NIFT Entrance Exam 2023

For aspirants who wish to pursue a career in Fashion Designing, studying in fashion schools abroad is not the only option. India’s premier institution for Fashion Technology, NIFT is globally renowned for its professionally oriented courses. To take up courses at the prestigious institute, NIFT Entrance Exam is the gateway. In this blog, we will walk you through some of the key aspects of the exam. 

Event	Details
Name of the Examination	NIFT
Conducting Authority	National Institute of Fashion Technology
Examination Level	National Level Exam
Examination Fee	₹2000/- for General/OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) and ₹1000 for SC/ST/PWD
Frequency	Annually
Languages	English
Mode of Application	Online
Duration of Exam	2- 3 Hours
Helpdesk	Phone: (011) 47673032 10:00 am – 1:00 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm (Monday to Friday) Email: nift@applyadmission.net
Official Website	https://www.nift.ac.in/

About NIFT

The pioneering institute of fashion education in India, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has always been providing professionals to the textile and apparel industry. Since it was made a statutory institute in 2006, the school has offered the highest standard in fashion pertaining to design, technology and management. Graduates from NIFT are equipped to understand the nuances of the fashion business, art, craft, technology and skills that will help them grow in the fashion industry. 

Must Read: NIFT Courses

NIFT 2023: Important Dates

The important dates for NIFT 2023 are now released. Have a look!

Events	Dates 2023
Online Application form registration starts	1st November 2022
Last date to register	31st December 2022
The last date to submit the form with a Late fee of Rs. 5000/-	8th January 2023
Application form correction window	9th to 12th January 2023
Admit card Release Date	16th January 2023
NIFT Entrance Exam 2023 Date	5th February 2023
Release of answer keys	February 2023
Result declaration	March 2023
Objection by candidates for written exam	January 2023
Last date of registration for Foreign nationals/ NRIs/ SAARC	30th April 2023
Declaration of Final Results	May 2023
M.Des final result declaration	May 2023
Counselling Begins	May- June 2023

NIFT 2023: Exam Day Schedule

The NIFT Entrance Exam is usually held on the dates listed below:

Course	Test	Test Timing
B.Des	CAT	10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
GAT	2:30 PM – 4:30 PM
M.Des	CAT	10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
GAT	2:30 PM – 4:30 PM
B.FTech	GAT	10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
MFTech	GAT	10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
MFM	GAT	10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

NIFT 2023 Result Date

The NIFT 2023 written test results (CAT and GAT) will be released in the second week of March 2023. Candidates who pass the written exam must go through the personal interview process. The NIFT 2023 situation test, GD, and PI final results will be announced in the third week of May 2023.

Counselling Date

NIFT counselling 2023 will take place in May and June of 2023. Aspirants must register for the NIFT counselling procedure by providing the necessary information. On the day of counselling, candidates must report to the designated locations.

Must Read: Design Entrance Exams In India

NIFT Application Process

Admission to the participating NIFTs will be based on candidates’ merit ranks in the NIFT 2023 entrance exam. The admissions procedure is outlined in detail below.

Step 1: Complete the NIFT Application Form 2023

Candidates must complete the online application form on the official website. Only genuine and verifiable information should be used when filling out the form; keep in mind that every detail will be checked during the document verification process.

Step 2: Get your NIFT Admit Card

After successfully registering, candidates will receive their admit cards. Admit cards can be downloaded from the official website; no hard copies of the hall ticket will be mailed.

Step 3: Take the NIFT 2023 written exams

The candidate must then take the GAT and CAT written tests. The written examinations will be administered on paper.

Step 4: Declare the written exam results

The candidate must log in to the result portal to view their results. The written test scores will be used to shortlist candidates for the next round.

Step 5: Attend the NIFT Situation Test or the PI

Candidates for the B.Des course must take a Situation Test, while P.G candidates must participate in a Group Discussion and Personal Interview (GDPI)

Step 6: Announcement of the FINAL results

Each technological component would be weighted in the final NIFT. The final results or merit rank will also be used for seat allocation.

Step 7: Attend NIFT Counseling

The counselling process will be conducted online and will consist of several rounds. Shortlisted candidates must register and participate in the selection process. Seats will be assigned based on the candidate’s NIFT 2023 merit rank and the option chosen at the time of registration.

Also Checkout: Pearl Academy Entrance Exam: All You Need to Know!

NIFT 2023 Entrance Examination Centre

The NIFT exam is conducted in 32 cities in India. You can only select one preferred examination city during the application process. 

State	City
Gujarat	Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara
Karnataka	Bengaluru
Madhya Pradesh	Bhopal
Odisha	Bhubaneswar
Punjab	Chandigarh
Tamil Nadu	Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai
Uttarakhand	Dehradun
Delhi	New Delhi
Assam	Guwahati
Telangana	Hyderabad
Rajasthan	Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur
Jammu and Kashmir	Jammu and Srinagar
Himachal Pradesh	Kangra
Kerala	Kannur and Kochi
West Bengal	Kolkata
Uttar Pradesh	Lucknow
Maharashtra	Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune
Bihar	Patna
Chhattisgarh	Raipur
Jharkhand	Ranchi
Andhra Pradesh	Visakhapatnam
Meghalaya	Shillong

NIFT Admission Process and Selection Criteria

Your selection process for NIFT admission is based on your written test, situation test and interview. Also, for admission to MDes, MFM and MFTech courses, candidates will need to appear for PI/GD. The weightage of the entrance exam for different courses is as follows:

NIFT 2023 Counselling

Candidates are requested to register themselves on the official website in order to participate in the counselling process. They need to enter their choice of campus and a system-generated letter will be issued to the shortlisted candidates with details regarding the counselling schedule.

Take a look at the important documents you need to carry for the verification process:

• Academic certificates up to the qualifying examination. In case, you are appearing in the final examination, all original mark sheets of the previous semester/year along with the date sheet/admit card.
• DD of requisite fee in case the candidate has paid the application fee offline. The candidate’s name, counselling date, contact number, program, NIFT entrance exam rank and roll number should be clearly mentioned at the back of the DD.
• Date of Birth proof
• Relevant documentation to claim reservation, if needed.
• Parents’ income certification for tuition fee funding, if needed.
• Medical certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner.
• Anti-ragging and fee refund declaration
• Affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper of ₹10 (in case of provisional admission)

Note: There are no charges for the initial round of counselling, however, you need to pay ₹ 5000 for each subsequent round of counselling.

NIFT Entrance Exam Pattern 2023

There will be a written Examination for all UG and PG Design Courses. The exam patterns for each exam are as follows:

General Ability Test (GAT)

GAT for both BDes and MDes is conducted in English/Hindi for a duration of 120 minutes.

Programme	BDes	MDes
Sections	Number of Questions	Number of Questions
Quantitative Ability	20	20
Communication Ability	25	30
English Comprehension	25	30
Analytical Ability	15	25
GK and Current Affairs	15	15
Total	100	120

GAT for both BDes and MDes is conducted in English/Hindi for a duration of 180 minutes.

Programme	BFTech	MFTech	MFM
Sections	Number of Questions	Number of Questions	Number of Questions
Quantitative Ability	30	30	10
Communication Ability & English Comprehension	45	45	50
Analytical & Logical Ability	25	25	25
GK and Current Affairs	25	25	25
Case Study	25	25	40
Total	150	150	150

Note: The number of questions in the NIFT entrance exam may vary in each section for each course every year besides the difficulty of the questions. Also, MFTech will have some questions from the engineering field.

Creative Ability Test (CAT)

Conducted for both UG and PG design courses to analyse the intuitive ability, and power of observation in the concept of design development, CAT tests the creative use of colour and illustration skills of the candidates. 

Situation Test for UG Design Courses

Shortlisted candidates for BDes from the Written Test are required to take the Situation Test which evaluates their skills for material handling and innovative ability in a given situation. The evaluation of the test will be done on the spot by the Jury and the model will not be preserved for future reference.

Group Discussions & Personal Interviews for all PG Courses 

Shortlisted students for the master’s level program from the Written Test are required to undergo case study-based GD and PI wherein the GD would comprise approximately 15 to 20 minutes of conversation. Candidates are tested on the following various parameters:

• Academic and co-curricular achievements
• Creative and lateral thinking ability
• Communication skills
• Career orientation
• Aptness for the selected program

Must Read: Career in Fashion Designing [Step-by-Step Guide]

Courses offered for NIFT Entrance Exam

Every year, the institute conducts the NIFT entrance exam for more than 20,000 students aspiring to enrol in design programs. The applicants are judged based on their knowledge, skill and aptitude for the chosen course. Here are the following courses offered through NIFT Entrance Exam:

List of UG Courses offered by NIFT Entrance Exam:

• BDes Fashion Design (FD)
• BDes Leather Design (LD)
• BDes Accessory Design (AD)
• BDes Accessory Design (AD)
• BDes Knitwear Design (KD) 
• BDes Fashion Communication (FC)
• BFTech Apparel Production (AP)

List of PG Courses offered by NIFT Entrance Exam:

• MDes
• MFM
• MFTech

Must Read: M Des (Master of Design)

NIFT Entrance Exam Eligibility Criteria

Here are the eligibility criteria for different courses that NIFT Entrance exam offers:

Bachelor’s Programs (BDes and BTech)

Candidates who fulfil the following age and educational qualification criteria can apply for the concerned program:

1. Qualifying Age: Maximum age of the candidate should be 23 years as of October 1, 2022. And the upper age limit may be relaxed by a period of 5 years for candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD categories.
2. Educational Qualification: The candidates can have either of the following:
   • Passed 10+2 from the recognised Central/State Board of Secondary Examination.
   • Passed Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by National Open School with at least 5 subjects.
   • Obtained a 3 or 4-year diploma accredited by AICTE or a State Board of Technical Education.
   • Any public board examination in India or abroad recognised by the Association of Indian Universities is equivalent to a 10+2 system.
   • GCE (General Certificate Education) examination (Cambridge/London/Sri Lanka) at the Advanced ‘A’ level/international baccalaureate.

Note: The educational qualifications for BFTech are similar to BDes, however, for BFTech the candidate should be from Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Engineering background.

Master’s Programs (MDes, MFM and MFTech)

Candidates who fulfil the following age and educational qualification criteria can apply for the concerned program:

1. Qualifying Age: No age limit
2. Educational Qualification: The candidates can have either of the following:
   • Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from an accredited institution.
   • Undergraduate diploma of minimum 3 years from NIFT/NID.
   • In the case of MFTech, candidates should have either completed BFTech from NIFT or BE/BTech from a recognised institution.

Must Read: MSc Costume Design And Fashion

NIFT Preparation Tips

Here is a list of NIFT Preparation Tips that a student can use to prepare.

• A minimum of 6 months preparation is required to prepare for the NIFT exam. That is the General Ability Test (GAT) and the Creative Ability Test (CAT).
• Aspirants should be updated about the latest syllabus to ensure systematic preparation
• The GAT exam consists of general knowledge, current affairs, quantitative ability, communication ability, English language, analytical logical ability questions. The CAT exam is a drawing test that examines the skills and observation perspective of the student. It will be a 3 hour examination. 
• Hence, students should prepare for at least 6 months so that enough time is available for mock tests and checking out the previous year’s question papers of NIFT.

Recommended Books for NIFT Entrance Exam 2023 Preparation

Professors and NIFT entrance exam toppers recommend a few books for fashion aspirants from all over India. This will help you with your preparation for the GAT section and your overall preparation.

Have a quick look at the table given below:

NIFT Entrance Exam – Self-Study Guide

Popular Master Guide NIFT by R. Gupta

Bright Careers Guide NIFT Entrance Exam

Arihant NIFT Entrance Exam Self-Study Guide

McGraw Hill Education

NIFT Exam Guide by Dr R P Datason

NIFT Exam Guide by Verma

NIFT Entrance Examination (Guide) by D Mittal

Concepts of Pattern Grading

NIFT Entrance Exams: Ultimate Success Series by Surendra

Prashant Kumar’s NIFT Entrance Examination Preparation Guide

NIFT: Previous Years’ Papers (Solved) by Ramesh Publishing House

FAQs

NIFT entrance exam can be your ticket to enter the country’s renowned fashion institute. While studying at NIFT can be an experience to cherish for a lifetime, cracking the entrance exam can be equally challenging. To help you ace the exam, you can reach out to our experts at Leverage Edu.