NIFT Syllabus 2026 PDF Download Here [Subject-Wise]

Q: Which subjects are required for NIFT?

A passing grade in the Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Open School with a minimum of five subjects with Physics and Mathematics.

Q: Is NIFT very difficult?

The NIFT exam is considered to be moderately difficult. Cracking the National Institute of Fashion Technology NIFT Entrance Exam can be challenging but not impossible. With structured guidance and consistent practice, you can pass the exam with a rank.

Q: Which stream is best for NIFT?

If you want to do B.Des in NIFT, then you can select any stream in which you are interested [science, commerce, arts]. But, If you are interested in BF tech [bachelor of fashion and technology ], opt for PCM since maths is a compulsory subject.

Q: What is the NIFT Entrance Exam Syllabus 2026 for GAT?

The NIFT Exam Syllabus for GAT include quantitative ability, communication ability, English comprehension, analytical ability, general knowledge, and current affairs.

Q: What is the NIFT Syllabus for situation test for 2026?

In the situation test, you will be tested on Conceptualization Skills, Colour scheme, Innovative ideas, Composition of elements, Working methodology, Creative use of materials provided, etc.

Q: What is the syllabus for NIFT Entrance Exam for PI?

The NIFT Syllabus for PI includes General Awareness, Communication skills, knowledge of current fashion industry trends, and creative &amp; lateral thinking.

Q: What is the syllabus for B.Des at NIFT?

For the first two semesters, the syllabus will be the same for all the BDes students among all the NIFT Centers. You will be learning about basic drawing skills, geometry, introduction to elements of design, color theories, digital design, art and design aesthetics, fashion studies, etc.

Q: What is the syllabus of the NIFT B.Des fashion design course in the 2nd year?

In the 2nd year, you will be studying the following topics:<ul><li>Pattern making and draping </li><li>Garnment construction</li><li>Illustration and flats</li><li>Surface ornamentation</li></ul>

Author : Vineeta Agrawal

November 28, 2025

Summary: Through a blend of Creative Ability Test (CAT) and General Ability Test (GAT), the NIFT Exam aims to evaluate students for artistic abilities, problem-solving skills and efficiency required to make a thriving career in fashion industry. Read on and download the NIFT Syllabus 2026 pdf with detailed topics to cover and ace your preparations!

The NIFT exam scores are utilized to offer various UG and PG programs in fashion and its related domains at the National Institute of Fashion Technology. Having insight into the NIFT Exam Pattern and syllabus for 2026 can help you decide which subjects and topics to concentrate on for this entrance test.

It is conducted in 2 stages. A CAT & GAT test followed by situation test or personal interview, depending on the program you have applied for.

This article takes you through the NIFT Syllabus 2026 the for each section along with important topics, best study material recommendations and expert tips to crack the exam. Keep reading!

NIFT Syllabus 2026 for Creative Ability Test (CAT)

NIFT CAT is administered for both UG and PG Design Programmes to evaluate a candidate's:

Creativity
Observation Power
Intuitive Ability
Imagination & Conceptulization
Innovation and Development of Concept
Innovative Use of Colours
Illustration Skill
Storyboarding & Sequential Drawing
Product Redesign & Innovative Thinking
Poster Making & Visual Messaging
Design Problem Solving (with constraints)

NIFT Syllabus for CAT section (Only for B.Des & M.Des): Sample Questions:

Draw an imaginary creature using parts of 3 different animals.
Redesign a toothbrush for elderly users.
Create a poster on the theme “Save Water” using only visuals.
Create a story in 4 frames based on the scene: “You miss your train.”

You must note that the National Institute of Fashion Technology has not released any official NIFT 2026 syllabus for the CAT exam, however our in-house experts at Toprankers who've led several toppers to their dream NIFT colleges, have prepared detailed NIFT syllabus with essential topic-wise list of various sections for your reference.

These topics are in-line with the NIFT question papers from the previous year, which are listed below.

Resource: Complete NIFT 2026 Syllabus PDF FREE Download, that not only list out all the important topics that are most likely to be asked in the 2026 exam, but also gives you a doable study plan that you can follow along with school and other commitments. Created by our in-house experts (NIFT Alumni) and referred by our past year NIFT toppers, this fail-proof strategy can help you crack the exam in one go.

NIFT Syllabus 2026 for General Ability Test (GAT)

The NIFT Syllabus 2026 for GAT to pursue the NIFT Fashion Designing Course includes the following components:

Quantitative Ability
Communication Ability & English Comprehension
Analytical & Logical ability
General Knowledge & Current Affairs
Case Study

Check: NIFT Answer Key

The section-wise details of the NIFT syllabus GAT section are as follows:

Section	Objective	Topics Covered in NIFT GAT Syllabus
Quantitative Ability	This section tests your quantitative ability skills	Addition, Multiplication, Division, Fractions, Percentage, Rate of Interest, Work and Task, Ratio and Proportion, and Distance.
Communication Ability	You will be tested on language skills and their use in day-to-day communication in English.	Synonyms, Antonyms, Words with corresponding meanings, Singular, Plural, One-word Substitutes, Idioms and Phrases, Spelling correction.
English Comprehension	Your reading and comprehension abilities of a given situation in the unseen passage are tested in this section.	English language skills through the questions based on the course
Analytical Ability	The questions are designed to test your capacity to infer and use logic from the given information.	Questions from the areas of logical reasoning where you are supposed to draw logical conclusions from the analytical reasoning questions
General Knowledge and Current Affairs	Questions are designed to test your general awareness and current affairs.	Current affairs and general knowledge.
Case Study	This test is based on an industry environment, where you analyze and provide solutions to the questions. It is designed primarily to test your managerial skills.

Check: Download NIFT Results links here

NIFT Syllabus 2026 for Situation Test

This evaluation is for admissions into all the NIFT participating colleges.

The test helps determine the creative dimension of your mind, and you are asked to prepare a prototype or 3D model from the materials received. In this test, as a part of the NIFT 2026 syllabus, you are largely evaluated based on the below-mentioned parameters:

Space visualization
3D model creation based on a given theme, functional product design, or story-based scenarios
Innovative and creative use of allotted materials
Functional Product Design
Composition of elements
Colour scheme
Overall presentation

Read More: How to download NIFT Admit Card

These parameters will be evaluated in the write-up you will have to write along with the model/prototype making, explaining the concept behind the model constructed.

Prepare well for this test because once you clear this, the life at NIFT that awaits you is exciting!

Sample questions for Situation Test

1. Design a headgear/ mask inspired by:

Alien
Underwater Creatures
Mythological Character

2. Create a scene based on:

Folk tales like Ramayana
Fairy tales
A tale from the Panchtantra

3. Design a character depicting the city/culture you belong to.

4. Create a futuristic office area of:

Author
Social Media Influencer
Veterinary

5. Create models on any of the following themes:

Digital India
Make in India
Save Girl Child

NIFT Syllabus 2026 for Group Discussion (GD)

The panel of experts will assess your leadership qualities, conceptual clarity, problem-solving skills, etc., in the group discussion.

Conceptual clarity	Knowledge of the topic assigned
Contribution to the case	Interpersonal skills
Ability to generate new ideas	Problem-solving approach
Leadership qualities	Effective communication

Overall, learn effective ways to attempt CAT questions in NIFT or short tricks to score more marks on the GAT paper to boost your score.

NIFT Syllabus 2026 for Personal Interview (PI)

You will be tested on the following parameters during the personal interview for the exam:

There's no defined NIFT 2026 syllabus for this round, it just have to be your confidence and clarity that makes you stand out!

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

NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Highlights

The NIFT 2026 entrance exam will be divided into two parts:

Step 1: Written exams

General Ability Test
Creative Ability Test (only B.Des and M.Des candidates need to take CAT)

Short listed candidates from the written entrance examination are required to take the Situation test/Group Discussion (GD) / Interview as applicable (except B.FTech).

Step 2: Situation Test (B.Des) & Personal Interview (All PG programs)

Let's take a look at the NIFT 2026 highlights in the table below:

Exam Name	NIFT 2026
Full-Form	National Institute of Fashion Technology
Courses Offered	Bachelor of Design (B.Des)
	Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.FTech)
	Master of Design (M.Des)
	Master of Fashion Technology (M.FTech)
	Master of Fashion Management (M.F.M)
Exam Type	Undergraduate & Postgraduate
Exam Level	National Level
Conducting Body	National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi
Total seats	4837 (including UG & PG courses, excluding NRI students)
Participating Institutes	16 campuses
Mode of the exam	Offline (Pen and Paper) for CAT, Online Computer-based for GAT, and Offline Hands-on for Situation Test
Application Mode	Online mode

Also check: NIFT Hyderabad Placements

NIFT Exam Pattern 2026

NIFT entrance exam paper pattern and the NIFT syllabus vary for each course. CAT & GAT exam for NIFT Phase 1 are written tests. For some courses both the exams are required while for other only GAT is required. This is followed by Phase 2 of NIFTEE which is Situation Test for some courses and GD/PI for others.

Exam rounds to attend for each course are as follows:

For B.Des, you must appear for CAT, GAT, and Situation Test.
For M.Des, you must appear for CAT, GAT, and GD/ PI.
For B.FTech, you must appear for GAT.
For M.FTech and MFM applicants, the selection process will be through GAT and GD/ PI.

Note:

General Ability Test (GAT) will be a Computer Based Test (CBT).
Creative Ability Test (CAT) will be a Paper Based Test (PBT).

The NIFT 2026 GAT exam pattern for B.Des and M.Des -

Programme	B.Des	M.Des
Paper Name	GAT	GAT
Language Of Written Test	English/Hindi	English/Hindi
Test Duration (Min)	120	120
Communication Ability	25	30
English Comprehension	25	30
Quantitative Ability	20	20
Analytical Ability	15	25
General Knowledge and Current Affairs	15	15
Total No. of Questions	100	120

The NIFT 2026 GAT exam pattern for B.FTech, M.FTech & MFM -

Programme	B.FTech	M.FTech	M.F.M
Paper Name	GAT	GAT	GAT
Language Of Written Test	English/Hindi	English/Hindi	English/Hindi
Test Duration (Min)	180	180	180
Sections	No. of Questions	No. of Questions	No. of Questions
Communication Ability & English Comprehension	45	45	50
Case Study	25	25	40
Quantitative Ability	30	30	10
Analytical & Logical Ability	25	25	25
General Knowledge and Current Affairs	25	25	25
Total No. of Questions	150	150	150

Note: M.FTech will also have some questions from the engineering field. The number of questions may vary in each section and for each course year to year. The level of difficulty in questions for all courses may vary.

Also Check: NIFT Exam Eligibilty

NIFT Preparation Books & Study Material 2026

Choose the right books that cover all topics per the latest Fashion Designing Syllabus NIFT to score good marks on the exam.

You may consider referring to the following NIFT Preparation Books listed in the table below:

Name of the Book	Name of the Author
NIFT, NID, and IIFT Entrance Exam Guide	D Mittal
NIFT, NID/ IIFT Admission Test	By Surendra Kalimantan
Guide to NIFT/ NID for Groups A, B, and C	RP Datson
NIFT EntranceRPm Mock Papers	D Mittal
NIFT entrance exam preparation course	Prashant Kumar

Or invest in CreativeEdge NID Study Material. 12+ booklets carefully created by industry expert mentors and NIFT Alumni to target and crack the NIFT entrance exam.

They offer just the right balance of theoretical concepts + explanations and practice exercises/previous year questions/mock tests.

Check: List of NIFT exam centres

Conclusion

The NIFT Syllabus 2026 provides a comprehensive overview of the subjects and skills required to excel in the National Institute of Fashion Technology entrance exams.

NIFT offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in fashion design, and understanding the NIFT 2026 syllabus is crucial, as around 50,000–60,000 students appear for the entrance exams each year.

The exams consist of a Creative Ability Test (CAT), General Ability Test (GAT), Situational Analysis, Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI) segments, each assessing specific skills and knowledge areas.

Check:NIFT Previous Year Question Paper with Solutions

Key takeaways:

The Creative Ability Test (CAT) evaluates candidates' creativity, design skills, and artistic abilities, covering design theory, colour terminology, and visual logic.
The General Ability Test (GAT) assesses quantitative ability, communication skills, English comprehension, analytical ability, general knowledge, and current affairs.
The Situation Test evaluates candidates' material handling, innovation, creativity, and prototype development abilities.
Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) measure leadership qualities, problem-solving skills, communication skills, and overall aptitude for the fashion industry.
Thorough preparation and practice, especially in areas covered by the NIFT 2026 syllabus, are essential for success in these competitive exams.

Enrol here to boost your NIFT Exam Preparation: NIFT 2026 Online Coaching by CreativeEdge

Table of contents

Rephrase2

Attempt a Free NIFT Mock Test

Fill your details

Recently Published

NID Studio Test Questions with Solutions [Download Free PDF]