National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Admissions 2026

NIFT sets the national benchmark for fashion education in India. The NIFT Entrance Examination provides access to its 18 campuses nationwide for Undergraduate and Postgraduate design/technology programmes.

1. Exam Timelines

• Registrations Start: Late November 2025.
• Written Test (GAT/CAT): Exam historically held across India on a Sunday in February 2026.
• Situation Test / Personal Interview: Typically scheduled in April 2026.

2. Core Exam Stages (For B.Des & M.Des)

Admissions feature two-tiers:

• Tier 1 Written Exams:
  • General Ability Test (GAT): Assesses Quantitative Ability, Communication Ability, English Comprehension, Analytical & Logical Ability, and General Knowledge.
  • Creative Ability Test (CAT): Tests intuition, design capability, observation, novel concept formulation, and color scheme utilization.
• Tier 2 Practical Exam:
  • For B.Des candidates: A Situation Test where candidates are provided material to create an physical 3D model based on a prompt.
  • For PG candidates: Group Discussion and Personal Interview (GD/PI). Note: For Fashion Tech applicants only GAT is administered.

3. Important Actions and URLs

4. Key Pointer

• Time Management: The NIFT CAT requires the candidate to illustrate solutions within tight time limits using dry mediums only (e.g. pencil shades/crayons/color pencils).