Difference Between CAT and GAT in NIFT 2026

Difference Between CAT and GAT in NIFT 2026

Sumeet SudarshanUpdated on 06 Sep 2025, 11:45 AM IST

Creative Ability Test (CAT) and General Ability Test (GAT) are the two parts of the NIFT entrance exam. Aspirants seeking NIFT admission are required to clear both GAT and CAT for B.Des admissions. The difference between CAT and GAT in NIFT is one of the common queries of aspirants appearing in the NIFT entrance exam. As per the NIFT exam pattern, the CAT paper is conducted in offline mode, while the GAT is held online. This article explains what CAT and GAT are in NIFT 2026 in detail. Candidates are advised to check the complete article. Through this article, candidates can check all the differences between CAT and GAT in NIFT 2026.

This Story also Contains

  1. Difference Between CAT and GAT for NIFT 2026: Overview
  2. What is CAT in NIFT 2026?
  3. What is GAT in NIFT?
  4. NIFT Exam Pattern 2026
  5. NIFT CAT and GAT Exams: Weightage
Difference Between CAT and GAT in NIFT 2026
Difference between CAT and FAT in NIFT 2026

Difference Between CAT and GAT for NIFT 2026: Overview

Particulars

NIFT CAT Exam

NIFT GAT Exam

Type of Exam

Offline

Online

Marks

100 for both BDes and MDes

B.Des 100

M.Des 120

Duration of the Exam

2 Hours

2 Hours

Weightage

50% for B.Des

40% for M.Des

30% for both

What is CAT in NIFT 2026?

The Creative Ability Test, or CAT, in the NIFT exam is held for students who have applied for the B.Des or M.Des programmes. The NIFT CAT exam is conducted offline, and the students are required to draw and show their creative abilities based on the NIFT CAT question paper. The CAT in NIFT carries a weightage of 50% in B.Des and 40% in M.Des

NIFT Syllabus for CAT 2026

As per the NIFT CAT syllabus, the candidates are usually judged on their intuitive ability, observation ability in concept development, illustration ability, and creative and innovative use of colour.

What is GAT in NIFT?

The General Ability Test of GAT in the NIFT exam carries 100% weightage for the B.F.Tech aspirants, 70% for M.F.Tech and MFM aspirants, and 30% for B.Des and M.Des students. The NIFT GAT section tests the candidate’s aptitude for design, quantitative abilities, and general knowledge. The NIFT GAT exam duration is 3 hours, and it is a computer-based test that consists of MCQs. The candidates must note that there is a -0.25 negative marking in the GAT section.

Also Check:

NIFT GAT Syllabus 2026

As per the NIFT GAT syllabus, students must prepare the following topics to score well in this section. The NIFT syllabus 2026 will be released on the NIFT's official website

  • Quantitative Ability: The students must be well-versed in the basics of addition, multiplication, division, and fractions. Students must practise questions based on percentage, rate of interest, work and task, ratio and proportion, distance questions, etc.

  • Communication Ability and English Comprehension: The students must be fluent with day-to-day communication, and should be well aware of synonyms, antonyms, word meanings, singular and plural, one-word substitution, etc. Along with that, the student must also know idioms and phrases and answer questions based on comprehension.

  • Analytic Ability and Logical Ability: For this, the students must have problem-solving abilities, and they must be able to solve questions related to dice, clocks, cards, etc. The students are tested based on their logical reasoning abilities to solve the crux of the problem. Students can practice solving puzzles like number series and coding, and decoding to improve their problem-solving abilities

  • General Knowledge and Current Affairs: These kinds of questions test the candidate’s general knowledge about environment, politics, history, social studies, etc, along with their interest in the current happenings in the world.

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NIFT Exam Pattern 2026

Students appearing for the NIFT exam should be well aware of the question paper pattern. As per the NIFT exam pattern, this fashion design entrance exam will be held in two parts - Creative Ability Test (CAT) and General Ability Test (GAT). In order to get admission in NIFT campuses, aspirants have to mandatorily appear for both CAT and GAT. The NIFT entrance exam is one of the most common tests for students aiming to get admission in fashion design colleges in India.

NIFT GAT Exam Pattern 2026: Number of questions

Section

B.Des

M.Des

Quantitative Ability

20

20

Communicational Ability

25


30

English Comprehension

25

Analytic Ability and Logical Ability

15

25

General Knowledge and Current Affairs

15

15

NIFT CAT and GAT Exams: Weightage

Programme

CAT

GAT

Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

50%

30%

Master of Design (M.Des)

40%

30%

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F.Tech)

-

100%

Master of Fashion Technology (M.F.Tech)

-

70%

Master of Fashion Management (MFM)

-

70%

You may also check

NIFT 2026 Most Important Topics
Get ready for NIFT 2026 with this comprehensive eBook covering CAT & GAT, featuring key topics, tips, and sample questions.
Download EBook

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the syllabus for NIFT GAT?
A:

The NIFT GAT exam tests the students based on aptitude, communication ability, English, general knowledge, and current affairs. 

Q: Is NIFT CAT compulsory for NIFT B.Des admissions?
A:

Yes, appearing for NIFT CAT is compulsory for B.Des admissions at NIFT.

Q: Is NIFT GAT online or offline?
A:

The NIFT GAT exam is online.

Q: Is the negative marking in the NIFT GAT exam?
A:

Yes, there is a -0.25 negative marking in the NIFT GAT exam.

Q: Which is the competitive exam for NIFT?
A:

To join NIFT institutions the student must appear for the NIFT entrance exam conducted by NTA.

Q: How many questions are there in the NIFT GAT exam?
A:

The NIFT GAT exam for BDes consists of 100 questions for BFTech, MFTech, and MFM consists of 150 questions while MDes consists of 120 questions.

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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 !