NIFT Syllabus 2025: Written Exams (GAT & CAT Syllabus), Chapter-wise Topics, No. of Questions

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

It will contain 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 will be updated online at the admission portal of NIFT - niftadmissions. 

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

The NIFT 2025 written exam will be conducted in the 1st week of February 2025 (tentatively). Note that once the written exam are over, the candidate can focus their attention on the Situation Test/ Personal Interview.

It is not compulsory to have studied Maths in Class 12 to appear for NIFT Entrance Exam. However, some questions from Mathematics are asked in the NIFT GAT section. Therefore, it is always beneficial to have some knowledge about the subject. The NIFT question paper for GAT will include questions from sections like logical and analytical reasoning, general awareness, verbal reasoning, and English . General knowledge questions may include topics like fashion industry, both local and global, and news of political and economic importance. The GAT paper will be conducted in a computer-based mode and will be for 120 minutes.

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 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.

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.

During the Situation Test, the candidate will be provided with a set of materials. Using these materials the candidate will be required to make specific models. In this test, candidates are required to create a 3D model based on the question asked for which they are given 2 hours, within which, they need to conceptualize and complete the model. After completing the mode, the candidate will also have to draft a write-up, which is evaluated by the jury later. Note that besides material exploration & management skills, NIFT also lays great emphasis on time management skills and students are closely monitored on the fact that whether they have managed to complete the task at hand in two hours or not.

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.

The NIFT situation test will evaluate the candidate on the following parameters - Colour scheme, Space visualization, Construction skill, Finesse of the model, Composition of elements, Overall presentation, Innovative and creative use of given material, etc. The Situation Test will be evaluated on the spot. Also, the model made by the candidate will not be preserved for future reference. The candidate must make sure that their model is unique and stands out from the crowd. After making the model, the candidate must make a write-up explaining the model.

During the Situation Test, the candidate will be provided with a set of materials. Using these materials the candidate will be required to make specific models. In this test, candidates are required to create a 3D model based on the question asked for which they are given 2 hours, within which, they need to conceptualize and complete the model. After completing the mode, the candidate will also have to draft a write-up, which is evaluated by the jury later. Note that besides material exploration & management skills, NIFT also lays great emphasis on time management skills and students are closely monitored on the fact that whether they have managed to complete the task at hand in two hours or not.

The NIFT Situation Test is a hands-on test that B. Des candidates need to appear in after qualifying the written exam. During the Situation Test the candidate has to make a model. Note that the material for making the model will be provided to the candidate inside the exam hall; no other material expect that provided to the candidate is allowed. So, candidates appearing in the Situation Test must not bring any additional materials for the Situation Test. The Situation Test will be evaluated on the spot. It is mandatory for the candidate to draft a write-up explaining the model.

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.

The participating institutes of NIFTs offer a 4-year B.FTech programme. Admission to the programme is based on GAT scores. The NIFT 2025 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 2025 exam for the GAT paper will be computer-based-test (or CBT).