NIFT 2026 Exam Day Guidelines & Instructions

NIFT exam day guidelines: Along with adhering to the rules set forth by exam administrators, aspirants must follow specific NIFT exam day instructions, such as showing up at the exam centre on time and behaving properly within the examination area. If proper exam etiquettes are not followed then the authorities can bar your entry in the exam centre or restrict you from taking the exam.

As you may know, there are two necessary sections to the BDes and MDes programmes question paper — the General Ability Test (GAT) and the Creative Ability Test (CAT). Nonetheless, applicants for courses such as MFTech, BFTech MFM, etc. merely need to show up for the GAT exam only. Students for the next round of admission will be selected based on their performance on the written tests.

One of the most important exam day guidelines for NIFT 2026 is to arrive at the testing facility at the stipulated time mentioned on the NIFT 2026 admit card . That said, the reporting time for GAT and CAT is 9:30 AM and 1 PM IST, while the test time is 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 3 PM to 6 PM IST, respectively. Applicants must adhere to a fixed set of rules formulated as ‘NIFT Exam Day Guidelines’ to prevent any unfortunate incident that could jeopardise their chances of taking the test. Thus, this article provides you with some important things to follow on NIFT exam day to ensure everything goes smoothly.

NIFT Exam Day Guidelines & Instructions

The exhaustive exam day guidelines for NIFT that have been published by the admissions officials must be adhered to by prospective test takers. They also address reporting specifications, gate closure hours, required documents, and many more related things. The comprehensive exam day instructions for NIFT are discussed below.

Keep Your NIFT Admit Card Ready

An admit card is a crucial document that is required to write the exam. Students are advised to download the admit card and present it on the exam day or else they will not be allowed to appear for the exam.

Avoid Sitting with Prohibited Items

Items such as study materials, calculators, mobile phones, digital watches, and other electronic gadgets are strictly prohibited in the examination hall and no applicant must be found in possession of them.

Arrive at the Centre on Reporting Time

It is recommended that students arrive at the NIFT exam centres on specified reporting time to ensure a smooth verification process. For this, they must carry certain documents that are acceptable ID proofs along with their admit cards.

Carry Your Own Stationery Items

As the CAT exam will be conducted offline, the applicant has to bring their own stationery items such as pencils, pens, erasers, and more.

Pay Attention to Instructions

Keep your ears open and pay attention to all that your invigilator has to say. Also, look out for the instructions mentioned on the NIFT admit card to avoid any chaos or confusion.

Manage Your Time Wisely

Time is a major managing challenge while appearing for NIFT so do not let it defeat you. There is a limited time to answer questions and doing so requires a lot of practice and decision-making. Make sure to not waste your time on one question. You can always come back to them at the end. Leave some time for revision so that you can re-check and re-consider.

Avoid Presuming Answers

As you may know, the NIFT exam pattern follows a negative marking scheme so candidates must try not to do guesswork. It is encouraged to not presume the answers as 0.25 marks will be deducted for every incorrect attempt. Marking multiple answers will also not be considered while calculating the score.

Focus on Creativity

Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking should be the main focus while attempting the answers of NIFT CAT. Candidates must try displaying their creativity more through visuals than words.

Do Not Indulge Yourself in Cheating

Cheating or bringing notes to the room can lead to the cancellation of paper. Also, if a candidate indulges in suspicious acts or unfair practices like talking to other fellows or bringing prohibited items into the exam hall, the invigilator may disqualify them. If you face any type of issue while taking the exam, just raise your hand and talk to the invigilator directly. Also, toilet breaks are not allowed during the exam. Candidates can keep water with them if they want. Keep focusing on your paper and try attempting every question accurately and creatively.

Take Proper Rest

The body and mind require proper rest to function properly. Candidates must get the recommended eight hours of sleep every day to let go of any restlessness and stay focused. Especially a day before the test, students should get a good amount of sleep and refrain from staying awake the whole night to study.

Stationery Required on the NIFTEE 2026 Exam Day

Provided below is a list of documents and a few stationery items that are usually required on the day of the NIFT exam.

List of Afternoon Stationery for CAT

The stationery required for the Afternoon session (Creative Ability Test) have been provided below.

1. The Drawing Core

• Pencils (HB, 2B, 4B)

• Kneadable Eraser

• Non-Dust Eraser

• Metal Sharpener

2. Coloring & Rendering

• Premium Color Pencils

• Oil Pastels/ Crayons

• Blending Stumps or Tissues

3. Support Tools

• Transparent Scale (30cm)

• Paper Clips/ Clamps

• Transparent Pouch

Documents to Carry on the NIFTEE 2026 Exam Day

As discussed, the exam officials will place students under a simple verification process for which they will need to present documents that are accepted as valid ID proofs. These should be original documents that they will need to produce along with their admit card. The following is a list of acceptable NIFT documents that applicants can carry to the exam centre:

Note: (i) After checking the NIFT admit card, the invigilator will tear off and keep Part A while giving the applicant Part B. Not just for the written tests but also for the ensuing admissions procedures, students must safeguard the Part B section.

(ii) In front of the invigilator, the applicant must sign at the specific place indicated on the admit card.

Different Rules for NIFTEE 2026 GAT and CAT Exams

Two different sets of guidelines for the CAT & GAT exams have been provided below.

Morning Shift: GAT (General Ability Test)

Afternoon Shift: CAT (Creative Ability Test)

Comparison of Morning vs. Afternoon Shift at a Glance (NIFT 2026)

The final NIFT merit list for those who took both exams will be released on the conducting body's official website. If you violate any of the aforementioned NIFT exam day guidelines, you will not be allowed to take the test. Therefore, carefully read all the prescribed exam day instructions for NIFT.

If you have any query related to NIFT, write to us in the QnA zone . For any design admission-related guidance, you can reach out to our admission experts by just dialling our toll-free number 1800-572-9877 or filling up the Common Application Form . Stay tuned to CollegeDekho for more exciting information!​