CMR Full Form in NIFT, Difference Between Common Merit Rank & Category Merit Rank

CMR Full Form in NIFT, Difference Between Common Merit Rank & Category Merit Rank

Sumeet SudarshanUpdated on 12 Sep 2025, 03:45 PM IST

CMR in NIFT stands for Common Merit Rank. The common merit rank NIFT is a type of rank list that includes candidates who belong to the general as well as minorities. Based on the NIFT 2026 CMR, the students get admission into the various courses of NIFT. Only those candidates who are shortlisted after both components of NIFT 2026 - the NIFT entrance exam and the situation test will be eligible to participate in the NIFT counselling. The authorities will also release the NIFT cut-off for each counselling round, which will include the opening and closing common merit rank for admission to campuses. Continue reading for more details on CMR in NIFT.

This Story also Contains

  1. What is the Full form of CMR in NIFT?
  2. What is the Common Merit Rank in NIFT?
  3. CRM for NIFT Seat Allotment 2026
  4. What is Category Merit Rank in NIFT?
  5. Difference Between Common Merit Rank and Category Merit Rank
  6. NIFT Seat Reservation
CMR Full Form in NIFT, Difference Between Common Merit Rank & Category Merit Rank
What is CMR in NIFT

What is the Full form of CMR in NIFT?

The CMR full form is the Common Merit Rank. The students must not confuse it with the list of NIFT category merit rank. We suggest reading the full article to solve all the queries related to the common merit rank and category merit rank in NIFT.

What is the Common Merit Rank in NIFT?

The NIFT common merit rank is the rank obtained by the candidates who have been shortlisted for admission and seat allocation. It includes an all-India rank list of students without their categories included. For students who belong to the unreserved or general category, the common merit rank in NIFT is the rank under which they will be allotted seats. This rank is derived from the marks obtained by the candidate in the exam. The students are allotted the ranks without including their category.

CRM for NIFT Seat Allotment 2026

Along with the NIFT 2026 counselling notification, the authorities will also release the details on CMR ranks of candidates eligible to participate in the NIFT counselling and allocation process. Only those candidates who are shortlisted for the counselling process will be eligible to register for the counselling and obtain NIFT seat allotment into various programmes.

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What is Category Merit Rank in NIFT?

The NIFT category merit rank of the student depends on the category he/she belong to. According to the Government of India, every institution needs to reserve a certain number of seats for each category that is considered a minority. These include the SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS/PwD students who have been provided reservations across all institutions according to the Government of India. Each category has a different percentage of reservation depending on its population.

Difference Between Common Merit Rank and Category Merit Rank

The major difference between Common Merit Rank and Category Merit Rank in NIFT entrance exam is that the NIFT Common Merit Rank is a rank that includes both unreserved and reserved candidates, and a rank is allotted to them according to their marks they have secured. The NIFT category merit rank, on the other hand, is for students who belong to the reserved category. The students who belong to SC/ST/OBC-NCL/GEN-EWS/PwD are eligible for the category merit rank. This rank is separately issued for each category based on its reservation percentage.

NIFT Seat Reservation

Each campus of NIFT has reservations for seats under each course. The students must produce valid certificates for the category that they have applied to when the authorities ask for them. The certificate should be strictly in the name of the applicant. The certificate must only be in Hindi/ English. If the certificate is produced in any other language, a certified translation must be submitted. The inability to produce the certificates/ translations of the certificates may result in the cancellation of the admissions. In case a reserved candidate is considered for admission under the category of unreserved category, he/she will be asked to pay the difference in the fee amount. The unfilled PwD seats will be converted to the respective category, such as unfilled Open (PWD) to Open, OBC (NCL) (PWD) to OBC, SC (PWD) to SC and ST (PWD) to ST. The unfulfilled reserved seats will be converted to the unreserved category once two rounds of seat allocation are over.

Based on these NIFT reservations, the students will be given ranks of their category merit rank. The students must register for the exam and give their correct category during the NIFT application form fill-out. The students must note that once they have submitted their category, it cannot be changed at any point during the admission process. The category merit rank is allotted to each of the minorities separately, and a rank list is prepared for each category. The students who belong to the reserved category need to check their category rank and take admission based on this.

Reservation used to decide the category merit rank in NIFT

Category

Reservation

SC

15 %

ST

7.5 %

OBC-NCL (Non-Creamy Layer)

27 %

General EWS

10 %

Person with Disability (PwD)

5 %

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is 3000 a good rank in NIFT?
A:

It depends on the factors such as category of the student, course and the campus the student prefers.

Q: What is the full form of CMR in an exam?
A:

CMR stands for Common Merit Rank that is released during the process of admissions.

Q: Which rank is considered for NIFT counselling?
A:

If a student belongs to the unreserved category, then the common merit rank is considered, if a student belongs to a reserved category, then the category merit rank will be considered.

Q: Why is NIFT so expensive?
A:

NIFT provides the students good labs and studios to learn from. NIFT is one of the best options to pursue fashion design studies in India. There are several scholarships available for deserving students.

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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 !