• Updated on 16 Sept, 2025 by Ankita Banerjee
NIFT 2026: The NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 for both undergraduate and postgraduate design programs is tentatively scheduled for the second week of February 2026. If students are aiming to get into courses like B.Des, B.F.Tech, M.Des, M.F.Tech, or M.F.M at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), they will need to apply and appear for this exam. The NIFT 2026 Application Form is expected to be available on the official NTA NIFT, and NIFT websites starting in the last week of November 2025. The application fee will likely be around INR 3,000.
To apply for the B.Des program, candidates must have passed Class 12 and be under 24 years of age. For postgraduate programs like M.Des, applicants should hold a graduate degree from a recognised university. If students are interested, they must make sure to fill out the application form online and complete the payment before the deadline.
Table of Contents
NIFT Highlights 2026
NIFT 2026 Exam is expected to be held across 32 cities. NTA administers the exam in CBT mode. The table below provides the important highlights for the NIFT 2026 examination:
Read More: NIFT 2026 College Predictor
NIFT Important Dates 2026
The application form for NIFT 2026 is expected to be released in November 2025, and the last date to apply will be January 2026. NIFT 2026 Exam Date is tentatively scheduled for February 2026. Tabulated below are the important dates related to NIFT 2026:
NIFT Eligibility Criteria 2026
To appear in the examination, candidates were required to meet NIFT 2026 Eligibility Criteria for its undergraduate and postgraduate courses. A detailed breakdown of eligibility criteria has been presented below:
NIFT Registration 2026
NIFT 2026 Registration window is expected to open from November 2025 to January 2026. The entire process will be conducted online. Following the simple steps below, candidates could fill out the registration form:
Step 1: Visit the official NIFT website at www.nift.ac.in.
Step 2: On the homepage, click on “Admissions.”
Step 3: From the registration portal, click on “New Application Portal” to register as a new user.
Step 4: Create a login ID, password, and fill out the application form carefully.
Step 5: Upload necessary documents, such as a photograph and signature.
Step 6: Click “Submit” and pay the application fee. Save the fee payment receipt for future reference.
NIFT Exam Pattern 2026
NIFT GAT 2026 will be a computer-based test conducted in English and Hindi for B.Des, M.Des, and B.F.Tech, M.F.Tech, and MFM programs. The number of questions varies from 100 to 150 based on the course. A detailed discussion on the NIFT 2026 Exam Pattern has been provided below:
NIFT Syllabus 2026
NIFT 2026 Syllabus includes important topics from Quantitative Ability, English Comprehension, etc. Candidates who qualify for the CAT paper are tested on their drawing skills. To check more information on NIFT 2026 Syllabus, candidates should refer to the table below:
NIFT Preparation 2026
NIFT 2026 written exams are expected to be held in February 2026. Since the CAT paper has the highest weightage, students need to focus more on it during preparation. However, it’s important to prepare for all sections of the exam as per the official syllabus.
GAT Preparation Tips
- For the GAT Paper, understand the exam pattern and syllabus.
- Use the best study materials and books for NIFT 2026.
- Make a realistic study schedule and follow it. Starting early helps in covering the syllabus, solving papers, taking mock tests, and revising.
- Take short notes while studying. These notes can help in quick revision instead of going through big chapters again.
- Solve plenty of sample papers and past year questions to understand the question style.
- During the last week, take full mock tests to check how well you are prepared.
- Stay positive and healthy to perform your best on exam day.
CAT Preparation Tips
- Improve creativity and observation skills.
- Practice drawing geometrical shapes accurately.
- Learn to visualize your drawing idea clearly before putting it on paper.
- Avoid shaky or unclear lines. Work on neat line drawing skills.
- While shading isn’t a major part of the test, knowing the basics of shading can help.
- Practice different types of drawings like human figures, cartoons, doodles, perspectives, and geometric designs.
NIFT Admit Card 2026
NIFT 2026 Stage 1 Admit Card is expected to be released in February 2026. Next, candidates need to appear in the Situation test, Studio test, and Personal Interview round in stage 2. NIFT 2026 Admit Card for stage 2 will be available in June 2026 (tentative). Following the simple steps below, candidates could download the admit card:
- Candidates should visit the official NIFT admission portal.
- Click on the admit card download link.
- A login window will appear on the screen.
- Enter the NIFT 2026 application number and date of birth.
- Upon successful login, the admit card can be downloaded.
NIFT Answer Key 2026
NIFT 2026 Answer key is expected to be out in the month of February 2026. The challenge window to raise objections will be opened for a few days by paying a non-refundable fee of INR 200 per objection. The final answer key is released if the raised objections are considered valid. Here is how the NIFT 2026 answer key can be downloaded:
Step 1: Visit the NTA NIFT website, https://exams.nta.nic.in/NIFT/
Step 2: Click on the download answer link.
Step 3: On the next window, enter the examination roll number, program applied to, date of birth, and question booklet number.
Step 4: Once logged in, download and save the answer key.
NIFT Result 2026
NIFT 2026 Result (final result) will be released online in June 2026. Candidates can download the results from the official website. All the shortlisted candidates will be allowed to participate in the counselling process. Here is how NIFTEE 2026 results can be checked:
Step 1: Visit the NTA’s NIFT examination portal, https://exams.nta.nic.in/NIFT/
Step 2: Log in with appropriate credentials.
Step 3: Enter the application number and date of birth when prompted and click submit.
Step 4: Results will be declared as “Shortlisted” or “Not shortlisted for the situation test.”
NIFT Cutoff 2026
NIFT 2026 Cutoffs are released after seat allotment is made, and the authorities will publish the round-wise cutoffs. The cutoffs are declared for each category and are the minimum marks candidates must obtain to proceed to the next round of admissions. As per the trends, obtaining a score of 75 out of 100 is considered good. NIFT Cutoff 2026 will be decided based on several factors:
- Number of applicants and applications, Category-wise intake
- Difficulty of the paper
- Previous year’s cutoffs
NIFT Counselling 2026
The NIFT Counselling 2026 is expected to begin between June and July 2026, following the declaration of the NIFT 2026 final results. The counselling process will be conducted centrally for admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate programs across the 19 NIFT campuses. Candidates who will qualify in the NIFT 2026 entrance exam and secure a valid Common Merit Rank (CMR) will be eligible to participate. The counselling is expected to include three rounds of seat allotment, followed by a Spot Round to fill any remaining vacancies. The official announcement for e-counselling and seat allocation is likely to be made in the last week of June 2026, when shortlisted candidates will need to register on the official NIFT counselling portal.
During the counselling process, candidates must register, upload the required documents, and fill in their preferred choices of program and campus in order of priority. Given below are the step-wise processes in this counselling procedure:
- Both choice filling and seat locking for Round 1 are expected to begin in the last week of June 2026.
- Seat allotment will be based on the candidate's merit rank and preferences.
- Once a seat is allotted, candidates must pay the seat acceptance fee within the given deadline to confirm their admission; failure to do so will result in cancellation of the allotment, which will then be passed on to the next eligible candidate.
- After the regular rounds are completed, fresh registrations will be opened for the Spot Round, where seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
In addition to the NIFT campuses, other design institutes such as the World University of Design (WUD) may also accept NIFT 2026 scores for admission to select UG and PG programs. Candidates are advised to refer to the official NIFT Counselling Guidelines for detailed instructions on the seat allocation process.
NIFT 2026 FAQs
How can applicants register for NIFT 2026?
NIFT 2026 registration window will be opened from November 2025 to January 2026. Candidates can register for the next session of NIFT on the official website.
What is the student intake for NIFT 2026?
For NIFT 2026, the number of seats is expected to be around 4837 as per the NIFT prospectus. There are also 708 seats for lateral entry into NIFT.
Is NIFT 2026 easy or difficult?
NIFT examination is easy to moderate. However, the level of difficulty in the CAT and GAT papers can vary at NIFT. Candidates are advised to prepare using the previous year’s papers.
Does NIFT 2026 require candidates to draw?
Yes. NIFT 2026 requires candidates to draw on the CAT paper. Sketching is a vital skill for NIFT, and test takers are judged on their theory and practical drawing skills.
What subjects should be taken in classes 11 and 12 for NIFT 2026?
NIFT accepts students from all backgrounds. There are no requirements to pursue specific subjects or streams for NIFT 2026.
What are the minimum eligibility criteria for NIFT 2026?
Applicants for postgraduate courses for NIFT 2026 must hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. Undergraduate course applicants must have completed their 12th-class examinations.
What topics are covered in GAT for NIFT 2026?
The first paper for NIFT is the General Ability Test or GAT. It covers topics such as communication ability, general knowledge and current affairs, English comprehension, quantitative ability, and analytical and logical ability.
What is the NIFT 2026 application fee?
NIFT 2026 has two application fees for unreserved and reserved students. Unreserved students have to pay INR 3,000 with their application, and reserved students have to pay INR 1,500.
Are there reservations for NIFT 2026?
Yes. NIFT reserves 10% of its seats for the general economically weaker section, 15% for the SC category, 7.5% for the ST category, and 27% for the OBC category. Additionally, 5% seats are reserved for differently abled individuals with 40% disability.
Is there a maximum age limit for NIFT 2026?
No. There is no age limit for admission to postgraduate courses. However, applicants to undergraduate courses must be below the age of 24 years.