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NIFT CAT Syllabus 2026, Important topics & Section-Wise Weightage

NIFT CAT Syllabus 2026, Important topics & Section-Wise Weightage

Edited By Sumeet Sudarshan | Updated on Jul 29, 2025 04:52 PM IST | #NIFT Entrance Exam

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will release the NIFT CAT syllabus 2026 on its official website - nift.ac.in. The NIFT Creative Ability Test syllabus 2026 is designed to evaluate a candidate's intuitive ability, power of observation, concept development, and design ability. The NIFT CAT syllabus is an important component of the NIFT 2026 syllabus. Candidates aspiring to seek admission into B.Des and M.Des programmes have to appear for both components of the NIFT entrance exam - CAT and GAT to secure admission. In this article, get all details of the NIFT CAT syllabus 2026, including important topics, paper pattern, and more.

This Story also Contains
  1. NIFT CAT Syllabus 2026 Details
  2. NIFT CAT Syllabus 2026 - Important Topics
  3. NIFT CAT 2026 Exam Pattern
  4. NIFT Exam Weightage Section-Wise
  5. NIFT CAT Questions
NIFT CAT Syllabus 2026, Important topics & Section-Wise Weightage
NIFT CAT Syllabus 2026, Important topics & Section-Wise Weightage

NTA will tentatively conduct NIFT 2026 in February 2026. The CAT component of the exam will be conducted in an offline, pen and paper format. Candidates who qualify in the NIFTEE 2026 will be admitted into various programmes of participating NIFTs across India.

NIFT CAT Syllabus 2026 Details

The CAT (Creative Ability Test) will be conducted by the authorities as it is mandatory, to provide admission to the aspirants into NIFT’s B.Des and M.Des courses. The main objective of conducting the NIFT CAT test is to test the inbuilt ability, observation power and innovative use of colours along with illustration skills. NIFT syllabus 2026 is available at nift.ac.in. However, the aspirants for the NIFT entrance exam 2026 can check the NIFT exam pattern and syllabus here.

NIFT CAT Syllabus - Skills Tested

  • Observation power

  • Intuitive ability

  • Design ability

  • Creativity

  • Demonstration skills

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NIFT CAT Syllabus 2026 - Important Topics

The topics that are important to clear the NIFT CAT exam are provided for the candidates for preparation. They are provided in the table below.

NIFT CAT Syllabus Topics

Design Theory

Colour Terminology

Inspiration and Design Development

Creative thinking and writing

Optical Illusion

Understanding Light and Shade

Colour Psychology and Optical Illusions

Elements and Principles of Design

Mood, Theme and Colour Inter-relationship

Natural and Geometrical Form

Innovation in Design

Principles of Composition

Memory Drawing

Inspiration and Creativity

Ornaments and motifs

Theme Development

Drawing Fundamentals

Pictures Analysis

Visual Logic

Form and Function

Colours, Patterns, and Textures

Developing Themes and Colour Associations

Usage of Colour in Compositions

Imagination and Doodling

Exercises on imagination

Lateral Thinking

Story Pictures

Use of Measurements, Scale and proportions

Optical Illusion

Foreshortening and Perspective

Graphics and Pictograms

Innovation and Creation

Design Awareness

3D Visualisation

Presentation Techniques

Expression and Emotion

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NIFT CAT 2026 Exam Pattern

Along with the NIFT CAT 2026 syllabus, the NTA also releases the NIFT exam pattern. The NIFT 2026 exam pattern for CAT includes information about the exam structure with details about the exam duration, total marks, number of questions, and the marking scheme, etc. The NIFT CAT exam is a paper-based test.

NIFT CAT Paper Pattern 2026

Particulars

Details

Number of questions asked

3

Duration of the exam

3 hours

Mode of CAT exam

Paper-based test (PBT)

NIFT CAT total marks

100

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NIFT Exam Weightage Section-Wise

According to the NIFT exam weightage allotted section-wise, CAT holds nearly 50% for the rank list preparation and the NIFT admission.

NIFT Section-wise Weightage

Design Programmes

Weightage

Bachelor of Design

CAT: 50%

GAT: 30%

Situation Test: 20%

Master of Design

CAT: 40%

GAT: 30%

Personal Interview: 30%

BFTech candidates opting for BF.TechGAT: 30% (Sec A)
CAT: 50%
Situation Test: 20%

Bachelor of Fashion Technology

GAT: 30% (SecA)

GAT: 70% (Sec B)

Master of Fashion Technology

GAT: 70%

Personal Interview: 30%

Master of Fashion Management

GAT: 70%

Personal Interview: 30%

Check Design Colleges:

NIFT CAT Questions

The aspirants aspiring to appear for the NIFT entrance exam have to understand the NIFT CAT syllabus 2026. For this, the candidates are required to go through the previous year's question papers to understand the NIFT exam pattern and syllabus. NIFT CAT question papers are the most useful exam guides to candidates that provide an idea to the students regarding the NIFT exam pattern and syllabus.

Referring to the old NIFT question papers, the candidates will be able to know the type of questions asked with the pattern and duration to practice effectively. The NIFT CAT question paper is prepared to test the candidate’s creativity and demonstration skills, observation power of the concept, design, and concept development ideas.

You may also check:

NIFT 2025 College Predictor
Know your admission chances in Top Design Colleges based on expected score by using NIFT 2025 College Predictor.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. When will be the NIFT CAT 2026 syllabus release?

The NIFT CAT syllabus 2026 is released by the NTA authorities through the official brochure.

2. NIFT CAT stands for what?

NIFT CAT stands for National Institute of Fashion Technology Creative Ability Test.

3. What are the major topics covered in the NIFT CAT exam?

The major topics include creativity, design ability, observation power, intuitive ability, and illustration skills for the given concept.

4. What is the duration of the NIFT CAT exam?

The NIFT CAT exam is of 3 hours duration.

5. Is the NIFT CAT exam mode online or offline?

The NIFT CAT exam is a paper-based test.

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Questions related to NIFT Entrance Exam

Have a question related to NIFT Entrance Exam ?
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 !

Hello,

The Chennai NIFT entrance exam results for 2025 are usually declared a few weeks after the exam date. You can check the official NIFT website or trusted education portals like Careers360 for the latest updates and result announcements.

Make sure to keep your application details handy to access your result easily.

Hope this helps!

Hii,

NIFTEE 2025 Result has been released by NTA on 24th April 2025. UG and PG aspirants can now check and download their scorecards through direct links given in this news. The NTA has declared the NIFT 2025 Result on its official website, exams.nta.ac.in/NIFT.

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