Updated By Prateek Lakhera on 15 Sep, 2025 16:43
The NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 paper analysis provides insights into the exam’s difficulty level, section-wise weightage, and type of questions asked in CAT and GAT. This analysis helps candidates evaluate their performance, estimate expected scores, and understand trends for upcoming sessions to refine their preparation strategy effectively.
Predict your Percentile based on your NIFT Entrance Exam performance
Predict RankThe NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 paper analysis for the GAT and CAT sections will be available after the exam concludes for BDes, MDes, and other programmes. Based on student feedback, the GAT section for BDes and MDes is expected to be of moderate difficulty. The Mathematics and Reasoning sections are likely to be the easiest, while English is moderate but comparatively simpler than the previous year. The General Knowledge section is anticipated to be the most challenging, with some questions possibly beyond the syllabus. Overall, the paper is expected to be manageable, with minimal technical issues reported.
The CAT section is expected to be easy, allowing students to manage time effectively. The NIFT entrance exam 2026 exam pattern remains unchanged for BDes and MDes. Qualified candidates can apply for various UG and PG programmes at NIFT, including BDes, FTech, MDes, MFM, and MFTech. The analysis will include estimated cut-offs, sectional difficulty, and types of questions asked.
If you are planning to appear for the NIFT 2026 exam, then it is very important to check out the paper analysis for all sections of the exam. We will provide the detailed paper analysis here. Meanwhile, you can check the NIFT paper analysis for 2025 here:
Name of the Sections | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|
Reasoning | Easy |
Quantitative Analytics | Moderate |
Communication Ability & English Comprehension | Easy |
GK | Tough |
| Overall | Moderate |
The NIFT 2025 CAT section was easy in terms of overall difficulty. The overall question paper was doable and students were able to exercise effective time management.
Note: The NIFT entrance exam 2025 is conducted in two shifts, namely Shift 1 and Shift 2. For the former, it deals with the GAT (General Ability Test), and the latter includes CAT (Creative Ability Test).
As can be concluded from the mixed reactions of test takers, the NIFT 2024 GAT paper was moderately difficult. The overall difficulty level for most students was moderate, however, the Maths section was difficult. On the other hand, English, GK, and Reasoning sections were deemed easy by most candidates. Refer to the following sections to learn about the detailed NIFT 2024 exam analysis for BDes and MDes.
Student 1: Maths was a really difficult paper, however, the English and GK sections were uncomplicated.
Student 2: The test was simple. Maths was the most challenging subject, while the reasoning section was easier. The degree of difficulty was moderate overall.
Student 3: It was a moderate exam. The GK section was challenging because the questions were primarily historical.
Student 4: The NIFT 2024 exam was moderate to extremely challenging overall.
Student 5: The exam's average level of difficulty was moderate. The GK aspect was challenging, but the Maths and English sections were easy.
Student 6: The GK section was challenging, but the English section was easy to do, the overall difficulty level of the paper was moderate.
Student 7: The NIFT 2024 GAT BDes paper was of moderate difficulty. Around 90% of the questions were doable.
Student 1: The NIFT 2024 GAT exam paper for MDes was difficult yet manageable, taking a lot of time. The overall difficulty ranged from moderate to difficult. The Quant and Analytical Ability sections proved to be somewhat challenging for them.
Student 2: The overall difficulty of the question paper was easy to moderate. The Quant was time-consuming, while the English, Communication, and GK sections were uncomplicated. The level of analytical ability was moderate.
Student 3: While the English comprehension was simple, the quantitative and analytical abilities required a bit of practice. On the other hand, the GK section was simple and doable.
Student 1: The NIFT 2024 CAT exam paper for BDes was easy yet time-consuming as it incorporated colouring. The questions were a bit surprising and unexpected to test the potential applicant’s power of observation, intuition skills, and design abilities.
Student 2: The overall difficulty level of the NIFT CAT 2024 question paper was easy. Thus, the cutoff for MDes NIFT 2024 cutoff rank could estimated to be high i.e., between 60 and 75.
Student 1: The sketching part was easy and questions on the formation of artificial products were a bit tricky but easily doable.
Student 2: The sketching part was easy and manageable. There were some unconventional questions and questions on futuristic designs.
As discussed, the difficulty level of the NIFT 2024 question paper was easier than expected and the cutoff for this year could be high. The following are some questions that were asked in the NIFT CAT 2024 exam for BDes and MDes courses:
Q1. Choose among the three — Roman numbers, English numbers, or Hindi numbers — and create a scene such as a public path, playing group, or play school.
Q2. What could be the non-conventional creative usage of a broken cup of tea, an unrepairable clock, or four pairs of CD drives?
Q3. Produce an artificial futuristic design of an insect, bird, or fruit.
Q4. Provide four creative uses of a given object.
Q5. Create a design about how future artificial products will be.
The NIFT 2023 GAT paper was very difficult and challenging. However, NIFT GAT 2023 was not difficult for some students, although there were more paragraph-based questions. More English questions were included in the paper, as well as a few GK questions. The Math portion was difficult for some, but the overall difficulty level of the NIFT 2023 exam was moderate. The NIFT CAT 2023 was pretty easy for every student and not at all lengthy.
Check out the detailed NIFT 2024 paper analysis below:
For some students, NIFT GAT 2023 was not difficult, though there were more paragraph-based questions. The paper included more English questions as well as a few GK questions. The math portion was challenging for some but the exam's overall difficulty level was moderate.
Detailed Exam Analysis of NIFT CAT 2023will be provided here after the exam.
OR
Q2. Redesign five currencies in terms of appearance and design. Explain why you decided to make these changes.
Q3. Make a comic strip. According to the story, a cell phone and a charger from the year 2023 time travelled to the 1950s and ended up in the hands of a group of friends. Create a storyboard based on this, using the given dialogues and improvising some by the end. Finish the storyboarding.
Q1. Based on memory drawing, random lines were given that either make
Choose any one of the following options and answer the question.
Q2. Comic-Strip Question: Covid Lockdown was the title for this comic strip using the angle/point of view of the following options to create a comic strip.
Q3. Based on the product design. Using the basic given shapes like circles, hexagons, triangles, right-angled triangles, rectangles and a “teardrop” make one of the following options.
Also, write the reason to make this product. Why did you choose to make this? What inspired you to make this product?
Please note: This year it was instructed to not use colour in the comic strip.
The difficulty level of the exam was moderate. According to the feedback from students, the exam was a bit tricky and time-consuming. NIFT CAT 2022 was easier than NIFT GAT 2022. The entire analysis of NIFT 2022 is given below.
The exam analysis of NIFT 2022 and memory-based question paper of NIFT 2022 are provided below:
NIFT Entrance Exam 2022 Question Paper Analysis: Difficulty Level, Weightage | NIFT 2022 Question Paper - Download PDF of Memory-Based Questions |
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The NIFT Entrance Exam 2021 Paper Analysis is provided below.
Here is the GAT expected exam analysis of NIFT 2021.
A total of 100 questions appeared in this section for B.Des while 150 questions for B.F.Tech.
Questions were based on Quantitative Ability, Communication Ability, Case Study, English Comprehension, Analytical Ability and General Knowledge & Current Affairs.
Communication Ability & English Comprehension had the most number of questions while General Knowledge and Current Affairs had the least number of questions. Here is the detailed exam pattern & marking scheme of NIFT 2021.
Those who solved the last year's question papers & sample papers will be able to crack the exam easily as the exam pattern & format were the same.
Every wrong answer had negative marking and aspirants had to answer all the questions in 2 hours.
General Knowledge section was a little tricky.
Quantitative Ability section was the most difficult one.
English comprehension & Verbal Ability section was comparatively the easiest one.
In B.F.Tech exam, aspirant found the Analytical & Logical Ability section as the most tricky one.
Questions followed the exam pattern of NIFT 2020.
The difficulty level of the questions was quite subjective and depended on the creative & analytical approach of the candidates. The questions were framed to test the basic understanding of designing and measure the out of the box thinking.
Three questions were asked to answer in a time limit of 3 hours. Candidates were offered 100 marks in this section. Applicants had to impress the authorities with their Designing & Intuitive ability, Concept Development Skills, Observation Skills, Creative Approach and Illustration Skills in this section. Check the in-depth NIFT 2021 Exam Analysis here!
Here is the detailed NIFT Analysis 2020.
Go through the analysis of NIFT GAT 2020 below.
As per the reports, NIFT GAT 2020 was reported to be easy.
The mathematics section was found to be the most difficult one.
English comprehension was time consuming and very tricky.
As per the feedback, the General Knowledge section was the easiest.
100 questions were asked and candidates had to answer them in 2 hours.
Wrong answers carried negative marking.
Check out the NIFT CAT 2020 Exam Analysis here.
A total of three questions were asked and applicants had to answer them in 3 hours.
There was no negative marking in this section.
Some students found the questions moderately difficulty while other found them relately easy.
This section carried a subjective approach.
One question out of the three asked candidates to prepare a comic strip in black & white.
Other question asked applicants to colour the fabric & asked them the reason for picking up each desired colour.
The third question had a bike given and aspirants had to complete the figure depicting either two animals or an animal and a human.
NIFT Entrance Exam 2019 Difficulty Level and Students Reactions
According to many students, the NIFT CAT and GAT entrance exam 2019 was easy. The exam was not difficult at all as compared to previous NIFT entrance tests.
The students' reaction revealed that the theory paper was of medium difficulty level whereas the English and Maths sections were comparatively easier.
The NIFT GAT exam pattern and marking scheme were exactly as mentioned in the brochure.
Many students found the NIFT CAT 2019 GK section way easier than the NIFT GAT GK section. Overall, the NIFT Entrance Exam 2019 was well-timed and most of the students were able to complete the paper on time.
According to the NIFT 2019 exam analysis, overall GAT paper was easy. Different candidates found various sections easy or of medium level. Most of the aspirants found English way easier and a majority of them found the Quantitative Ability section as difficult.
Many students who gave the NIFT entrance exam again revealed that the difficulty level of NIFT B.Des entrance exam was the same as last year's.
Some students said that the Mathematics section of the NIFT B.Des entrance exam was more intruding than last years' papers.
Given below is the list of questions asked in the NIFT CAT B.Des entrance exam 2019. The weightage of the NIFT CAT exam is 100 marks and comprises three questions where first two carry 30 marks each and the third one carries 40 marks.
Question 1: It is the year 2050. Draw any of the following items for the future:
Question 2: Different shapes were given and students had to design any of the following:
Question 3: Show a process in four frames for the following:
The three questions asked in NIFT CAT for Master of Design (MDes) course admissions are given in detail below. The weightage of NIFT CAT 2019 was 100 marks where the first two questions carried 30 marks each and the weightage of the third one was 40 marks.
Question 1: Write an essay on using pen and paper to using a laptop.
Question 2: If you were blindfolded for a whole day then what are the five tasks that you would find difficult. Elaborate further on one of the tasks.
Question 3: Design spectacles for different groups like:
According to the NIFT 2019 exam analysis, GAT paper was easy overall. Different candidates found various sections easy or difficult. However, most of them found English easy while the majority of them found the Quantitative Ability section a bit on the difficult side.
Know best colleges you can get with your score
If you have applied for admission to the course of B.F.Tech at NIFT, you will have to answer a total of 150 questions in the NIFT GAT Entrance Examination.
For the programme of M.Des, a total of 120 questions are included in the question paper of NIFT GAT Entrance Exam.
A total of 100 questions were asked in the NIFT GAT Entrance Exam 2020 for admission to the course of B.Des.
Some sections of NIFT CAT 2019 were said to be easier than those of NIFT GAT 2019. The sections of General Knowledge and English were said to be easier in NIFT CAT 2019.
The level of difficulty of NIFT Entrance Exam 2020 was moderate. The questions were fairly balanced between easy and tricky.
If the difficulty level of the NIFT Entrance Exam is higher, the cut-off score of that year is kept relatively lower than other years. On the contrary, for an easy exam of NIFT, the cut-off marks are higher.
The difficulty level of the NIFT entrance exam can vary each year. While the overall pattern remains consistent, factors like question difficulty, sectional weightage, and competition can fluctuate. Some years might have tougher creative or aptitude sections, while others may focus on analytical skills. Staying updated with past trends and practising across all sections can help you adapt, regardless of variations in the exam's difficulty level.
The level of the NIFT Entrance Exam has not remained the same after 2021. Usually, GAT, which includes a mix of logical reasoning, quantitative and English, comes moderately. However, CAT questions do test your creative and original self, hence appearing tougher sometimes for a candidate. Though it was overall feasible if prepared well, some years the questions had come a little bit harder, especially for reasoning and designing.
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