How to Prepare for NIFT GAT B.Des Exam Quantitative Ability, Syllabus, Books, Arithmetic, Data Interpretation

Published by Shikha Kumari on Jan 17, 2025

NIFT GAT is organised every year as an entrance exam for B.Des. In 2025, around 5,289 seats are being offered for the NIFT GAT exam. According to past records, nearly 40,000 students participate in the exam every year, making it important to secure a good NIFT GAT score for a better chance of admission into one of the NIFT campuses. In this blog, we have discussed the two sections of the GAT exam, Quantitative and Analytical Ability, by examining the exam pattern, syllabus, previous year question papers, recommended books, and providing some practice questions.

How to Prepare for NIFT Exam Pattern and Syllabus

The NIFT BDes exam is conducted in both English and Hindi mediums. The exam duration is two hours and is held for candidates seeking admission to the Bachelor of Design program at NIFT campuses across various locations.

The 3rd and 4th sections of the NIFT DAT exam are Quantitative Ability and Analytical Ability. These sections assess the candidate’s skills in arithmetic and data interpretation, together holding 35% of the total weightage. This section can be easier for those who are engaged with mathematics. It is not too difficult to learn and tackle the questions in this area. The GAT syllabus for NIFT can be tallied below:

This syllabus is further clarified in the PDF. You can download the following NIFT Entrance Exam syllabus PDF for your reference. This syllabus has been curated from the official website.

Arithmetic & Data Interpretation

As a candidate for the Bachelor of Design program, one must have a good understanding of numbers and spatial data interpretation. This is ensured by the NIFT exam pattern for 2025. Arithmetic and Data Interpretation (DI) involve numerical data, often presented in the form of tables or graphs. Essentially, you will be solving questions that involve arithmetic properties. To perform well in these two sections, you must be able to understand, organize, and interpret the data in the correct form.

Question: A person deposited Rs 2500 in a bank on January 1st and withdrew Rs 1000 after 9 months. If the interest rate is 4% per annum, what is the total interest payable to him at the end of the year?

(a) Rs 80 (b) Rs 84 (c) Rs 105 (d) Rs 90

Question: If a stock of food is sufficient for 45 students for 2 months, how many days will the same stock last for 27 students?

(a) 100 (b) 120 (c) 85 (d) 110

Question: A shopkeeper purchased 10 pens for Rs 150 and sold them at a rate of 10 pens for Rs 130. How many pens does he need to sell to earn a net profit of Rs 20?

(a) 10 (b) 20 (c) 30 (d) 40

Previous Year NIFT GAT Question Paper

While the General Ability Test (GAT) has questions that may vary in difficulty, the level of quantitative questions may not be as tough as those in exams like the CAT, which is conducted by IIMs. To better understand the quantitative aspects of the GAT exam, you should refer to previous years’ question papers. We have provided the last four years’ questions to help you prepare for the difficulty level of the quantitative section.

Recommended Books for NIFT Quants

While being already engaged in mathematical problems can help candidates in these two sections, they can also improve their arithmetic skills by using specific books. While you can refer to books commonly used for CAT preparation, it’s essential to use books specifically designed for the NIFT GAT exam. These books will follow a pattern that is very similar to that of the GAT exam, making them more suited for your preparation:

CAT and GAT Exam for NIFT

Along with the GAT exam, the Creative Ability Test (CAT) is also conducted to assess creativity and color innovation. Make sure that when you are drawing or sketching any model, you do not write your name or location anywhere, as this can lead to disqualification.

Be well-prepared, and the exam will be a breeze.