Exams · NATA
NATA
Shishya's tracker has no announced NATA exam date yet. Official site: coa.gov.in.
National Aptitude Test in Architecture
Council of Architecture's qualifying test for admission to B.Arch programmes across India. Two parts: aesthetic sensitivity + drawing (Part A) and PCM + general aptitude (Part B). 3 sessions per year — best score counts.
Updated 23 Sept 2026 ·Vacancy counts change every cycle — always confirm the exact number in the latest official notification before applying.
Sourced
Source: official exam authority notification · refreshed weekly. How this works →
NATA — key facts
The conducting body's site is linked. Dates are announced ones only, each with its tier: official (the body's own notice) or reported (a secondary source).
- Conducting body
- Council of Architecture (COA) coa.gov.in ↗
- Dates
No date for the next cycle is announced yet.
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There are no NATA practice questions on Shishya yet.
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NATA eligibility
Verified against the official notification. Source ↗ · last reconciled 2026-05.
- Education
- Class 12 with Physics + Chemistry + Mathematics as core subjects, minimum 50% aggregate (45% for SC/ST/OBC). Diploma holders (10+3 with Maths) also eligible.
- Mathematics MUST be a core subject in Class 12 — not optional.
- Diploma-in-Engineering route: 10+3 with Maths as a compulsory subject.
- B.Arch admission additionally requires the candidate to clear the institutional eligibility (Class 12 minimum + NATA score).
- Attempts
- Three sessions in a year; best of three scores is considered. Valid for 2 years.
- Nationality
- Indian citizen, NRI, OCI, PIO and foreign nationals.
NATA cutoffs
Historical cutoffs are a guide, not a prediction. Use them to set a realistic target, not to predict next year's exact number.
Qualifying cutoff (CoA — for B.Arch admission eligibility)
out of 200 marksNATA gives a qualifying score; college-level cutoffs depend on Class-12 + NATA composite scoring at each institution.
| Year | Category | Cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | All categories — minimum qualifying | ≥ 70 (35%) |
| 2024 | Top NIT/SPA closing score | 150+ (75%+) |
| 2024 | Government college closing | 120 – 140 typically |
| 2024 | Private college closing | 90 – 120 typically |
Source: official ↗ · verified 2026-05.
NATA paper analysis — what actually got asked
Topic-by-topic weightage averaged across 2022-2024 papers. Use this to decide where to invest study hours, not where to skim. Source ↗ · verified 2026-05.
Part A — Aesthetic Sensitivity + Drawing (125 marks)
50/200 marks avg
Aesthetic sensitivity (composition, colour, perspective)
~50 marks(25%)
Part A
75/200 marks avg
Drawing aptitude (free-hand, 3D visualisation, urban landscape)
~75 marks(38%)
Part B — Aptitude Test (75 marks)
40/200 marks avg
Physics + Chemistry + Mathematics (Class 12 level)
~40 marks(20%)
Part B
35/200 marks avg
General aptitude + logical reasoning + spatial visualisation
~35 marks(18%)
Takeaways for prep planning
- Drawing alone carries ~37.5% of total marks. Daily sketching practice (perspectives, urban scenes, still life) is the highest-yield prep.
- Aesthetic sensitivity questions test design literacy, not artistic skill — knowledge of architectural movements, famous buildings, design principles wins marks.
- PCM in Part B is at Class 12 level — JEE Main aspirants find this section straightforward; pure-Humanities candidates need 2-3 months of catch-up.
NATA — Frequently asked questions
Is Shishya free for NATA preparation?
What is the expected cutoff for NATA?
How can I prepare for NATA for free?
What can I get from NATA?
Mock-score → expected rank → likely outcome. Use the mocks below to find your current band, then plan how many marks you need to climb.
Top 500 — Premier institutions
92–100% · Rank 1 – 500
- •SPA Delhi — B.Arch assured admission (General category, typically top 300-500)
- •IIT Roorkee — B.Arch (with JEE Advanced qualification)
- •IIT Kharagpur — Architecture (AAT qualifier, top preference)
- •SPA Vijayawada / Bhopal — assured first-round admission with scholarship prospects
- •CEPT University Ahmedabad — merit scholarship eligibility
- •Top choice across all participating institutions in NATA counselling
Elite SPAs — All-India top 1500
85–92% · Rank 500 – 1,500
- •SPA Delhi — B.Arch (General category cut-off approximately rank 800-1200)
- •SPA Vijayawada — Bachelor of Architecture
- •SPA Bhopal — early rounds, open category
- •IIT Kharagpur — B.Arch (JEE Advanced AAT required, NATA as backup)
- •NIT Trichy — assured seat in Architecture (General category)
- •CEPT University — strong merit scholarship possibilities
Top tier NITs — competitive range
75–85% · Rank 1,500 – 4,000
- •NIT Trichy — B.Arch (General category approximately rank 2000-3000)
- •NIT Calicut — Architecture (early rounds, General category)
- •SPA Bhopal — B.Arch program (combined NATA + JEE consideration)
- •IIT Roorkee — B.Arch (requires JEE Advanced Paper 2 alongside NATA)
- •CEPT University Ahmedabad — B.Arch (strong contention in merit rounds)
Good colleges — Tier 2 NITs range
65–75% · Rank 4,000 – 8,000
- •NIT Calicut — B.Arch (General category cut-off approximately rank 5000-6000)
- •NIT Trichy — Architecture (later rounds possible)
- •SPA Bhopal — Bachelor of Planning (varies by JEE Paper 2 integration)
- •Manipal Institute of Technology — Architecture program
- •Sir JJ College of Architecture Mumbai (state quota, highly competitive)
- •Chandigarh College of Architecture (UT quota advantage)
Mid-tier options — State colleges
50–65% · Rank 8,000 – 15,000
- •State government architecture colleges (home state advantage)
- •Jamia Millia Islamia Delhi — B.Arch (approximately rank 10000-12000)
- •BMS College of Architecture Bangalore — merit seats possible
- •Rizvi College of Architecture Mumbai
- •CEPT University Ahmedabad — possible in later rounds (counselling dependent)
- •Private NITs and newer IIITs with architecture programs
Qualifying range — Tier 3 colleges
35–50% · Rank 15,000 – 25,000
Below qualifying threshold
0–35% · Rank 25,000+
AI-curated from historic cut-off patterns. Always verify with the latest official notification before making decisions.
News & timeline
See older updates →Latest news
The Council of Architecture has released the Phase 2 results for NATA 2026 exams conducted on August 7 and 8. Candidates can download their scorecards from the student registration portal at nata.in.
COA has released the final Phase 1 scorecards with percentile scores for all NATA 2026 exams conducted between April 4 and June 13. Candidates can download them from the student registration portal.
The Council of Architecture published the official NATA 2026 brochure and public notice outlining the complete exam schedule, with Phase 1 from April 4-June 13 and Phase 2 on August 7-8.
The Council of Architecture started the NATA 2026 online application process on March 9, 2026, for Phase 1 exams scheduled to begin from April 4 onwards.
Important dates
🎓Phase 2 exam (day 2)
passedSat, 8 Aug, 2026
Reportednata.inSecond day of Phase 2 exams
Phase 2 results declared
passedSat, 8 Aug, 2026
Reportednata.inResults for August 7 and 8 Phase 2 exams released
NATA 2026 Phase 2 result declared
passedSat, 15 Aug, 2026
Reportednata.inResults for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 available at nata.in
NATA 2027 notification (expected)
149 days awayMon, 8 Mar, 2027
ExpectedNext cycle notification expected in early March 2027 based on 2026 pattern