The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) holds an entrance exam to select candidates for admission to its design programmes, which include Bachelor of Design (BDes), Bachelor of Fashion Technology (BFTech), Master of Design (MDes), Master of Fashion Management (MFM), and Master of Fashion Technology (MFTech) (MFTech). The format of the NIFT entrance test for BDes and MDes programme admissions is three-tiered. Candidates must first take the Creative Ability Test (CAT) and the General Ability Test (GAT) as part of the NIFT entrance test 2026-27 for BDes and MDes admission (GAT).
Highlights:
| Particulars | Paper 1 |
| Full-Form | National Institute of Fashion Technology |
| Subject | Quantitative Ability, Communication Ability, English Comprehension, Analytical Ability, General Knowledge and Current affairs. |
| Mode of Conduction | Offline |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Exam Frequency | Once a Year |
| Total Registrants for Previous session | 2,54,700 |
| Official Website | http://www.nift.ac.in/ |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Total Questions Asked | 100 |
| Total Questions to be Answered | All |
| Marking Scheme | +1 for correct ans. |
| Negative Marking | No negative marking |
| Medium of paper | English |
Eligibility Criteria:
- Candidates under the age of 18 must submit an affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper with a value of Rs.10, fully signed by their parent or guardian, in the required Proforma. Falsely submitting a document is a criminal offence.
- On or before a date to be announced soon, candidates must submit their qualifying degree to the campus director or joint director of the assigned college.
- A candidate’s admission will be regarded null and invalid if he or she fails to provide his or her qualifying degree at the time of application.
- If a candidate’s result has not been released at the time of admission and he or she is applying for provisional admission, he or she must submit necessary proof of passing the examination.
- Candidates seeking provisional admission must provide their date sheet/admit card/certificate Principal’s as proof of exam attendance. Candidates who took the compartment/supplementary test in their 12th or final year of graduation/diploma are in the same boat.
- Provisional admission candidates will only be considered for admission if the institution or university has not yet released its results. In any other situation, their admission under the temporary admission category may be revoked.
2026-27 Exam Dates:
| Last date to apply online | January 17, 2026-27 |
| Registration with late fee of Rs. 5000 | January 18 to 22, 2026-27 |
| NIFT Admit Card release date | January 29, 2026-27 |
| NIFT Entrance Exam 2026-27 date | February 6, 2026-27 |
Exam Updates 2026-27:
NIFT Admission 2026-27: Application process begins, test on February 6 – Times of India. Des & B. FTech Admission 2026-27: NIFT Admission 2026-27: Application process begins, exam on February 6
| NIFT Entrance Exam 2026-27 date | February 6, 2026-27 |
| Result of Written Entrance Examination | March 2026-27 |
Application Form 2026-27:
- Fill NIFT Application Form 2026-27
- Candidates must apply for the NIFT Entrance Exam online at the design school’s official website. Candidates must pay their application fee using a credit/debit card or a Demand Draft (DD). Applicants should maintain a printout/photocopy of their NIFT Entrance Exam application form, as well as proof of payment, for future reference.
- Download NIFT Admit Card
- Appear for NIFT Entrance Exam 2026-27
- Appear for NIFT Situation Test or GD/PI
- Check NIFT Entrance Exam Result
- Appear for NIFT Counselling
Exam Application Fee 2026-27:
For comprehensive NIFT qualifying requirements for BDes, BFTech, MDes, MFM, and MFTech course admissions in 2026-27, click here. The application is now available online. The application cost for General/ OBC (non-creamy layer) students is Rs 2,000, while for SC/ ST/ PHP applicants it is Rs 1,000. There is a Rs 5,000 late fee.
Exam 2026-27: What’s New?
The NIFT entrance test is held by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) 2026-27 to select candidates for admission to fashion design programmes.
| English Comprehension | 25 |
| Analytical Ability | 15 |
| General Knowledge and Current Affairs | 15 |
Exam Pattern:
| Number of sections | 5 (Quantitative Ability, Communication Ability, English Comprehension, Analytical Ability, General Knowledge and Current Affairs) |
| Duration of exam | 120 minutes (2 hours) |
| Number of questions | 100 |
| Language of paper | English/ Hindi |
| Number of answer choices | 4 |
| Mode of examination | Offline |
Syllabus:
- Aspirants interested in pursuing a B.FTech degree should review the NIFT 2026-27 GAT curriculum. The following is the GAT syllabus for NIFT 2026-27.
- Current events and general knowledge
- Study of a Case
- Communication that works
- Comprehension of English and communication skills
- Quantitative
- An approach to problem-solving
- Ability to think critically and logically
Preparation Tips:
- Improve your observation and visualisation skills: The NIFT exam is designed to assess a candidate’s creativity and imagination.
- Improve your speed by.
- Solve the following problems from a previous year’s paper.
- Improve your overall awareness via.
- Concentrate on the following and put it into practise.
- Regular Physical Activity.
- Good study materials include.
Exam Time Table:
| Written test for UG & PG | 6th February 2026-27 |
| Release of answer key | 2nd week of February 2026-27 |
| Last date to submit objection on answer key | 2nd week of February 2026-27 |
| Result of Written Entrance Examination | March 2026-27 |
Exam Reservation:
| GEN-EWS | 10% |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5% |
| Other Backward Caste (OBC) Non-Creamy | 27% |
Answer Key:
The NIFT 2026-27 answer key will be given shortly after the test, which is expected to take place in February. Only the NIFT answer key for the General Ability Test will be released (GAT). Candidates may get the NIFT Entrance Exam answer key by entering their roll number, programme, question booklet series, and date of birth on the exam’s official website. If there is any inconsistency in the answers recorded in the NIFT GAT answer key, aspirants can file an objection. Candidates can file an objection by clicking on the link at the bottom of the NIFT GAT 2026-27 answer key. For registering an objection, candidates would be charged Rs 500 per question.
Cut Off:
| Course name | General | OBC |
| B.Des in Fashion Design | 264 | 695 |
| B.F. Tech Apparel Production | 236 | 1419 |
| M.F. Tech Apparel Production | 502 | 514 |
| Master of Fashion Management | 116 | 437 |
Test Comparison:
Despite the fact that both NID and NIFT are well-known institutions that constantly produce the top brains in fashion and design, let us look at the differences between the two.
NID is the premier Indian institute for product design, idea creation, and design innovation, with a global reputation for design quality.
NID teaches students about design and art, as well as aesthetic sense and design engineering extracts. It is primarily concerned with art, aesthetics, and product design.
NIFT is India’s foremost fashion design institution, producing the greatest stylists and fashion designers year after year. Fabrics, illustration, aesthetic sensibility, garment manufacturing, style, and the technology that surrounds it are all areas of concentration at NIFT. In other ways, the emphasis is on garments and clothing.
