NIFT Exam Pattern 2025: Course-wise Questions, Marking Scheme & Weightage, Important Topics

The exam pattern for NIFT GAT varies from one course to the other. The total number of questions asked in NIFT GAT are mentioned below: BDes: 100 questions BFTech: 150 questions MDes: 120 questions MFTech: 150 questions MFM: 150 questions Note that the GAT or the General Ability Test will be conducted in a computer-based mode. Questions will be objective-type. The GAT paper for the B. Des and M.Des programs will be of 120 minutes. However, the GAT paper for the B.FTech M.FTech and MFM courses will be for 180 minutes.

Candidates seeking admission to the B. Des and M.Des course also need to take the Creative Ability Test CAT written exam, in addition to the GAT. The CAT exam will be conducted in an offline, pen-pencil mode. CAT will be a drawing-based exam of 3 hours duration. The CAT will evaluate various skills of the candidate including Intuition skill, power of observation, innovation in the development of a concept as well as design ability. Further, it will examine the creative as well as innovative use of color and illustration skills of aspirants. It is mandatory for B. Des and M.Des candidates to appear in the CAT paper, or else they will not be invited for the Situation Test.

NIFT is not only one of the most competitive entrance exams in the country, with a large number of applicants, but it is also among the toughest. The syllabus for the NIFT exam is quite vast, and most of the questions can range from medium to difficult.

So, to prepare for an exam like NIFT, you need to have enough time in your hands.

If you are only beginning your NIFT 2025 now, you will have enough time to go through the entire syllabus. 

However, if 4 months is all you have, you need to pace your preparation accordingly. For instance, it will be foolhardy to try to complete the entire syllabus from the get go, because that you will put unnecessary pressure on yourself and things can only get complicated.

Instead, what you can do is make a list of high-scoring, easy-to-prepare topics. First master these topics as fast as you can. Make a study plan if you need to. Once you are done with these topics, you can move to the next category of topics, and continue this strategy until you complete the entire topic.

Also, if you are not able to complete a topic because you are finding it too difficult, don’t panic and waste time jostling with it for long. Leave it for the time being, and come back to tackle it later if you have time in your hands.

Do solve sample papers and previous years NIFT papers as much you can.

The written tests for the NIFT 2025 exam will be held on February 9, 2025. The detailed schedule has also been released.

The written tests will comprise a General Ability Test (GAT) and a Creative Ability Test (CAT). GAT is mandatory for all candidates, but CAT is only required for B. Des and M. Des candidates. 

The GAT test will be considered in a computer-based mode, whereas the CAT will be offline based. Note that scores of the written exams will be used to shortlist candidates for a Situation Test/ Personal Interview.

While there is no shortcut to success, it is always possible to achieve more by being smart and making judicious use of ones time. 

Here are some useful tips that will help you prepare for NIFT 2025 exam. 

1. At the outset, quickly go through the NIFT 2025 exam pattern and syllabus. Make sure that you follow the official syllabus and pattern when preparing for the exam.
2. You need to take note if there are any new topics that are being added. Also, check if any old topics are dropped.
3. Ensure you follow only the updated syllabus.
4. Next, get hold of best books that cover the entire syllabus.
5. Make a time table taking into account the difficulty level of each topic and also weightage carried by them.
6. Take notes during study; these notes will come in very handy closer to the exam when you need to do quick revisions.
7. Solve sample papers and previous years question papers.
8. Take mock tests.

The NIFT exam is among the competitive and is also considered among the toughest. So, it is recommended that the candidate starts their exam preparation well in advance, say with around 1 years time in hand. Note that the NIFT exam has various components like written exam and Situation Test /Personal Interview. Candidates seeking admission to the B. Des and M.Des courses need to prepare for both the CAT and GAT. The CAT is a drawing-based exam, meaning the candidate will be evaluated on parameters like intuitive ability, power of observation in concept development, and design ability. Now unless the candidate is already well-versed, developing these skills will take time. So, it is prudent to start early. The same goes for the GAT.

The participating institutes of NIFTs offer a 4-year B.FTech programme. Admission to the programme is based on GAT scores. The NIFT 2024 GAT question paper for the programme will be of 180 minutes and will be bilingual. Candidates will have the option to take the exam either in English or Hindi. The question type will be multiple-choice. The question paper will have a total of 150 questions. Questions will be asked from the following FIVE sections - Communication Ability and Comprehension, Case Study, Quantitative Ability, Analytical & Logical Ability, and GK and Current Affairs. The mode of NIFT 2024 exam for the GAT paper will be computer-based-test (or CBT).. .

The GAT paper for the M.Des programme will be of 120 minutes and will include 120 multiple-choice questions. The questions will be set in English and Hindi the candidate will be able to select their language at the time of filling out the NIFT 2025 application form. Questions will be asked from the following topics - Communication Ability, English Comprehension, Quantitative Ability, Analytical Ability, and GK and Current Affairs. The Communication Ability, English Comprehension, Quantitative Ability sections will each include 30 questions, whereas Analytical Ability will have 20 questions, and GK and Current Affairs will have 15 questions. The candidate must strictly follow the official exam pattern only, as questions will be asked as the given syllabus.

The NIFT 2024 General Ability Test (GAT) for the B. Des is conducted as a LAN-based, CBT exam. The exam is conducted in a centre-based mode and is bi-lingual. The duration of the exam is 120 minutes. The candidates will have to attempt 100 multiple-choice questions, which will be asked from sections like Communication Ability, English Comprehension, Quantitative Ability, Analytical Ability, and GK and Current Affairs. The GAT paper will be conducted first, followed by the Creative Ability Test (CAT). Candidates will be shortlisted for a Personal Interview (2nd stage) based on their performance in the written exams (CAT and GAT).

Candidates will be shortlisted for the Situation Test on the basis of their performance in the CAT and GAT written exams. The Situation Test will evaluate the - material handling and the innovative ability - of the candidate. Some of the key parameters that will be evaluated include Space Visualization, Innovative and creative use of given material, the composition of elements, color scheme, construction skill, the finesse of the model and overall presentation, etc. After making the model, the candidate will also have to draft a write-up explaining the model. The write-up should clearly explain the concept/idea behind the model constructed. Also, the write-up should be in English only. Write-ups in any other language will not be accepted. The candidate has to make the model using material provided inside the exam hall. No other material will be allowed.

The NIFT will be a multi-stage exam. For instance, for admission to the B. Des programme, the candidate has to first appear in the written exams GAT and CAT; if shortlisted, the candidate has to next appear in a Situation Test. 

M.Des candidates, on the other hand, who get shortlisted (based on GAT and CAT scores) have to appear in a Personal Interview (instead of the Situation Test). 

Note that the final result of NIFT 2025 will be prepared by giving weightage to each test component. 

In case of the B. Des programme, the final result will be prepared by giving 50% weightage to CAT 30% weightage to GAT and 20% weightage to the Situation Test. In case of the M.Des programme, the CAT carries 40% weightage, while the Personal Interview and GAT carries 30% weightage each.

The National Institute of Fashion Technology revised the syllabus for the NIFT 2024 exam. 

The revised syllabus was outlined in the NIFT 2024 admission prospectus.

The exam conducting body had revised the syllabus and pattern for the B.Des and B.F.Tech programs. However, no changes in the syllabus and pattern was made to the PG courses.c

Under the revised format, the Communication and English comprehension for the B.Des program will include a total of 40 questions. Previously, 50 questions were asked, 25 each from each section.

So, candidates appearing in the B.Des and B.F.Tech courses need to follow the updated pattern.

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has released the sylabus for the NIFT 2024 exam at the time of the release of the admission brochure (or prospectus).

It contains the detailed topics to be covered in the written exam and Situation Test/ GDPI.

Note that NIFT written exam comprise the Creative Ability Test (CAT) and General Ability Test (GAT). 

The prospectus has been updated online at the admission portal of NIFT - niftadmissions. 

The candidate can download the prospectus and go through the exam syllabus.

With the written exam now over, the candidate may focus their attention to the Situation Test/ Personal Interview.

Admission to the design courses at NIFTs is based on performance of the candidate in the Studio Test, Interview round, and verification of documents/ eligibility criteria. The Studio Test carries a weightage of 40%, while the Interview carries 20% weightage. During the Studio Test, the candidate will be asked to make a 3D-model. The material to make the model will be provided to the candidate inside the exam hall; note that no other material is allowed. Candidates who get shortlisted for admission need to get their documents verified and also meet the prescribed eligibility criteria.

Under the NIFT lateral entry admission (NLEA) scheme, the candidate can get admission directly to the 3rd semester of the B. Des programme. Candidates opting for the NLEA scheme need to first appear in the General Ability Test (GAT). Candidates who get shortlisted has to next appear in a Studio Test, and finally in a Personal Interview. The GAT test will carry 40% weightage, Studio Test carries 40% weightage, while the Interview carries 20% weightage. It is mandatory for the candidate to appear in all the stages of the exam. If not, he or she will not be included in the admission merit list.

There are no fixed number of sample papers that the candidate needs to solve for the NIFT exam. That being said the candidate must solve as many sample papers as possible to improve ones problem-solving and time-management skills. To get the most out of the sample papers, it is recommended that the candidate starts solving sample papers as early as possible. For instance, the candidate may solve sample questions after completing a chapter. Along with solving the sample papers, it is also important for the candidate to analyze their performance. This exercise will help the candidate identify weak areas or pain points and fix them at infancy.

NIFT is not only one of the most competitive entrance exams in the country, with a large number of applicants, but it is also among the toughest. The syllabus for the NIFT 2024 exam is quite vast, and most of the questions can range from medium to difficult.

So, to prepare for an exam like NIFT 2024, you need to have enough time in your hands.

If you are only beginning your NIFT 2024 now, i.e., with only a few months left for the exam, you need to pace your preparation accordingly. For instance, it will be foolhardy to try to complete the entire syllabus from the get go, because that you will put unnecessary pressure on yourself and things can only get complicated.

Instead, what you can do is make a list of high-scoring, easy-to-prepare topics. First master these topics as fast as you can. Make a study plan if you need to. Once you are done with these topics, you can move to the next category of topics, and continue this strategy until you complete the entire topic.

If you are not able to complete a topic because you are finding it too difficult, don’t panic and waste time jostling with it for long. Leave it for the time being, and come back to tackle it later if you have time in your hands.

Do solve sample papers and previous years NIFT papers as much you can.

As per the official exam pattern released by NIFT, the question paper for GAT M.FTech will be of 180 minutes. The exam will be conducted in a LAN-based, CBT mode. The GAT paper will have 150 multiple-choice questions. These questions will be asked from - Communication Ability and Comprehension, Case Study, Quantitative Ability, Analytical & Logical Ability, and GK and Current Affairs. Also, the GAT paper will be bilingual, meaning the candidate can appear in the GAT paper either in English or Hindi language. The choice of language has to be made when filling out the NIFT 2024 online application form.

The NIFT 2025 question paper for the GAT paper M.FTech programme) will be of 180 minutes and conducted in an online mode. The question paper will include 150 multiple-choice questions. These questions will be asked from the following sections - Communication Ability and Comprehension, Case Study, Quantitative Ability, Analytical & Logical Ability, and GK and Current Affairs. The candidate has the option to appear in the GAT paper either in English or Hindi language. The choice of language can be selected at the time of filling out the online application form.

As per the official exam pattern released by NIFT, the question paper for GAT M.FTech will be of 180 minutes. The exam will be conducted in a LAN-based, CBT mode. The GAT paper will have 150 multiple-choice questions. These questions will be asked from - Communication Ability and Comprehension, Case Study, Quantitative Ability, Analytical & Logical Ability, and GK and Current Affairs. Also, the GAT paper will be bilingual, meaning the candidate can appear in the GAT paper either in English or Hindi language. The choice of language has to be made when filling out the NIFT 2025 online application form.