NIFT Entrance Exam 2026

B.Des Artisan Category

NRI / Foreign National / OCI / SAARC

Ph.D. Programme

Payment Details

• Pay online through Debit Card, Credit Card, UPI or Net Banking.
• Bank or payment gateway charges are paid by the candidate.
• Fee once paid is not refundable, except for duplicate payments.

Fee Notes

• Applying for two programmes needs only one application form.
• Application is successful only after the fee is received.
• Choose your programme(s) carefully, as charges apply as per selection.

Step 1: Registration

• Register and create a password and security question.
• An Application Number is generated; keep it safe for all future use.

Step 2: Fill Application

• Enter personal and academic details and choose the programme.
• Select four exam cities in order of priority.
• Upload live photograph, scanned photo, signature and certificates.

Step 3: Pay Fee

• Pay the prescribed fee online and keep the proof of payment.
• If the confirmation page is not generated, check payment status with the bank, then contact NTA.

Step 4: Confirmation Page

• Download and print the Confirmation Page after successful payment.
• Use the correction window to edit only the enabled fields; no changes after it closes.

Campuses (1–10)

Campuses (11–19)

NLEA (Lateral Entry)

• B.Des NLEA: 10th pass plus 3 / 4-year diploma in fashion, apparel, textile, design or related fields (shorter diplomas need 1 year industry experience).
• B.FTech NLEA: 10th pass plus diploma in fashion, apparel, textile or engineering fields as listed in the bulletin (with Mathematics for shorter diplomas).
• Also eligible: 2-year UG diploma holders from NIFT after Class 12.

Artisan Category (B.Des)

• 10+2 or equivalent as for B.Des.
• Valid Artisan Card of self / father / mother issued by the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts / Handlooms), or applied for it before the Prospectus 2027 launch.

NRI / Foreign National / OCI / SAARC

• Age limit: below 24 years for UG (relaxation as above); no limit for PG.
• Foreign degrees need an AIU / UGC equivalence certificate.
• Working knowledge of English; minimum 50% in SAT / GMAT / GRE (scores not older than 1 Jan 2025, received by 31 Mar 2027).

Ph.D. Eligibility

• Master’s in the relevant area with minimum CGPA 6.0 (5.5 for SC / ST) or 55% (50% for SC / ST), or a Bachelor’s with higher marks and 10 years of experience.
• Age limit of 30 years applies only to NTF category.

Marking Scheme

• +1 mark for each correct answer.
• −0.25 mark for each incorrect answer.
• No marks for unattempted questions.
• Dropped questions: full marks to all candidates.

Mode and Medium

• GAT: Computer Based Test (CBT), MCQ with four options.
• CAT: Pen and Paper Based Test (PBT) to judge creativity, observation and design ability.
• Paper is bilingual (Hindi and English); English version is final if there is any ambiguity.

GAT Components

• Quantitative Ability
• Communication Ability and English Comprehension
• Analytical and Logical Ability
• General Knowledge and Current Affairs
• Case Study (where applicable)

Exam Timings (10 Jan 2027)

• GAT: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (B.Des, M.Des); 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon (B.FTech, MFM, M.FTech and combined)
• CAT: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
• Report at the centre 2 hours before the exam.

Situation Test (B.Des)

• Hands-on test of material handling and innovation using given materials; held in 20 cities.
• Total 100 marks: 3D Model 50, Write-up 20, Overall Presentation 30.
• Write-up must be in English.

Personal Interview (PG)

• For shortlisted M.Des, MFM and M.FTech candidates.
• Judged on career orientation, aptness for the course, achievements, communication and general awareness.

Stage 1: Entrance Exam

• Appear for GAT (CBT) and CAT (PBT) as applicable.
• Results are declared on the NTA and NIFT websites.
• Shortlisting is done based on the entrance exam.

Stage 2: Skill Test / Interview

• B.Des: Situation Test.
• PG programmes: Personal Interview.
• B.FTech: no Stage 2; shortlisting based on GAT.

Final Result and Seat Allocation

• Common Merit Rank (CMR) is prepared separately for each programme.
• Seat allocation and counselling are done by NIFT.
• NTA has no role in admission matters; contact NIFT for admission queries.

B.Des Seats (2026)

B.FTech and Master Seats (2026)

Exam Cities

• NIFTEE 2027 will be held in 100 cities across India.
• Choose four cities in order of preference (limited to your State of permanent or present address).
• NTA may allot a city other than your choice for logistic reasons.

Admit Card

• Download from https://exams.nta.nic.in/niftee/ (expected 4 January 2027).
• Advance City Intimation Slip: 21 December 2026.
• Admit cards are not sent by post. Check your email regularly.

Answer Key Challenge

• NTA displays recorded responses and the provisional answer key for 2–3 days.
• Challenge fee: ₹200 per question (non-refundable).
• Result is based on the final answer key. No challenge is accepted after the result.

Tie-Breaking Rule

• B.Des / M.Des: CAT marks first, then GAT marks.
• Then compared section-wise: Communication, Quantitative, Analytical, GK.
• Stage 2 marks are preferred for the final merit list.

Photograph

• Recent passport-size colour photo, white background.
• JPG / JPEG, 10 KB to 200 KB.
• A live photograph is also captured during the application.

Signature

• Clear scan of your signature on white paper.
• JPG / JPEG, 10 KB to 50 KB.

Proof of Age (any one)

• Class 10 mark sheet / certificate.
• Birth Certificate issued by a recognized authority.

Educational Qualification

• B.Des / B.FTech: Class 12 mark sheet (or appearing certificate).
• M.Des / M.FTech / MFM: graduation mark sheet or degree certificate.

Category Certificate (if applicable)

• SC / ST / OBC-NCL / EWS: valid certificate issued by the competent authority.
• PwD / PwBD: UDID card or disability certificate.
• OBC-NCL / EWS certificates must be valid as on the last date of registration.

NRI / Foreign Nationals

• Passport and Visa copy (if applicable).
• Certificate from the Indian Mission confirming foreign status.
• AIU / UGC equivalence certificate for foreign qualifications.