NIFT 2026 Exam (UG/PG): Notification, Exam Dates, Registration, Syllabus, Question Paper & Preparation

NIFT is a national-level design entrance exam conducted by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). The NIFTEE exam includes written exams comprising the GAT (General Ability Test) and CAT (Creative Ability Test). The GAT paper is mandatory for all programs, while only B.Des and M.Des candidates need to take the CAT. Situation Test/ Personal Interview is for B.Des candidates. Shortlisted candidates have to appear in the Situation Test, whereas PG candidates need to appear in a Personal Interview. Admission to the B.F.Tech program will be based on GAT scores.    

NIFT Test for UG programmes

NIFT UG comprises B.Des and B.F. Tech:

NIFT Test for PG programmes

NIFT PG comprises M.F.M, M.Des and M.F.Tech:

The final score of NIFT 2026 for the other programs will be prepared by giving weightage to the written exams and Situation Test/ Personal Interview. The scores or merit rank of NIFT will be considered for admission to design courses offered by the NIFT participating institutes. Currently, there are 19 participating institutes. The institutes offer the following courses - B.Des, M.Des, B.F.Tech, M.F.Tech, and M.F.M. Admission to these courses will be based on NIFT merit rank.

National Institute of Fashion Technology also allows candidates the option of direct admission to the 3rd semester of a UG program. Interested candidates may apply for NIFT Lateral Entry Admission 2026.

Highlights of NIFT Entrance Exam 2026

The important points related to the NIFT 2026 exam are in the table below.

Also Read:

• NIFT Lateral Entry Admission 2026

The application form for NIFT 2026 is expected to be out in the last week of November 2025. The application is common for the NIFT B.Des, NIFT M.Des, and NIFT B.F.Tech, NIFT M.F.Tech, and NIFT M.F.M courses. The candidate can select their program of study when filling out the form.

NIFT Application will be open till the first week of January 2026. Applications can also be filled with the late fees, which are around INR. 5,000. The application with late fees opens in the first week of January 2026.

How to apply for NIFT 2026?

The NIFT application form is open online. To fill out the form, follow these steps.

1. Go to the NIFT admission portal and click on the "Registration" link.
2. A registration form will open. Enter your name, email ID, phone number, and other relevant details.
3. On registration, an applicant account will be created.
4. Log in to fill out the rest of the form and select an exam center. 
5. Upload documents.
6. Finally, pay the application fee to complete the process.

The NIFT 2026 application fee for the OPEN category is approximately INR 3,000. However, SC, ST, and PwD candidates will have to pay around INR 1,500. 

NIFT 2026 Application Form - Document Checklist

The candidate must upload their signature and photograph in the prescribed format when applying for NIFT 2026.

NIFT 2026 Application Form Correction Window 

The correction window will open in the second week of January 2026. Using the NIFT 2026 application correction window, the candidate can make corrections to all the particulars in the form except for the mobile number and email ID. Once the correction window closes, no further modifications to the application form will be allowed.

The National Institute of Fashion Technology offers the following design courses: B.Des, M.Des, B.F.Tech, M.F.Tech, and M.F.M. The NIFT 2026 eligibility criteria are specific to each of these courses. This means if you want to apply to the B.Des program, you need to meet the eligibility criteria specific to the program. The eligibility STATUS of the candidate will be checked at the time of NIFT 2026 counseling and seat allotment. So, if you use incorrect details to fake your eligibility, you may be disqualified if caught.

The program-specific eligibility criteria for NIFT 2026 are given in the table below.

NIFT 2026 Eligibility Criteria - B.Des

The eligibility criteria for NIFT B.Des are:

NIFT 2026 Eligibility Criteria - B.F.Tech

 Candidates seeking admission to the B.F.Tech programs need to meet the following eligibility conditions.

NIFT Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Master's Courses

Candidates seeking admission to the Master's Programmes in NIFT need to meet the following program-specific eligibility criteria.

Note: Candidates appearing in the qualifying examination in the year of admission can also apply, subject to fulfilling the necessary eligibility conditions at the time of seat allotment /admission.

Also Read:

• NID vs NIFT - Differences, Participating colleges, Admission Process, Placement
• NIFT Study Material 2026 - Recommended Books, Sample Papers
• NIFT 2026 Quantitative Ability Syllabus, Questions & Preparation Tips
• General Knowledge (GK) Questions for NIFT 2026 Exam

NIFT 2026 admit card for Stage 1 will be released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in the first week of February 2026. Candidates who have successfully completed the application process can download their admit cards from the official NIFT website by entering their application number and date of birth.

NTA will release the NIFT Admit Card for Stage 2 on the official website in the first week of June 2026. The exam is expected to be held at 26 centres in 18 cities in the country. NIFTEE Stage 2 Situation test is likely to be held in the second week of June 2026.

The centre details are mentioned in the Admit card. NTA will also release the call letter for PG programmes for the Personal Interview on the official website. Students will be able to download it using their date of birth and Application Number. The Personal Interviews for the shortlisted candidates will be conducted in Delhi in the last week of May 2026.

Step-wise process to download the NIFT 2026 Admit Card

The steps to download the NIFT Admit Card are:

1. Go to the NIFT admission portal.
2. Click on the admit card link
3. A log-in window will open.
4. Enter the NIFT 2026 application number and date of birth.
5. On successful login, you can download the admit card.

NIFT 2026 City Intimation Slip

The NTA will release the NIFT city intimation slip 2026 in the last week of January 2026 for Stage 1. To download the intimation slip, use your application number and date of birth. The intimation slip contains the name of the city allocated to the candidate, along with other details like the application number and exam date. Note that once a city has been allocated, there is no provision to change it. The intimation slip is not required on exam day.

City Intimation Slip for the Stage 2 Examination of NIFTEE 2026 will be released in the last week of May (tentative). Students should keep in mind that this is not the Admit Card. The City Intimation Slip only informs candidates about the city where their examination will be conducted to help them plan travel in advance. 

NIFT Exam Centres 2026

The list of exam cities for the NIFT 2026 written exams is expected to be out in the third week of January 2026. The NIFT written exam is expected to be conducted across 82 cities in the country. The candidates are advised to check the exam center allocated to them immediately after downloading the admit card.

The NIFT 2026 admit card will be released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in the first week of February 2026. Candidates who had successfully completed the application process could download their NIFT admit cards from the official NIFT website by entering their application number and date of birth. The admit card must be produced on exam day when the invigilator asks for it.

Candidates will have to select their preferred city when filling out the NIFT 2026 application form. Candidates will be required to reach the exam center before the exam starts. The name and address of the exam center allocated to the candidates will be mentioned on the admit card. The allotment of NIFT 2026 exam centers will be based on details entered by the candidate at the time of filling out the application form. 

NIFT Stage 2 Entrance Examination will be held at 26 test centres in 18 cities across the country. Admit card contains the exact details of the test centres.

Go through the city-wise list and details of the NIFT 2026 exam center here.

Candidates appearing in the NIFT 2026 exam are urged to refer the NIFT 2026 exam pattern to prepare for the exam. The exam pattern will contain insights into the exam, like the types of questions, how many questions are asked, total and sectional questions, weightage, etc.

Here we bring you the NIFT 2026 exam pattern for the written exams and Situation Test/ PI.

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

The expected pattern for B.Des and M.Des are:

NIFT GAT 2026 Exam Pattern - B.F.Tech

The expected pattern for B.F Tech are:

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

The expected pattern for M.F.M and M.F.Tech are:

NIFT Exam Pattern 2026 - Situation Test

B.Des candidates must appear in a Situation Test. PG candidates must appear for a Personal Interview. The NIFT 2026 Situation Test will evaluate the “material handling and innovative ability” of applicants. 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 etc.

At the time of the Situation Test, the candidate must submit a write-up explaining the model. The write-up must be in the English language. No marks will be given for a write-up in any other language.

The NIFT 2026 written exams are expected to be conducted in the second week of February 2026. Candidates appearing in the exam must note that the CAT paper carries maximum weightage. So, while preparing for the exam, candidates must thoroughly prepare for all the topics given in the exam syllabus.

Given below are tips for NIFT 2026 GAT and CAT preparation:

Some of the tips for NIFT GAT are:

• Carefully go through the exam pattern and syllabus. If there is any change in the pattern or syllabus, incorporate that in your preparation.
• Make sure that you are following the best books for NIFT 2026.
• Prepare an actionable study plan and stick to it. Start your NIFT 2026 preparation early. This will ensure you have enough time to complete the syllabus, solve sample papers, take mock tests, and do enough revision.
• Take notes during your study. If the notes are good enough, you can use them for quick revision instead of reading large blocks of text. This can save a lot of time that can be used elsewhere.
• Solve as many sample papers as you can. Also, solve previous years’ NIFT question papers.
• In the last week, take mock tests to check your preparation.
• It is also important that you stay positive and healthy.

Creative Ability Test (CAT) Preparation Tips

Here is how you can prepare for the NIFT CAT 2026:

• Work on your observation and creative skills.
• Learn the nuances of geometrical shapes.
• Before you draw anything, learn to conceptualize
• Jittery and unclear lines are a big no-no for getting a good score in CAT. So, improve your line drawing skills.
• Shading is not a very important skill for CAT, but learning the basics won’t do any harm.
• Learn various types of drawings - human, figure, cartoon, perspective, doodling, geometric, etc.

Also Read:

• Drawing Questions for NIFT 2026: Sample Questions & Weightage
• Sketching and Coloring Questions for Design Entrance Exams
• Design Sketching - Master Every Aspect from Concept to Creation

The NIFT exam is conducted in two stages.

1. Stage 1 - The first stage includes NIFTEE, which includes the General Ability Test  (GAT) and Creative Ability Test (CAT)
2. Stage 2- NIFT Situation Test/ NIFT Personal Interview.

Weightage of NIFT courses

The weightage of NIFT Courses are:

NIFT Syllabus 2026 for GAT and CAT

The NIFT 2026 syllabus for the written exams is given below.

NIFT 2026 Syllabus for Situation Test