NIFT Exam 2026: Result, Counselling & Final Admission Status

NIFT Exam 2026 admission cycle has now reached its final stage. The written exam (CAT & GAT) was conducted on 8th February 2026, followed by Stage 2 tests (Situation Test/Personal Interview) in April, and the final result was declared on 3rd June 2026.

Counselling Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, and the Spot Round have all been completed, with the Spot Round concluding in late July 2026. Candidates can refer to the official NIFT Admissions Portal for the latest updates.

NIFT Exam 2026 Overview

The NIFT Exam 2026 was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate design, fashion technology, and management programmes across NIFT's campuses. 

The exam followed a two-stage selection process: Stage 1 (written test comprising CAT and GAT) followed by Stage 2 (Situation Test and/or Personal Interview, depending on the programme). 

With counselling now concluded, this page reflects the final, updated status of the NIFT 2026 admission cycle.

NIFT Admit Card 2026

The NIFT Admit Card 2026 for the written examination (CAT & GAT) was released by NTA ahead of the 8th February 2026 exam date and was available for download through the official NTA NIFT portal using candidates' application number and date of birth. 

The admit card carried the candidate's roll number, exam centre, reporting time, and exam-day instructions. This admit card window has now closed, since the written exam has already been conducted.

NIFT Exam Dates 2026 (Final Timeline)

The complete and final NIFT 2026 exam and admission schedule is as follows. All stages listed below have now been completed.

Candidates should note that this schedule marks the completion of the entire NIFT Admissions 2026 cycle. For any further notices,  including additional vacant-seat rounds, if announced — candidates must keep checking the official NIFT Admissions Portal.

NIFT 2026 UG Eligibility Criteria

NIFT eligibility criteria 2026 determine the candidates’ eligibility for the particular course. For the UG design course, candidates need to meet the following parameters. These requirements have been outlined by the authorities and must be met before applying for the NIFT exam 2026. 

NIFT Exam Pattern 2026

NIFT exam pattern 2026 comprises details of the NIFT written tests and a Situational Test or Personal Interview.  The NIFT written test includes the Creative Ability Test (CAT) and the General Ability Test (GAT). 

CAT is a design test and was conducted in offline mode. GAT will be conducted in a computer-based test common to all programs, assessing communication, quantitative ability, analytical skills, and general knowledge.  

Candidates who qualify the NIFT CAT and GAT will proceed with the NIFT Situation test or a Personal interview, depending on the course. Check out the NIFT exam pattern 2026 for NIFT GAT in the following table.

NIFT Syllabus 2026

The NIFT 2026 syllabus covered the following key areas across its written test sections:

Candidates who cleared CAT and GAT in the February exam were shortlisted for the Situation Test and/or Personal Interview held in April 2026, based on which the final merit list was prepared.

NIFT Result 2026

The NIFT Final Result and Scorecard for 2026 was declared on 3rd June 2026 on the official website, nift.ac.in. The result reflected candidates' combined performance across the written test (CAT & GAT) and Stage 2 (Situation Test/Personal Interview), and included:

• Overall score and category-wise All India Rank (AIR)

• Programme-wise merit list (UG and PG, separately)

• Qualifying status for counselling registration

Candidates who qualified were required to register on the NIFT Admissions Portal (nift.admissions.nic.in) to participate in the seat allocation/counselling process.

NIFT Counselling 2026

NIFT Counselling 2026 for admission to UG and PG programmes across the 19 NIFT campuses has now been fully completed, running across four stages — Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, and a Spot Round — between late June and late July 2026. In each round, candidates who received a seat allotment were required to:

1. View their Seat Allotment Result on the admissions portal

2. Download the Provisional Seat Allotment Letter

3. Submit their willingness to accept the seat

4. Pay the prescribed admission fee within the given deadline

Candidates who did not pay the admission fee within the stipulated window had their allotted seat cancelled and were not eligible for subsequent regular counselling rounds, as per NIFT's official Guidelines for Seat Allocation 2026.

NIFT Seat Allotment: Round-wise Schedule

Below is the official, consolidated round-wise schedule for NIFT Counselling 2026, as notified by NIFT.

Round 1

Register, verify documents, fill choices, and submit your willingness to accept the allocated seat in Round 1 with payment by 1st July 2026. 

Round 2

Correct your application details, modify choice preferences, and confirm your seat in round 2 with payment by 9th July 2026. Withdrawal option available. 

Round 3

Fine-tune your choices one last time before final allocation and finalize your seat in round 3 commitment by 17th July 2026 

Spot Round

Spot Round is the Last chance to secure a seat with limited available options. Register, submit choice, pay fee, and report to campus by 29th July 2026. 

Check Official NIFT Notification No. 15 and Notification No. 19 (with schedule), NIFT Admissions – 2026, nift.ac.in.

NIFT Spot Round 2026: Final Update

The Spot Round Seat Allotment Result for NIFT Admissions 2026 was declared on 24th July 2026, as confirmed in the official NIFT Notification No. 24. This marked the concluding stage of the NIFT 2026 counselling process. Candidates allotted a seat in the Spot Round were required to:

1. View their Seat Allotment Result on the NIFT Admissions Portal

2. Download the Provisional Allotment Letter

3. Pay the admission fee through the portal only

4. Download the Provisional Admission Letter

As per the official schedule, allotted candidates were required to physically report at their allotted campus on 29th July 2026, completing the NIFT Admissions 2026 cycle.

What Happens Next: Reporting & Admission

With Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, and the Spot Round all completed, the NIFT 2026 admission process now moves into the campus reporting and academic session onboarding stage. Candidates are advised to:

• Carry all original documents, the Provisional Admission Letter, and fee payment proof at the time of physical reporting

• Regularly check the NIFT Admissions Portal for any notice on additional vacant-seat rounds, if announced by individual campuses

• Refer to their respective campus notices for orientation and academic session start dates

For the most current and authoritative information on any further updates, candidates should rely only on the official NIFT Admissions Portal and NIFT's notifications page.