NIFT(UG) And Its Preparation In Two Weeks

 What is NIFT?

Aspiring Fashion designers aim to get into NIFT(National Institute of Fashion Technology). There are 16 NIFT’s across India. These institutes offer 4 year B.Des Programs and 2 year M.Des Programs across various specializations including Fashion Design and Fashion Technology.

There are two stages of the exam:

Stage 1 - NIFT Written Test (GAT + CAT)

Stage 2 - NIFT Situation Test

What happens in the NIFT Written Test?

The GAT (General Ability Test) has a definite syllabus consisting of quantitative ability, communicative ability, english, analytical ability, general knowledge and current affairs. The GAT tests candidates for their logical, analytical, awareness and communication abilities. It is after the GAT that the CAT takes place.

 Sections                                                 Number of Questions

1. English comprehension                                      25
2. Quantitative ability                                             20
3. Communication ability                                        25
4. Analytical ability                                                  15
5. General knowledge and current affairs              15

The Creative Ability Test (CAT) varies each year. It’s unconventional and puts the candidate’s artistic and creative abilities to the test. Aspirants need to show a good understanding of colours, creativity and ability to communicate through sketching.

It is only after the candidate clears the Written Test, are they allowed to write the situation test. Generally, for every seat available, 5 aspirants will be called for the situation test.

What happens in the NIFT Situation Test?

In the situation test, the candidate will be given material and topics. They have to use the material to come up with something that will suit the topic.

The situation test is set up to see how the candidate can think on their feet and make optimum use of the materials given. After doing so the candidate must also provide a write up explaining their project, the write up must be in English.

How to prepare for NIFT (Written Test) in 2 weeks

With the primary focus you would have given your board exams you may not have had the time to prepare for entrances.

Now that you are focussing on NIFT, you do have to ensure that you cover all aspects of CAT & GAT. You need to do a lot in 2 weeks, so every day counts.

Strategy:

GAT

• Focus less Math & English since you will be aware of the fundamentals that you covered in the lower classes
• Spend time on Reasoning, solving puzzles & Current affairs
• Attempt as many mock tests as possible

CAT

• Ensure you are thorough with your techniques of drawing - sketching/painting/doodling
• Get professional feedback on your drawings - This will help you get more perspective on your work

With 2 weeks left, DQ Edge will be a good option because it has an intuitive interface that will tell you what to study in .

The following tips help you crack NIFT in 2 Weeks :

1) Refer to the study material on DQ Edge  – With only two weeks left, make use of the NIFT study material available on DQ Edge, start off with one mock test. Once you are done, the platform will tell you what to study next. Just follow this and you will find that your scores will improve by 45%. Dq Edge would have helped you extend focus to relevant topics. 

2)Attend Online Marathon classes - You don’t have the luxury of time and it’s best not to waste any of it on travel. Take marathon classes at home. Online webinars are conducted by DQ Labs for those who need to brush over everything in the 11th hour.

3)Definite schedule – The time constraint is unimaginable so there is a lot of pressure that comes with it. The only way you can overcome this is by planning a strict schedule and sticking to it. There are students who put 12 hours a day into studying. Assign hours of the day to different topics and portions that will appear for the exam. Make it a point to go through whatever you’ve studied for the day, revision is essential.

4)Read up current affairs- Current affairs is just as important as static gk. Skim through all the events that happened the past year. Meetings, sports, prizes, appointments, heads of offices and obituaries. You will find that Competition success, Manorama year book , Leadthecompetition website provide reliable information since they have credible sources. Go through all of them over and over since this is theoretical knowledge that you are expected to retain.

5)Keep up with fashion – Get to know more about the industry by keeping up with upcoming designers and their designs; this applies to both Bollywood and Hollywood. You will find that prominent fashion/ stylist bloggers are kingpins of the industry, follow them to keep up with what’s trending.

6)For drawing – The Creative Aptitude Test scrutinizes your creativity, get perspective on many drawings. Understand concepts of art, and don’t take this portion lightly, it accounts for 50% of the exam. When you take a break from studying make the time to sketch and work with colors, have experts review it and tell you how to improve if you can. Mentors at DQ labs have graduated from prestigious institutes like IIT, NIFT and NID they will have constructive criticism to offer.

6)Practice mock papers – Mock papers are very important, once the student finds all the topics manageable, they must make it a point to attempt the mock papers. Mock papers help the student mentally prepare for the exam, they help them deal with the time constraint. Coaching centres like DQ labs collect details of the past papers and structure similar papers for students to practice. DQ edge is an online platform where they provide for mock papers as well as previous years questions. The testing platform analyses the user’s strengths and weaknesses by doing so they offer problems you can work on.

7)Pay attention to details- It is important to have an eye for detail in the exams, to make your work stand out among the tens of thousands you must make the time to include creative detail in your project. The examiners award marks accordingly. Work on your shading and sketching skills, explore what you’re not comfortable with or not good at so you can improve on it.

8)Be versatile – The courses the colleges offer have many hands on projects, these projects test your material handling abilities, to see if you can think on your feet. In order to be versatile you must work with different materials like paper, clay and origami. DQ labs takes material handling classes by providing and encouraging students to work with different materials and tools .The mentors make sure that this session remains interactive and productive, it is because of this students are able to think on their feet and effectively produce desirable results in the situation test.

9) SWOT  - This is a study method that is highly recommended. Strength, Weakness , Opportunities and Threats. With not much time left you must quickly analyse what your strengths and weakness are and work towards it accordingly. This is where DQ Edge is handy, the online test platform very quickly analyses your strength and weakness, they tell you the portions you can work on, thus will give you a good head start.

10) Don’t stress – Make it a point to remain calm, being needlessly stressful can eat up your time. So always work smart and don’t get stressed. Follow a strict schedule and but take small breaks to retain the knowledge better. The exam is easy to crack if one is prepared and level headed, talk to people who’ve cracked the exam in your free time, see to that you get their input.