Is the NATA exam tough?

No, NATA is not a tough exam. The difficulty level of NATA is easy to moderate. Candidates must be well prepared with the drawings and architecture aptitude.

How to crack NATA in first attempt?

Candidates can crack NATA through proper planning and strategies. Candidates must check the exam pattern before they start the preparation. For the Aptitude Test, candidates can expect questions based on Indian and world architectural structures, designs, colour, and pattern. Therefore, read books and watch videos to learn about architecture. For the drawing test, candidates must practice drawing at least 5 to 7 sketches every day. Candidates must make sure they cover 3D, 2D and perspectives in the sketches.

Which is the most difficult section of NATA Exam?

The NATA exam includes the Drawing section and the MCQ section. The drawing section is considered more difficult than the MCQs. Candidates must practice 5 to 7 drawings every day to score well in the exam.

National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA); All You Need to Know

4.5K Students Q&A

Exam On - 4 Apr '26

Dhanya B

Updated on Sep 25, 2025 19:44 IST

National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) 2025 will begin from March 1, 2025. The candidates can read all the important details about NATA 2025 on this page. NATA aspirants can refer to this page to learn about NATA eligibility, application fees, syllabus, exam patterns, and more.

NATA 2026 exam will be conducted on weekends from March to June. NATA exam will be held in two sessions on Fridays and one session on Saturdays. Preferred exam centres must be filled while filling application form. In this article, candidates can check NATA 2026 important updates, eligibility, application details and more.

NATA 2026: NATA Registration 2026 will start in February 2026. NATA 2026 exam is expected to be conducted from March 2026 to June 2026. NATA information brochure will be uploaded on official website with all NATA 2026 details. NATA brochure will include application details, syllabus, exam pattern and more. Aspiring candidates are advised to read brochure thoroughly to stay informed about all NATA details.

Table of contents

NATA 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Number of Attempts
Revised NATA 2026 Syllabus

NATA 2026 Eligibility Criteria

NATA 2026 Information Brochure will have all details about eligibility requirements for exam. As per the revised criteria, candidates who have secured a minimum of 45% in their Class 12 qualifying examination are eligible to appear for NATA 2026.

Commonly asked questions

Q: What are the NATA preparation tips?

To have a higher chance of securing good marks, candidates are advised to follow NATA preparation tips. The candidates should have a proper strategy to know how they can prepare for examination and secure the scores they need for admissions into preferred institutes. Firstly, candidates should check official NATA exam pattern and syllabus to understand how the examination will be held and the topics that need to studied. Candidates should create a personalised timetable so they can efficiently divide their study time and cover syllabus. Mock tests should be attempted regularly, and candidates should make a habit of creating notes on important topics. Revision should be done regularly.

Q: Does CoA prepare NATA merit list?

No. The authorities of CoA will not prepare the NATA merit list. Since no common counselling process is conducted for the qualified candidates, there is no need for a NATA merit list. The qualified candidates will be required to apply individually to their preferred colleges. The merit list for admissions will be prepared by the colleges for their separate BArch admission process. The candidates are advised to carefully check the eligibility and admission criteria for admission into their preferred institute.

Q: I passed the first session of NATA. Should I go for further attempts?

In case candidates are satisfied with scores in first session of NATA, and are sure that it will lead to admissions into preferred institutes, then they are not required to attempt further examination sessions. However, candidates are advised to check previous year cutoffs to be sure that obtained scores are enough for admissions. The candidates are advised to attempt more than one session of NATA, because best of scores will be considered for admission. Attempting all tests of NATA will give an advantage to candidates to obtain score they require for admission into preferred institute/college.

Number of Attempts

Candidates can attempt NATA up to three times in a single academic year. This rule, introduced last year, allows students to improve scores, with only the highest score among all attempts being considered. Additionally, the NATA score will remain valid for two years from the date of the exam.

Those candidates who have already appeared for NATA 2025 and availed of one, two, or three attempts and got a valid NATA 2025 score may also apply for NATA 2026. NATA 2026 score shall be calculated/determined as under, depending upon number of attempts:

Appeared in NATA 2025	Attempts in NATA 2026	Final Score
Obtained a valid 2025 score	1st Attempt	Better of both scores of NATA 2025 & 2026
	1st & 2nd Attempt	Best of three scores of NATA 2025 & 2026
	1st, 2nd & 3rd Attempt	Best of three scores of NATA 2026 (NATA 2025 score will be invalid.

NATA 2026 Exam Schedule: Conducted Every Weekend

The NATA 2026 exam will be conducted on Fridays & Saturdays. It will be conducted in two sessions, starting from March 2026 to June 2026. Candidates must select exam city and session while registering.

NATA 2026 Exam Timings

Exam Date	Morning Session (Tentative)	Afternoon Session (Tentative)
March - June 2026	10:00 AM - 1:00 PM	1:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Date & Time of Examination
FRIDAYS No Morning Session	Afternoon Session: 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm (180 mins / 3.0 hours)
SATURDAYS Morning Session: 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 pm (180 mins /3.0 hours)	Afternoon Session: 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm (180 mins / 3.0 hours)

Revised NATA 2026 Application Fee

The NATA 2026 application fee was revised last year for all categories. The official brochure provides updated fees for General/OBC, SC/ST/PwD, and Transgender candidates, along with a separate fee structure for applicants from outside India.

Application Fee (Per Test)

Category	Fee (India)	Fee (Outside India)
General / OBC (NCL)	INR 1,750/-	INR 15,000/-
SC / ST / EWS / PwD	INR 1,250/-	INR 15,000/-
Transgender	INR 1,000/-	INR 15,000/-

Part A - Drawing and Composition Test (Reintroduced from 2024)

Drawing and Composition section will be conducted for 1 hour and 30 minutes. This section will be conducted in offline mode. This section will be conducted for 80 marks. Number of questions and marks allotted for each section is given below.

NATA 2026 Drawing and Composition Test – Question & Marks Distribution

Section	Number of Questions	Marks Per Question
Composition and Colour	1	25
Sketching and Composition (Black & White)	1	25
3D Composition	1	30
Total	3	80

Part B

Part B of NATA 2026 exam is conducted in online mode. Exam will be conducted for 1 hour and 30 minutes. This section has 45 MCQs.

B1: 30 questions
B2: 15 questions

Total marks for Part B are 120.

NATA 2026 Part B Question & Marks Distribution

Section	Number of Questions	Marks Per Question	Total Marks
B1	30	2	60
B2	15	4	60
Total	45	—	120

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TANATA 2026 application form

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Revised NATA 2026 Syllabus

Part A – Drawing and Composition Test Syllabus
Drawing and Composition Test has these sections

A1 - Composition and Colour:

A2 - Sketching and Composition (Black and White):

A3 - 3D Composition:

Part B – NATA 2026 Syllabus

Part B of NATA 2026 syllabus covers various cognitive and analytical skills essential for architecture and design. The key areas include:

Virtual Reasoning

Logical Derivation

General Knowledge (GK), Architecture, and Design

Language Interpretation

Design Sensitivity

Design Thinking

Numerical Ability

About the Author

Dhanya B

Dhanya writes content on Engineering and Architecture exams. She has completed MSc Physics. She has 8+ years of work experience in the education industry. She likes painting and travelling.

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