NIFT Exam Pattern 2026: B.Des/M.Des Exam Format, Marking Scheme & Weightage, Important Topics

The written examination for NIFT 2026 has two components:

1. Creative Ability Test (CAT)
2. General Ability Test (GAT).

Those seeking admission to the B.Des and M.Des courses need to appear in both CAT and GAT. However, those seeking admission to the B.F.Tech, M.F.Tech, and M.F.M courses only need to take the GAT. The exam patterns for GAT and CAT are explained in detail below. Make sure that you consult the NIFT syllabus in tandem with the exam pattern for effective exam preparation.

Exam Components for NIFT UG and PG Programmes

The components of NIFT PG programmes are:

NIFT UG Course	Components
B.Des	GAT + CAT + Situation Test
B.F.Tech	GAT
B.F.Tech candidates opting for B.Des	GAT + CAT + Situation Test

The components of NIFT PG programmes are:

NIFT PG Course	Components
M.Des	GAT + CAT + Personal Interview
M.F.M	GAT + Personal Interview
M.F.M candidates opting for M.Des	GAT + CAT + Personal Interview
M.F.Tech	GAT + Personal Interview

NIFT GAT 2026 Exam Pattern - M.Des and B.Des

The exam pattern has been changed for the B.Des program, while no changes have been made to the M.Des exam pattern.

Program	B.Des	M.Des
Paper	GAT	GAT
Mode of exam	Computer-based exam	Computer-based exam
Language	English/ Hindi	English/ Hindi
Test Duration	120 minutes	120 minutes
Sections	Number of Questions	Number of Questions
Communication Ability	40	30
English Comprehension		30
Quantitative Ability	20	20
Analytical Ability	15	25
General Knowledge and Current Affairs	25	15
TOTAL	100	120

NIFT GAT 2026 Exam Pattern - B.F.Tech

The expected pattern for NIFT GAT 2026 are as follows:

Program	B.F.Tech
Paper Name	GAT - Section A (CBT)	GAT - Section B (CBT)
Language of written test	English/Hindi	English/Hindi
Test Duration	180 minutes
Sections	Number of questions	Number of questions
Communication Ability and English Comprehension	40	NIL
Quantitative Ability	20	15
Analytical & Logical Ability	15	15
General Knowledge and Current Affairs	25	NIL
Case Study	NIL	20
Total	100	50

NIFT GAT 2026 Exam Pattern - M.F.M & M.F.Tech

The expected GAT 2026 Exam Pattern is:

Program	M.F.Tech	MFM
Paper	GAT	GAT
Language of written test	English/Hindi	English/Hindi
Duration	180 minutes	180 minutes
Sections	Number of questions	Number of questions
Communication Ability & English Comprehension	45	50
Case Study	25	30
Quantitative Ability	30	20
Analytical & Logical Ability	25	25
General Knowledge And Current Affairs	25	25
TOTAL	150	150

Test Pattern for NIFT GAT (Old Pattern) - B.Des and M.Des

The test pattern of GAT for the B.Des and M.Des programs is given in the table below. 

Program	B.Des	M.Des
Paper	GAT	GAT
Mode of exam	LAN-based CBT examination will be conducted  at various Centers for the GAT Examination.	LAN-based CBT examination will be conducted  at various Centers for the GAT Examination.
Language	English/ Hindi	English/ Hindi
Test Duration	120 minutes	120 minutes
Sections	Number of Questions	Number of Questions
Communication Ability	25	30`
English Comprehension	25	30
Quantitative Ability	20	20
Analytical Ability	15	25
General Knowledge and Current Affairs	15	15
TOTAL	100	120

NIFT (Old) exam pattern for GAT - B.F.Tech 

Program	B.F.Tech
Paper	GAT
Language of written test	English/Hindi
Duration	180 minutes
Sections	Number of questions
Communication Ability & English Comprehension	45
Case Study	25
Quantitative Ability	30
Analytical & Logical Ability	25
General Knowledge And Current Affairs	25
TOTAL	150

Negative Marking in NIFT 2026

• In the GAT paper, for every wrong attempt, the candidate will be deducted 25% of the total marks (-0.25 per incorrect answer). So, when attempting the GAT paper, the candidate needs to be judicious before attempting a question if they are unsure about the answer.
• There is no negative marking for the CAT paper, which is a drawing-based exam.

Test Pattern for NIFT 2026 - CAT

The test pattern for the Creative Ability Test is given below.

• Test type: The CAT is a pencil-and-paper-based exam.
• Duration: 3 hours
• Skills evaluated: Intuition skill, power of observation, innovation in the development of a concept, as well as the design ability of the candidate. It will also test the creative as well as innovative use of color and illustration skills of aspirants.

Also Read:

• General Knowledge (GK) Questions for NIFT Exam
• How to prepare for NIFT Creative Ability Test (CAT)

The weightage carried by the two written test components - CAT and GAT - is given in the table below.

Weightage for NIFT UG Courses

The weightage for UG Courses is:

Exam	B.Des	B.F.Tech	B.F.Tech candidates opting for B.Des
GAT	30%	30% (Sec –A)	30% (Sec –A)
CAT	50%	70% (Sec –B)	50%
Situation Test	20%	--	20%
TOTAL	100%	100%	100%

Weightage for NIFT PG Courses

The weightage for NIFT PG Courses is:

Exam	M.F.M	M.Des	M.F.M candidates opting for M.Des	M.F.Tech
GAT	70%	30% (Section-A)	30% (Section-A)	70%
CAT	--	40%	40%	--
Personal Interview	30%	30%	30%	30%
TOTAL	100%	100%	100%	100%

 

Candidates are informed that NIFT offers admission to Artisans/ Children of Artisans based on their performance in the Studio Test, Interview round, and verification of documents/ eligibility criteria.

NIFT admissions for Artisans will be conducted offline at the NIFT campus selected by candidates. The details of NIFT admission criteria for Artisans in BDes courses offered at the design college are mentioned in the table below:

NIFT Admission Test	Weightage	Timing
Studio Test	40	Second week of June Around 10 AM- 2 PM
Interview	20	Last week of May Around 10-11 AM
Verification of Documents/ Eligibility	-	To be notified

The Studio Test that is conducted to shortlist candidates for NIFT Admissions under the Artisans category is a creative ability test wherein candidates need to create a 3D model using modeling clay or other material provided at the test center.

NIFT lateral entry admission (NLEA) is the process through which candidates can secure admission directly to the 3rd semester of UG courses offered by NIFT participating colleges. Candidates can go through the admission tests that they would need to appear for when seeking admission through NIFT lateral entry admission (NLEA) in the table below.

Name of Course	Test	Weightage
Bachelor of Design (B.Des)	GAT	40%
	Studio Test	40%
	Personal Interview	20%
	Verification of documents/eligibility

NIFT Exam is expected to be conducted in the first week of February. The NIFTEE is likely to be conducted at the following timings:

Program	Written Test	Reporting Time	Test Timing
BDes	GAT	8.30 am	9.30 am - 11.30 am
	CAT	12.30 pm	1.30 pm - 4.30 pm
MDes	GAT	8.30 am	9.30 am - 11.30 am
	CAT	11.30 am	1.30 pm - 4.30 pm
BFTech	GAT	8.30 am	9.30 am - 11.30 am
MFTech	GAT	8.30 am	9.30 am - 4.30 pm
MFM	GAT	8.30 am	9.30 am - 11.30 am

The Situation Test is the second stage of the NIFT entrance exam for the B.Des program. Candidates who qualify in the written exams (CAT and GAT) have to appear in the Situation Test. Candidates seeking admission to Master's courses are not required to take the Situation Test; instead, they have to appear for a NIFT Personal Interview. 

The Situation Test will evaluate the “material handling and innovative ability” of the candidate. Here, candidates will be examined in areas like “Space Visualization, Innovative and creative use of given material, the composition of elements, color scheme, construction skill, the finesse of the model, and overall presentation.

At the time of the Situation Test, the candidate is required to submit a write-up explaining the concept/idea behind the model constructed. Also, since the medium of teaching in NIFT is English, the write-up should be in the English language. No marks will be given for NIFT write-up in any other language.

The candidate appearing in the NIFT 2026 exam needs to prepare for both the written exams and the Situation Test/ Interview. Here are some tips to prepare for the written exams.

• Ensure that you follow the updated and current syllabus
• Also, refer to the exam pattern
• The GAT paper will be conducted in an online-based mode and include around 100-150 questions. To attempt all these questions, you must not only be able to solve the questions but also be able to complete them on time.
• So, work on both speed and accuracy.
• Solve sample papers and take NIFT mock tests closer to the exam.   
• Work on your observation and drawing skills.
• You must practice all types of drawing, at least the basics. For instance, you can work on shading once you are done with the basic drawing stuff. 

To learn more about NIFT 2026 exam preparation, Click Here

Also read: 

Preparation Tips for NIFT Situation Test 2025	NIFT Situation Test 2025: Sample Questions to practice, Weightage, Preparation Tips
10 tips to crack interview for design courses at NID, NIFT	How to Prepare For NIFT Situation Test 2025?