Fashion design is always on the trend as people love wearing something that speaks about their personality. Fashion designers are masters of creating visually appealing garments and accessories that complement anyone who wears them.
But to become a fashion designer, you must enroll in a good fashion design college and gain industry knowledge from expert designers.
Most fashion designing colleges have their entrance exam and personal interview rounds to shortlist the right candidate.
We have shared some popular fashion and interior design entrance exams in Kolkata.
Here are fashion design entrance exams in Kolkata at a glance:
1. NIFT entrance exam
The National Institute of Fashion Technology has entrusted NTA to conduct their NIFT entrance examination for admission into UG, PG, and PhD programs at different NIFT colleges. Most of the courses require completion of two examination components: GAT (General Ability Test) and CAT (Creative Ability Test), and a personal interview (PI).
Eligibility:
- For Bachelor programs, candidates should be less than 24 years old and pass the 10+2 grade from any recognized institution
- For the B.F.tech program, you must pass 10+2 grade in mathematics from any recognized institution
- For master’s degree programs, there is no age limit, but you need to pass an undergraduate program in any discipline from a recognized university
- For MF.Tech, you need to do BF.Tech from NIFT or any recognized institute/university
Course duration:
- Bachelor of Design: 4 years
- Bachelor of Fashion Technology: 4 years
- Master of Design: 2 years
- Master of Fashion Management: 2 years
- Master of Fashion Technology: 2 years
2. NID-DAT
Design Aptitude Test is conducted by NID (National Institute of Design) for enrolling students across the country for B.Des. program in Ahmedabad, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam. There will be a two-stage examination, i.e., DAT Prelims & DAT Mains. Depending on the merit list of DAT Prelims, you will be selected for DAT Mains.
Eligibility:
- Candidates applying for the examination shouldn’t be more than 20 years of age. For example, candidates born on or after 1 July 2004 were eligible for the academic year 2025-26.
- You must appear or pass a 10+2 qualifying examination in any stream this year from a recognized education board.
- For M.Des. 2025-26 DAT exams, candidates must be born on or after 1 July 1993 and complete 4 years of bachelor’s degree after 12th standard from any recognized institution
Course duration:
- B.Des.: 4 years
- M.Des.: 2.5 years
3. UCEED
IIT Bombay conducts the Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design to shortlist top candidates for their undergraduate design courses. With this score, you can get admission to the Bachelor of Design programs at IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Roorkee, IIITDM Jabalpur, and multiple other institutions.
However, your UCEED rank doesn’t guarantee your admission to these Institutes. You need to crack separate BDes exams as arranged by the institutes or appear for a personal interview.
Eligibility:
- Candidates who passed all the papers in their 10+2 grade the previous year or are appearing this year for the first time can apply for UCEED.
- You can make a maximum of two attempts to clear the examination within two consecutive years.
- Your age must be within 25 years while applying for the examination
Course duration:
- BDes: 4 years course
- BDes + MDes (dual course): 5 years
4. CEED
The Common Entrance Exam for Design is conducted by IIT Bombay for shortlisting candidates in M.Des. and Ph.D. programmes. Students from Kolkata can choose their examination center at “Kolkata,” along with two other nearby options like Patna and Visakhapatnam. This entrance test assesses a candidate’s aptitude for design, including drawing skills, logical reasoning, communication, creativity, visual perception ability, and problem-solving skills.
A qualified candidate can apply for Master of Design and Ph.D. programs at:
- IIT Bombay
- IISC Bangalore
- IIT Delhi
- IIT Guwahati
- IIT Jodhpur
- IIT Hyderabad
- IIT Kanpur
- IIT Roorkee
- IIITDM Kancheepuram
- IIITDM Jabalpur
However, for final selection, these colleges may conduct tests or interviews.
Eligibility:
- Candidates applying for the examination must complete a minimum of 3 years of graduate/diploma/post-graduate degrees or pass the GD Arts diploma program (10+5) by the year of application
Course duration:
- Master of Design in Fashion Design: 2 years
- Ph.D. in Fashion Design: 3 years
5. AIEED
The ARCH Academy screens the All India Entrance Examination for Design for admission to its UG and PG design programs. Students globally can apply for this online screening test.
You must submit a Portfolio of Abilities (PoA) and a Statement of Purpose (SoP) stating why you want to consider designing.
This test enables you to choose your favourite path including interior design, fashion design, jewellery design, graphic design, and product design. Besides B.Des programs for different specializations, you can also find M.Des courses.
Eligibility:
- For UG-level courses, candidates must appear or clear their 10+2 grade from a recognized board to become eligible for the screening test
- For PG-level courses, you must complete graduation in any discipline or pursue one from a recognized university
Course duration:
- B.Des: 4 years
- Masters program: 2 years
6. CUET (PG)
If you want to be admitted to the best college for post-graduation in textile design, appearing for the CUET (PG) exam is a good choice. The Common University Entrance Test marks will help you get admission to different colleges.
However, you may need to crack their individual entrance exams and interview rounds for final admission.
CUET (PG) is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to central universities, state universities, and other participating universities/organizations.
This exam will provide an equal platform for candidates across the country.
Eligibility:
- There is no age limit for candidates to apply for CUET (PG) examination
- Candidates must pass a bachelor’s degree or appear for one this year
- While admission, you need to follow the university criteria, especially for age
Course duration:
- M.Des: 2 years
7. SEED
To get admission to Symbiosis Institute of Design, one of the top colleges for B.Des and M.Des in India, you need to crack their Symbiosis Entrance Exam for Design (SEED). It consists of questions about general design awareness, critical thinking abilities, awareness of Indian culture, observational and reasoning abilities, craft and traditions, etc.
The final selection will depend on your SEED marks, portfolio review, and personal interaction (PRPI).
Eligibility:
- Candidates need to pass/appear in the 10+2 examination this year or complete the 10+3 diploma from the State Board of Technical Education with 50% marks
- You must have a Creative Aptitude & Skills to pursue a design education
- For the master’s degree program, candidates have a bachelor’s Degree of a minimum of 4 years in any specialization after 10+2 grade, or 4 years full-time diploma in Design/Fine Arts/ Architecture/ Applied Arts with 50% marks
Course duration:
- B.Des.: 4 years
- M.Des.: 2 years
8. SOFT CET
The MKSSS’s School of Fashion Technology conducts the Common Entrance Test to shortlist candidates for its design courses.
The top courses include Fashion Design, Textile Design, Fashion Communication, Jewellery Design, Sustainable Fashion, and Fashion Merchandising.
This entrance examination will consist of three compulsory tests, i.e., GAT (General Ability Test), Studio test / Group Discussion, and Personal Interview.
You will receive the GAT question paper in your mail 15 minutes before the exam. Studio tests and personal interviews will be conducted on Google Meet.
Eligibility:
- Candidates need to pass or appear in their 10+2 grade examination this year from a recognized board for UG programs.
- You can also apply for their PG programs with a graduation degree from any recognized university.
Course duration:
- B.Des.: 4 years
- PG Diploma in Fashion Design & Merchandising: 2 years
- M.Des.: 2 years
Fashion designing course subjects and topics to learn
There are multiple subjects and topics to learn in Fashion designing. We have listed some of them for your understanding.
- Fashion illustration: It is the skill of a fashion designer to represent their ideas through sketches or digital images. In fashion illustration, you will learn concept development, sketching clothed figures, colour theory, study about fabrics, gesture drawing, etc.
- Knowledge of textile design: You must learn about textile design to create the right fabric and patterns using techniques like printing, knitting, weaving, and embroidery. This knowledge is required while creating your mood boards, choosing fabrics, and going through the design phase.
- Understanding the design process: A fashion designer needs to know how the design process works. This includes focusing on research work and understanding of theme, client profile board, accessory board, trim and fabric board, muslin fit, etc.
- Draping knowledge: It is the technique of giving your fabric a structure on human models or mannequins to visualize three-dimensional garments. This knowledge is required for showcasing your designs publicly, at runaways, and in advertisements.
- Pattern drafting: You need to create different patterns on your garments or accessories. Pattern drafting is creating patterns for a garment based on the measurements taken to cut the fabric. When you assemble all these patterns, it creates the desired garment. Fashion design courses focus on 2D and 3D pattern-making techniques to create and visualize patterns in a short time.
- Garment construction techniques: These refer to all the techniques required to turn fabric into well-fitted clothing. For example, stitching (stem stitching, chain stitching, cross stitching), types of seams (flat seam, lapped seam, flat felled seam), edge finishes (pinked finish, edge stitch finish, herringbone finish), pin tucks, elastic shirring, putting pockets and zips, etc
Other subjects included in fashion designing are
- Fabric testing
- Model making
- Surface design technique and ornamentation
- Fashion merchandising and marketing
- Practicing Computer-aided design (CAD) and Multimedia design
- Applied Ergonomics
- Fashion communication
- Retail and marketing
FURTHER READING
FAQs
Can I do fashion designing without NIFT?
Yes, you can do fashion designing without the NIFT entrance exam. This exam ensures your admission to NIFT courses, but you can find multiple institutions that conduct their entrance exams.
Maximum Centre conducts a personal interview and portfolio review to enroll students. However, before applying, you must check their eligibility criteria, especially age and qualification requirements.
Which exam is best for a fashion designing career?
The NIFT entrance exam is best for a fashion designing career in Kolkata. However, you can also apply for NID’s Design Aptitude Test, IIT Bombay’s UCEED and CEED exams, ARCH Academy’s AIEED, and Symbiosis Institute of Design’s SEED exams.
Most universities check your performance in these exams, check your portfolio, and conduct a personal interview to admit students to their design courses.
Which exam is required for fashion design course after 12th?
After 12th, a university-level entrance exam is required for fashion designing.
There are multiple national-level exams like the NIFT entrance exam, DAT, UCEED, AIEED, and SEED exams, but universities may conduct their individual exams for shortlisting candidates for their fashion courses.
