NIFT Cut-Off: Common Merit Rank and OR-CR Guide

The NIFT cut-off is not a single score. NIFT admits students on Common Merit Rank (CMR), and the cut-off for a seat is the opening and closing rank (OR-CR) at which that seat was filled in a counselling round. This page explains how to read these ranks and how to set a target for the NIFT entrance exam 2027.

Official cut-off figures for 2027 do not exist yet, because the exam is still ahead. This page therefore does not quote rank numbers. Third-party sites show differing rank figures for earlier years, and some of them are expected or predicted values, so use the official tables on the NIFT admissions portal as your benchmark.

How NIFT cut-offs work

• Rank, not marks: NIFT converts your weighted score into a Common Merit Rank. There are separate ranks for B.Des, B.F.Tech, M.Des, M.F.M and M.F.Tech, and for the lateral entry routes.

• Round-wise: opening and closing ranks are published after counselling rounds. The 2026 cycle had three rounds and a SPOT round.

• Campus, programme and category: the closing rank for Fashion Design at one campus differs from Textile Design at another, and from category to category.

Where to check previous cut-offs

The OR-CR section of the NIFT admissions portal lists reports for the UG, UG lateral entry and PG counselling of 2024, 2025 and 2026. Open the report for the round, then choose your campus, programme and category. All ranks in these reports are Common Merit Ranks.

Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants. Treat last year's figures as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass.

What affects the cut-off

• Paper difficulty: a tougher GAT or CAT lowers raw scores and can shift the rank needed.

• Number of applicants and seats: more candidates for the same seats pushes the closing rank lower, meaning a better rank is needed.

• Campus choice: older metro campuses usually close at better ranks than newer ones.

• Domicile and reservation: in 2026, 20 percent of seats at state campuses were earmarked for domicile candidates, and a 35 percent quota applied at NIFT Srinagar.

How to set your target

1. Pick your top campuses and programmes and note the closing ranks for your category in the last three years.

2. Add a margin: aim for a rank clearly better than the last closing rank, not equal to it.

3. Work backwards to scores: use mock test results across GAT and CAT to see where you stand, and track your improvement every two weeks.

4. Remember the later stages: for B.Des, the Situation Test also counts towards your rank.

Read the NIFT exam pattern to understand how the stages feed into your rank, and see the NIFT admissions portal for official OR-CR reports.