NIFT Exam Pattern 2026: Total Marks, Paper Pattern, Marking Scheme, No. of Questions

NIFT Exam Pattern 2026: Total Marks, Paper Pattern, Marking Scheme, No. of Questions

Edited By Rajyalaxmi Venkatapuram | Updated on Jun 19, 2025 06:56 PM IST | #NIFT Entrance Exam

NIFT exam pattern 2026 will be available at nift.ac.in. As per NIFT paper pattern 2026, the National Institute of Fashion Technology entrance exam will be held in two sections - Creative Ability Test (CAT) and General Ability Test (GAT). The total number of questions in BDes paper according to the NIFT exam pattern, will be 100.

This Story also Contains
  1. NIFT Exam Pattern 2026 - Highlights
  2. NIFT Exam Pattern 2026 for the Situation Test
  3. NIFT 2026 Exam Pattern UG Courses
  4. NIFT Paper Pattern for PG Courses
  5. NIFT 2026 Exam Pattern - MFM Programme
  6. NIFT Total Marks
  7. NIFT 2026 Negative Marking
  8. NIFT Exam Pattern 2026 for the Situation Test
  9. NIFT 2026 Section-Wise Weightage (GAT, CAT, Situation Test)
  10. NIFT Written Exam Timings
  11. NIFT Exam Pattern 2026 for Lateral Entry
NIFT Exam Pattern 2026: Total Marks, Paper Pattern, Marking Scheme, No. of Questions
NIFT Exam Pattern 2026: Total Marks, Paper Pattern, Marking Scheme, No. of Questions

The NIFT exam total marks for BDes will be 100 for GAT. Also NIFT exam total marks for CAT will be 100. For better understanding of NIFT 2026 exam pattern, aspirants will be advised to refer to previous year NIFT question papers. Read the complete article to know detailed information about NIFT 2026 exam pattern for CAT, NIFT GAT total marks, Situation test, NIFT marking scheme, and more.

NIFT Exam Pattern 2026 - Highlights

  • The NIFT exam pattern details of GAT test will be a computer-based test (CBT) and will be conducted online.

  • NIFT paper pattern of CAT test will be a paper-based test (PBT).

  • The total number of questions in BDes paper according to the NIFT paper pattern, will be 100.

  • The NIFT question paper pattern 2026 will be in 2 languages, i.e., Hindi and English.

  • The objective-type tests will have NIFT negative marking. The negative marks for any question will be 25% of the full marks for the question (for each wrong answer).

  • As per the NIFT BFTech entrance exam pattern, the question paper will have two sections - A and B.

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NIFT Exam Pattern 2026 for the Situation Test

Candidates will be able to check the NIFT 2026 exam pattern for the situation test online at the official brochure. However, the NIFT situation test exam pattern is a hands-on test to assess the candidates creative and innovation skills by creating a model with the given set of materials. Also, the aspirants need to explain the created model wherein their communication skills will also be evaluated.

NIFT 2026 Exam Pattern

The foremost task for the candidates is to go through the NIFT 2026 exam pattern to know about the NIFT marking scheme and the NIFT question paper pattern or format. The entrance exam for NIFT admission will consist of 3 parts. NIFT exam pattern 2026 includes:

  • Creative Ability Test (CAT)

  • General Ability Test (GAT)

  • Situation Test

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However, students planning to get NIFT admission into the Bachelor of Fashion Technology will have to attempt the NIFT GAT question paper only.

nift exam pattern

NIFT 2026 Exam Pattern UG Courses

The candidates who will appear for the NIFT entrance exam should check the NIFT exam pattern 2026 beforehand. With the help of NIFT 2026 exam pattern, the candidates can know important details based on which the NIFT 2026 exam will be conducted such as NIFT exam duration, exam mode, NIFT marking scheme and types of questions asked, etc.

The NIFT entrance exam 2026 CAT will be conducted in a pen and paper-based mode test, while the NIFT exam details for GAT test is that it will be held in a computer-based test mode (CBT-online). The candidates are also advised to refer to the NIFT syllabus, along with the NIFT exam pattern.

Further, the candidates will be provided with the NIFT exam pattern 2026. The CAT and GAT exam for NIFT are very different. A detailed description of the CAT and GAT exam pattern for all the courses is provided for your reference.

NIFT 2026 Exam Pattern for CAT (Creative Ability Test)

The Creativity Ability Test (CAT) will be for 3 hours as per the NIFT 2026 exam pattern. The NIFT CAT marks in total will be 100. As per NIFT CAT syllabus, the paper evaluates the candidate’s intuitive and design abilities, observation power in developing a concept and its design, innovative use of colour, and illustration skills. The NIFT CAT exam question paper will have questions that require drawn answers based on which students will be evaluated.

NIFT Exam Pattern 2026 - GAT (General Ability Test)

Particulars

B.Des admission

M.Des admission

Exam duration

2 hours

2 hours

Mode of the exam

Computer-Based Mode

Computer-Based Mode

Medium of the exam

English/Hindi

English/Hindi

The total number of questions

100

120

Total NIFT GAT marks

100

100

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NIFT Entrance Exam Pattern 2026 BDes - Number of questions

NIFT BDes Entrance Exam Pattern

BDes (Section-wise number of Questions)

Communication Ability & English Comprehension

40

Quantitative Ability

20

Analytical and Logical Ability

15

Current Affairs and General Knowledge

25

Total

100

NIFT BFTech Exam Pattern 2026

The BFTech course will consist of Sec-A and Sec-B in the GAT exam.

Particular

Details

Exam duration

3 hours

Medium of the exam

English/Hindi

Mode of the exam

Computer-Based Mode

Total number of questions

150 in Sec-A and 150 in Sec-B

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NIFT 2026 Entrance Exam Paper Pattern for BFTech - Number of questions

Sections

Sec-A

Sec-B

Communication Ability & English Comprehension

40

NIL

Case Study

NIL

20

Quantitative Ability

20

15

Analytical & Logical Ability

15

15

General Knowledge and Current Affairs

25

NIL

Total number of questions

100

50

NIFT Paper Pattern for PG Courses

Aspirants can check the NIFT exam pattern for MDes, MFTech, and MFM below.

NIFT 2026 Exam Pattern - MDes

Sections

MDes (Section-wise number of Questions)

Communication Ability & English Comprehension

50

Quantitative Ability

20

Analytical and Logical Ability

25

General Knowledge and Current Affairs

15

Total

120

Also Check:

NIFT Exam Pattern 2026 for MFTech Programme

For admission into the Fashion Technology programmes, the candidates have to appear and qualify for the NIFT entrance exam which consists of a General Ability Test (GAT).

NIFT Entrance Exam Paper Pattern for MFTech - Number of questions

Sections

MFTech (section-wise number of Questions)

Communication Ability & English Comprehension

45

Case Study

25

Quantitative Ability

30

Analytical & Logical Ability

25

General Knowledge and Current Affairs

25

Total number of questions

150

NIFT 2026 Exam Pattern - MFM Programme

To get admitted to the NIFT MFM programme, the candidates must qualify for the NIFT entrance exam GAT test.

NIFT Entrance Exam Paper Pattern for MFM - Number of questions

Sections

MFM (section-wise number of Questions)

Communication Ability & English Comprehension

50

Case Study

30

Quantitative Ability

20

Analytical & Logical Ability

25

General Knowledge and Current Affairs

25

Total number of questions

150

NIFT Total Marks

The NIFT exam total marks for the entrance exam may vary depending on the authorities decision. The entrance exam details will vary for the NIFT programmes. The NIFT exam total marks are as follows.

  • Creative ability test - NIFT CAT marks - 100

  • General ability test - NIFT GAT total marks - 100

  • NIFT marks for Situation test - which will be conducted for B.Des candidates who qualify the written test. The NIFT marks for the situation test may vary each year.

  • Personal Interview - Will be conducted for postgraduate programmes like M.Des and M.F.Tech, etc

NIFT 2026 Negative Marking

The NIFT 2026 negative marking is for the objective-type test. The NIFT negative marking 2026 will be given as -0.25 (25% of full marks) for each incorrect answer. Candidates can check the NIFT paper pattern to know the negative marking in NIFT.

NIFT Exam Pattern 2026 for the Situation Test

The candidates of BDes who will be shortlisted based on the entrance exam (CAT & GAT) will take the next stage as NIFT Situation Test 2025.

The situation test is a hands-on test conducted to evaluate the candidate’s skills to test the “material handling and innovative ability” with a provided set of materials in a given situation.

Here in the situation test, the candidates have to create a model and that model will be evaluated on these parameters:

  • Space visualization

  • The composition of elements

  • Innovative and creative use of given material

  • Construction skill

  • The colour scheme

  • The finesse of the model

  • The overall presentation

The above-mentioned parameters will be checked along with the write-up, explaining the concept/idea behind the model constructed. The write-up will have to be in the English language as the medium of instruction in NIFT is English. No NIFT marks will be given for write-ups in any other language.

NIFT 2026 Section-Wise Weightage (GAT, CAT, Situation Test)

Programmes

Weightage (As per last year)

Bachelor of Design

CAT: 50%

GAT: 30%

Situation Test: 20%

Master of Design

CAT: 40%

GAT: 30% (Sec A)

Personal Interview: 30%

Bachelor of Fashion Technology

GAT: 100% (Sec A: 30% & Sec B: 70%)

Master of Fashion Technology

GAT: 70%

Personal Interview: 30%

Master of Fashion Management

GAT: 70%

Personal Interview: 30%

The passing marks for NIFT entrance exam varies every year. The candidates need to score NIFT exam total marks above the pass marks to obtain a seat in the colleges.

How to fill out the NIFT 2026 OMR sheet?

The candidates have to mark their answers in the OMR sheets carefully because they will be digitally scanned. Ensure that there will not be any mistakes while marking the OMR sheet. Any small mistakes may end up being wrongly encoded by the computer while scanning. Below provided are the ways to fill the NIFT 2026 OMR sheet.

  • The NIFT answer sheet 2026 will be scanned by the machines to provide the score calculation.

  • In objective-type questions, there will be 4 answer options. To mark the correct answer, the candidates have to use only blue or black ballpoint pens to darken the corresponding circle of the answer.

  • Marking more than one option or improper shading will result in an incorrect response.

  • All the candidates are advised in the NIFT exam hall as to how to mark/shade the answer options. However, there will be ‘Important Instructions’ provided on side - 1 of the answer sheet. Read them carefully before proceeding with the test.

  • The candidates are not allowed to tear, bend, or mutilate the OMR answer sheet.

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NIFT Written Exam Timings

The NIFT exam timings for each course will be scheduled and varied according to the test requirements of the programmes. Candidates will be advised to reach the examination centre at least an hour before the scheduled time to complete the pre-exam formalities, such as verification of the candidate and seat arrangements. Refer to the table below for NIFT exam timings:

NIFT Exam Timings

Programme

Test

Timings

Bachelor of Design

GAT

CAT

9:00 am to 11.00 am

02.30 pm to 05.30 pm

Bachelor of Fashion Technology

GAT

9:00 am to 12.00 pm

Bachelor of Fashion Technology & Bachelor of Design

GAT

CAT

9:00 am to 12.00 pm

02.30 pm to 05.30 pm

Master of Design

GAT

CAT

9:00 am to 11.00 am

02.30 pm to 05.30 pm

Master of Fashion Technology

GAT

9:00 am to 12.00 pm

Master of Fashion Management

GAT

9:00 am to 12.00 pm

NIFT Exam Pattern 2026 for Lateral Entry

The NIFT lateral entry admission (NLEA) exam pattern is designed to assess the skills of candidates who wish to join directly into the third semester of the undergraduate programme. The candidates who have completed Diploma/Degree will appear for NIFT entrance examination to get lateral admission in the 3rd semester of UG programmes of NIFT. The NIFT selection process will be evaluated based on the studio test/technology aptitude test, and a personal interview. The NIFT studio test will be designed to test the knowledge and skill aptitude of the candidate. Candidates who clear the NIFT entrance examination and practical tests will be invited for an interview. The NIFT final selection will be based on a merit list. Below is a breakdown of the NIFT exam pattern:

NIFT Negative Marking for NLEA

The NIFT objective type questions will carry negative marking. The NIFT negative marking will be 25% of the full marks for each wrong answer.

NIFT Duration

The NLEA exam pattern will include 3 main components and each segment will have specific duration. Refer the below table for NLEA exam duration:

Duration for NIFT NLEA BDes

Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

Duration

General Ability Test (GAT)

2 hours

9:00 am to 11.00 am

Studio Test

1 hour 30 minutes

Duration for NIFT NLEA B.F.Tech

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F.Tech)

Duration

General Ability Test (GAT)

3 hours

9:00 am to 12.00 pm

Technical Ability Test (TAT)

1 hour

Personal Interview (PI)

1 hour 30 minutes

NIFT NLEA Weightage

The NLEA exam is structured with specific weightage for the students who want to join NIFT’s undergraduate programme directly in the second year. Check the table provided below for the NLEA weightage.

NIFT BDes Weightage

Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

Weightage

General Ability Test (GAT)

40

Studio Test

40

Personal Interview (PI)

20

NIFT B.F.Tech Weightage

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F.Tech)

Weightage

General Ability Test (GAT)

40

Technical Ability Test (TAT)

40

Personal Interview (PI)

20

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How many sections are there in the NIFT 2026 entrance exam?

NIFT entrance exam 2026 will consist of two sections. A creative Ability Test (CAT) and a General Ability Test (GAT). 

2. In what mode will the NIFT entrance exam 2026 be conducted?

The NIFT 2026 entrance exam will be conducted in online mode and also paper-based mode.

3. Is negative marking applicable for NIFT 2026 entrance exam?

Yes, the NIFT entrance exam 2026 have negative markings. It is 25% of the full marks for the question (for each wrong answer).

4. How many questions will be asked in NIFT 2026 GAT test?

The total number of questions that will be asked in NIFT GAT exam are: For BDes: 100 questions and for BFTech: 150 questions.

5. How many sections are there in NIFT GAT exam?

The NIFT GAT exam will consist of two parts, i.e. Sec-A and Sec-B. 

6. How to prepare for the NIFT entrance exam 2026?

Here are some of the preparation tips provided to prepare for the NIFT 2026 entrance exam.

  • Check and solve the NIFT question papers of previous years 

  • Develop creativity skill

  • Go through general knowledge books

  • Practice sketching and colouring with certain combinations of colours.

7. How many times is the NIFT exam conducted in a year?

NIFT entrance exam is conducted once in a year by NTA.

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Questions related to NIFT Entrance Exam

Have a question related to NIFT Entrance Exam ?

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.

Hello aspirant,

Solving previous year question paper can immensely help in preparing for any entrance exam as it gives you the fair idea of exam pattern, difficulty level and marking scheme.

So to get the previous year question paper of NIFT, you can visit our site through following link:

https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-last-10-years-question-papers-with-solution-pdf-download-free

Thank you

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