NIFT Entrance Exam Preparation

The NIFT CAT exam will be administered in an offline mode and will be a drawing-based exam. During the course of the exam, the candidate is not allowed to write any personal details and place identification marks. The CAT exam will evaluate the candidate on parameters like intuitive ability, power of observation in concept development, and design ability. To prepare for the CAT the candidate needs to work on geometrical shapes, product drawing, line quality, shading, human figures, principles of composition, etc. To improve ones figure drawing skills, one may stick drawing, before moving on to block drawing, and then evolving to add clothes and other items.

The Creative Ability Test or CAT will evaluate the intuitive ability, power of observation in concept development, and design ability of the candidate. To prepare for CAT the candidate must develop their observation skills, learn the basics of geometrical shapes, understand conceptualization, learn product drawing and shading. Additionally, the candidate must also work on their line quality. For instance, the candidate needs to ensure there are no jittery or multiple lines. To imporve ones drawing skills, one may start with simple drawings, and then move on to complex shapes. Also, while shading is not so important for the exam, shading skills can definitely help the candidate get a positive nod from the evaluator.

The General Ability Test GAT along with the CAT is the 1st stage of the NIFT exam. The test is conducted in a computer-based mode and includes objective-type questions. To prepare for the GAT exam, the candidate must carefully go through the exam syllabus and make a study time table. Next, the candidate has to gather the best books available for the test. When studying for the exam, the candidate must ensure that they not only clear the concepts, but solves all the related problems to better understand the concepts and develop problem-solving skills. Also, after completing a chapter, it is mandatory to do frequent revisions. Another important tool for NIFT GAT exam preparation is sample and previous years question papers.

The NIFT 2024 entrance exam for the B. Des programme will include CAT and GAT written tests in stage 1. Candidates who qualify stage 1 have to next appear in a Situation Test. To prepare for the GAT written exam, the candidate needs to work on improving their analytical and logical abilities, and also keep track of GK and Current Affairs. Some of the best books to prepare for the NIFT exam are: NIFT/NID/IIFT entrance exam guide by Surendra Kavimandan, Arihant NIFT Entrance Exam Self-Study, NIFT Entrance Examination (Guide) by D Mittal, and Bright Careers Guide NIFT Entrance Exam. To practice for the CAT paper, the candidate needs to work on their drawing, observation, and creative skills. The candidate must lean various types of drawing, including line, silhouette, cartoon, sketch, figure, photorealism, etc.

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) may or may not conduct mock tests. So, the candidate can take mock tests conducted by coaching institutes or by online outlets to practice for the exam. Typically, the more mock tests a candidate takes, better it is from an exam point of view. That being said, mock tests are usually taken closer to the exam to give finishing touches to ones preparation. For instance, by taking mock tests, the candidate will learn to hone ones time management skills, along with improving problem-solving skills. Note that the candidate must solve sample papers and previous years NIFT question papers, along with taking mock tests, to effectively prepare for the exam.

Written exam structure for all UG programs is as under:
1. General ability test (GAT)
a) Quantitative Ability
b) Communication Ability
c) English Comprehension
d) Analytical Ability
e) General Knowledge and Current Affairs
f) Case study (In case of B.FTech programme)
Total No. Of questions=100 ( For B. Des) and 150 for B. Ftech
Time duration= 120 Minutes (For B. Des) and 180 for B. Ftech
a) Quantitative ability: They assess the quantitative ability of candidates. The major areas of testing in this section are Addition, Multiplication, Division, Fractions, Percentage, Rate of Interest, Work and Task, Ratio and Proportion and Distance.
B) Communicative ability: The candidate is tested on their language skills and its use in the day-to-day communication in English. This sub-section includes questions from Synonyms, Antonyms, Words with corresponding meanings, Singular, Plural, One word Substitutes, Idioms and Phrases, Spelling correction etc.
C) English comprehension: A candidate is tested on their reading abilities and comprehending abilities of a given situation in the given unseen passage. This section tests the basic English language skills through the questions based on the passage.
D) Analytical ability : This is designed to test the candidates capacity for ability of inference and logic from the given information. This section picks up questions from the areas of logical reasoning where candidates are supposed to draw logical conclusions from the analytical reasoning questions.
E) General Knowledge and Current Affairs : This is designed to test the candidates general awareness and current affairs. The questions in this section are taken up from the current affairs sections and general knowledge.
Syllabus for CAT: The Creative Ability Test or CAT is a test which is specially designed to assess the creative and innovative use of color and illustration skills of the candidates. The candidates are required to work on their drawing skills and use their imagination to create new ideas by using colors. This exam is conducted for the candidates giving the Bachelor of Design (B. Des.). Or Master of Design.