NIFT Entrance Test 2026 General Ability Test (GAT) Preparation Tips

By Dr Anup

NIFT GAT comprises of MCQs in Quantitative Analysis, Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability and General Awareness. Go through NIFT prep tips and find out what to expect in GAT 2026.

The NTA will conduct the NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 in the second week of February 2026. The NIFT exam will be conducted in TWO stages. The 1st stage includes the written exams - The General Ability Test (GAT) and the Creative Ability Test (CAT). The GAT is common for all the courses, meaning that irrespective of which program you select for admission, you need to take the GAT.

Meanwhile, only B.Des and M.Des candidates need to take the CAT. The GAT exam will be conducted in a computer-based mode and could be a scoring option if the candidate prepares well. In this article, we will be talking about what to expect in the GAT (General Aptitude Test) of NIFT. This test comprises MCQs in Quantitative Analysis, Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability & General Awareness. Note that B.Des candidates who qualify in the written exam need to appear in a Situation Test. Meanwhile, PG candidates need to appear in a Personal Interview.

General Ability Test (GAT) Preparation Tips for NIFT Entrance Test 2026

Here are some useful tips to prepare for the GAT paper.

Essentials:

To score the maximum marks in GAT, students are required to focus on Mathematics up to Class 10 level, should have a logical bend of mind, continuous usage of English as a language, and finally, an aptitude for garnering knowledge from around the world. 

Verbal Aptitude and Reading Comprehension:

The exam tests the all-around performance of the student, so the students should be voracious readers of newspapers and Magazines. This improves their ability in Communication Skills, Reading Comprehension and most importantly General Awareness. A habit of reading will abreast the student with vocabulary, sentence formation, usage of prepositions and other grammatical rules. This will also improve their reading speed along with comprehension techniques. With proper guidance, they should be able to understand the techniques to comprehend.

Quantitative Ability:

On the other hand, Quantitative Aptitude requires practice to the core. Any standard book or apt coaching should be sufficient to understand the basics of Quantitative Ability. However, after that, the student is required to practice the questions within a specified time limit. Some standard books for the practice of Quantitative Analysis may include Objective Quantitative Ability by RS Aggarwal and Quicker Maths by M Tyra.

Logical reasoning:

Logical Reasoning is one section where the students are required to apply their understanding and application of mind. It tests the basic application of ideas. At the outset, the student should go through the topics that form part of the NIFT entrance exam, and then they should practice. The book by Dr RS Aggarwal for Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning will be a good source for the students for practice. 

General Tips:

Nothing is better than the practice of Mock Tests and the past years' NIFT question papers. During the last week of examination, the students should take as many tests as possible to acclimate themselves to the examination conditions. Regular reading of newspapers, magazines and articles should be in the curriculum of the student.

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Dr Anup has been a facilitator in various areas of test prep for the last 18 years. His expertise has been utilized by various colleges and institutes in Delhi/NCR. He has been instrumental in guiding students for Aptitude Training for various programmes in Delhi, Gwalior, Agra, Mathura, and Jhansi. He has been associated as an Aptitude Trainer for AFA since 2008 for all its Delhi branches. He offers guidance with regard to the preparation of the Test Series for NIFT and editing the content for the AFA webpage - www.afaindia.com.