NIFT Exam Date 2026, Eligibility, Exam Pattern and Syllabus

NIFT 2026: The Exam date for the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is February 08, 2026. Every year, NTA conducts the NIFT Entrance Exam to provide admission into Bachelor’s and Master’s Programmes (Regular, NLEA, Artisans) offered by the National Institute of Fashion Technology. The Entrance exam every year is conducted by the National Institute of Technology for admission into BDes, BFTech, MDes, MFTech, MFM & more across 60 cities. Successful performance in these entrance exams can lead to admission to NIFT for courses in fashion design, accessory design, textile design, and more, shaping the future of aspiring designers in the dynamic world of fashion. In this article, we have given complete information about the NIFT 2026 Entrance Exam Schedule, Pattern, Syllabus, and Application Form. 

NIFT Exam Date 2026

The NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology) has scheduled the NIFT Exam 2026 to be held on February 08, 2026. The NIFT 2026 exam comprises two stages: The Creative Ability Test (CAT) and the General Ability Test (GAT). CAT evaluates artistic and innovative aptitude. The NIFT examination is held every year for aspiring fashion designers and professionals for admission to the National Institute of Fashion Technology programs. The aspirants must be eagerly waiting for the examination day, hoping to perform well and secure a slot in one of the prestigious fashion institutes in India. The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) exam is the gateway for admission to prestigious fashion and design programs in India. It assessed the candidate's creativity, aptitude, and skills in areas like design, technology, and management. 

What is NIFT? 

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is an autonomous institution that provides fashion management, design, and fashion courses. The Government of India's Ministry of Textiles created NIFT in 1986. The headquarters of the National Institute of Fashion Technology is located in New Delhi, India. There are now 18 campuses for NIFT all around the nation. The first campus of NIFT is located in Haus Khas, New Delhi, and was founded in 1986. There are other campuses located in Chennai, Kolkata, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Jodhpur, Kangra, Kannur, Patna, Raebareli, Shillong, Srinagar, and Panchkula. The newest campus of NIFT is in Daman, which is founded in the year 2022. 

NIFT Entrance Exam 2026- Overview

National Testing Agency has released the information bulletin for NIFT 2026 on the official website www.nta.ac.in. For more details regarding the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Entrance Exam students are advised to go through the complete article below.

NIFT Exam 2026 Eligibility

NIFT Exam 2026 Eligibility Criteria for educational qualification and age limit are given below. 

Age Criteria: 

• For UG courses, the applicant’s age cannot exceed 24; however, there is no age restriction for PG programmes.
• Additionally, SC/ST applicants will get a 5-year age relaxation.

Education requirements: 

• Candidates for the B.F.Tech (Apparel Production) programme must have passed the 12th grade with honors in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics from an accredited board or institution.
• B.Des programme: The applicant must have earned their 10+2 diploma from an accredited university or board.
• Candidates for the M.F.Tech programme must hold a B.F.Tech from NIFT or a B.Tech/B.E. from an accredited institution or university.

NIFT 2026 Exam Courses Offered 

The following lists the various undergraduate and graduate programmes that the National Institute of Fashion Technology offers through the NIFT admission test. 

• Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.Des)
• Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F.Tech)
• Master's in Design (M.Des)
• Fashion Technology Master’s (M.F.Tech)
• Fashion Management Master’s (M.F.M)

NIFT Exam 2026 Important Dates

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has officially announced the exam dates for NIFT 2026. Students who want to appear for the exam can now check the complete schedule. The exam will be held on the specified dates mentioned in the official timetable. This schedule includes important dates for registration, admit card release, exam day, and result declaration. Candidates must follow the given timeline to complete their application process and prepare accordingly. The full schedule of the NIFT 2026 exam is provided in the table below.

NIFT 2026 Admit Card Out

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has released the NIFT Admit Card 2026 for the upcoming entrance exam on February 04, 2026. Candidates who have successfully registered for the exam can download their admit cards from the official NIFT website, www.nift.ac.in. It is essential to download the admit card as soon as possible to avoid any confusion on the day of the exam. The admit cards include key details such as the candidate's name, date of birth, photograph, signature, and other relevant information for the NIFT 2026 Entrance Examination. Ensure you keep it safe for exam day.

NIFT 2026 Application Form

The NIFT 2026 registration process started on December 8, 2025. All the candidates who are planning to appear in the NIFT 2026 Exam can fill out their application form at the official website, i.e., https://nift.ntaonline.in/, in online mode. However, the students were allowed to fill out the application form till January 10, 2026, with a late fee of Rs 5000. According to the NTA NIFT Notification 2026, the NIFT 2026 Exam is scheduled to be held on February 08, 2026.

How to fill out the NIFT 2026 Application Form

The National Testing Agency has successfully completed the application process for the NIFT 2026 on its official website. All interested students can apply online at www.nift.ac.in. The Last date to fill out the NIFT 2025 Application Form was January 6, 2025. The application forms will be filled in online mode. Below, we have discussed a few simple steps that need to be followed at the time of filling the NIFT 2026 application form.

• NIFT 2026 Registration

Step I: Visit the official website of the National Institute of Fashion Technology i.e., www.nift.ac.in.

Step II: On the homepage look for the link that says “NIFT Registration 2026”, and click on it.

Step III: Fill in all the Aadhar number, after successful verification of the Aadhar number fill in the details asked such as parents' name, Email ID, and mobile number.

Step IV: The authorities will send the login ID and password to the registered email ID of the candidate.

• NIFT 2026 Application form filling

After completing all these steps the candidates will have to follow the steps mentioned below:

Step V: Now the candidates will have to fill out the NIFT 2026 application form by providing all the personal information, educational details, qualifying exam, and contact details.

Step VI: After filling in all the details carefully select the examination center.

Step VII: Now click on the submit button. The application number will be generated.

• NIFT 2026: Upload the Documents

Step VIII: After filling out the application fee the candidates will have to upload their photographs and signatures. The authority has also released the size and format of the photograph and signature that are to be uploaded.

• NIFT 2026 Application Fee

Step IX: At the end, the candidates will have to pay the application fee through net banking or credit card/debit card.

• Final Submission

Step X: Before the final submission the candidates must go through all the details provided on the NIFT 2026 application form.

Step XI: Download the NIFT 2026 application form and do not forget to take a printout of it for further use.

Documents Required to Fill the NIFT 2026 Application Form

Students planning to appear in the NIFT exam are advised to keep the essential documents and information handy before filling out the NIFT 2026 application form. Below we have mentioned all the documents that will be required at the time of application.

• Valid Email Id
• Details of Educational Qualification
• Personal Details
• Certificate of Disability (if applicable)
• ST/ SC/ OBC Certificate (if applicable)
• Scanned Image of Signature
• Scanned Image of Photograph
• Details of Credit/Debit card in case of making payment online

NIFT 2026 Answer Key

The candidates who were eagerly waiting for the release of the NIFT 2026 Answer Key are informed that the National Institute of Fashion Technology will soon release the NIFT 2026 Answer Key at its official website www.nift.ac.in. The answer key has been released ONLY for the GAT written exam; No answer keys will be released for CAT. To download the answer key candidates will need to fill in their login credentials such as application number and password. Candidates are also provided with the facility to raise objections against the NIFT 2026 Answer Key. 

NIFT 2026 Result

After successful completion of the exam, the National Testing Agency will release the results of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Entrance Examination 2026  at its official website. The Exam is scheduled for February 08, 2026. All the candidates who appeared for the NIFT 2026 Examination are informed that the scores of the NIFT 2025 Exams will be used to shortlist candidates for the situationship test or personal interview. The Final NIFT 2026 Result will be prepared based on the total weightage of the written exam and the situation test/Personal interview. 

NIFT Exam Pattern 2026

1. The NIFT 2026 test will be given in pen-and-paper format (offline).
2. The question paper will have multiple-choice questions, and the number and type of questions will vary based on the programme.
3. For the B.F.Tech, M.F.Tech, MFM, B.Des, and M.Des entrance exams, you will have two hours to complete the paper.
4. The test will be broken up into several sections including ones for quantitative ability, analytical thinking, English comprehension, communication skills, current events, and general knowledge.
5. The question paper will be available in both Hindi and English.
6. There is no negative marking in NIFT Exam 2026.

NIFT Exam 2026 Stages (CAT & GAT) 

Two stages of the NIFT 2026 entrance test will be administered: 

Writing Exams - The Creative Ability Test (CAT) and General Ability Test (GAT) are the initial written exams taken by the candidate. Only candidates for the B.Des and M.Des programmes are required to take the CAT test, while the GAT test is required for all programmes. 

Situation Test / Group Discussion and Personal Interview -The written test results (CAT and GAT) will be utilized to narrow the field of candidates for the Situation Test (B.Des)/Group Discussion and Personal Interview (all PG programs). 

NIFT Marking Scheme 2026

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) follows a marking scheme that includes a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong attempt. This means that for every wrong response, a quarter of a mark will be deducted from the total score. It encourages candidates to answer questions thoughtfully, emphasizing accuracy to avoid losing marks for incorrect choices. Understanding and adhering to the NIFT marking scheme is crucial for candidates aiming to perform well in the NIFT Examination 2026.

NIFT Exam 2026 Syllabus 

The NIFT syllabus for both the General Ability Test (GAT) and Creativity Ability Test (CAT) Is given below. 

NIFT Exam GAT Syllabus 2026

NIFT CAT Syllabus 2026

NIFT 2026 Exam Centers