NIFT 2027 Application Form: How to Apply Step by Step

NIFT 2027 Application at a Glance

• Registration is OPEN at exams.nta.nic.in/niftee – since 16 October 2026
• Last date to apply: 16 November 2026 (fee payment deadline the same day)
• Late-fee window: 17–21 November 2026 – ₹5,000 extra, in addition to the application fee
•  Application fee: ₹2,000 (Open/Open-EWS/OBC-NCL) · ₹500 (SC/ST/PwD/PwBD) · two programmes (B.FTech + B.Des, or MFM + M.Des): ₹3,000 / ₹750
• Correction window: 22–25 November 2026 (online only)
• Exam: Sunday, 10 January 2027 – GAT (computer-based) morning · CAT (pen-and-paper) 3–6 PM. Advance city slip 21 December; admit card 4 January
• Apply only at exams.nta.nic.in/niftee – the only official application portal (NTA conducts the exam for NIFT)

This guide covers the regular UG (B.Des, B.FTech) and PG (M.Des, MFM, M.FTech) application. NIFT 2027 also runs separate tracks with their own timelines – NLEA lateral entry and PhD (registration until 31 January 2027), B.Des Artisan category (31 January 2027) and NRI/Foreign/OCI (31 March 2027, fee ₹11,100) – covered in the official bulletin.

Everything below is verified against the official NIFTEE-2027 Information Bulletin and NIFT 2027 Prospectus, released by NTA on 16 October 2026.

Before You Start: 3 Decisions to Make

1. Which programme are you applying for?

B.Des (Fashion/Textile/Accessory/Knitwear/Leather/Communication Design, Fashion Interiors): 10+2 in any stream. B.FTech (Apparel Production): 10+2 with Mathematics. UG age limit: under 24 years as on 1 August 2027, relaxed by 5 years for SC/ST/PwD. PG programmes (M.Des / MFM / M.FTech): no age limit. You can apply for TWO programmes in one application – B.FTech + B.Des (you write GAT Section A + Section B + CAT) or MFM + M.Des – at the combined fee of ₹3,000 / ₹750. Choose carefully: your entered details are treated as final once the form is submitted.

2. Your four exam cities.

You must select four cities in order of preference (about 100 test cities are available). NTA allots your centre in order of your choices – the prospectus states centres are allotted first-come-first-served and that no request for change of examination centre is entertained at any later stage. Apply early rather than in the last week.

3. Documents – have these ready before you start:

Document	Format	Size
Recent passport-size photograph (you also capture a LIVE photo via webcam during the form)	JPG/JPEG	10–200 KB
Scanned signature	JPG/JPEG	10–50 KB
Disability / UDID certificate (PwD/PwBD candidates)	PDF	50–300 KB
Identity proof (only if not verifying via Aadhaar or DigiLocker)	JPG/JPEG	10–200 KB

Tip: registration runs through the government’s MeriPehchaan single sign-on, with eKYC via Aadhaar, PAN, DigiLocker or APAAR. Make sure your Aadhaar details (name, DOB, photo, mobile) are current – mismatches cause verification failures.

Step-by-Step: Filling the NIFT 2027 Application

Step 1 – Register.

Go to exams.nta.nic.in/niftee and register through the MeriPehchaan single sign-on. Fill your personal details, create a password and choose a security question. On submission you get an Application Number – save it carefully: it is your login for every later step and is used for all future correspondence.

Step 2 – Fill the application form and upload documents.

Choose your programme (one, or a permitted pair), select your four exam cities in order of preference, and enter educational details. You will capture a live photograph with your webcam/phone camera and upload the scanned photograph, signature and certificates in the formats above. Double-check everything: the bulletin states that details like name, date of birth, category, educational qualifications and choice of exam cities are treated as final once the form is submitted – NTA does not modify entered information outside the one-time correction facility.

Step 3 – Pay the fee (online only).

Category	Application Fee
Open / Open-EWS / OBC (NCL) – any one programme	₹2,000
SC / ST / PwD / PwBD – any one programme	₹500
Open / Open-EWS / OBC (NCL) – two programmes (B.FTech + B.Des, or MFM + M.Des)	₹3,000
SC / ST / PwD / PwBD – two programmes	₹750
NRI / Foreign National / OCI / PIO / SAARC (UG or PG)	₹11,100

Pay via net banking, debit/credit card or UPI (Canara/UBI Bank gateways). Payment-gateway service charges are extra, and the fee is non-refundable. If the Confirmation Page does not generate after payment, do NOT panic-pay again immediately – check with the payment facility first; genuine duplicate payments are refunded after reconciliation.

Step 4 – Download the Confirmation Page.

Your application is complete only when the Confirmation Page generates. Download, save and print it – the Application Number on it is required for all future reference. Nothing needs to be sent by post; the entire process is online.

The correction window (22–25 November, online only).

NTA provides a one-time correction facility after submission. Only the fields NTA enables for correction can be edited – the operative list of correctable fields is published on the website when the window opens – and corrections sent by post, fax, email or WhatsApp are not entertained. Treat your form as final at submission rather than counting on the window.

After You Apply: What Happens Next

Event	Date
Advance City Intimation Slip	21 December 2026
Admit card download	4 January 2027
NIFT 2027 Exam (GAT + CAT)	Sunday, 10 January 2027
GAT answer key (via candidate login)	January 2027
Stage 1 result	February / March 2027
Stage 2 — Situation Test (B.Des) / Personal Interview (PG)	March / April 2027
Final result	1st week of May 2027
Seat allocation	May / June 2027

Exam timings on 10 January (official schedule):

Programme	Test	Time
B.Des	GAT (CBT)	9:00 – 11:00 AM
B.Des / M.Des	CAT (PBT)	3:00 – 6:00 PM
B.FTech	GAT (CBT)	9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
B.FTech + B.Des (both programmes)	GAT 9:00–12:00 · CAT 3:00–6:00	same day
M.Des	GAT (CBT)	9:00 – 11:00 AM
MFM	GAT (CBT)	9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
MFM + M.Des (both programmes)	GAT 9:00–12:00 · CAT 3:00–6:00	same day
M.FTech	GAT (CBT)	9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon

7 Mistakes to Avoid While Applying for NIFT 2027

1. Submitting more than one application – one application covers you, even for two programmes; multiple forms invite scrutiny under NTA’s unfair-means rules

2. Careless programme selection – entered details are treated as final once submitted; only NTA-enabled fields open in the correction window

3. Casual city choices – all four are allotted in your preference order, and the prospectus says centre-change requests are not entertained later

4. Photo/signature uploads out of spec – live photo required, scans within size limits, Aadhaar details matching your form

5. Assuming payment means done – the application is complete only when the Confirmation Page generates; save and print it

6. Missing 16 November – the late window costs ₹5,000 extra on top of your fee

7. Waiting until the last day – the portal slows near deadlines, and a failed payment on 16 November leaves no recovery time at the regular fee

Frequently Asked Questions

Applying for NIFT 2027?

The application is the easy part – the exam is on 10 January, and for B.Des candidates CAT alone is 50% of your score. See the complete NIFT 2027 guide for eligibility, syllabus and exam pattern, practice with free All-India mock tests, and explore NIFT coaching at DQ Labs for studio-based CAT preparation and Situation Test training.

Sources: NIFTEE-2027 Information Bulletin & NIFT 2027 Prospectus, released 16 October 2026 at exams.nta.nic.in/niftee; also available via nift.ac.in/admissions.

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Last updated: 10 November 2026