The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)conducts the NIFT Lateral Entry Admission (NLEA) every year for students who want direct admission to the second year (third semester) of undergraduate programmes like B.Des and B.F.Tech. The NLEA entrance exam for 2026 is anticipated to take place during the second week of February, and the preliminary answer key is probably going to be available during the third week of February. Candidates will also get a window to challenge the answer key before the final result is declared.
The NLEA 2026 admission process will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), and applications are expected to open in the last week of November 2025.
What is NIFT Lateral Entry (NLEA)?
NLEA is a pathway for students with a 3-year diploma in design, fashion, textiles, technology, or related fields to directly enter the second year of the UG programme at NIFT. This saves one year of study and allows diploma holders to pursue a degree at one of the most reputed fashion institutes in India.
Under NLEA, students are considered for B.Des (Bachelor of Design) and B.F.Tech (Bachelor of Fashion Technology).
NIFT Lateral Entry 2026: Key Highlights
Particulars | Details |
Exam Name | NLEA 2026 |
Conducting Body | NTA |
Frequency | Once every year |
Mode of Exam | GAT (Computer-based), Studio Test/PI or TAT/PI (Offline) |
Courses Offered | B.Des, B.F.Tech |
Application Fee | ₹3,000 (General/OBC/EWS), ₹1,500 (SC/ST/PwD) |
Application Mode | Online |
Exam Date (Tentative) | Second week of February 2026 |
Seat Intake | ~749 seats across programmes |
Related Exam | NIFT 2026 UG Entrance Exam |
NIFT Lateral Entry 2026 Admission Schedule
General NLEA Schedule
Events | Dates (Tentative) |
Registration opens | Last week of November 2025 |
Last date to apply | First week of January 2026 |
Last date with late fee (₹5,000) | Second week of January 2026 |
Edit window | Second week of January 2026 |
Admit Card release | First week of February 2026 |
Entrance Exam | Second week of February 2026 |
Answer Key Release | Third week of February 2026 |
Result Declaration | Last week of April 2026 |
Studio Test / TAT + PI | May–June 2026 |
Final Result | Last week of June 2026 |
Seat Allocation | June 2026 |
Artisan Category Schedule
Events | Dates (Tentative) |
Registration opens | Third week of November 2025 |
Last date to apply | Last week of February 2026 |
Admit Card release | March 2026 |
Artisan Skill Test + PI | May 2026 |
Final Result | June 2026 |
Seat Allocation | Last week of June 2026 |
NIFT NLEA 2026 Eligibility Criteria
For B.Des (Bachelor of Design)
- Passed 10th (Secondary School Examination) AND
- 3 or 4-year diploma in fields such as fashion, textile, apparel, visual communication, graphic design, leather, fine arts, interior design, etc. OR
- Completed 12th + 2-year UG Diploma at NIFT.
For B.F.Tech (Bachelor of Fashion Technology)
- Passed 10th (Secondary School Examination) AND
- 3 or 4-year diploma in fashion, textiles, apparel, home science, handloom technology, etc. OR
- Completed 12th with Mathematics + 2-year UG Diploma at NIFT.
Note: All diplomas should be recognized by AICTE, AIU, UGC, or State Boards of Technical Education.
NIFT NLEA 2026 Exam Pattern
For B.Des
Test | Weightage | Timeline | Mode |
GAT (General Ability Test) | 40% | Feb 2026 | Computer-based |
Studio Test | 40% | April 2026 | Offline |
Personal Interview | 20% | May 2026 | Offline |
For B.F.Tech
Test | Weightage | Timeline | Mode |
GAT | 40% | Feb 2026 | Computer-based |
Technical Ability Test (TAT) | 40% | April 2026 | Offline |
Personal Interview | 20% | May 2026 | Offline |
NIFT Lateral Entry 2026 Application Process
- Registration: Visit NIFT official website and register using Aadhaar details.
- Login & Fill Form: Enter personal, academic, and contact details.
- Select Exam Centre: Choose from 82 available exam cities.
- Upload Documents: As per specifications (photograph <150 KB, signature <150 KB).
- Pay Application Fee: Online (credit/debit/net banking) or offline (post office challan).
Application Fees
Category | Fee |
General/OBC/EWS | ₹3,000 |
SC/ST/PwD | ₹1,500 |
NIFT Lateral Entry 2026 Exam Centres
The NLEA 2026 will be held across 82 cities in India, including:
Complete List of NIFT NLEA 2026 Exam Centres
Cities allocated for Exam centers | |
Port Blair | |
Kurnool | |
Vijayawada | |
Visakhapatnam | |
Rajahmundry | |
Tirupathi | |
Naharlagun | |
Guwahati | |
Muzaffarpur | |
Patna | |
Chandigarh/Mohali | |
Raipur | |
Jagdalpur | |
Silvassa | |
Delhi NCR | |
Mapusa | |
Ahmedabad/ Gandhinagar | |
Rajkot | |
Surat | |
Anand | |
Gandhinagar | |
Mehsana | |
Hisar | |
Kurukshetra | |
Bilaspur Hp | |
Kangra | |
Jammu | |
Srinagar | |
Dhanbad | |
Ranchi | |
Bengaluru | |
Mysuru (Mysore) | |
Mangalore (Mangalore) | |
Ernakulam | |
Kannur | |
Kozhikode | |
Kollam | |
Kottayam | |
Thiruvananthapuram | |
Thrissur | |
Leh / Kargil | |
Kavaratti | |
Bhopal | |
Jabalpur | |
Gwalior | |
Satna | |
Ujjain | |
Mumbai / Thane | |
Nagpur | |
Pune | |
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar | |
Amravati | |
Kolhapur | |
Nanded | |
Imphal | |
Shillong | |
Aizawl | |
Kohima | |
Berhampur-Ganjam | |
Bhubaneswar | |
Pondicherry | |
Ludhiana | |
Jaipur | |
Jodhpur | |
Udaipur | |
Gangtok | |
Chennai | |
Coimbatore | |
Madurai | |
Salem | |
Tiruchirappalli | |
Vellore | |
Hyderabad | |
Agartala | |
Meerut | |
Muzaffarnagar | |
Kanpur | |
Lucknow | |
Varanasi | |
Dehradun | |
Haldwani | |
Kolkata |
NIFT Lateral Entry 2026 Seat Intake
Programmes | Open/OBC/EWS | SC | ST | NRI | Total |
Fashion Design (FD) | 5 | 3 | 19 | 24 | 51 |
Leather Design (LD) | 3 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 37 |
Accessory Design (AD) | 9 | 29 | 39 | 40 | 117 |
Textile Design (TD) | 15 | 33 | 49 | 37 | 134 |
Knitwear Design (KD) | 1 | 6 | 19 | 18 | 44 |
Fashion Communication (FC) | 3 | 6 | 32 | 21 | 62 |
B.F.Tech (Apparel Production) | 128 | 67 | 50 | 59 | 304 |
Total | 164 | 154 | 217 | 214 | 749 |
NIFT Lateral Entry 2026 Result
- Results will be declared in the last week of June 2026.
- Candidates can check results at nift.ac.in using login credentials.
- Candidates who make the short list will move on to either the TAT/PI (B.F.Tech) or Studio Test/PI (B.Des).
NIFT Lateral Entry 2026 Counselling
- Conducted after results are declared.
- Seat allotment is merit-based.
- To guarantee admission, candidates must pay the seat acceptance fee.
- Failure to pay on time may lead to cancellation of the seat.
Conclusion
Diploma holders in design, textiles, fashion, and technology fields have a fantastic opportunity to enroll in NIFT's prestigious B.Des or B.F.Tech program through the NIFT Lateral Entry Admission (NLEA) 2026. This scheme saves time and provides opportunities for advanced learning in the fashion and design industries by allowing direct entry into the second year.
