NATA

NATA is a national aptitude assessment for aspirants to the five-year B.Arch. degree. CoA describes it as measuring architecture-oriented aptitude through cognitive skills, visual perception and aesthetic sensitivity, logical reasoning, critical thinking, and prior learning. The CoA brochure states that the architecture-admission aptitude-test requirement may be met through NATA or the NTA-conducted JEE route, subject to the applicable admission rules.

NATA should not be treated as a general entrance examination for every design-related programme. Its stated role is qualification for B.Arch admission; B.Des, B.Plan, interior-design and diploma programmes can use separate institutional or state admission processes. Applicants should therefore verify the specific programme’s current prospectus and counselling rules before relying on a NATA score.

• CoA conducts the test, but state/UT competent authorities and institutions conduct the actual admissions.
• Reservation, merit-list construction, counselling procedures and seat allocation are governed by the relevant state/UT or institutional authority rather than by NATA alone.

For taking NATA 2026, candidates may have passed or be appearing in the relevant 10+2 examination, or may have passed or be appearing in a 10+3 diploma examination with Mathematics. This permission to sit the test is distinct from final B.Arch admission eligibility.

For admission to the first year of B.Arch, CoA’s stated baseline is: 10+2 or equivalent with Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects and one of Chemistry, Biology, Technical Vocational subject, Computer Science, Information Technology, Informatics Practices, Engineering Graphics or Business Studies, with at least 45% aggregate; alternatively, a 10+3 diploma with Mathematics as compulsory subject and at least 45% aggregate. Candidates must also satisfy the requirements applied by the relevant admission/counselling authority and institution.

• PCM and PCMB students normally meet the subject-combination direction because both include Physics and Mathematics, but admission depends on the full rule set and marks requirement.
• NATA qualification does not create a right to admission; document verification and all authority/institutional conditions still apply.

NATA 2026 uses a two-part, 200-mark format in English and Hindi. Part A is an offline, 90-minute Drawing and Composition test worth 80 marks: Composition and Colour (25), Sketching and Composition in black and white (25), and 3D Composition (30). Part B is a 90-minute online adaptive test worth 120 marks: 42 multiple-choice questions and 8 no-choice questions.

Part B covers visual reasoning, logical derivation, general knowledge related to architecture and design, language interpretation, design sensitivity and thinking, and numerical ability/geometry. For Phase 1, the final percentile is based on the candidate’s best permitted performance; Phase 2 produces raw scores for vacant-seat admissions after centralised counselling.

• Phase 1 ran from April 4 through June 13, 2026; the official NATA site lists Phase 2 on August 7–8, 2026 for candidates who did not appear in Phase 1 and who seek vacant-seat opportunities.
• There is no minimum raw score prescribed for qualifying in NATA 2026; CoA states that the final scorecard’s non-zero percentile score is the valid qualifying score. Admission authorities may apply their own merit procedures.

For NATA 2026, applications are made online through the NATA portal. The official process is: create login credentials, complete personal details, upload required documents/images, pay the application fee, and save the confirmation page. The brochure says no documents need be posted. Candidates select a preferred city/region and date, but CoA makes the final test-centre and session allocation.

After the test, candidates download their statement(s) of marks and final scorecard from their login. They must then separately follow the applicable state, centralised or institutional B.Arch counselling/admission process; NATA does not itself allot a college seat. The appointment card and original photo identification are required at the test centre.

• The 2026 brochure lists application fees per test as ₹1,750 for General/OBC (NCL), ₹1,250 for SC/ST/EWS/PwD, ₹1,000 for transgender candidates, and ₹15,000 outside India. Fees and policies are annual and should be checked in the live official notice before payment.
• A candidate may take up to two Phase 1 attempts or one Phase 2 attempt in 2026, but may appear in only one phase.

Preparation should mirror the two parts rather than focus only on drawing. For Part A, practise timed composition and colour work, freehand sketching of built environments and people, proportion, scale, texture, shading and shadows, plus physical 3D composition. For Part B, work on 2D/3D visualisation, logical inference, basic geometry and numerical reasoning, reading and grammar, architecture/design awareness, and analysing people, products, spaces and environments.

Use full 180-minute practice simulations: complete a 90-minute paper-based drawing/composition segment followed by a 90-minute computer-based question segment. Review errors by skill category and practise working within the prescribed time, because the official Part B format allocates 108 seconds per question.

• Read the current official brochure before preparing because the pattern, scoring, schedule and permitted attempts can change by year.
• For the drawing component, prioritise clarity of idea, proportion, spatial understanding and effective use of the medium—not only decorative detail.

A valid NATA score can be used in B.Arch admission processes for the 2026–27 session, subject to CoA eligibility and the applicable counselling or institutional rules. Phase 1 final scorecards carry the best raw score and percentile for centralised admission counselling; Phase 2 scorecards carry raw scores for admissions against vacant seats after centralised counselling.

The immediate academic outcome is eligibility to compete for B.Arch seats rather than automatic enrolment. A B.Arch degree from an appropriately recognised programme is relevant to the regulated pathway for using the title ‘Architect’: CoA states that registration requires education compliant with its minimum standards and a recognised qualification under the Architects Act.

• Check whether a target college accepts NATA, JEE (Paper 2), or both, and whether it uses raw score, percentile and qualifying-examination marks in its merit rule.
• Verify that a prospective B.Arch programme is recognised/approved as applicable before accepting a seat.