NATA Pattern

The authorities plan to administer NATA both offline and online, using a computer. The MCQ portion of the test will be administered online, while the offline drawing and composition portion will be administered offline. NATA will be held at multiple locations by CoA. Every registered candidate must show up at the location designated to them and use the available systems to take the exam. 

The duration of the NATA 2026 exam will be 3 hours. This timeframe should be sufficient for test-takers to comfortably attempt all sections of the Aptitude Test, which is the sole component of the NATA. 

Yes. The CoA has added the drawing and composition section in the NATA paper. During the examination, the candidates will have to attempt questions on composition and colour, sketching and composition (black and white) and 3D composition. All three questions have to attempted within 90 minutes. Therefore, the candidates are advised to carefully prepare for the drawing and composition section.

Yes. The candidates are advised to download and check the NATA exam pattern to understand how the entrance examination will be held. Using the exam pattern of NATA 2026, the candidates will be able to know how the authorities will conduct the entrance examination. Through the exam pattern, the candidates will understand the nature of the questions, sections, marking scheme and more. By having prior knowledge of the pattern, the candidates will be able to boost their preparation progress. 

As per the NATA exam pattern, the medium of the question paper will be English and Hindi. The candidates will be able to know the detailed information regarding the medium of languages through the NATA 2025 question paper. In case the candidates face any problems during the examination, they can request help from the invigilators. 

NATA 2026 will consist of two sections. The first section will be held as an offline test and will consist of drawing and composition questions. The second section will have multiple choice questions. The questions will be prepared to assess the candidate's basic conceptual knowledge in the various subjects that are important in the architectural field. A total of 48 questions will be present in the NATA question paper.

Candidates will be assessed on various factors during NATA 2026. The authorities will prepare the 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 recognize patterns, relationships, sequences and more).

CoA will release the official marking scheme of NATA 2026. The allotted marks vary as per the type of question. The NATA 2026 question paper will consist of 48 questions that have to be answered in 180 minutes. It is to be noted that there will be no negative marking. The total marks of the NATA 2025 question paper are 200. The exact marks of every question can be checked during the NATA 2026. Since there is no negative marking, the candidates are advised to attempt as many questions as they can to score well.  

CoA will release the NATA exam pattern online at nata.in. The details regarding the NATA exam pattern are available along with the official information brochure. Candidates can check the details on how the entrance examination will be held through the exam pattern of NATA. During the preparation period, the candidates are advised to become familiar with how the entrance examination will be held. NATA will be held as a computer-based and offline test.