NIFT 2027 Exam Date, Eligibility, Syllabus, Exam Pattern & Top Colleges

NIFT 2027 at a Glance (Quick Answer)

• NIFT 2027 exam: expected February 2027 (the 2026 exam was held on 8 February 2026)
• Notification & registration: expected December 2026 at exams.nta.nic.in/niftee (2026 cycle: notification 8 December 2025)
• Application window: expected December 2026 – mid January 2027
• Conducted by: National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of NIFT
• Stage 1: GAT + CAT (B.Des/M.Des) or GAT only (B.FTech/M.FTech/MFM) ·
  Stage 2: Situation Test (UG) / Personal Interview (PG), around April–June 2027
• Are the 2027 dates confirmed? Not yet – NTA publishes them with the official notification. This page is updated the same day.

Everything below is based on the official NIFT 2026 admission cycle (prospectus + NTA schedule). 2027 dates and fees are projections marked tentative until the official notification releases.

What Changed in the NIFT Exam Recently

1. Hybrid mode: from the 2026 cycle, the exam runs in both computer-based (CBT) and pen-paper (PBT) modes – GAT on computer, CAT on paper
2. 100 test cities, up from 82 – you’re likely to get a nearby centre
3. Application fees were reduced by NTA in the 2026 cycle
4. Stage 2 differs by level: UG programmes (B.Des) go to the hands-on Situation Test; PG programmes face a Personal Interview instead

What is the NIFT Entrance Exam?

The NIFT Entrance Examination (NIFTEE) is the national-level exam for admission to the National Institute of Fashion Technology’s programmes – B.Des, B.FTech, M.Des, M.FTech and MFM – across its campuses in India. It is conducted once a year by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of NIFT. NIFT is India’s premier fashion institute, set up under the Ministry of Textiles, and its degrees span fashion design, textile design, accessory design, knitwear, communication, fashion technology and fashion management.

Official websites: exams.nta.nic.in/niftee (application) · nift.ac.in (institute)

NIFT 2027 Exam Overview

Particulars	Details
Exam name	NIFT Entrance Examination (NIFTEE)
Conducting body	National Testing Agency (NTA) for NIFT
Level / frequency	National · once a year
Programmes	B.Des, B.FTech (UG) · M.Des, M.FTech, MFM (PG)
Exam Mode	Hybrid – GAT computer-based, CAT pen-and-paper
Exam Duration	AT – 3 hoursGAT Exam duration:B.Des and M.Des – 2 hoursB.F.Tech, M.F.Tech, M.F.M – 3 hours.Situation Test: 2-3 hours
Courses Offered	B.Des, B.FTech, M.Des, M.FTech, M.F.M
Stage 1	Written: GAT + CAT (B.Des, M.Des) / GAT only (B.FTech, M.FTech, MFM)
Stage 2	Situation Test (B.Des) / Personal Interview (PG programmes)
Expected exam date	February 2027 (tentative)
Test cities	~100
Official website	exams.nta.nic.in/niftee

NIFT Exam 2027-28 Important Dates (Tentative)

Projected from the confirmed 2026 schedule:

Event	NIFT 2027 (tentative)	2026 actual, for reference
Notification + Application Form Releases	December 2026	28 December 2025
Last date to apply (regular fee)	January 2027	16 January 2026 (extended)
Late-fee window (₹5,000)	~3 days after deadline	17–19 January 2026
Application Correction window	January 2027	21–22 January 2026
Admit card Release (Stage 1)	January-February 2027 (Expected)	4 February 2026
NIFT 2027 Exam (GAT + CAT)	February 2027	8 February 2026
Provisional answer key + objections	Mid–late February 2027	17–19 February 2026
Stage 1 Result Declaration	April 2027	April 2026
PG Interview admit card	April 2027	1 April 2026
Situation Test admit card (UG)	April 2027	22 April 2026
Situation Test / Interviews	May–June 2027	May/June 2026
Counselling	June–July 2027	June–July 2026

NIFT 2027 Eligibility Criteria

Undergraduate programmes (B.Des and B.FTech) – age limit: maximum 24 years as on 1 August of the admission year, relaxed by 5 years for SC/ST/PwD candidates. There is no minimum percentage requirement in Class 12 – passing is sufficient. (As per the last prospectus; confirm in the 2027 notification.)

B.Des (Fashion / Textile / Accessory / Knitwear / Communication Design): passed or appearing in 10+2 in any stream from a recognised board – or an equivalent qualification such as Senior Secondary from the National Open School, an AIU-recognised qualification, or IB / GCE A-Level.

B.FTech (Apparel Production): passed or appearing in 10+2 with Mathematics as a subject – or a 3/4-year AICTE-recognised engineering diploma, or an equivalent qualification (NOS with five subjects including Mathematics, AIU-recognised, or IB / GCE A-Level with Mathematics). (Recent cycles list Mathematics as the requirement; older prospectuses required PCM – verify the exact wording in the 2027 notification.)

Postgraduate programmes – no age limit.

M.Des: a bachelor’s degree in any discipline, or a UG diploma in Design from NIFT or NID.

MFM (Master of Fashion Management): a bachelor’s degree in any discipline.

M.FTech: B.FTech from NIFT, or B.E./B.Tech.

Final-year candidates across all programmes can apply, subject to submitting proof of qualification by the deadline set in the prospectus.

NIFT 2027 Application Fee

NTA reduced the application fees in the 2026 cycle; the exact 2027 fee structure will be published with the notification – this section will be updated the same day. Late applications carry an additional ₹5,000 late fee.

NIFT 2027 Exam Pattern

Stage 1  Written tests:

Test	Mode	Who takes it	What it covers
GAT (General Ability Test)	Computer-based	All programmes	Quantitative ability, communication ability & English comprehension, analytical & logical ability, general knowledge & current affairs
CAT (Creative Ability Test)	Pen-and-paper	B.Des and M.Des only	Drawing, observation, innovation, design ability and visual communication – tested through sketching-based questions

Stage 2 – programme-wise:

• B.Des: shortlisted candidates take the Situation Test – a hands-on material-handling and model-making test. See our complete NIFT Situation Test guide for tasks, materials and preparation.
• M.Des / M.FTech / MFM: shortlisted candidates face a Personal Interview.

Final weightage (as per the last NIFT prospectus – verify in the 2027 notification):

Programme	Stage 1	Stage 2
B.Des	CAT 50% + GAT 30%	Situation Test 20%
B.FTech	GAT 100%	–
M.Des	CAT 40% + GAT 30%	Personal Interview 30%
M.FTech / MFM	GAT 70%	Personal Interview 30%

Two strategic reads from this table: for B.Des, CAT alone is half your score – drawing practice outweighs everything else; and for B.FTech, GAT is everything – a completely different preparation from B.Des despite sharing the exam day.

NIFT 2027 Syllabus

GAT: percentage, ratio, interest, speed-distance (quantitative); synonyms, one-word substitution, comprehension passages (communication/English); series, coding, puzzles, data interpretation (analytical); static GK + current affairs with emphasis on art, design, fashion and culture.

CAT: there is no fixed question bank – expect theme-based drawing, memory drawing, picture completion, story illustration, colour application and design-thinking prompts. Evaluation rewards originality, observation and visual storytelling over polished rendering.

Practise with the real thing: free NIFT UG past year papers · NIFT PG past year papers · free NIFT All-India Monthly Mock Tests.

NIFT Campuses & Programmes

NIFT operates 20 campuses across India, with New Delhi as the flagship. Campus and programme availability varies – not every campus offers every programme – and the seat matrix is published with each year’s official prospectus.

NIFT campuses (state-wise):

• New Delhi (Delhi) – flagship campus
• Mumbai (Maharashtra)
• Bengaluru (Karnataka)
• Chennai (Tamil Nadu)
• Kolkata (West Bengal)
• Hyderabad (Telangana)
• Gandhinagar (Gujarat)
• Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)
• Bhubaneswar (Odisha)
• Patna (Bihar)
• Jodhpur (Rajasthan)
• Kangra (Himachal Pradesh)
• Kannur (Kerala)
• Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh)
• Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)
• Shillong (Meghalaya)
• Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir)
• Panchkula (Haryana)
• Nava Raipur (Chhattisgarh)
• Daman (Union Territory)

Campus allotment happens at counselling based on your rank and category – and since NIFT Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru are consistently the most sought-after campuses, a qualifying score alone isn’t the goal; rank is what decides whether you get the campus you want.

How to Prepare for NIFT 2027 – 5 Steps

1. Split your prep by weightage. B.Des aspirants: 50% of your score is CAT – daily sketching is non-negotiable. B.FTech aspirants: it’s a GAT-only game – speed and accuracy drills.
2. Practise CAT with a timer – theme drawings and memory sketches in exam-length slots, not open-ended sessions.
3. Build GAT fundamentals early (Sept–Nov): quant shortcuts, vocabulary, one GK/current-affairs habit – design and fashion news included.
4. Solve past papers monthly, mocks weekly from December. Benchmark on the All-India Monthly Mock Test to know your rank position, not just your score.
5. Don’t ignore Stage 2 until results. B.Des: start material-handling practice by March (the Situation Test decides 20%). PG: your portfolio and interview story need weeks, not days – see our portfolio preparation guide.

Prepare for NIFT 2027 with DQ Labs

Choosing the right mentor is the first step toward a career in fashion and design. At DQ Labs, you prepare inside an ecosystem built by people who have lived these exams:

• 8 out of 10 DQ Labs students secure seats in NIFT – our strongest track record is in the very exam you’re preparing for
• Led by industry practitioners: our faculty are practising design professionals from NIFT Bangalore, NID Ahmedabad, IIT Delhi, University of Genoa and Brera Academy, bringing over two decades of national and international industry experience to the classroom
• Proven across every design entrance: 1 in 4 DQ students selected into NIDs and IITs, and a 99.9% selection rate in NATA & JEE Paper 2
• A 25,000+ student community mentored since 2007, with alumni at NID Ahmedabad, IIT Bombay, NIFT Bangalore, SPA Delhi, CEPT and international universities

Studio-based preparation: five specialised Design Studios in Bangalore – real materials, timed CAT sketching sessions and Situation Test model-making practice, the exact hands-on skills NIFT’s selection process evaluates DQ Labs coaches NIFT aspirants across B.Des, B.FTech and PG programmes – CAT sketching practice in real studios, GAT test series, the free NIFT All-India Monthly Mock Test, Situation Test material-handling workshops and PG interview + portfolio preparation. Explore NIFT coaching or take a free mock test to see where you stand.

Sources: NIFT 2026 admission cycle – official NTA notification (8 December 2025), NIFT 2026 prospectus, and the verified 2026 schedule. The NIFT 2027 notification has not been released as of this update; all 2027 dates and fees are projections and will be confirmed against the official notification the day it publishes.

Frequently Asked Questions – NIFT 2027