Is NATA Mandatory for B.Arch Admission in India? Check Details Here

Is NATA Mandatory for B.Arch Admission in India? This is the question that is on the minds of BArch aspirants. In this article, candidates can find the answer to this question. Read more to know about BArch admission through NATA. 

Is NATA mandatory for BArch Admission in India?

Is NATA compulsory for BArch Admission? The truth is that NATA is not mandatory for all the BArch colleges in India. Depending on the institute the candidate wants to apply to, they need to select the BArch admission test they want to appear for. BArch admission in India is either done through NATA, JEE Main Paper 2 or JEE Advanced AAT. 

To study BArch in India, candidates must clear a recognised aptitude test, but many students are confused about whether the National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) is compulsory. The NATA score is accepted by many private colleges, government colleges, deemed universities and some central universities. JEE Main Paper 2 is conducted for admission to NITs, the School of Planning and Architecture and some Centrally Funded Technical Institutions. JEE AAT is an BArch admission exam conducted for candidates who clear JEE Advanced. The exam is conducted for BArch admission in IITs. 

Colleges Accepting NATA Scores

NATA 2026 exam dates will be announced soon. Most colleges in India use the NATA score for admission to the BArch programme. Since the majority of the colleges in India accept the NATA score, candidates aspiring to join BArch must attempt NATA 2026. The colleges accepting the NATA score are

• Private Architecture Colleges
• State Government engineering colleges offering BArch.
• Deemed Universities
• Few Central Universities
• Many state-level counselling processes

Top Colleges Accepting NATA Score

Some of the top-ranking colleges that take admission based on NATA scores.

Admission Through JEE Main Paper 2 

Candidates can join BArch through JEE Main Paper 2A, conducted by the National Testing Agency. The exam is mandatory for admission to some of the prestigious architecture colleges in India. The colleges accepting JEE Main Paper 2 score are

• National Institute of Technology (NITs)
• School of Planning and Architecture (SPAs)
• Other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions

For these institutions, NATA score will not be accepted. Only JEE Main Paper 2 score will be considered.

Top Colleges Accepting JEE Main 2026 Paper 2 Score

Colleges accepting the JEE Main 2026 Paper 2 score are listed below.

Institutes Accepting JEE Advanced AAT (Architecture Aptitude Test)

JEE Advanced AAT is a BArch entrance exam conducted for admission to IITs. Only the candidates who qualify in JEE Advanced can appear for AAT. The test evaluates drawing skills, imagination, creativity and architectural awareness. The IITs offering BArch through AAT are listed below.

• IIT Roorkee
• IIT Kharagpur
• IIT Varanasi

Is NATA Compulsory?

NATA is not compulsory for BArch admission across India. It is one of the approved entrance examinations recognised by the Council of Architecture. Students must choose the entrance exam based on their college preferences.

• Choose NATA for most private and state architecture colleges.
• Choose JEE Main Paper 2 for NITs, SPAs and Central Institutes.
• Choose AAT for IITs

Taking all the exams increases the admission opportunities. In conclusion, aspiring architects must first shortlist the target colleges and then decide which entrance exam to take. Preparing strategically for the appropriate entrance test will increase the chance of getting admission to BArch in reputed colleges.