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How to prepare

NATA

National Aptitude Test in Architecture. Run by Council of Architecture (CoA).

The exam
NATA 2026 had 200 marks in two parts. Part A is a drawing test on paper (90 minutes, 80 marks, 3 questions).
Opens
The aptitude test that most colleges use for admission to the five-year B.Arch degree across India (IIT B.Arch uses JEE Advanced and its own drawing test instead, and NITs use JEE Main Paper 2A).
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Your plan, step by step

  1. Now to March 2027 (Class 11)

    Draw every day

    Sketch for 30 to 45 minutes a day: objects at home, streets, people, buildings. Practise perspective, light and shade, and proportion. Keep up Class 11 Mathematics and Physics with school.

  2. April to September 2027

    Learn the test parts

    Practise the three Part A tasks: a colour composition, a black and white sketch of a scene, and a 3D model from simple materials. Start reasoning puzzles and read about famous Indian and world buildings and architects.

  3. October to December 2027 (Class 12)

    Timed drawing and reasoning

    Do one timed 90-minute Part A set every week and have a teacher or architect friend comment on it. Practise Part B style questions on a computer or phone against the clock.

  4. January to February 2028

    Balance boards and JEE Paper 2A

    Board exams come first. If you also sit JEE Main Paper 2A for NIT B.Arch, its drawing and aptitude practice overlaps with NATA.

  5. March 2028

    Register and pick dates

    Register on nata.in when it opens (March in 2026). If Phase 1 again allows two attempts, book the first after your boards and leave a few weeks before the second.

  6. April to June 2028

    Sit NATA

    Take your first attempt, review what went wrong, practise those tasks, then take the second. The better score counts (2026 rule).

This plan is advice from the author, not an official schedule. Adjust it to your school and your pace.

What the exam testsPapers, marks, marking and the syllabus

NATA 2026 had 200 marks in two parts. Part A is a drawing test on paper (90 minutes, 80 marks, 3 questions). Part B is an adaptive computer test (90 minutes, 120 marks, 50 questions). Adaptive means the next question depends on how you answered earlier ones.

  • Part A, Drawing and Composition, offline, 90 minutes, 80 marks: A1 Composition and Colour (1 question, 25 marks), A2 Sketching and Composition in black and white (1 question, 25 marks), A3 3D Composition using a kit provided at the centre (1 question, 30 marks).
  • Part B, computer-based adaptive test, 90 minutes, 120 marks: 42 multiple-choice questions (B1) and 8 'no choice' questions where you work out the answer without options (B2). About 108 seconds per question.
  • Part B topics: visual reasoning, logical derivation, general knowledge of architecture and design, language interpretation (English grammar and meaning), design sensitivity and thinking, and numerical ability (basic mathematics).
  • The test is in English and Hindi. Each session in 2026 ran for 3 hours (10 am to 1 pm or 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm).
  • Attempts in 2026: up to two attempts in Phase 1 (the better raw score counts and is turned into a percentile), or one attempt in Phase 2 (for vacant seats only). You can take only one phase in a year.
  • No minimum raw score was set to qualify in 2026. A score card with a non-zero percentile counts as a valid NATA score.
  • The NATA 2026 score was valid only for the 2026-27 admission year.
  • Fee per attempt in 2026: Rs 1,750 (General, OBC), Rs 1,250 (SC, ST, EWS, PwD), Rs 1,000 (transgender), Rs 15,000 for centres outside India. The fee is not refundable.

When. Taken after Class 12 exams begin. In 2026, Phase 1 ran from 4 April to 13 June 2026 and Phase 2 on 7 and 8 August 2026, with registration from 11 March 2026 (nata.in and the NATA 2026 brochure). For a student finishing Class 12 in 2028, expect roughly April to June 2028 for Phase 1, but confirm in the NATA 2028 brochure.

Syllabus. NATA has no textbook syllabus like JEE. The 2026 brochure lists what is tested: drawing, colour and 3D composition in Part A, and visual reasoning, logical derivation, architecture and design awareness, English language, design sensitivity and basic mathematics in Part B. Class 11 and 12 Mathematics still matters, because B.Arch admission needs Physics and Mathematics in Class 12.

Source: Council of Architecture, NATA 2026 Information BrochureSource: Council of Architecture, NATA 2026 Information Brochure, section 4
Study materialFree official material first, then books

Free and official

Books students commonly use

Commonly used, not endorsed. Finish the free official material first.

  • A Complete Self Study Guide for B.Arch Entrance Examination by P.K. Mishra (Arihant)

    Aptitude, drawing and past-style questions for NATA and JEE Paper 2A.

  • A Visual Dictionary of Architecture by Francis D.K. Ching

    Architecture terms and ideas, shown in drawings.

  • NATA and B.Arch Question Bank by Ar. Shadan Usmani

    Practice questions for the aptitude part.

  • B.Arch Entrance Examination Guide by Surendra Kavimandan

    Aptitude and drawing guidance.

  • Engineering Drawing by N.D. Bhatt

    Plans, elevations and 3D views of solids.

  • A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Aggarwal

    Reasoning practice for Part B.

Source: CollegeDekho, Best Books for NATA 2026 (commonly used, not endorsed) (not official)
Coaching: do you need it?Your options, how to choose, red flags

Self-study with daily sketching and free material

Free, apart from drawing materials and books

Students who already enjoy drawing and can get honest feedback from an art teacher or an architect. Many students prepare this way.

Online NATA course or test series

Varies

Students far from a coaching city who want structured drawing assignments with feedback, and computer practice for Part B.

Classroom NATA or B.Arch coaching

Varies

Students who need someone to correct their drawings in person. It helps most with drawing feedback; it cannot replace daily practice at home.

How to choose a coaching centre

  • Ask to see real drawings from students before and after the course, and how many students one teacher corrects per class.
  • Check that the course matches the current pattern (offline drawing plus adaptive computer test). Old material for a different pattern wastes time.
  • Ask for a free trial class where your own drawing is corrected.
  • Get every fee and a written refund policy. The 2024 Ministry of Education guidelines ask for a pro rata refund within 10 days if you leave.
  • Ask whether an architect or trained artist teaches drawing.

Red flags

  • Promises of a guaranteed score or college seat.
  • Selling 'leaked' or 'expected' NATA questions.
  • Pressure to pay the full fee upfront with no refund policy in writing.
  • Very large drawing classes where nobody looks at your sheet.
  • Advice to skip school. B.Arch needs 45 per cent in Class 12 with Physics and Mathematics, and CBSE requires 75 per cent attendance to sit the boards.
Names families usually consider
  • BRDS. Architecture and design coaching. Publishes a NATA exam pattern guide and lists study material, mock tests and question banks. Source: BRDS (not official)
  • Silica. Architecture and design coaching. Publishes a NATA 2026 guide. Source: Silica (not official)
  • Listed so you know the names, not ranked or endorsed. Visit, ask the questions above, and compare in writing.
Mocks and the last monthsPractice tests, final months, common mistakes

The NATA 2026 brochure and nata.in did not list an official mock test or past papers. Use JEE Main Paper 2A question papers from jeemain.nta.nic.in for drawing and aptitude practice, and the practice sets in the commonly used B.Arch guide books. For Part A, time yourself: 90 minutes for the three drawing tasks.

  • Do a full timed Part A (colour composition, black and white sketch, 3D model) twice a week.
  • Practise Part B on a screen. With about 108 seconds per question, do not get stuck on one.
  • Read about 20 famous Indian and world buildings and their architects, and keep short notes.
  • Pack and practise with your own drawing kit so nothing is new on test day.
  • Use both Phase 1 attempts if the rule allows it. The first one shows you the real test.

Common mistakes

  • Starting drawing practice only in Class 12. Drawing skill grows slowly.
  • Copying drawings from pictures instead of drawing from real life and memory.
  • Ignoring Mathematics. B.Arch admission needs Mathematics and Physics in Class 12 with 45 per cent.
  • Relying on old NATA guides that describe a pattern from before 2025.
  • Forgetting that a NATA score is valid only for that year's admission (2026 rule).
Who can sitAttempts, age, marks and subjects
  • To sit NATA 2026: passed or appearing in Class 12 (10+2) with the required subjects, or passed or appearing in a 10+3 diploma with Mathematics.
  • For admission to B.Arch (CoA Minimum Standards of Architectural Education Regulations, 2020): Class 12 with Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects, plus one of Chemistry, Biology, a technical vocational subject, Computer Science, Information Technology, Informatics Practices, Engineering Graphics or Business Studies, with at least 45 per cent aggregate. Or a 10+3 diploma with Mathematics and at least 45 per cent.
  • No age limit is stated in the NATA 2026 brochure.
  • Reservation (SC, ST, OBC and others) at admission follows the rules of each state or admitting body, not NATA.
  • Qualifying in NATA does not guarantee a seat. Each college and state counselling body sets its own merit rules.
  • A student finishing Class 12 in 2028 should plan to take NATA in the Class 12 year, since the score is valid only for that year's admissions (2026 rule).
Source: Council of Architecture, NATA 2026 Information Brochure, section 5

This exam leads to

Architecture and planning

Want a plan for your own situation?

Tell Raahi your class, your marks and how many hours you have.

Plan my NATA preparation
Sources, checked 27 September 2026

Rules change every year. Confirm each detail on the official site before you register or pay.