NIFT Entrance Exam 2027: Exam Dates, Registration, Syllabus & Admit Card

10 January 2027 is the date of the NIFT exam. NTA holds Stage 1 on that Sunday. Stage 1 has the General Ability Test (GAT) and the Creative Ability Test (CAT). B.Des. candidates then give a Situation Test, and postgraduate candidates give a Personal Interview. NIFT, not NTA, offers the seat.

That date is 82 days from 20 October 2026. The NIFT exam form is open now and the normal-fee window ends on 16 November 2026. This leaves 55 days between the last date to apply and the exam. The NIFT 2027 exam is held in 100 cities, in computer-based and pen-and-paper modes. All 2027 dates are tentative, as per the NIFTEE 2027 Information Bulletin.

The NIFT exam works as a chain, and each step feeds the next. If you clear Stage 1 and reach the shortlist, you give Stage 2. NTA and NIFT then combine your scores, by fixed weightage, into a Common Merit Rank (CMR). NIFT uses the CMR for e-counselling and seat allocation. The regular B.F.Tech. route has no Stage 2, so GAT alone decides that rank.

Each NIFT exam page below covers one step of this chain.

📅NIFT Exam Dates 2027Exam on 10 January 2027. Apply by 16 November 2026.Check dates📝NIFT Exam RegistrationNIFT 2027 registration is online on the NTA portal. Four steps and one form per candidate.See registration💰NIFT Exam Fees₹2,000 for Open, EWS and OBC-NCL. ₹500 for SC, ST and PwD.See fees🧩NIFT Exam PatternGAT on computer, CAT on paper. +1 and -0.25 marking.See pattern📚NIFT Exam SyllabusNo topic-wise syllabus exists. The bulletin gives component descriptions only.See syllabus🎫NIFT Exam Admit CardRelease on 4 January 2027. Carry an A4 printout and a photo ID.See admit card📄NIFT Exam Question PapersOfficial sample papers only, up to the NTA 2024 sets.See papers🔑NIFT Exam Answer KeyGAT key stays online for two to three days. Challenge fee is ₹200 per question.See answer key🏁NIFT Exam ResultStage 1 in February or March 2027. Final result in the first week of May 2027.See result📉NIFT Exam CutoffCutoff means opening and closing CMR for each round.See cutoff🏛️NIFT Colleges20 campuses with 5,076 regular and domicile seats.📖NIFT BooksNo official book list. NIFT does not endorse coaching.

The NIFT exam is the entrance test for admission to the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). Its full name is the National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Examination (NIFTEE). People also call it the NIFT entrance exam. NTA conducts it, and NIFT admits students on its basis. For regular UG and PG routes, you apply on the NTA portal, not the NIFT website.

NIFT was set up in 1986. It became a statutory institute in 2006 under an Act of Parliament. NTA only registers candidates, holds the test, hosts answer keys, prepares results and hosts the scorecard. Admission queries go to NIFT, as per the NIFTEE 2027 Information Bulletin.

The NIFT exam leads to these programmes:

• B.Des. (4 years): Fashion Communication, Accessory Design, Fashion Design, Knitwear Design, Leather Design, Textile Design and Fashion Interiors.
• B.F.Tech. (4 years): Apparel Production.
• Postgraduate (2 years): M.Des., M.F.M. (Master of Fashion Management) and M.F.Tech.
• Other routes: NLEA (lateral entry), Artisan B.Des. and Ph.D. NRI, Foreign National, OCI, PIO and SAARC candidates have a separate route.

NIFT has 20 campuses. Ten are in Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Daman, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Jodhpur, Kannur and Kangra. The other ten are in Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Panchkula, Patna, Raebareli, Raipur (Nava Raipur), Shillong, Srinagar and Varanasi. The NIFT colleges page lists the programmes at each campus.

Who conducts the NIFT exam, NTA or NIFT?

NTA conducts the NIFT exam, and NIFT handles seat allocation and admission. Call the NTA helpline at 011-40759000 or 011-69227700 for questions on the form, admit card or result. Ask NIFT about seats, fees or campuses.

Is the NIFT exam compulsory for admission?

Yes, for the regular UG and PG routes. NRI, Foreign National, OCI, PIO and SAARC candidates are the exception, as per the NIFT Admission Prospectus 2027. They need not appear in the NIFT exam. NIFT selects them on SAT (UG), GMAT (M.F.M.) or GRE (M.Des. and M.F.Tech.) scores, with at least 50%.

NIFT Exam: Frequently Asked Questions

The NIFT exam date 2027 is 10 January 2027. Registration runs from 16 October 2026 to 16 November 2026, and the NIFT 2027 exam is on a Sunday. These dates are tentative, so check exams.nta.nic.in/niftee and nift.ac.in for any change.

Other routes have later deadlines. NIFT 2027 registration for Artisan B.Des. and Ph.D. closes on 31 January 2027.

The 2027 cycle starts earlier than the 2026 cycle. In 2026, registration opened on 8 December 2025 and the exam was on 8 February 2026. That is 62 days. In 2027, registration opened on 16 October 2026 and the exam is on 10 January 2027. That is 86 days. The NIFT 2027 dates page tracks each date as NTA and NIFT update it.

When should I apply for NIFT 2027?

Apply now. NIFT exam registration opened on 16 October 2026 and the normal-fee window closes on 16 November 2026. If you apply by 16 November 2026, you pay only the NIFT application fee. Between 17 and 21 November 2026 you pay ₹5,000 extra.

NIFT Important Dates: Frequently Asked Questions

The NIFT 2027 exam has a computer-based GAT and a pen-and-paper CAT. Every GAT question carries 1 mark, and each wrong answer costs 0.25 mark. The NIFT entrance exam paper is bilingual, in Hindi and English. The numbers below are as per the NIFTEE 2027 Information Bulletin and the NIFT Admission Prospectus 2027.

The NIFT exam pattern page explains each stage in detail.

NIFT exam 2027 eligibility depends on your programme. For B.Des., you need a Class 12 pass in any stream and age below 24 years on 1 August 2027. For B.F.Tech., you need Class 12 with Mathematics. For PG, you need a degree, and there is no age limit for the NIFT entrance exam. Each rule below is as per the NIFTEE 2027 Information Bulletin.

• B.Des.: 10+2 from any recognised board in any stream. NIOS Senior Secondary with five subjects and a 3 or 4-year diploma after Class 10 also work. So do an AIU-equivalent 10+2 and GCE A-level or IB.
• B.F.Tech.: The same list, but with Mathematics. An engineering diploma after Class 10 also counts.
• M.Des. and M.F.M.: Any undergraduate degree from a recognised institute. A 3-year undergraduate diploma from NIFT or NID also works.
• M.F.Tech.: B.F.Tech. from NIFT, or B.E. or B.Tech. from a recognised institute, or a 4-year B.F.Tech. from a recognised institute.
• Ph.D.: A relevant master's degree with CGPA 6.0 out of 10 or 55% marks. SC and ST need 5.5 or 50%. A bachelor's route needs higher marks and 10 years of experience.
• NLEA and Artisan: NLEA is for diploma holders with industry experience in the stated cases. Artisan B.Des. needs a valid Artisan Card issued to you, your father or your mother.

NIFT reserves seats by category: SC 15%, ST 7.5%, OBC-NCL 27%, EWS 10% and PwD 5%. The PwD seats need a disability of 40% or more. The OBC-NCL and EWS certificates must be dated not earlier than 1 April 2026. The category you choose in the form is final.

What is the age limit for NIFT 2027?

For UG, your age must be below 24 years on 1 August 2027. SC, ST and PwD candidates get a relaxation of 5 years. So a general candidate should be born on or after 2 August 2003. An SC, ST or PwD candidate should be born on or after 2 August 1998. PG has no age limit.

Which stream can apply for B.Des. and B.F.Tech.?

B.Des. is open to Class 12 students from any stream in the NIFT entrance exam, including Arts and Commerce. B.F.Tech. needs Mathematics in Class 12 or in the equivalent qualification. If you want both programmes, you can fill one form for both and pay ₹3,000 (Open, EWS, OBC-NCL).

NIFT Eligibility: Frequently Asked Questions

NIFT 2027 registration is online only on exams.nta.nic.in/niftee, and it closes on 16 November 2026. A NIFT exam form sent by any other mode is not accepted. NTA offers five forms: UG and PG, NLEA UG, Artisans, NRI and Ph.D.

How do I fill the NIFT 2027 application form?

Fill it in four steps on the NTA portal:

1. Register. Sign in with MeriPehchaan (National Single Sign-On) and get your application number.
2. Fill the form. Enter personal details, programme, qualifications and four exam cities in order of choice.
3. Upload and pay. Upload photo, signature and certificates, then pay the fee online.
4. Download the confirmation page. Keep a copy. Your NIFT 2027 registration counts as successful only after the fee payment reaches NTA.

Use your own mobile number and email, because NTA sends all messages there. Only one application is allowed per candidate. If you apply for two programmes, such as B.F.Tech. and B.Des., you fill one form for both.

You pick four cities from the 100-city list, within the state of your permanent or present address. NTA can still change your city for logistic reasons. The NIFT exam registration 2027 page has the full step list.

What is the NIFT application fee 2027?

The NIFT application fee 2027 is ₹2,000 for Open, EWS and OBC-NCL candidates. It is ₹500 for SC, ST and PwD candidates. These figures are for one programme, as per the NIFTEE 2027 Information Bulletin.

A late fee of ₹5,000 is extra if you apply between 17 and 21 November 2026. You pay the NIFT application fee by debit card, credit card, UPI or net banking. Gateway charges and GST are paid by you. NIFT does not refund the application fee, except for a duplicate payment against the same application. The NIFT exam fees page covers the later programme fees.

NIFT Registration: Frequently Asked Questions

NTA releases the NIFT admit card on 4 January 2027 (tentative) on exams.nta.nic.in/niftee. It issues an advance city intimation slip earlier, on 21 December 2026. NTA does not post the admit card, and it does not issue a duplicate at the NIFT exam centre.

When will the NIFT admit card 2027 be released?

The NIFT admit card 2027 will be released on 4 January 2027, six days before the exam. This is as per the NIFTEE 2027 Information Bulletin. The city slip comes first, on 21 December 2026. It tells you your NIFT 2027 exam city, so you can plan travel before the card arrives.

To download the NIFT admit card:

1. Open exams.nta.nic.in/niftee and log in with your application number and password.
2. Download the admit card and print it on a clear A4 sheet.
3. Fill the self-declaration printed on it.
4. Check your name, photo, programme, shift and centre. If anything is wrong, call the NTA helpline.

Carry the printed admit card with the self-declaration, two passport photos and one original photo ID. The photos must match the one you uploaded. Valid photo IDs are School ID, PAN, Passport and Aadhaar with photo. Class 12 board admit card, Ration Card with photo and bank passbook with photo also work. CAT candidates also carry colouring and drawing material in a transparent pouch.

The bulletin asks you to report two hours before the exam. The prospectus says 60 minutes. Follow the bulletin and the reporting time on your admit card. The gate closes at the stated time, and late entry to the NIFT exam is not allowed. GAT starts at 9:00 AM and the CAT starts at 3:00 PM, as per the bulletin. The NIFT admit card page lists barred items and exam-day rules.

The NIFT exam pattern 2027 has two stages. Stage 1 is the GAT on computer and the CAT on paper. Stage 2 is the Situation Test for B.Des. and the Personal Interview for PG. Each programme has its own papers in the NIFT exam, and its own weightage in the final rank.

What are GAT and CAT in the NIFT exam?

GAT is the General Ability Test in the NIFT exam. It is a computer-based test of English, quantitative, reasoning and general knowledge questions. CAT is the Creative Ability Test, a 3-hour paper where you draw and colour. The NIFT CAT is not the MBA entrance test.

If you fill both B.F.Tech. and B.Des., you take GAT Section A, GAT Section B and the CAT. NIFT then makes two separate CMRs. The same holds for M.F.M. and M.Des.

The final rank is a weighted mix, so the weight tells you where to spend time.

Is there negative marking in the NIFT exam?

Yes. The NIFT exam gives +1 mark for each right GAT answer and cuts 0.25 mark for each wrong answer. An unanswered question gets no mark. If a challenge changes the key, only those who marked the revised answer get the mark. If NTA drops a question, all candidates get the mark.

The NIFT exam pattern page has section-wise tables, the Situation Test marks and the changes since 2026.

The NIFT exam question papers pattern for B.Des. has 100 GAT questions plus 3 CAT questions. In the NIFT 2027 exam, every GAT question is multiple choice with four options. The NIFT exam pattern can vary in question count from year to year, as per the bulletin.

B.F.Tech. adds Section B with 50 questions: Quantitative Ability 15, Analytical and Logical Ability 15 and Case Study 20. For PG, M.F.Tech. has 150 questions, M.F.M. has 150 questions and M.Des. has 120 questions in GAT. M.F.M. and M.F.Tech. include a Case Study section, and M.F.Tech. also has some engineering questions.

How many questions are asked in the NIFT exam?

The number of NIFT exam questions depends on your programme. B.Des. has 100 GAT questions and 3 CAT questions. B.F.Tech. has 150 GAT questions. M.Des. has 120 GAT questions and 3 CAT questions. M.F.M. and M.F.Tech. each have 150 GAT questions.

The Situation Test is out of 100 marks: 3D model 50, write-up 20 and overall presentation 30. You make a model from a given set of materials, and no extra material is allowed. You also write a short note in English. The jury checks the model on the spot. A sample CAT paper from NIFT has three questions of 30, 40 and 30 marks.

NTA and NIFT publish no topic-wise NIFT exam syllabus for 2027. The bulletin says NTA will not provide a syllabus copy to any stakeholder. It gives only a description of each GAT component, so this page uses only that text.

Is there an official NIFT syllabus for 2027?

No topic-wise NIFT exam syllabus exists. The official description lists four GAT parts. Quantitative Ability names nine topics. These are addition, multiplication, division, fractions, percentage, rate of interest, work and task, ratio and proportion, and distance. Communication Ability and English Comprehension names synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitutes, idioms and phrases, correct spellings and passage comprehension.

Analytical and Logical Ability tests inference and logic from given information. General Knowledge and Current Affairs has no sub-list. Case Study has no topic description. Lists that add other topics online do not come from NIFT or NTA. The NIFT exam syllabus page explains each part and its question count.

NTA and NIFT plan the Stage 1 result of the NIFT 2027 exam for February or March 2027. They plan the final result for the first week of May 2027. Both dates are tentative. You check the NIFT exam 2027 result on the NTA portal with your application number and password, as in 2026.

When will the NIFT result 2027 be declared?

The Stage 1 result will come in February or March 2027. The final result will come in the first week of May 2027. In 2026, the exam was on 8 February. The Stage 1 result came on 20 March, 40 days later. The final result came on 2 June 2026. The Stage 1 status shows whether you are shortlisted for the Situation Test or the Personal Interview.

What is Common Merit Rank (CMR) in NIFT?

CMR is the rank NIFT gives you after adding the weighted scores of your NIFT exam tests. NIFT makes a separate CMR for B.Des., B.F.Tech., M.Des., M.F.M., M.F.Tech. and the two lateral entry routes. A CMR is valid only for its programme and category, and only for 2027 admission.

Is there an answer key for the NIFT exam?

Yes, for GAT only. NTA shows the recorded responses and the provisional key for two to three days before the result. You can challenge a key by paying ₹200 per question. The CAT has no answer key and no challenge. In 2026, no key was changed after challenges.

Raise any result grievance within 30 days of the declaration. The NIFT 2027 result page explains the score and rank. The NIFT answer key page covers the challenge steps.

The NIFT cutoff is a rank, not a mark. NIFT does not publish a pass mark for the NIFT entrance exam in the 2027 documents. The NIFT cutoff for a seat is the opening and closing CMR for each campus, programme, category and round. No NIFT cutoff 2027 exists yet, because it appears only after counselling, around June and July 2027.

What is the NIFT cutoff?

The NIFT cutoff is the closing CMR of the last candidate who got a seat in a round. A lower closing rank means a tougher seat. NIFT publishes opening and closing ranks for every round on its public portal, nift.admissions.nic.in/or-cr.

The 2026 Round 1 closing CMR for Open category, All India quota, shows how much the programme matters.

The campus matters as much as the programme. Open Fashion Design closed at CMR 128 in New Delhi and 853 in Kolkata in Round 1. At Raipur it closed at 2,748. For PG, Open M.Des. closed at 32 and Open M.F.M. at 42 in New Delhi in Round 1.

The B.F.Tech. ranks look small because its CMR pool is small. A few online answers call B.F.Tech. less competitive. The 2026 closing ranks above show lower numbers for it than for Fashion Design at the same campuses. Last-round ranks run higher than Round 1 ranks, mainly at newer campuses. The NIFT cutoff page has category-wise ranks.

The selection process for the NIFT exam 2027 runs from the application to e-counselling, and each step filters the next. If you miss a step, you cannot join the later ones. B.F.Tech. regular is the one programme with no Stage 2.

1. Complete NIFT exam registration on the NTA portal by 16 November 2026. Pay the NIFT application fee at the same time.
2. Give the NIFT exam on 10 January 2027: GAT, and CAT where your programme needs it. This is Stage 1.
3. Check the Stage 1 result. It tells you if you are shortlisted for Stage 2. In 2026, NIFT shortlisted candidates at 1:4, which means four candidates per seat, category-wise.
4. Give Stage 2: Situation Test for B.Des. and Personal Interview for M.Des., M.F.M. and M.F.Tech. In 2026, the PG interviews were in New Delhi.
5. Get your CMR from the NIFT exam 2027 in the final result, due in the first week of May 2027.
6. Register for e-counselling at nift.admissions.nic.in. Upload documents, fill your campus and programme choices, and pay the fee to confirm a seat.
7. Report to the campus. Orientation starts on 28 July 2027.

How do I get a seat in NIFT?

Your NIFT exam rank decides your seat. You get a seat when your CMR is within the closing rank for your campus, programme and category. NIFT runs Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and a Spot Round. In 2026, e-counselling ran from 15 June to 24 July, with reporting on 29 July 2026. The 2027 schedule is not yet published.

At counselling you choose a willingness option. Float lets you upgrade across campuses. Slide lets you upgrade within the same campus (B.Des.). Freeze means no upgrade. If you do not pay the fee on time, the seat is cancelled.

NIFT has 5,076 regular and domicile seats for 2027: 4,596 regular and 480 State Domicile seats. This excludes NRI, Artisan and NLEA seats. The prospectus lists tuition of ₹1,50,000 per semester for 2027-28, and a first-semester total of ₹1,91,700 with one-time fees. NIFT can revise fees. The NIFT fees page shows the full ladder.

If two candidates tie, NIFT looks at CAT marks first and then GAT marks. After that it checks the GAT sections in a fixed order. The order is Communication Ability and English Comprehension, Quantitative Ability, Analytical and Logical Ability, and General Knowledge. Hostel lists for 2027 are not yet published.

NIFT hosts official NIFT exam sample papers on its Sample Question Paper page, and these are the papers to use. The latest set on the page is the NTA 2024 sample. NIFT's page has no 2025 or 2026 paper file. Its "2025" entry points to the NTA home page, not to a paper.

Where can I download NIFT previous year question papers?

Download them from the official NIFT Sample Question Paper page. It lists programme-wise papers for B.Des., B.F.Tech., M.Des., M.F.M. and M.F.Tech. It also has the papers for 2012 to 2015, 2022 and 2023, and the NTA 2024 sample.

The NTA 2024 sample has the B.Des. paper of 5 February 2024 (Shift 1), with 100 marks in 120 minutes. It has a CAT paper of the same day and B.F.Tech. papers. NIFT also hosts a separate B.Des. CAT sample with three questions of 30, 40 and 30 marks.

For 2026, NTA showed the question paper and recorded responses only to candidates, during the challenge window. In 2027, NTA will again display them for two to three days before the result. NIFT does not endorse any solved paper or coaching class, so use the official NIFT exam papers first. The NIFT question papers page lists what is available.