What’s Next after NIFT Entrance Exam?

What after NIFT entrance exam? What are the further stages involved in the NIFT selection process? When should I prepare for the NIFT Situation Test or GDPI rounds? If you are bothered by such questions, you are not alone. Many NIFT test takers are confused about the same question. Following the NIFT written exam, there will be a 1:4 shortlisting process, meaning that four students will be shortlisted for each seat and will subsequently appear for Stage II of the NIFT exam. The Stage I of the NIFT 2026 entrance exam has been successfully concluded on February 8, 2026. As per the conducting body, the second phase will tentatively take place between the third week of April 2026 and the first week of May 2026. The three streams offered by NIFT — Design, Technology, and Management — have different selection processes. In this article, we shall shed light on the question — what after NIFT entrance exam?
Ananya Varma, NIFT Alumna & Creative Director, commented, "Merely using fancy materials will not give you success in the NIFT Situation Test. It completely depends on the narrative you build with them. The jury will evaluate your ability to solve a problem under pressure. It is not just looking at your model. Before you touch the material, always spend the first 10 minutes sketching your concept."

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What’s Next after NIFT Entrance Exam?

As you have appeared for the NIFT 2026 written examination, you must now start preparing yourself for the next rounds depending on the program that you have chosen. There are usually three further rounds conducted for the candidates who have successfully cleared the NIFT written exam as given below.

• Situation Test
• Group Discussion (GD)
• Personal Interview (PI)

Refer to the following table for details as per the degree course you have opted for and the respective orderly exam you will be required to take:

Alternate Options After NIFT Entrance Exam

Board examinations must be your #1 focus if you are studying in 12th grade. Should you be among those talented individuals who aced the NID written exam, you must begin preparing for the upcoming portfolio reviews, in-person interviews, and studio assessments. Nevertheless, for a better presentation, you need to collaborate with a professional mentor on this. The following is a discussion of a few additional design-related alternatives that aspirants might choose from to find out ‘What After NIFT Exam?’

Option #1: Applying to other esteemed design and art schools for their forthcoming examinations, like MITID, IICD, FDDI, Pearl Academy, and NIIFT Mohali, is highly encouraged. Since all applicants have completed the NIFT written exam, there should not be any challenges because all of these tests, which are tentatively planned for April and June of each year, require equal preparation for the GAT and CAT courses. Keeping up with study-related activities is essential because it takes constant work to uphold or improve speed, efficiency and accuracy.

Option #2: This applies to applicants getting ready for stages 2 and 3 of the NID as well as all individuals who may pass stage 1 of the NIFT. Unless one has cleared the NIFT or NID DAT exam , it is strongly advised to fill out the application form and submit the required documents to all renowned design schools.

Option #3: Individuals who wish to work in the arts should begin preparing, whether they intend to work in fine art or commercial art. They must select their top seven or eight art colleges and prepare for admission by appearing for the required entrance exams. Every year, in April or May (tentatively), the art colleges make their forms accessible roughly when the class 12 board results are announced.

Option #4: For those in class XII who are interested in architecture, this is the perfect instance. They must work on preparing for the NATA exam and other B Arch entrance exams. Every year, prospective applicants must take this exam after a few days of registering; the dates for conduct are tentatively March through August. Practice with the previous year's question banks needs to start on a strict deadline.

Option #5: Upon passing the UCEED exam , applicants must keep track of all the colleges that are included in its coverage and apply as soon as possible. Although UCEED is an entrance examination, candidates must also fulfil all individual admission criteria of every institution that is under its umbrella.

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What After NIFT Exam: Preparation Tips for Next Rounds

• It is advised that you stay focused and practice regularly to improve your presentation skills for the upcoming rounds.
• The candidates who have filled out their application form for BDes should start the NIFT 2026 Situation Test preparation .
• The Situation Test will be conducted to assess a candidate's skills of creativity and material handling in a particular situation with a given set of materials. This is a competitive level that will hold 20% weightage in the final merit.
• The candidates who have opted for MDes, MFTech, and MFM should focus on their GD/PI rounds. You should work on improving your communication and presentation skills.
• In the Personal Interview round, the candidates will be assessed by an Interview Panel based on their academic and co-curricular accomplishments, creative and lateral thinking capability, communication skills, career alignment, and suitability for the chosen program.

Some Major Takeaways on the Stages after the NIFT Exam

After the results for Stage 1 are released in the last week of March 2026 or the first week of April 2026, shortlisted candidates must register for the Situation Test or Personal Interview for Master's programmes.

• Under the NIFTEE 2026 exam, the Situation Test is a mandatory component of the B.Des admission process and carries 20% weightage in the final merit list.
• You must secure a rank within the top 3,000–4,000 to become eligible for the Situation Test. However, it depends on your category.
• For the Situation Test, you are only allowed to use only the materials provided by the center that include cardboard, wire, cloth, clay, etc. You are not permitted to bring outside materials except basic stationery like a ruler, scissors, and cutters. If you do not adhere to these rules, you will be disqualified.

The work ahead of everyone who makes it beyond the NIFT written entrance is rather evident. Focus on getting ready for the Situation Test/ GDPI rounds. This requires meticulous planning and must be handled with the utmost seriousness. Wishing all NIFT aspirants the best possible luck with the written exam results!

To explore the world of fashion design and find out more career options, dial the toll-free number 1800-572-9877 or fill out the Common Application Form . You can also drop your queries in the QnA zone. Stay tuned to CollegeDekho for more updates!