What is a Good Score in NIFT 2026: If you are preparing for the NIFT 2026 exam, you must be wondering what is a good score in NIFT 2026 to secure a good rank. Being one of the most competitive examinations in the country for admission to BFTech course and BDes course . You can estimate the opening and closing ranks for 2026 admissions by reviewing past NIFT cutoff trends. The official cutoff will be released soon after the NIFT 2026 results , it is expected that the cutoff for the open category can range between 30 and 50 for top colleges. Read below to know in detail about what is a good score in NIFT 2026.
Also Read: What is NIFT Common Merit Rank (CMR) & How it Impacts Your Admission?
What is a Good NIFT Score?
A good NIFT score is higher than the median result of all applicants and is acceptable to meet the minimum criteria of the institutions that participate in NIFT and the courses that they provide in any given year. It is wise to aim for a score that will improve your probability of getting into the programme or school of your preference in advance. To obtain a sense of what a good NIFT score would be, you can look at NIFT 2026 cutoff for previous years as well as the results attained by students who were admitted into respected design institutes.
A strong performance on the NIFT 2026 entrance exam depends on many variables, such as the course of study, seat availability, the category to which a student belongs, the selected NIFT campus, etc. Generally speaking, a lower rank increases one's chances of getting into the desired college and specialised programme. Therefore, these aspects need to be taken into account when discussing what constitutes a good NIFT score in 2026. However, there is no fixed cutoff rank for NIFT admission; instead, it varies every year based on the number of applicants, the difficulty of the test, the number of seats available, etc.
How to Achieve a NIFT Good Score?
If you intend to obtain a good NIFT score, you have to study effectively for the written exams, group discussions, and personal interviews in addition to preparing for the NIFT Situation Test. The written test consists of two sections: the General Ability Test (GAT) and the Creative Ability Test (CAT). The GAT evaluates your aptitude, reasoning, general knowledge, and English, but the CAT evaluates your creativity, originality, and design skills.
Before deciding what is a good NIFT score is in 2026, candidates should understand the weights given to different programs and categories. The NIFT weighting plays a factor in determining the final merit list of students who are eligible for admission.
NIFT 2026 Cutoff (Expected)
The lowest score needed to be admitted to any of the 18 NIFT campuses is the NIFT cutoff. The official announcement of the NIFT 2026 results for the written exam is predicted to correspond with the release of the NIFT cutoff in March 2026. The Closing Merit Rank (CMR) list, which shows the opening and closing ranks for every course and college, will be released together with the NIFT cutoff. The exam's difficulty level and the volume of applicants can affect the NIFT cutoff scores annually. The cutoff scores from previous years can help applicants better grasp what constitutes a good score in NIFT.
NIFT Campuses | Branch (for B.Des) | Opening Rank (Expected) | Closing Rank (Expected) |
|---|---|---|---|
Fashion Design | 15-16 | 158-161 | |
Textile Design | 38-40 | 383-285 | |
Accessory Design | 7-9 | 221-224 | |
Fashion Communication | 3-5 | 47-49 | |
Leather Design | 266-268 | 513-115 | |
Fashion Design | 2-4 | 207-209 | |
Textile Design | 300-302 | 575-577 | |
Accessory Design | 62-64 | 271-273 | |
Fashion Communication | 4-6 | 60-62 | |
Fashion Design | 310-312 | 492-494 | |
Textile Design | 486-489 | 1145-1147 | |
Accessory Design | 276-278 | 523-525 | |
Fashion Communication | 95-97 | 163-166 | |
Fashion Design | 213-215 | 526-528 | |
Textile Design | 625-627 | 1132-1134 | |
Accessory Design | 91-93 | 402-404 | |
Fashion Communication | 70-82 | 329-331 | |
Leather Design | 918-920 | 1664-1466 |
NIFT Cutoff Rank 2026 (Expected)
It is expected that NIFT cutoff ranks will be released on the official website of the conducting body in April 2026. A list of the NIFT 2026 rank range is listed below based on data from the previous year, that students can use as a reference.
Course Programme | NIFT Common Merit Rank (CMR) - Range | Shortlisted Candidates |
|---|---|---|
MF Tech | 88-100 | 3 |
Master of Design (M Des) | 24-525 | 91 |
B F Tech- Apparel Production | 11-275 | 40 |
276-929 | 89 | |
Master of Fashion Management (MFM) | 24-352 | 80 |
353-814 | 90 | |
816-1310 | 81 |
Factors Determining NIFT Cutoff 2026
The NIFT 2026 cutoff will be determined by taking into account the following factors:
- Total number of applicants taking the NIFT entrance exam in a given year.
- The number of applicants participating in the NIFT 2026 counselling process .
- A candidate's NIFT 2026 merit rank.
- The exam's degree of difficulty.
- The BDes and BFTech seat matrix for each of the 18 NIFT campuses across the country.
- The category in which admission requests are made by applicants.
- Applicant's performance in the entrance exam.
- The NIFT cutoff trends from previous years.
Preparation Tips for Good NIFT Scores
Following an analysis of "what is a good score in NIFT", students should prepare a study plan about maximising their score. The NIFT exam is tough and competitive, necessitating a thorough and strict preparation plan from applicants. The following are some best preparation tips to achieve a good NIFT score:
- Provide unique and inventive answers, and support them with reasoning and examples.
- Adhere to a regular and systematic study schedule.
- Gain more insight into current events and general knowledge, particularly concerning art, design, fashion, and culture.
- Understand the NIFT syllabus and pattern for the next rounds.
- Regularly practise drawing and sketching for at least three to four hours using a variety of tools and materials.
- Solve the NIFT previous year's question papers .
- Maintain your positive attitude and trustworthiness while also caring for your health and happiness.
NIFT 2026 Final Result
The final NIFT 2026 results will tentatively be released online in May 2026. When preparing the final NIFT merit list (GAT and CAT), the admissions panel will consider how well the applicant performed on the Situation Test/PI and written exams. The final merit list will be considered in the NIFT 2026 seat allocation process.
In 2026, there will be 5,215 combined seats available across 18 NIFT campuses in India. These consist of 405 state domicile seats, 470 NRI seats, and 4,324 All-India seats. The number of seats accepted for each course and NIFT campus may change based on availability and requirements for reservations. Candidates who have taken the NIFT 2026 entrance exam can visit this page often to keep themselves updated with NIFT-related announcements.
Also Read:
If you have any questions, visit our QnA section and feel free to write your queries to us. For further news/articles and updates related to NIFT 2026, stay tuned to CollegeDekho !
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FAQs
The official NIFT 2026 cutoff will be announced after the declaration of results in March/April 2026. The cutoff list will include the opening and closing ranks for each NIFT campus and course, helping students understand whether their score is good enough for admission.
The NIFT 2026 cutoff is influenced by factors such as the total number of applicants, exam difficulty level, number of seats available across campuses, category-wise reservations, and previous year cutoff trends. These collectively decide whether a score is considered good for admission.
To score well, candidates should prepare systematically for both the Creative Ability Test (CAT) and General Ability Test (GAT). Regular practice in sketching, improving general knowledge, solving previous year papers, and performing well in the Situation Test/PI are essential to secure a high rank.
Not necessarily. While a higher score increases your chances of admission to popular campuses like Delhi and Mumbai, final admission depends on the NIFT cutoff, Common Merit Rank (CMR), and performance in all admission rounds including the Situation Test/PI.
A good score in NIFT 2026 is one that ensures admission to your preferred course and campus. For top NIFT campuses like Delhi and Mumbai, candidates from the Open Category may need to secure a rank within 30–50. However, what counts as a good score depends on the course, category, seat availability, and difficulty level of the exam.
Determining factors in NIFT cut-off marks are several. They often change every year. Those include:
- The difficulty level of the exam is more; hence, the cut-off marks might be low, and vice versa.
- The number of candidates is directly proportional to the competitiveness of the exam. In this way, the cut-off also increases.
- Another factor determining the cut-off of this year is that of last year.
- The total number of seats for each program at NIFT directly impacts the cut-off marks.
- In case most candidates perform well, the cut-off is likely to be high; otherwise, weaker performances would lower the cut-off.
The opening rank for Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design) at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, varies every year. It depends on factors such as applicant performance and the total number of applicants. Although exact data for 2025 is not available, one can estimate the range by analyzing previous years' cutoffs. Refer to NIFT's official website for past cutoff trends and updates regarding the 2025 admissions.
Your written exam, situation test, group discussion, and personal interview must all be well-prepared to achieve a good score in NIFT. Both the General Ability Test (GAT) and the Creative Ability Test (CAT) constitute the written exam. Applicants need to understand the NIFT weightage for various courses and categories before learning what a good NIFT score is.
A good score in NIFT out of 100 for admission to any NIFT campus is considered anything above 62. However, to be admitted to the NIFT campus and course of your choice, you must score above 75. The NIFT cutoff changes depending on the campus type, level of the programme, an applicant’s belonging category, etc. In general, you need to score at least 62+ to get admitted to NIFT for any course on any campus.
A good score to get into NIFT Delhi could range between 78 and 86 marks. Given that NIFT Delhi is extremely competitive and ranked #1 among the other NIFT campuses across the country, the cutoff for this institution is high every year. For instance, the expected NIFT 2024 Delhi cutoff rank for the BDes course for General, OBC, SC, and ST is approximately 305, 1238, 2488, and 5700.
A good rank in NIFT differs based on the level of the preferred course, the specific NIFT campus, the type of programme opted for, the number of applicants taking the exam in a given year, the category to which a candidate belongs, and more. For example, to get admission to NIFT Bangalore, the expected BDes cutoff rank for General, OBC, SC, and ST is nearly 450, 1550, 5200, and 7000, respectively.
No, it is not very difficult to get into NIFT provided students have accurately prepared for the entrance exam and the other subsequent rounds. Every year, about 22,000 applicants take the entrance exam to be admitted as undergraduates and nearly 7,700 applicants get selected. Aspirants are assigned over 2,400 seats based on merit. Because of the intense competition, you must stick to a well-thought-out study schedule to ace the NIFT exam.
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