10 Tips to Crack NIFT 2026: Section-wise Preparation Tips, Strategy, Guide & Study Material

10 Tips to Crack NIFT 2026: Section-wise Preparation Tips, Strategy, Guide & Study Material

Ritika JonwalUpdated on 19 Jun 2025, 09:46 PM IST

10 Tips for Cracking the NIFT: A clear exam strategy and adequate preparation are necessary for success on any test. Students must have a successful set of 10 tips to crack NIFT to prepare for the NIFT Exam and get admitted to the National Institute of Fashion Technology. It is difficult to pass the NIFT exam, which is taken by over 22,000 applicants. You can turn on the game and breeze through the test with careful preparation and time management.

This Story also Contains

  1. 10 Tips to Crack NIFT 2026
  2. NIFT Important Topics
  3. NIFT Study Material
10 Tips to Crack NIFT 2026: Section-wise Preparation Tips, Strategy, Guide & Study Material
10 Tips to Crack NIFT

Candidates must thoroughly understand the NIFT exam pattern and syllabus to prepare well for the entrance exam. There are three rounds of the NIFT B.Des exam: a written test (GAT and CAT), NIFT situation test, and a personal interview. NIFT BFTech has written exams (GAT and CAT) followed by Group Discussion & Personal Interview for candidates who qualified written exams. Qualifying candidates will be offered admission to 16 campuses of the National Institute of Fashion Technology. NIFT 2026 will be conducted tentatively in February 2026, in computer-based mode. Read the complete article to know the 10 tips to crack NIFT.

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10 Tips to Crack NIFT 2026

The most common question that crops up in the student’s mind is how to crack the NIFT 2026. With a maximum number of candidates, cracking the NIFT entrance exam may not be easy. Students can go through the preparation tips to tackle the exam easily. Following the 10 tips to crack NIFT will help the students to clear the exam with flying colors. The list of 10 tips to crack NIFT is mentioned below.

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  1. NIFT will test the imagination and creative ability of candidates. Creativity is an ability that cannot be produced by coercion, it can be built with inner thinking, passions, and exposure to others' innovative ideas. So, your observation capacity will help to generate a new concept here. Aspirants, thus, need to improve their observational abilities.

NIFT 2026 Most Important Topics
Get ready for NIFT 2026 with this comprehensive eBook covering CAT & GAT, featuring key topics, tips, and sample questions.
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  1. Practice NIFT sample paper - Practicing the NIFT question paper for the previous year can allow you to understand the question format of the entrance exams and the difficulty level. Students will get a clear picture of the actual entrance test while answering the NIFT sample papers.

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  1. Improve the speed - One of the important considerations for cracking NIFT 2026 is time management during the test. Students must realize that within the allotted time they have to answer the question. Students can solve NIFT Previous years question papers to prepare.

  1. Enhance observation and visualization skills - It is important to improve your observation and visualization skills. The examiner will test your creative and imaginative skills as well as your observation skills.

  1. Know NIFT Exam Pattern - It is important to understand the exam pattern of NIFT 2026 to know the parameters of the entrance test. NIFT 2026 exam pattern includes marking scheme, maximum marks, mode of the exam, question format, and many more.

  1. Practice sketching - The first draw with a light hand, outlining the ideas without the details while practicing to avoid consumption of time. Use proper kits for practicing sketching. If your drawing skill is poor then get yourself into a drawing class and NIFT drawing questions.

  1. Polish your general knowledge - Read newspapers and magazines daily. Stay updated with NIFT general knowledge-related questions including fashion, textiles, and craft, along with traditional processes like printing, weaving, and embroidery. In addition, you should also know about the renowned designers who have contributed to this difficult area.

  1. Speed and accuracy - Keep a balance between the speed and accuracy of the answer while practicing the NIFT sample paper. You have to make sure that you don't waste time erasing and redrawing for a short duration as most candidates do. It is advised that you sketch with a light hand, first concentrating mainly on illustrating only, to ensure this. You should start with the detailed work and finalize it after being pleased with the rough outline and measurements.

  1. Stay Confident - Trying to be optimistic to keep yourself cool and comfortable would support you tremendously and keep you in a different place. Regular solving of NIFT sample papers will assist students to get rid of exam stress.

  1. Keep calm - Lastly, candidates must be mentally and physically ready for entrance exams. Aspirants must not strain till the last minute. Leave your books for a few days before the exam and stay calm, have a good time, and relax.

Is the NIFT exam hard or easy?

Passing the NIFT Entrance Exam might be challenging, but it’s certainly achievable. With NIFT being a highly esteemed and popular choice for fashion design education in India, the admission process is quite competitive. The paper’s overall level of difficulty ranged from simple to intermediate. The CAT was noticeably less challenging than the General Ability Test (GAT). Despite the presence of numerous extended and complex questions in the GAT section, the examination format remained unchanged. To crack the NIFT 2026 exam go through the NIFT important topics which are given below:

NIFT Important Topics

NIFT comprises three sections - Creativity Ability Test (CAT), General Ability Test (GAT), and Situation Test. The important topics for NIFT preparation are given below.

Creativity Ability Test (CAT) Important Topics:

  • Observation power
  • Discernment ability
  • Design ability
  • Creativity in thought development

General Ability Test (GAT) Important Topics:

  • General knowledge and current affairs
  • Case Study
  • Effective Communication
  • Communication ability and English comprehension
  • Quantitative
  • Problem-solving approach
  • Analytical and logical ability

NIFT Situation Test Important Topics:

  • Construction Skill
  • Space visualization
  • Color scheme
  • Innovative and creative use of given material
  • Finesse of the model and overall
  • Composition of elements

NIFT Study Material

It is important to choose the effective NIFT study material to clear the entrance test. The list of books for NIFT preparation is below.

  1. McGraw Hill Education

  2. NIFT Exam Guide by Verma

  3. Concepts of Pattern Grading

  4. NIFT Exam Guide by Dr. R. P. Datason

  5. NIFT Entrance Exam- Self-Study Guide

  6. Popular Master Guide NIFT by R. Gupta

  7. Bright Careers Guide NIFT Entrance Exam

  8. Arihant NIFT Entrance Exam Self-Study Guide

  9. NIFT Entrance Examination (Guide) by D Mitta

  10. NIFT Entrance Exams: Ultimate Success Series By Surendra

Also Read:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: When is NIFT 2026?
A:

NIFT 2026 will be conducted tentatively in February 2026, in computer-based mode.

Q: How much time is required to prepare for NIFT?
A:

General recommendation is to start preparing for NIFT at least six months before the exam date. This will allow enough time to cover the syllabus, practice the previous papers, enhance the sketching and creative skills, and revise the concepts. 

Q: What are the preparation tips to crack NIFT?
A:

The preparation tips are as follows.

  • Solve NIFT sample paper

  • Time management

  • Work on your speed

  • Enhance your general knowledge

  • Practice sketching

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Questions related to NIFT Entrance Exam

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to NIFT Entrance Exam ?

Hello Neharika

These are the topics which are most important in the Current affairs section in respect to NIFT Entrance Exam:

1. National and International Awards and Honors
2. Government Schemes and Initiatives
3. Sports
4. Appointments and Newsmakers
5. Science and Technology
6. Indian and World Economy
7. International Relations
8. Fashion Industry Updates
9. Books and Authors
10. Art and Culture
11. Environmental and Social Issues

To know more about NIFT Entrance Exam: NIFT Entrance Exam by CAREERS360

Hope this answer helps! Thank You!!!


Hello,

According to the sources, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) entrance exam for 2026 will be held in February 2026. Also, the registration period may open from November 2025.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello,
It’s completely understandable to feel disheartened after not getting a seat in the first and second rounds, especially when you’ve filled all the colleges and have your hopes set on a particular course like Fashion Communication . With an OBC rank of 1910 and CMR 7192, your chances can improve in the upcoming counselling rounds as more students withdraw or shift to other colleges.
So make sure to check the further rounds of counselling and don’t lose hope. Many students get seats in the 3rd, 4th, and mop-up rounds. You can also consider updating your preference list or keeping a wider range of courses and campuses open in case you're okay with related fields.
Keep checking the official NIFT website for updates on seat allotment and further counselling instructions.
Thank you

Dear Candidate ,
Yes , you are eligible for NIFT - UG 2026 . Based on your birthdate , you will be 19 years old as of August 1 , 2026 , which is well within the age limit .
NIFT requires applicants to be under 24 years of age on August 1 of the admission year , with a 5 year relaxation for SC/ST/PwD candidates .

Hello

The syllabus of NIFT 2026 will be released on October 2025 by Nift officials on their official website nift.ac.in . The syllabus comprises of topics General Ability Test (GAT) and Creative Ability Test (CAT). The syllabus is different for UG and PG programmes. The GAT syllabus consists of :

  • Communication ability and English comprehension
  • Quantitative ability
  • Analytical and Reasoning
  • Case study
  • General knowledge and current affairs

The CAT syllabus consists important topics like

  • Creative ability
  • Observation power
  • Discernment ability
  • Design ability
  • Colour combination ability

To download the complete syllabus kindly refer this

https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-syllabus

Good luck !