NATA 2025 Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Eligibility, Application form details and more
National Aptitude Test in Architecture 2026 ( NATA )
NATA Registration 2025 begins on February 3, 2025. The NATA exam 2025 is from March 1, 2025, to June 2025. The candidates preparing for the NATA 2025 examination can check the NATA exam pattern 2025 here.
NATA 2025
NATA 2025: To provide more aspirants with the opportunity to pursue architecture, the Council will conduct the exam NATA for admission into approved architectural institutions for the 2025-2026 academic session. NATA exam will be held on designated Fridays and Saturdays in two sessions, from March 1, 2025, to June 2025.
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NATA 2025 Aptitude Test is designed to evaluate a candidate's abilities through various testing formats. It assesses aptitude for architecture by measuring cognitive skills, visual perception, aesthetic sensitivity, logical reasoning, and critical thinking, along with the knowledge gained over the years.
CoA has revised the NATA eligibility criteria. Candidates are advised to check the official NATA eligibility criteria before starting the registration process. The revised eligibility criteria of NATA is given below.
- Candidates should have passed 10+2 or equivalent examinations with Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects along with either Chemistry or Biology or Technical Vocational subject or Computer Science or Information Technology or Informatics Practices or Engineering Graphics or Business Studies with at least 45% marks in aggregate or passed the 10+3 diploma examination with Mathematics as a compulsory subject with at least 45% marks in aggregate.
- Candidates should qualify an aptitude test in architecture conducted either by NTA i.e., JEE Main or NATA, which is conducted by CoA.
The minimum qualifying marks in NATA change slightly every year. The approximate marks required to clear NATA is provided below.
Qualifying Marks: Candidates must score a minimum of 70 out of 200 marks in the NATA exam to qualify, regardless of category. This is the standard passing mark for each attempt of the exam.
In addition, there will be a separate minimum score for each section.
- NATA Exam Pattern and Making Scheme
- NATA 2025 Examination Details
- Eligibility Criteria for NATA 2025
- NATA Application Form 2025
- NATA 2025 Application Form: Image uploading
NATA Exam Pattern and Making Scheme
The NATA 2025 exam pattern is provided below.
Part A - Drawing and Composition Test (Offline Mode)
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Total Marks: 80
- Question Breakdown:
- A1: Composition and Color – 1 Question (25 Marks)
- A2: Sketching & Composition (Black and White) – 1 Question (25 Marks)
- A3: 3D Composition – 1 Question (30 Marks)
- Total: 3 Questions – 80 Marks
Part B - MCQ & NCQ (Computer-Based Adaptive Test)
- Duration: 90 minutes (108 seconds per question)
- Total Marks: 120
- Question Breakdown:
- B1: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) – 42 Questions
- B2: No Choice Questions (NCQ) – 08 Questions
- Total: 50 Questions – 120 Marks
Overall Marks Distribution
- Part A + Part B = 200 Marks
- Grand Total: 200 Marks
NATA 2025 Examination Details
NATA 2025 will be a comprehensive aptitude test consisting of:
- Part A (Drawing and Composition) – Offline mode
- Part B (MCQ & NCQ) – Online adaptive mode
The test will be conducted in English and Hindi.
Assessment Criteria
Part A – Drawing and Composition Test (90 Minutes | 80 Marks)
Candidates will be required to attempt three questions, covering:
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18 Oct '25
- Composition and Colour (25 Marks) – Creating compositions for different scenarios and applying appropriate colours. Arranging shapes aesthetically and colouring them suitably.
- Sketching & Composition (Black and White) (25 Marks) – Ability to visualise and depict scenes involving buildings, people, environments, and objects while considering scale, proportion, texture, shading, and shadows.
- 3D Composition (30 Marks) – Constructing creative 3D compositions for given situations using provided materials.
Part B – Computer-Based Test (90 Minutes | 120 Marks)
The online test will consist of 50 questions (42 MCQs + 8 NCQs) from the following topics:
- Visual Reasoning – Understanding and reconstructing 2D and 3D compositions, and technical concepts.
- Logical Derivation – Interpreting situations, analysing compositions, and drawing logical conclusions.
- General Knowledge (G.K.), Architecture & Design – Awareness of architecture, design, and recent developments.
- Language Interpretation – Understanding English grammar, sentence structure, and logical meaning.
- Design Sensitivity & Thinking – Observational skills, analytical thinking, problem identification, and semantic understanding.
- Numerical Ability – Basic mathematical concepts and their application in creative problem-solving.
Eligibility Criteria for NATA 2025
Who Can Apply?
The eligibility criteria for NATA 2025
- Passed or appearing in the 10+2 examination with PCM subjects.
- Passed or appearing in the 10+3 Diploma examination with Mathematics as a subject.
However, admission to the BArch course will be as per the eligibility criteria set under the Council of Architecture (Minimum Standards of Architectural Education) Regulations, 2020 and as outlined in Section 5.2 of the guidelines.
NATA Application Form 2025
The NATA test will be conducted on designated Fridays and Saturdays from March 1, 2025, to June 2025. NATA 2025 take place in one session on Friday afternoons and two sessions on Saturdays at the notified cities and allotted centres. The online application process started on February 3, 2025.
Candidates can attempt the NATA exam up to three times in a single academic session. The best score from these attempts will be considered for admissions.NATA is generally conducted in multiple phases each year, often in April, May, and July.
NATA score is valid for two academic years. With their obtained scores, the candidates will only be able to apply for colleges in that admission year and the following year. The score will be invalid if the candidates use it for admissions after two years. If the candidates wish to apply for admissions after two years, then they will be required to retake the entrance examination. Requests for extension of the score validity will not be entertained by the authorities. Therefore, the candidates are advised to immediately apply for admissions after they receive their scores.
Candidates will be eligible to apply and attempt one or more sessions of NATA. In case a candidate appears for 2 tests, the best of the 2 scores shall be the valid score and in the case of more than 2 attempts, the valid score shall be the average of the best scores. All candidates will be required to mandatory qualify at least one session of NATA to be eligible for B.Arch admissions into the respective Architecture colleges and institutes. Candidates are advised to attempt as many sessions as they can to have a higher chance of securing good scores.
Appearing for the second or third test is optional and entirely up to the applicants. Candidates can register for a single test or up to a maximum of three tests in one academic year by appropriately filling out the application form.
The application must be submitted online through the official NATA portal at nata.in. Candidates need to visit the portal, generate a username and password by entering the required details, and then click on the "ONLINE APPLICATION NATA-2025" link. This will direct them to the NATA 2025 application form, which is different subsections.
The application process consists of three main steps:
- Filling in Personal Details
- Uploading Required Documents
- Payment of Fees
After completing the personal details section, candidates will proceed to document upload. Once the documents are successfully uploaded, the system will prompt for fee payment. Upon successful payment, candidates must download and print the Confirmation Page for their records. There is no need to send any physical documents by post.
NATA 2025 Application Form: Image uploading
All candidates are required to upload the following images:
1. Recent Passport-size Photograph in Colour with both ears visible and front view only -jpg/ jpeg format.
2. Candidate Signature-jpg/ jpeg format.
The Photograph/ Signature should be as per below:
| Document | Storage Size | Image Dimension |
| Photograph | 4 KB - 100 KB | Height - 4.5 cm Width - 3.5 cm |
| Signature | 1 KB - 30 KB | Height - 1.5 cm Width - 3.5 cm |
Application Fee Details for NATA 2025
Application Fee (in ₹)
| Category | Per Test Fee (₹) |
|---|---|
| General/OBC (NCL) | 1750 |
| SC/ST/EWS | 1250 |
| PwD | 1000 |
| Transgender | 1250 |
| Outside India | 15000 |
The NATA application fee is non-refundable under any circumstances. Candidates initially opting for one or two tests can later apply for an additional test, with a maximum limit of three attempts. Multiple applications submitted by the same candidate with altered credentials will be rejected without a refund. The Council reserves the right to take legal action against such candidates. Upon successfully uploading personal details and required documents, candidates will be directed to the payment page with available payment options.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 weeks ago
Absolutely, either NATA or JEE Paper 2 (B.Arch Aptitude Test) is compulsory for admission into Chandigarh University's architecture program. Even if a student has scored well in 12th or diploma, the aptitude test cannot be skipped because it is mandated by the Council of Architecture. These tests me
R
Beginner-Level 4
Answered a month ago
Yes, candidates have to qualify AAT after qualifying JEE Advanced to be eligible for IIT BArch admissions.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
In the NATA Drawing section, questions are designed to test your creativity, imagination, visualisation, and sketching ability. You won't be judged on artistic perfection, but on clarity, proportion, perspective, and originality.
Here are the common types of questions asked:
Sketching from Memory – Dr
A
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a month ago
Yes, NCERT Mathematics (Class 11 & 12) is generally enough for NATA preparation because most of the topics in the syllabus are covered in NCERT.
The NATA Mathematics section usually tests:
Algebra
Trigonometry
Coordinate Geometry
Matrices & Determinants
Probability & Statistics
Vectors
Differential & Integr
M
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a month ago
For NATA, you don't need to study architecture as a full subject before the exam. However, having a basic awareness is very helpful because the General Aptitude section includes questions on:
- Famous architects (like Le Corbusier, B.V. Doshi, Zaha Hadid, etc.)
- Well-known monuments and buildings in Indi
S
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a month ago
The General Aptitude section of NATA checks your reasoning, visualization, and awareness related to design and architecture. It generally covers:
Analytical Reasoning & Mental Ability – puzzles, patterns, coding-decoding, sequences, etc.
Logical Reasoning – problem-solving, relationships, analogies, a
M
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a month ago
No, the NATA syllabus does not include Physics and Chemistry.
The exam mainly focuses on Mathematics, General Aptitude, and Drawing skills. While Physics and Chemistry are not part of the test, having a basic understanding of these subjects may indirectly help in architectural concepts, but they are
P
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a month ago
Students can refer to the table below for some details about the top government Architecture colleges in India accepting NATA:
Public/Government Colleges | Total Tuition Fee | NIRF '24 |
|---|---|---|
INR 10 Lakh | 1 | |
INR 10 Lakh | 2 | |
INR 6.25 Lakh | 3 | |
INR 4 Lakh | 5 | |
INR 6.25 Lakh | 8 |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The table below provides some details about the private top Architecture colleges in India that accept NATA:
Private Colleges | Total Tuition Fee | NIRF '24 |
|---|---|---|
| CEPT University Admission | INR 22.75 Lakh | 6 |
INR 13.75 Lakh | 11 | |
| Nirma University Admission | INR 11.1 Lakh | 13 |
| Nirma University Admission | INR 11.5 Lakh | 19 |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The Council of Architecture has not yet announced the official last date to register for NATA 2026. However, based on previous years' trends and information from exam sources, the registration process is expected to begin in February 2026 and continue until the third week of March 2026. Additionally
D
Contributor-Level 10
Candidates are required to secure the minimum qualifying marks of NATA to be eligible for the admission process. The total mark of NATA 2026 is 200. However, the candidates will have to score a minimum of 70 marks to be qualified for the admission process. It is to be noted that the qualifying marks are important only for qualifying for the examination and being eligible for B.Arch admissions. The criteria for admission into the B.Arch courses will differ as per the colleges and institutes that the candidates are applying at.