The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) conducts the NIFT entrance examination annually to select students for its courses like Bachelor of Design (BDes), Bachelor of Fashion Technology (BTech), Master of Design (MDes), Master of Fashion Management (MFM), and Master of Fashion Technology (MTech). 

Viewed as a pioneer in fashion design education, the NIFT headquarters is located in New Delhi. NIFT also has been instituted in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Jodhpur, Kangra, Kannur, Patna, Shillong, Raebareli, Srinagar, and Panchkula. 

NIFT was given the status of a statutory organisation in 2006 by an Act of the Indian Parliament. NIFT has likewise been operating as an information specialist along with the Union and State governments in the space of design development and sourcing of handlooms and crafted works throughout the recent years. 

Around 22,000 candidates appear for the selection test for the undergraduate courses every year. Out of these 22,000 candidates, only 7,700 applicants ace the test. Almost 2,400 seats are allocated to the applicants based on their merit.

As evident from this intense competition, you need to follow a clear NIFT study plan to ace the test with flying colours. 

Tips On How To Plan For NID DAT 2021 

The following study plan will exceptionally help students who need a strategy to prepare for the examination.

NIFT Study Material

All NIFT toppers and teachers of the institute suggest some essential books that students should use. They will assist students in improving their speed and help them thoroughly prepare for the test.

The following is the list of recommended books for NIFT preparation:

• McGraw Hill Education
• NIFT Exam Guide by Verma
• Concepts of Pattern Grading
• NIFT Exam Guide by Dr R. P. Datason
• 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
• NIFT Entrance Examination (Guide) by D Mittal
• 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

Understand The Exam Syllabus Thoroughly

Students need to go through the exam syllabus before strategising the entire plan of action. Students have to appear for the General Ability Test (GAT) and Creativity Ability Test (CAT), and they should be familiar with all the subjects of GAT and CAT.

NIFT Entrance Test - GAT Syllabus 

The following are some of the topics that you need to study to prepare for the GAT:

• Understanding in English
• General knowledge
• Current affairs knowledge
• Quantitative Ability
• Analytical ability
• Communication ability

NIFT Entrance Test - CAT Syllabus

The following are some of the topics that you need to study to prepare for the GAT:

• Designing ability
• Illustration skills
• Knowledge and use of colour palette
• Intuitive ability
• Observation power

Candidates who have clear CAT and GAT become eligible for the NIFT selection test, which assesses their capability in handling various types of materials. 

Subject-Wise Preparation 

The following is a subject-wise breakdown that will help you to prepare in an organised manner for NIFT.

English 

The questions revolve around the concepts of syntax and grammar. Other questions are – synonyms, antonyms, idioms & phrases, spot the errors, cloze test, fill in the blanks, sentence correction, analogies, spelling errors, one-word substitution, and ordering of sentences/passage. To prepare for this subject, make it a point to speak in English consistently to improve your vocabulary immensely. 

Reasoning 

Reasoning includes Verbal and Non-verbal. The following topics are series, coding-decoding, directions, ranking, sitting arrangement, syllogism, calendar, clocks, eligibility criteria, blood relations, cubes and dices, line counting, graph, puzzles etc.

General Knowledge and Current Affairs (Fashion GK included): 

It involves static GK and current affairs questions, with attention on fashion GK. Students need to possess knowledge about the latest trends and the history of the fashion industry. 

To prepare for this, read newspapers, fashion magazines, and editorials every day. Watch and analyse various television advertisements as well as their slogans. 

For the GK section, topics generally revolve around fashion, brands, logos, design terms, global occasions, celebrities, influential individuals, Miss World and Miss Universe titles, apparel materials, and questions related to the recent trends in the industry. 

Conduct thorough research about sports, culture, and the historical events of India. Be up to date about current issues identified with political developments of national significance, social and economic issues. 

Mathematics

The following topics are covered: 

Number system, ratio proportion, averages, ages, profit and loss, speed time, upstream & downstream, mixtures & allegations, pipes, and cisterns, work time, simple interest, compound interest, measurement, set theory, trigonometry, height & distance, permutation n combination and probability.

Learning Time Management

Using time productively is one of the critical abilities that can be learned not to hurry or panic when you answer the questions and have enough time to formulate them in vivid detail. 

When answering the questions, you need to accelerate your speed. Indeed, while appearing for the paper, you should be cautious because time will negatively affect your accuracy. 

Rehearsing is the best method for accomplishing an ideal harmony between speed and accuracy. The more you train, the quicker and more accurate you will get! 

Improve Your Sketching Skills 

One of the essential skills to dominate the fashion business is undoubted - sketching. If you can't communicate your thoughts on paper, your imaginative and creative ideas are of zero value. 

To improve your sketching skills, work on improving them every day. Make it a point to always carry a drawing book along with you since you never know when a brilliant idea can strike you like a thunderbolt! This practice alone will develop your drawing expertise significantly and make you immensely better at your craft!

Keep the following tips in mind while sketching:

• The figures you draw must be in absolutely perfect proportion.
• Your pencil strokes need to be very crisp and clear, and there should be no indication of the past strokes being erased.
• Your perception abilities will directly reflect in your drawings, so be innovative and creative. 
• Do not be stressed as it is not a "one-hit-wonder: scenario; after dedicating your time, you will be able to draw with ease and perfection. 

Habits That Will Help You Become Better At Sketching

The following habits will incredibly assist you in improving and refining your sketching skills:

Sketch A Lot

Create a lot of sketches - when you feel inspired and even when you don't. Take it up as a challenge, and you will push yourself to become better at this valuable skill. 

Scavenge through dailies, diaries, magazines, blogs, and websites to be inspired by other artists. But at the end of the day, focus on creating your unique sketching.

Sketch With A Light Hand

It makes absolutely no sense to draw darker and then find mistakes. It would help if you erased it tremendously, and it becomes incredibly tedious. Also, it influences your psychological mind frame. Start with a light hand and make it darker later once you are sure about your sketch. 

Detailing Skills

A piece of art can be refined to become magnificent using the power of details. 

Give enough consideration to detailing – whether it is a human face or an outfit. Subtleties, complexities, and intricate details that you showcase in your work will reflect your professionalism! 

Illustrative Skills

Improve your superior skills to put life in your sketches. These outstanding skills will energise your work and help you bring out your work's structures and proportions exceptionally.

Calligraphy 

If you are well-versed with calligraphy, it will help you design various banners and posters. 

If you are not a specialist yet, learn various typography s and fonts to empower you to execute your design outstandingly.

Refine Your Visualization and Observation Skills

Creativity, Observation, and Visualization abilities assume a crucial part in attempting the questions of the NIFT test. 

Alongside the extraordinary drawing abilities, representation, imagination, and perception of a candidate are likewise assessed. So, make it a point to refine and develop your visual and observing skills to ace the test!

Solve Sample Papers and Previous Year's Question Paper

Solving the sample and previous year's papers is the ideal approach to understand the paper pattern and the overall difficulty of the test. It likewise gives you a clear idea regarding the sort of questions that may be asked in the final exam. 

Rehearsing test papers will acclimate you with answering the questions quickly without feeling stressed out.

Create Brief Notes For Quick Revision 

It won't be feasible to go through the whole NIFT syllabus during the last minute of preparation. 

Thus, it is recommended that you jot down short notes about the main subjects and essential topics that you think should be revised during the last two days of appearing for the exam. 

This would help you to concentrate on essential topics which hold more weight in the final test. 

Allocate Time For Revision

Do not cover your nose under the pile of books till the last day. Allocate the last month exclusively for revision. Rather than mugging up new topics, your focus should undoubtedly be on revising the old issues thoroughly.

Take Consistent Breaks

Keep taking breaks in the middle of your studying hours. It helps you improve your focus and boosts the information retention abilities of your mind without the risk of feeling burnt-out. 

Rest and Eat on Time

This is, without a doubt, the most underestimated system and tip. Dozing and eating on time keep the mind fresh and help you to study better. Infrequent or more minor sleep will have an awful impact on your body and mind. 7-8 hours of sleep is essential to have an invigorated sense for practical study sessions.

Final Thoughts 

By following this NIFT Study Plan with complete dedication, you will be assured to appear for the exam with the ultimate confidence. Remember to be sincere, focused, and true to yourself while preparing for the final exam. 

All the best for your exam! We genuinely hope that these tips help you to ace this examination exceptionally!