 1 flexible wire, 3 discs and 1 cone as given below. Imagine 4 interesting products made out of a combination of all objects. You can scale the objects to any size or dimension. Represent your ideas with neat sketches. Name them along with brief note in 4 boxes.
Q5. Design a poster to enhance voter awareness in the box below. Explain the concept applied in the opposite page.

Q6. Mobile phones have become an essential accessory in day-to-day use. It has great potential to meet the special needs of the senior citizens. Design a new mobile phone for exclusive use by senior citizens. Briefly write the factors of this mobile phone in opposite page.

NIFT - 2013(UG & PG DESIGN)

Q1. Imagine yourself to be a lizard on the wall and draw from its view point in the box given below.

Q2. Choose any five” words from the following and depict them in colour. Write briefly about the word chosen in the space provided. (5 boxes were given with the below-mentioned words)

• Speed
• Summer
• Passion
• Love
• Tsunami
• Sharpness
• Storm
• Happiness
• Surprise
• Hatred

Q3. Create a pattern using any “three” of the forms given below in colour in the grid provided. Explain the concept that guided you to create this pattern. (some motif elements like leaf, flower, diamond shape, etc., were given)

NIFT  -  2012(UG & PG DESIGN)

Q1. Draw four landscapes depicting four seasons or draw four steps of an airplane taking off from the airport

Q2. Draw a mascot for “Clean City” or for “Pulse Polio.”

Q3. Draw a banner with a tagline for your book shop, or fora  CD Shop.

Q4. Illustrate in colour, an advertisement on a Book Store

Q5. Draw the cover page of the biography of anyone of the following

• Anna Hazare        
• Sachin Tendulkar

Q6. Illustrate any one feeling from the following using geometrical shape of a circle & a triangle (a block of 6” x 6” was given)

• Love
• Hatred                 
• Jealousy    
• Anger

Also Read:

NIFT  -  2011(UG DESIGN)

Q1. Depict any one of the following topics by colouring. You can choose any colour, but the colour should be limited in the box. (A hexagonal grid was attached).

• Fear               
• Trust            
• Joy

Q2.  Depict any one of the following scenes. Use only three colours.

• Railway Station          
• Any Temple Festival        
• Republic Day Parade

Q3. Use only a black-white pencil to depict any one of the following topics, from your imagination. Note: Marks will be given on detailing.

• Right to Education        
• Fighting Corruption         
• Educating voters.

NIFT  -  2010(UG DESIGN)

Q1. In the given grid of 10 x 10 (1” blocks), using dry colours only, depict any one of the following:

• Harmony            
• Enthusiasm        
• Shock

Q2. Design & illustrate in colour a postal stamp on any one of the following (size 6” x 6”)

• Mother’s Day        
• Commonwealth Games 2010
• World Health Day

Q3. Illustrate in black and white only (in the given frame of 7” x 9”), any one of the following: (marks will be given on details)

• Magic Show            
• Go Green        
• How to follow traffic rules.

This is indicative enough of the range and variety of questions that can be asked at the NIFT design entrance. Just remember to practice questions while working out on time management, keep the quality intact, and above all, attempt all questions; don’t get trapped into creating one masterpiece work at the cost of other questions.

About the Author:

Shipra Anand is the Founder Director of the Academy for Fashion Careers in Lucknow and has 18 years of experience in the field of fashion and design. She offers career counselling and also trains students for NID, NIFT, Pearl, FDDI, CEED, NATA and other design, art and architecture entrance examinations. A postgraduate from NIFT, New Delhi, Anand has industry experience with names like Lacoste and Wild Orchids.