NIFTEE Date 2026 (OUT): Check NIFT Stage 1 & 2 Exam Schedule Here

National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam 2026 ( NIFT Entrance Exam )

DeskCalelnderAdmit Card - 2 Jun '26

This exam is conducted for courses given below:
Sayeba Naushad
Updated on Apr 1, 2026 23:16 IST

By Sayeba Naushad, Assistant Manager

NIFT Important Dates 2026 - The result for NIFTEE 2026 Stage 1 was announced on March 20. The result was expected to be declared in the last week of April 2026 but was released much earlier. NTA will conduct the NIFT Stage 2 round, which will be held from April 6 to April 11, 2026. NTA released the Call Letter for Interview today, April 01, 2026 for NIFT PG Programmes.

NIFT Entrance Exam was conducted on February 08, 2026. After the conduct of the exam, the provisional answer key was released by NTA on February 17, 2026. 

Latest Updates:

Table of contents
  • NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Exam Dates
  • NIFT Written Exams - Test Timings
  • NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Important Events & Dates
  • NIFT Entrance Exam Dates 2026 for Artisans
  • NIFT Prep Tips 2026
  • NIFT Important Dates 2026 - FAQs

NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Exam Dates

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 exam

DatesUpcoming Exam Dates
07 Apr ' 26 - 11 Apr ' 26

NIFT Stage 2: M.Des and M.F.M Interview

To Be Notified

NIFT Stage 2 Admit Card

To Be Notified

NIFT Stage 2: M.F.Tech Personal Interview

To Be Notified

NIFT Situation Test Stage 2: B.Des

To Be Notified

NIFT Final Result

To Be Notified

NIFT Registration for e-Counselling / Seat Allotment

DatesPast Exam Dates
01 Apr ' 26

NIFTEE Stage 2 Interview Call Letter

20 Mar ' 26

NIFT Stage 1 Result 2026

17 Feb ' 26 - 19 Feb ' 26

NIFT Answer Key and Objection Window

NIFT Entrance Exam Logo

NIFT Written Exams - Test Timings

NIFT test timings for the GAT and CAT written tests are given in the table below. More details will be available in the NIFT Admit card

Programmes

Test

Test Timings

Bachelor of Design

GAT

10:00 am to 12.00 noon

CAT

03.00 pm to 06.00 pm

Bachelor of Fashion Technology

GAT

10:00 am to 01.00 pm

Bachelor of Fashion Technology & Bachelor of Design

GAT

10:00 am to 01.00 pm

CAT

03.00 pm to 06.00 pm

Master of Design

GAT

10:00 am to 12.00 noon

CAT

03.00 pm to 06.00 pm

Master of Fashion Management

GAT

10:00 am to 01.00 pm

Master of Fashion Management and Master of Design

GAT

10:00 am to 01.00 pm

CAT

03.00 pm to 06.00 pm

Master of Fashion Technology

GAT

10:00 am to 01.00 pm

Also Read:

NIFT Entrance Exam Logo

NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Important Events & Dates

Candidates appearing for the NIFT Entrance Exam can go through important exam events for this popular design entrance exam below:

  • NIFT Application Form Dates: The application form for NIFTEE 2026 is closed now. The application form was open online at the NIFT-NTA admission portal. The NTA had also released a detailed exam notification, admission brochure, eligibility criteria, and other pertinent details at the time of the release of the NIFT 2026 application form. 
  • NIFT Admit Card Dates: The NIFT admit card will be released on the NIFT-NTA website. The admit card has to be downloaded from the official website only.
  • NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Date: The NIFTEE exam was conducted on February 08, 2026. The entrance exam will evaluate different parameters, such as aptitude, skills, and knowledge. The NIFT exam has the following components: 1. NIFT Creative Ability Test (CAT), 2. NIFT General Ability Test (GAT), and 3. Situation Test / Personal Interview
  • NIFT Situation Test or PI Dates: Candidates who clear the NIFT entrance exam for BDes then need to appear in a Situation Test wherein their material handling skills are tested. On the other hand, M.Des aspirants need to appear in a Personal Interview round. 
  • NIFT Entrance Exam Result Dates: NIFT results was released on March 20, 2026 for Stage 1 and in the last week of June for Final Result, on the NIFT-NTA admission portal.
  • NIFT Counselling Dates: The counseling schedule for NIFT 2026 will be declared soon after NIFT 2026 final results are declared. The counseling process will have multiple rounds. In the previous edition of the exam, there were three regular rounds of seat allotment followed by a SPOT round. The counselling will begin in the last week of June 2026.

Timeline for NIFT Bachelor of Design (B. Des.) - Artisan Category

The dates for NIFT B.Des Artisan Category is given below.

Events Dates

NIFT Online Registration

08 December 2025

Last date for Online Registration

28 February 2026

Admit Card (Online only)

To be announced later

Artisan Skill Test and Personal Interview

April 2026

Declaration of Final Result (Online)

April 2026

Seat Allocation

May/June 2026

Timeline for NIFT UG / PG NRI/Foreign National/OCI/PIO/SAARC

The dates for NIFT UG / PG NRI/Foreign National/OCI/PIO/SAARC is given below.

Events

Dates

Online Registration

08 December 2025

Last date for online registration

30 April 2026

Last date to receive SAT / GMAT / GRE Scores

30 April 2026

Seat allotment and payment of fees*

May/June 2026

Timeline for NIFT Ph.D. Programme

The dates for NIFT PhD

Events

Dates

Online Registration

08 December 2025

Last date for Online Registration

28 February 2026

Admit Card (Online only)

April 2026

Entrance Examination

April /May 2026

Declaration of Entrance Examination (Online)

May 2026

Research Proposal, Presentation and Interview

May/June 2026

Declaration of Final Result

Last week of June 2026

Also Read:
NIFT Entrance Exam Logo

NIFT Entrance Exam Dates 2026 for Artisans

Check the tentative NIFT dates for Artisans category candidates below.

Events

NIFT Exam Dates 

Start of online applications

December 08, 2025

Last date for applications

Last week of February 2026

Admit card

March 2026

Artisan Skill Test, Personal Interview & Documents Verification at Test
Centres

April 2026

Declaration of final results

May 2026

Seat Allocation June 2026

Eligibility Criteria for NIFT 2026 B.Des Artisan 

The NIFT eligibility criteria for B.Des are

  • Passed the plus 2 level examination in the 10+2 pattern of examination of any recognized Central/ State Board of Secondary Examination, such as Central Board of Secondary Education / State Board New Delhi / Council for Indian School of Certificate Examination, New Delhi. OR
  • A pass grade in the Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Open School with a minimum of five subjects. OR
  • 3 or 4-years Diploma recognized by AICTE or a State Board of Technical; Education after secondary school examination. OR
  • Any Public School/Board/University Examination in India or in foreign countries recognized by the Association of Indian Universities as equivalent to 10+2 system. AND
  • Artisan/Ward of Artisan can seek admission under this category on submission of a valid Artisan Card issued to Self/ Father/ Mother by the Development Commissioner (Handicraft), or Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India or have applied for the Artisan Card before the launch of Prospectus for Admissions-2026 
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NIFT Prep Tips 2026

Follow easy steps below to start with NIFT preparations for admissions:

  • Go through NIFT syllabus 2026 completely.
  • Understand NIFT exam pattern and marking scheme and prepare accordingly.
  • Get all study material for NIFT, such as prep books and previous year's question papers.
  • Create a monthly plan on how much syllabus to cover daily.
  • Solve question papers, sample papers and mock tests.

Also Read:

NIFT Entrance Exam Logo

NIFT Important Dates 2026 - FAQs

Check the important FAQs related to NIFT 2026 important dates below.

Q:   When will slot booking open for the situation test at NIFT 2026?
A: 

Slot booking process for the NIFT Situation Test 2026 will be held a few weeks before the Situation Test. Slot booking process will be held online and will be open for candidates who have qualified in NIFT written exams. As part of the slot booking process, candidate needs to book their date and time slots for Situation Test. Note that slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The details of the slot allocated to the candidate, exam centre, and other key details will be mentioned on the admit card.

Q:   What is the weightage for preparing NIFT 2026 results?
A: 

NIFT Result is prepared on the basis of NIFT Stage 1 and NIFT Stage 2.

Program

Exam

Weightage

B. Des.

GAT

30%

CAT

50%

Situation Test

20%

B.F. Tech.

GAT (Sec-A)

30%

GAT (Sec-B)

70%

B.F. Tech. Opting for B. Des.

GAT (Sec-A)

30%

CAT

50%

Situation Test

20%

 

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

The NIFT 2026 written exam is the 1st stage of the entrance exam and includes the CAT and GAT. The results for the NIFT written exam will be announced sometime in April 2026. The results can be checked online at the NIFT admission portal - niftadmissions. In. To check your results, log in to the result portal using your email id and password. The scores of the NIFT exam will be used to shortlist candidates for a Situation Test or Personal Interview.

Q:   When will NIFT seat allotment announced for Round 1?
A: 

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will release the seat allotment of NIFT 2026 for Round I around the 3rd week of June 2026.

The seat allotment will be based on the merit rank of candidates and the academic option picked at the time of counseling registration. Note that NIFT 2026 counseling will be conducted in four regular and one spot rounds. The admission fee amount for regular seats at all campuses is INR 1,83,000..

Q:   When will slot booking open for the NIFT 2026 Personal Interview?
A: 

Candidates seeking admission to the PG courses at the NIFTs need to appear in a Personal Interview after qualifying the written exam. The slot booking process for the Personal Interview will open soon after results of the NIFT written exams are declared. The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will release the detailed schedule on its admission portal - niftadmissions. In. The slot booking process has to be conducted online. To book a slot, click on the relevant link, log in, and then select the campus and time slot from the available options. Note that slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Q:   When will the NIFT 2026 application form open?
A: 

NIFT Application 2026 is closed now. The registration started on December 08, 2025. NIFT 2026 Application forms and Notifications can be out anytime now for B.Des, M.Des, B.F. Tech, M.F.Tech, and M.F.M programmes. The application form will be released at  @nift.ac.in. The NIFT entrance exam application form is the same for all courses. The application fee for NIFT is INR 2,000 (INR 500 for SC, ST, and PwD categories). NIFT Application forms can also be filled with late fees. The late fee is INR 5,000.

Q:   What information will be included in the NIFT important dates 2026?
A: 

The important dates of NIFT 2026 will cover the entire admission schedule of NIFT 2026 admission process. The important dates will therefore cover events like release of admission notification, application form, and admit cards, conduct of the exam, declaration of results, counseling schedule, and date of commencement of classes. The candidate by consulting the important dates will know in advance about an upcoming event and so will be able to plan in advance. The exam schedule for NIFT 2026 will be released by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Note that in some cases previously scheduled event may be postoned, prepponed, or even cancelled. So, it is recommend to keep visiting this page for the latest updates.

Q:   Can I appear in Situation Test/PI if I don't qualify the NIFT 2026 written exams?
A: 

Candidates will be shortlisted for NIFT 2026 Studio Test/ Interview based on performance in NIFTEE Stage 1. NIFT 2026 written exams comprise the GAT and CAT exams.

If the candidate fails to be included in the shortlist, he or she is not eligible to appear in the Situation Test/ Interview.

Q:   How many rounds are there in NIFT Counselling?
A: 

There will be three rounds of counselling in NIFT Counselling 2026. One round of spot counselling is also expected if there are seats left.

Q:   What is the duration of the NIFT 2026 Objection Window?
A: 

NIFT Objection Window opens for two days. For 2026, it was open from February 17, 2026, to February 19, 2026 till 11:50 PM. After this duration, candidates cannot raise objections against the NIFT Answer Key.

51 Institutes accepting NIFT Entrance Exam

  • 6.16 Lakh
  • 2 years
  • |
  • Full Time

National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore

H.S.R Layout, Bangalore Public

National I
    • 6.16 Lakh
    • 2 years
    • |
    • Full Time
    • 12.96 Lakh
    • 4 years
    • |
    • Full Time
      • 12.34 Lakh
      • 4 years
      • |
      • Full Time

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