NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Merit List: Check State Wise, Category Wise Toppers and Rank List

NIFT Merit List 2026

The NIFT Merit List 2026 or Cutoff Merit Ranks (CMRs) will be released on the official NTA website in May or June 2026, along with the final results at exams.nta.ac.in/NIFT. While a separate merit list is not published, candidates can check their allotted rank directly in their scorecard by logging into the official portal. The final merit list is prepared based on the weightage assigned to GAT, CAT, and Situation Test/ GD-PI scores. The NIFTEE 2026 entrance exam for Stage 1 has been conducted on February 8, 2026, from 10 AM to 6 PM.

No hard copies of the NIFT entrance exam 2026 result will be sent by post or offline mode. Additionally, apart from General, OBC, SC/ST, and other categories, separate merit lists will be available for SAARC, OCI, Foreign National, NRI, and domicile category candidates. Scroll down to find detailed information on NIFT 2026 merit list, exam weightage, and important dates.

NIFT Merit List 2026 Dates

Captured below are the important dates for the NIFT merit list 2026:

NIFT Merit List 2026 Weightage

The weightage assigned to each test in the final NIFT merit list 2026 of the entrance examination will be as follows:

NIFT Merit List 2026 for PhD Admissions

The NIFT 2026 merit list contains the names of students who are either shortlisted or provisionally shortlisted for different programme types (part-time/full-time). For provisionally shortlisted candidates, it also includes the status on whether they are exempted from the written examination or they must appear for one, along with their form no and remarks about the submission/ clearance of the required documents.

The following are some important instructions for provisionally shortlisted PhD fellows for both part-time and full-time programmes:

• All students must submit the required documents mentioned across their name’s respective ‘Remarks’ column section of the official PDF linked above.

• If any candidate fails to submit their documents through NTA’s official email address - admissions@nift.ac.in. by the stipulated deadline, they will not be considered for further PhD admissions processes at the university.

• Students who have been provisionally shortlisted under the ‘exemption from written exam’ status must submit their experience certificate. If they fail to do so, their exemption from the written examination will not be considered, and they will be required to appear for the written test.

Note: The NIFT merit list 2026 (PFD) also includes the names of students who have not been shortlisted for PhD admissions at this time, along with legitimate reasons mentioned in the form of remarks.

NIFT Merit List 2026 Important Points to Remember

Listed below are some additional essential details about the NIFT 2026 merit list that candidates should take into consideration.

• The NIFT 2026 merit rank is only applicable to the specific academic course or category for which the candidate applied; it is not transferable to any other academic course or category. Furthermore, the NIFT 2026 merit ranking of the prospective candidate will only be valid for the 2026-27 academic year.

• The older applicant (depending on DOB) will be given precedence if both of them receive the same results.

• Applicants who live in the states where the NIFT educational institutions are situated may designate these preferred seats when filling out the online application for NIFT. However, applicants will have the option to be enrolled under the SC, ST, General, or OBC categories (where applicable) to any other campus of their choice, based on their merit rank for NIFT 2026.

NIFT Provisional Admission List for Foreign Students 2026

NIFT releases the provisional list for Foreign Nationals and NRIs/SAARC/OCI candidates which is based on the candidates' Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores.

Details mentioned on the provisional list are as follows:

• Name of selected candidates.
• Name of the course that the candidates have applied for.
• The specialisation under the course.
• The NIFT campus allocated to the candidates

The admission under Foreign National category at NIFT is offered according to the criteria mentioned below:

What After NIFT Merit List 2026?

After the merit list of NIFT is out, shortlisted candidates are invited to participate in the NIFT counselling process. Aspirants need to make sure that they fullfill the eligibility criteria and have their names on the merit list or else they will not be considered for counselling and design admissions.

Also Read: What’s Next after NIFT Entrance Exam?