NATA Admission 2025; Eligibility, Admission process, Application, Qualifying Score
National Aptitude Test in Architecture 2026 ( NATA )
NATA 2026 Exam will be conducted from March 2026 to June 2026. Candidates can check the NATA 2026 admission process on this page. Read more to know NATA 2026 Eligibility, Exam Schedule, Steps to Fill Application Form, Admission Process and More.
NATA Admission 2026
NATA Admission 2026: The NATA 2026 exam will start in March 2026. NATA 2026 exam was conducted on designated Fridays and Saturdays. The test will be conducted in exam centres, with one session on Fridays (Afternoon) and two sessions on Saturdays. The candidates could fill out the NATA application form 2026 on the official website, nata. in. NATA is conducted by the Council of Architecture (CoA) to evaluate candidates' suitability for admission to the BArch programme. The NATA exam assesses a range of skills, including drawing, composition, visual perception, logical reasoning, and general architectural awareness.
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- NATA 2026 Exam Schedule
- NATA 2026 Eligibility Criteria
- NATA 2026 Application Process
- NATA 2026 Qualifying Score
- NATA 2025 Score
- NATA Admission Process 2026
NATA 2026 Exam Schedule
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.
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.
NATA 2026 exam is scheduled to take place on selected Fridays and Saturdays from March 2026 to June 2026. The test will be conducted at designated centres in specified cities, with one session on Fridays (Afternoon) and two sessions on Saturdays. During registration on the NATA portal, candidates can select their preferred exam city/region and date. However, the final allocation of test centres and sessions will be decided by the Council of Architecture (CoA). Candidates have the flexibility to appear for one, two, or a maximum of three tests in a single academic year. Taking multiple tests is optional and entirely up to the applicant.
Exam Timings:
Fridays: Afternoon Session: 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM (180 minutes)
Saturdays:
Explore more Architecture & Planning exams with upcoming date
30 May '26
Morning Session: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (180 minutes)
Afternoon Session: 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM (180 minutes)
NATA 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Candidates meeting any of the following eligibility criteria can appear for NATA 2026.
- Passed or currently appearing in the 10+1 examination with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (PCM) as subjects.
- Passed or currently appearing in the 10+2 examination with PCM subjects.
- Passed or currently appearing in the 10+3 Diploma examination with Mathematics as a subject.
NATA 2026 Application Process
The NATA 2026 application must be submitted online. The application form link will be available on the official website. Candidates must first register and get the login credentials. Then click on the “ONLINE APPLICATION NATA–2026” link.
For admissions into the preferred BArch institutes, the candidates should meet the basic eligibility criteria. If the candidates do not meet the basic eligibiity criteria for BArch admissions based on NATA scores, then their chances of admission will be minimal.
- The candidates should have passed 10+2th standard qualifying examination with minimum required marks.
- Should be minimum 17 years old as of July 13 of the admission year.
- The candidates should have secured a valid NATA 2023 score i.e., minimum 70 marks out of 200.
NATA score is valid for two academic years. With their obtained scores, candidates will only be able to apply for colleges in that admission year and the following year. The score will be invalid if 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 checked on various factors during NATA 2026. Authorities will prepare NATA 2026 question paper after considering various assessement factors - Inductive Reasoning (ability to analyze data and patterns), Diagrammatic Reasoning (ability to analyze drawings and use logical reasoning), Numerical Reasoning (ability to solve simple numerical problems), Verbal Reasoning (verbal logic), Situational Judgment (problem-solving abilities), Abstract Reasoning (general knowledge and their ability to apply it in situations) and Logical Reasoning (ability to recognise patterns, relationships, sequences and more).
Steps to Apply for NATA 2026
1. Filling the NATA 2026 Application Form
- Enter the personal, academic and communication details.
- Upload documents in the specified format.
- Fee Payment
- Click on Submit
NATA 2026 Qualifying Score
To qualify for NATA 2026, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Get a minimum of 20 marks in Part A.
- Get a minimum of 30 marks in Part B.
- 70 marks out of 200 (combined score of Part A and Part B).
- A candidate will be considered qualified only if all three conditions are met.
Multiple Attempts & Score Consideration
- If a candidate appears for multiple NATA 2026 tests, all scores will be displayed on the scorecard.
- The best score among all attempts will be considered for admission.
NATA 2025 Score
Candidates who have a valid NATA 2025 score and appear for NATA 2026 will have their final score determined as follows:
- NATA 2025 Score Attempts in NATA 2026 Final Score Consideration.
- Valid NATA 2025 Score First Attempt Only Best of NATA 2025 & 2026 scores.
- Valid NATA 2025 Score First & Second Attempt Best of three scores (NATA 2025 & 2026).
- Valid NATA 2025 Score First, Second & Third Attempt Best of three NATA 2026 scores (NATA 2025 score becomes invalid).
Candidates should carefully decide whether to attempt one, two, or three NATA 2026 tests, as their final score will be determined based on the best performance according to the above criteria. The NATA 2026 score is valid for one academic year only.
NATA Admission Process 2026
The admission process after getting the NATA score is as follows
Step 1: Check Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must meet the following academic requirements:
- Passed Class 12 with Physics & Mathematics as compulsory subjects and one of the following:
- Chemistry / Biology / Technical Vocational Subject / Computer Science / IT / Informatics Practices / Engineering Graphics / Business Studies.
Step 2: Apply to Colleges
- Candidates must apply to the colleges with an NATA score.
Step 3: Counselling Process
- Centralised counselling will be conducted for BArch admissions by some universities.
- Candidates must attend the counselling process.
- Seat allotment is done based on the NATA score.
Step 4: Document Verification & Fee Payment
- Candidates must visit the allotted college for document verification.
- Fee payment must be done.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a month 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 5
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, candidates have to qualify AAT after qualifying JEE Advanced to be eligible for IIT BArch admissions.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 months 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 2 months 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 2 months 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 2 months 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 2 months 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 2 months 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 2 months 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
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.