NIFT Entrance Exam Syllabus 2026: Check Section-Wise NIFT Exam Syllabus PDF

NIFT Entrance Exam Syllabus 2026: Check Section-Wise NIFT Exam Syllabus PDF

Rajyalaxmi VenkatapuramUpdated on 03 Sep 2025, 03:31 PM IST

National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will release the NIFT syllabus 2026 along with the official notification. The NIFT 2026 syllabus will be released online through the NIFT official brochure at nift.ac.in will also be made available at exams.nta.ac.in/NIFT/. The NIFT exam syllabus 2026 comprises of the topics related to the General Ability Test (GAT) and Creative Ability Test (CAT). NIFT entrance exam will be conducted in two parts - GAT and CAT for design admission based on the programme. Go through the full article to know topic-wise NIFT entrance exam syllabus 2026.

This Story also Contains

  1. NIFT Entrance Exam Syllabus 2026: An Overview
  2. NIFT Syllabus PDF Download
  3. NIFT Entrance Exam Weightage - UG & PG Programmes
  4. NIFT High-Weightage Topics for BDes
  5. NIFT Important Topics for BFTech
  6. NIFT GAT and CAT Syllabus
  7. NIFT Entrance Exam GAT Syllabus
  8. NIFT Entrance Exam Syllabus for CAT
  9. NIFT Preparation Books
  10. NIFT Exam Pattern 2026
  11. NIFT Syllabus for Situation Test
NIFT Entrance Exam Syllabus 2026: Check Section-Wise NIFT Exam Syllabus PDF
NIFT Syllabus

Other than the entrance exam, the second stage of NIFT 2026 is the situation test. Candidates who are shortlisted in the entrance exam will be required to attend the NIFT situation test conducted offline.

NIFT Entrance Exam Syllabus 2026: An Overview

Aspirants willing to appear for the NIFT 2026 entrance exam should be aware of all the important subjects and the topics from the NIFT 2026 syllabus and prepare accordingly. As the NIFT 2026 syllabus is yet to be released, candidates, meanwhile can refer to the previous year's NIFT entrance exam syllabus pdf free download link that is available on this page. The NIFT entrance exam syllabus consists of the topics based on which NIFT question paper will be prepared. To download, candidates must click on the “nift syllabus pdf free download”. Read the complete article to know more about the NIFT entrance exam syllabus 2026 and the complete NIFT GAT and CAT syllabus.

NIFT Syllabus PDF Download

The aspirants who are planning to appear for the NIFT entrance exam should be aware of the fashion designing syllabus NIFT pdf. The aspirants are hence advised to check the collection of NIFT syllabus books for the exam preparation. The NIFT entrance exam syllabus 2026 pdf includes the concepts required to prepare for the NIFT entrance exam to obtain admission into the next academic year. The authorities will release the NIFT entrance exam syllabus 2026 at the NIFT official website - nift.ac.in.

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ParticularsNIFT Syllabus Download Link
NIFT Exam Syllabus PDFDownload NIFT entrance exam syllabus pdf
NIFT 2026 Most Important Topics
Get ready for NIFT 2026 with this comprehensive eBook covering CAT & GAT, featuring key topics, tips, and sample questions.
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NIFT Entrance Exam Weightage - UG & PG Programmes

Program

Test

Weightage

Bachelor of Design (BDes)

CAT

50%

GAT

30%

Situation Test

20%

Master of Design (MDes)

CAT

40%

GAT (sec A)

30%

PI

30%

Bachelor of Fashion Technology

GAT (sec A)

GAT (sec B)

30%

70%

Master of Fashion Technology

GAT

70%

PI

30%

Master of Fashion Management

GAT(sec A & B)

70%

PI

30%

NIFT High-Weightage Topics for BDes

Subjects

List of NIFT Syllabus Topics

English Comprehension

English Comprehension

Communication Ability

Correctly Spelt Word

Plural Form of Word

Opposite In Meaning (Antonym)

Similar In Meaning (Synonym)

Idioms And Phrases

Quantitative Ability

Number System

HCF and LCM

Percentage

Profit and Loss

Average / Ratio

Simple Interest and Compound Interest

Time, Speed, Distance

Time and Work

Mixtures

Analytical Ability

General Assertion Reasons

Statement Conclusions

Series

Statements Correct/Incorrect

Blood Relation Reasoning

One Liner Seating Arrangement

Coding-Decoding Reasoning

Direction Sense

General Knowledge And Current Affairs

Static Gk

Fashion Industry Gk

Current Gk

NIFT Important Topics for BFTech

Subjects

List of NIFT Syllabus Topics

Communication Ability And English Comprehension

Substitute For The Given Word

Plural In Form

Nearest In Meaning

Idioms And Phrases

Wrongly Spelt Word

Prepositions

English Comprehension

Quantitative Ability

Profit And Loss

Number System

Simple And Compound Interest

Time Speed And Distance

Boat And Streams

Time And Work

Pipes And Cisterns

Mixtures

Quadrilateral

Mensuration

Ratio

Discount

Probability

Polynomial

Permutation And Combination

HCF LCM

Percentage

Analytical And Logical Ability

Statement Conclusion

Assertion Reason

Statements 1 And 2 Correct/Incorrect

Statement Argument

Odd One Out In Series

Blood Relation

Arrangement

Coding Decoding

Direction Sense

Age-Related Problems

Data Interpretation

Complete The Series

General Knowledge And Current Affairs

Static Gk

Fashion Industry Gk

Current Gk

Case Study

Caselets

NIFT GAT and CAT Syllabus

The students willing to enrol themselves for the NIFT admissions must know about the NIFT entrance exam syllabus 2026. NIFT 2026 GAT and CAT Syllabus helps the students to understand the NIFT exam pattern and syllabus in a better way to prepare. The NIFT's GAT and CAT exams are meant to screen the students based on their creative skills, aptitude and drawing skills. The GAT and CAT exam for NIFT is the first step to be taken towards their dream career. The NIFT entrance exam syllabus for fashion designing is different from other courses and this article help the students to understand the topics better.

NIFT Entrance Exam GAT Syllabus

The aspirants willing to obtain admission in to the design programs, must go through the NIFT GAT syllabus. General Aptitude Test (GAT) is a mandatory section for both BDes and BFTech programmes to obtain NIFT admission. The NIFT GAT question paper is compulsory for all the candidates. Below are some of the topics for the NIFT 2026 GAT syllabus as per the 5 sections.

  • Communication ability and English comprehension
  • Quantitative ability
  • Analytical and Reasoning / logical ability
  • General knowledge and current affairs
  • Case Study
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NIFT Entrance Exam Syllabus GAT

The NIFT 2026 GAT syllabus will be released officially by the NIFT authorities at nift.ac.in and also at nta.ac.in. The candidates are advised to check the NTA and NIFT websites regularly for the updates. Specifically for the aspirants to prepare well, Careers360 compiled a NIFT subjects list of topics that were frequently asked in the NIFT GAT question paper.

Section

Objective

Topics asked in NIFT GAT question paper

Quantitative Ability

This is to check the candidate’s quantitative ability

Addition, Fractions, Multiplication, Ratio and Proportion, Division, Percentage, Rate of Interest, Work and Task, Distance, etc.

Communication Ability and English Comprehension

This is to test the candidate’s communication ability in English language

Synonyms, Words with corresponding meanings, Antonyms, Singular, Plural, Idioms and phrases, One-word Substitutes, Correct spellings, Comprehending a situation from a given passage etc.

Analytical Ability and Logical Ability

To test the candidate’s capacity for inference and logic from the given information. And to identify the given problem and apply reasoning to solve the core issues of the problem

Concepts and practice of creative and lateral thinking are likely to be useful.

General Assertion Reasons, Statement Conclusions, Series, Statements Correct/Incorrect, Blood Relation, One Liner Seating Arrangement, Coding-Decoding, Direction Sense

General Knowledge and Current Affairs

To test the general awareness and current affairs of candidates

Fashion Industry GK, Static GK and current GK

Case Study

To evaluate the candidate’s managerial ability.


Structure of the NIFT GAT question paper - B.Des programme

Programme

Section

No. of Questions

B.Des

Quantitative Ability

20

B.Des

Communication Ability & English Comprehension

40

B.Des

Analytical & Logical Ability

15

B.Des

General Knowledge and Current Affairs

25

B.Des

Total

100

Structure of the NIFT GAT question paper - M.Des programme

Programme

Section

No. of Questions

M.Des

Quantitative Ability

20

M.Des

Communication Ability & English Comprehension

50

M.Des

Analytical and Logical Ability

25

M.Des

General Knowledge and Current Affairs

25

M.Des

Total

120

NIFT Entrance Exam Syllabus for CAT

The NIFT CAT exam stands for Creative Ability Test. The NIFT CAT exam question paper tests the candidate’s creativity skills, observation power, design ability, and perception. Only the design aspirants such as B.Des and MDes students need to solve the NIFT CAT exam question paper. The NIFT CAT syllabus for fashion designing is mark fetching and the students need to draw the answers according to the requirements. The NIFT CAT syllabus for BDes admission will be provided based on the topics specified below.

NIFT Syllabus for CAT

Following is the NIFT subjects list with the topics from which the candidates can expect questions in the NIFT CAT exam question paper:

Design Theory

Colour Terminology

Inspiration & Design Development

Colour Psychology & Optical Illusions

Elements & Principles Of Design

Mood, Theme & Colour Inter-relationship

Natural & Geometrical Form

Innovation in Design

Principles of Composition

Creative thinking & writing

Optical Illusion

Understanding Light & Shade

Visual Logic

Form & Function

Colour, Pattern & Texture

Theme Development

Drawing Fundamentals

Picture Analysis

Memory Drawing

Inspiration & Creativity

Ornaments & motifs

Use of Measurements, Scale & proportions

Optical Illusion

Foreshortening & Perspective

Developing Themes & Colour Associations

Usage of Colour in Compositions

Imagination & Doodling

3D Visualisation

Presentation Techniques

Expression & Emotion

Exercises on imagination

Lateral Thinking

Story Pictures

Graphics & Pictograms

Innovation & Creation

Design Awareness

NIFT Syllabus: Creativity Ability Test (CAT) Important Topics

Aspirants are advised not to leave any topic mentioned in the NIFT entrance exam syllabus as the NIFT subjects list of important topics is a very crucial aspect. Candidates should check the list of important topics from the NIFT 2026 syllabus for the entrance exam and focus more on them. The topics included in NIFT CAT syllabus 2026 are as follows.

  • Creative ability
  • Observation power
  • Discernment ability
  • Design ability
  • Colour combination ability
  • Creativity in thought or concept development

NIFT Syllabus: General Ability Test (GAT) Important Topics

Provided below are the important topics required for the GAT exam for the candidates to go through during the preparation of the NIFT exam syllabus. Below is the list of NIFT's important topics.

  • General knowledge and current affairs
  • Effective Communication
  • Quantitative ability
  • Communication ability and English comprehension
  • Analytical and logical ability
  • Problem-solving approach
  • Case Study

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NIFT Preparation Books

For the NIFT exam 2026, the applicants need to begin their preparation with the NIFT books. For this, the students check for the best NIFT preparation books. NIFT exam consists of GAT and CAT parts. And the NIFT situation test is for the shortlisted students. Hence, listed below are some of the NIFT books for preparation.

NIFT Book Names

Author Name

Anatomy and Perspective: The Fundamentals of Figure Drawing (Dover Art Instruction)

Charles Oliver

The Complete Guide to Perspective Drawing: From One-Point to Six-Point

Craig Attebery

Colour Psychology: Profit From The Psychology of Color: Discover the Meaning and Effects of Color: 2

Richard G. Lewis

Arihant Fast Track Objective Arithmetic Paperback

NIFT Arihant Publication

Word power made easy

NIFT Arihant Publication

Oswaal Objective General English For All Competitive Examinations Chapter-wise & Topic-wise A Complete book on English Language

NIFT Arihant Publication

Model-Making: Materials and Methods by David Neat

The Crowood Press (May 26, 2008)

NIFT Exam Pattern 2026

NTA is yet to prescribe the NIFT 2026 exam pattern which includes all the parameters of the NIFT entrance exam. Students have to go through the NIFT exam pattern provided, to know more about the format of the questions, maximum marks, marking scheme, number of questions, and many more, etc. The NIFT exam pattern is given below.

NIFT Exam Pattern

Particulars

NIFT Exam Details

Duration of the entrance exam

2 hours

Mode of the exam

Computer-based mode / Paper-based mode

Medium of the Language

English

NIFT Sample Paper

To understand the NIFT 2026 exam pattern and syllabus, the students must check to solve the NIFT sample papers. Solving the NIFT previous year's question papers help the students to advance their confidence levels and reduce stress levels. The candidates will get the complete picture of the NIFT entrance exam pattern, by practising the NIFT sample papers.

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NIFT Question Paper

To get through the NIFT entrance exam, the best way is to practice the NIFT previous year's question papers. This helps the candidates to know and estimate the time required to solve the NIFT question paper, how to proceed answering the questions, and the weightage of the topic mentioned in the NIFT syllabus pdf.

NIFT Previous Years Question Papers

Must check the Design Colleges:

Knowing the NIFT 2026 syllabus plays an important role for the preparation to score well in the NIFT entrance exam.

NIFT Syllabus for Situation Test

The NIFT Situation test is the second stage of NIFT admission. The students who clear the NIFT entrance exam will be shortlisted based on their performance and will be eligible to appear for the second round called the ‘NIFT Situation Test’ for the design programme admission. NIFT situation test syllabus pdf will also be made available on the official website through the NIFT brochure.. Candidates must click on the “NIFT situation test syllabus pdf download” to check.

The NIFT situation test is to check the candidate’s innovative ability to create a 3-dimensional model with the provided theme and material to showcase the creativity skills in material handling. The fashion designing syllabus for the NIFT situation test consists of the following elements on which the candidates are evaluated.

  • Space visualization
  • Composition of elements
  • Innovative and creative use of the given material
  • Construction Skill
  • Colour scheme
  • Working methodology
  • The finesse of the model and overall presentation

NIFT Syllabus for Group Discussion (GD)

NIFT also conducts the group discussion round with the candidates. The candidates are evaluated on the following concepts.

  • Conceptual clarity
  • Ability to generate new ideas
  • Interpersonal skills
  • The contribution made to the topic
  • Leadership qualities
  • Knowledge of the topic assigned
  • Problem-solving approach
  • Effective communication

NIFT Syllabus for Personal Interview (PI)

The candidates shortlisted for the NIFT master programmes are supposed to attend the personal interview round and are evaluated based on the parameters given below.

  • Career orientation
  • Aptness for the course
  • General awareness and aptitude
  • Creative and lateral thinking
  • Overall personal achievements in academics and co-curricular activities
  • Good Communication Skills

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: When will the syllabus for NIFT 2026 exam be released?
A:

The NIFT 2026 exam syllabus will be released through the official brochure in November 2025 tentatively.

Q: What are the important topics for NIFT Syllabus for CAT and GAT?
A:

The NIFT 2026 syllabus for GAT is the quantitative ability, analytical and logical ability, communication ability and english comprehension and general knowledge and current affairs. The NIFT syllabus 2026 for CAT includes many topics such as design theory, colour terminology, design fundamentals and more, etc.

Q: What is the mode of the NIFT entrance exam?
A:

The NIFT entrance exam GAT will be conducted in a computer-based mode, and the NIFT CAT exam in pen/paper-based mode.

Q: What is the General Ability Test (GAT) in NIFT?
A:
  • The GAT is conducted as part of the NIFT entrance exam, and the NIFT subjects covered in the GAT exam are : General knowledge and current affairs, effective communication, communication ability, English comprehension, quantitative ability, problem-solving approach, analytical and logical ability, and case study.
Q: What are the topics included in the Creativity Ability Test (CAT)?
A:

The topics included in the NIFT CAT syllabus are: 

  • Creativity in thought development, design ability, observation skills, and discernment ability.
Q: What is the NIFT Situation Test and what are the factors considered?
A:

The shortlisted candidates from the NIFT entrance exam will be called for the next stage of test called the Situation test. The NIFT syllabus for the situation test is based on the factors provided below.

Innovative and creative use of given material, space visualization, construction skill, composition of elements, colour scheme, the finesse of the model, and overall presentation of the created model. 

Q: What is the syllabus of fashion designing entrance exam?
A:

The fashion designing entrance exam syllabus varies depending on the institution offering design admission. However, most of the entrance exams for fashion design programs cover the following:

  • General Knowledge and Current Affairs related to fashion.
  • Creative Ability: drawing, design concepts, visualisation.
  • Communication Skills: English comprehension, vocabulary.
  • Analytical Ability: logical reasoning, basic mathematics.
  • General Aptitude: mental and problem-solving skills.
  • Situation Test (for some institutions): material handling, model creation.
  • Portfolio Assessment (if required): presentation of creative work.
Q: What is the NIFT Situation Test syllabus?
A:

NIFT Situation test syllabus includes space visualisation, composition of elements, innovative and creative use of the given material, colour scheme, working methodology, the finesse of the model and overall presentation.

Q: Can I bring my own materials for the NIFT Situation Test?
A:

No, you are not allowed to bring any material for the NIFT Situation Test as the authority will only provide all materials.

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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 !