National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Examination — Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

Key facts

Conducting body

National Testing Agency

Eligible class

Class-12

Exam level

National

Exam areas

Design, Fashion

Typical exam month

February

Academic year

2026-2027

Primary goal

The primary objective of the exam is to evaluate candidates' creative intuition, design aptitude, and academic suitability for admission into the 4-year Bachelor of Design (B.Des) undergraduate programmes offered across the various campuses of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).

Syllabus subjects

Creative Ability Test (CAT), General Ability Test (GAT), Situation Test

Exam structure

Written Exams (Stage 1): Conducted on a single day in a split-session schedule. For B.Des, the GAT paper is 120 minutes long (conducted in CBT mode, typically from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM). The CAT paper is 180 minutes long (conducted in physical pen-and-paper sketching mode, typically from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM). Both GAT and CAT are provided in English and Hindi mediums. Physical materials for CAT drawing sheets are provided at test centres, and candidates must bring their own dry sketching tools. Situation Test (Stage 2): Standardised material kits are distributed in physical examination halls to shortlisted candidates. No outside raw material is permitted. Candidates are given 2 hours to design and construct a 3D model, followed by completing a written descriptive layout (concept write-up).