NATA 2027 is the National Aptitude Test in Architecture, one of two tests that open the door to a five-year B.Arch course in India. It is run by the Council of Architecture (CoA). As of 6 November 2026, the NATA 2027 dates and brochure are not out yet, so this guide uses the official NATA 2026 rules. It also covers the other route, JEE Main Paper 2A, whose 2027 bulletin is already out. It is written for families of Class 11 and 12 students in India and abroad.
Key takeaways
- NATA is run by the Council of Architecture. Official NATA 2027 dates are not yet announced. In 2026, forms opened in March and Phase 1 tests ran from 4 April to 13 June.
- NATA 2026 had two parts: a 90-minute drawing test on paper (80 marks) and a 90-minute adaptive computer test (120 marks). Total 200 marks.
- In Phase 1 you could take up to two attempts. Your best raw score was used for your percentile.
- For B.Arch admission you need 10+2 with Physics and Maths plus one approved subject and at least 45% aggregate, or a 10+3 Diploma with Maths and at least 45%.
- JEE Main 2027 Paper 2A (B.Arch) Session 1 is on 20-28 January 2027. Forms close on 22 November 2026.
What is NATA 2027 and who conducts it?
Quick answer: NATA 2027 will be the 2027 edition of the National Aptitude Test in Architecture. The Council of Architecture, a statutory body under India's Ministry of Education, runs it. It tests drawing, visual reasoning and design sense for entry to five-year B.Arch courses. Official NATA 2027 dates are not yet announced. Last year, tests ran from April to August.
CoA was set up under the Architects Act, 1972, and has run NATA since 2006. Its rules say a B.Arch student must qualify an aptitude test: NATA (by CoA) or JEE Main (by NTA). The NATA 2026 brochure says there are about 369 institutions that teach architecture in India with recognised qualifications.
Which institutions use NATA scores?
NATA itself does not give you a seat. CoA-approved architecture colleges and state admission authorities do. The states run centralised counselling and make merit lists from your best raw score or your percentile, as per their own rules. CoA publishes approved institutions on coa.gov.in. Check each college's own page for its rules.
When will NATA 2027 be held?
Official NATA 2027 dates are not yet announced. On 6 November 2026, nata.in and coa.gov.in still showed NATA 2026 information. Here is how the 2026 cycle ran:
| NATA 2026 event | Date (official) |
|---|---|
| CoA public notice | 8 March 2026 |
| Online form opens | March 2026 (9 March on the schedule page) |
| Phase 1 tests | Fridays and Saturdays, 4 April to 13 June 2026 |
| Phase 2 tests | 7 and 8 August 2026 |
| Result of each test | Within 7 days of the test |
| Score valid for | Academic session 2026-2027 only |
So NATA usually opens around March, with Phase 1 tests from about April to June. Wait for the NATA 2027 brochure before you fix any plans. In 2026, Fridays had an afternoon session (1.30 pm to 4.30 pm) and Saturdays also had a morning one (10.00 am to 1.00 pm), as per the official schedule page.
NATA at a glance, based on the official 2026 brochure.
The table sums it up. NATA is run by the Council of Architecture. In 2026, Phase 1 ran from 4 April to 13 June with up to two attempts, and Phase 2 ran on 7 and 8 August. The test is out of 200 marks (80 + 120). A score is valid for one academic session. NATA 2027 dates are not yet announced.
How many attempts are allowed, and which score counts?
In 2026, NATA had two phases. You could only sit in one of them.
- Phase 1 (for main counselling): Up to two attempts. After all Phase 1 sessions, CoA worked out your percentile from your best raw score.
- Phase 2 (for vacant seats): Only for students who skipped Phase 1. One attempt, raw score only, used for seats left empty after counselling.
The second attempt was not compulsory. Rules can change each year, so read the NATA 2027 brochure closely.
Who is eligible for NATA 2027?
These rules are from the NATA 2026 brochure, based on the CoA Regulations, 2020.
To sit NATA, you must be:
- passed or appearing in 10+2, with the subjects listed below, or
- passed or appearing in a 10+3 Diploma with Mathematics.
To get a B.Arch seat, you must have:
- passed 10+2 or equivalent 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% marks in aggregate, or
- passed a 10+3 Diploma with Mathematics as a compulsory subject, with at least 45% marks in aggregate.
So Class 11 students must keep Maths and Physics. Board marks matter too, so plan your CBSE board exams 2027 along with NATA.
Reservation follows state or UT rules. Passing NATA does not guarantee a seat.
Can NRI and international students take NATA?
Yes. The 2026 form had options for Indian, OCI, PIO and Foreign nationals. The only international centre listed was Dubai, at ₹15,000 per test. It runs only if enough students choose it, and it cannot be a second or third city choice. Students abroad should check that their board is accepted by the college they want.
What is the NATA exam pattern?
NATA 2026 had two parts in one 3-hour session, for 200 marks in total.
| Part | What it tests | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 (paper) | Composition and Colour | 1 | 25 |
| A2 (paper) | Sketching and Composition (black and white) | 1 | 25 |
| A3 (paper) | 3D Composition with a kit | 1 | 30 |
| B1 (computer) | Multiple choice questions (MCQ) | 42 | 120 for Part B |
| B2 (computer) | No Choice Questions (NCQ) | 8 | |
| Total | 53 | 200 |
Part A takes 90 minutes. Part B is a 90-minute adaptive test, about 108 seconds per question. The test was in English and Hindi.
The two parts of NATA, as set out in the 2026 brochure.
The picture shows the two parts. Part A is a drawing and composition test on paper. It has 3 questions, takes 90 minutes and carries 80 marks. Part B is an adaptive computer test with 42 MCQs and 8 NCQs, also 90 minutes, for 120 marks. Together they make 200 marks.
Is there negative marking in NATA?
The NATA 2026 brochure does not mention negative marking. Check the NATA 2027 brochure for the final rule. JEE Main Paper 2A is different. It does have negative marking, as you will see below.
What is the NATA syllabus?
Part A tests colour composition, sketching with scale, proportion and shadow, and building a 3D model with a kit. Part B covers visual reasoning, logical derivation, general knowledge of architecture and design, language interpretation, design sensitivity, and numerical ability (basic maths and geometry).
You may bring pencils, erasers, dry colours and a scale of up to 15 cm. Calculators and phones are not allowed.
What kind of maths question can come in NATA?
A classic visual reasoning and numerical question is the painted cube.
Question: A big cube is painted on all six faces. It is then cut into 27 equal small cubes. How many small cubes have paint on exactly two faces?
A painted-cube question solved one step at a time.
- 27 small cubes means 3 cubes along each edge (3 x 3 x 3 = 27).
- The 8 corner cubes each have 3 painted faces.
- A cube has 12 edges. Each edge has 3 - 2 = 1 middle cube. That gives 12 cubes with exactly 2 painted faces.
- The 6 face-centre cubes have 1 painted face. The 1 core cube has none.
- Check: 8 + 12 + 6 + 1 = 27. Answer: 12.
The final check is the key habit. Adding the groups back to 27 proves nothing was missed.
How much is the NATA application fee?
Here are the official NATA 2026 fees, per test, from the NATA fees page:
| Category | Fee per test |
|---|---|
| General / OBC (NCL) | ₹1,750 |
| SC / ST / EWS / PwD | ₹1,250 |
| Transgender | ₹1,000 |
| Test centre outside India | ₹15,000 |
The fee is not refundable, and you pay for each test you take. NATA 2027 fees are not yet announced.
What score do you need to qualify NATA?
For NATA 2026, there was no minimum raw score to qualify. Your final scorecard showed your best raw score and your percentile. A non-zero percentile on that scorecard was the valid qualifying NATA score.
Colleges and state authorities then make their own merit lists, so we do not quote cut-offs here.
How long is a NATA score valid?
A NATA 2026 score was valid for the 2026-2027 academic session only. Check the NATA 2027 brochure for its validity.
How do you get into B.Arch through JEE Main Paper 2A?
JEE Main Paper 2A is the second route into B.Arch, run by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Its Common Rank List is used for admission through JoSAA and CSAB to NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded institutes. Each institute sets its own eligibility, so check JoSAA and the college site after results.
For a full look at the exam, read our JEE Main 2027 guide. If you are also weighing IIT options, see JEE Main vs JEE Advanced.
What are the JEE Main 2027 dates?
These dates are from the official JEE Main 2027 public notice and the JEE Main 2027 Information Bulletin on jeemain.nta.nic.in:
| JEE Main 2027 | Session 1 | Session 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Apply online | 24 Oct to 22 Nov 2026 | 5 Jan to 3 Feb 2027 |
| Late fee (₹500 extra) | 23 to 26 Nov 2026 | 4 to 7 Feb 2027 |
| Form correction | 27 to 29 Nov 2026 | 8 to 10 Feb 2027 |
| City slip | 30 Dec 2026 | 12 Mar 2027 |
| Admit card | 13 Jan 2027 | 25 Mar 2027 |
| Exam dates | 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28 Jan 2027 | 2 to 7 Apr 2027 |
Session 1 forms are open now. See our step-by-step JEE Main 2027 registration guide. If you made a mistake, NTA's 30 October notice allows a fresh form; only the last paid form counts.
What is the JEE Main Paper 2A pattern?
| Part | Questions | Marks | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part I: Mathematics | 20 MCQ + 5 numerical | 100 | Computer |
| Part II: Aptitude Test | 50 | 200 | Computer |
| Part III: Drawing Test | 2 | 100 | Pen and paper, A4 sheet |
| Total | 77 | 400 | 3 hours |
Marking is +4 for a correct answer, -1 for a wrong one and 0 for a blank. Negative marking applies to Maths and Aptitude, not the Drawing Test. Paper 2A runs from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon IST.
Who can take JEE Main 2027, and what does it cost?
There is no age limit. Class 12 pass-outs of 2025 or 2026, and students appearing in 2027, can apply. Foreign boards need AIU equivalence.
The Paper 2A fee per session at Indian centres runs from ₹500 (SC, ST, PwD/PwBD, third gender) to ₹1,000 (General male). Centres outside India cost ₹2,500 to ₹5,000. GST and processing charges are extra.
JEE Main 2027 lists more cities abroad than NATA did in 2026: Manama, Kuwait City, Kathmandu, Muscat, Doha, Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
NATA or JEE Main Paper 2A: which should you take?
You can take both, as CoA accepts either test. NATA scores are used by state admission authorities and CoA-approved colleges. JEE Main Paper 2A ranks are used for JoSAA and CSAB seats, such as at NITs. Your target colleges decide which one you need.
The two official routes into a B.Arch seat.
The flow shows the path step by step. First, meet the eligibility: 10+2 with Physics and Maths, or a 10+3 Diploma with Maths, with at least 45% aggregate. Next, take NATA from CoA, or JEE Main Paper 2A from NTA, or both. Then join state counselling or JoSAA/CSAB with your score. Finally, the college confirms your seat.
Leaning towards design instead? Compare UCEED 2027 and NID DAT 2027, which are design tests.
How should you prepare for NATA 2027?
- Now: Register for JEE Main Session 1 by 22 November 2026 if you want the Paper 2A route. Sketch daily: perspective, shading, objects to scale.
- December to January: Practise Paper 2A Maths and aptitude under time. Sit Session 1.
- January to March 2027: Focus on boards. Keep sketching. Watch nata.in for the NATA 2027 brochure.
- When NATA forms open: Register early. Pick dates that avoid boards and JEE Main Session 2 (2-7 April 2027).
Keep Maths strong all year: it is 100 marks of Paper 2A and helps in NATA too.
Book a free demo class to plan your child's B.Arch year with a mentor, or see our plans and fees.
How 1-on-1 tutoring helps with NATA 2027 and JEE Main Paper 2A
Asymptode gives live online 1-on-1 maths and science classes. For an architecture aspirant:
- One dedicated mentor, live and 1-on-1. The mentor follows your child's own syllabus and exam dates: boards, JEE Main Paper 2A sessions and NATA attempts. The plan fits around all three.
- Method-first maths. For Paper 2A Maths and NATA numerical ability, the mentor watches each step of the working. Mistakes in geometry, mensuration and counting get caught early.
- Personalised homework with feedback, and short parent updates. Every class is recorded. The demo class is free.
- Honest help on drawing. For the drawing parts, the mentor helps with planning, timing and method. We are a maths and science service, not an art school.
Facts checked against official sources on 6 November 2026.
FAQ
Has NATA 2027 registration started?
No. As of 6 November 2026, official NATA 2027 dates are not yet announced. In 2026, the form opened in March. Check nata.in often.
Is NATA compulsory for B.Arch in India?
You must qualify an aptitude test in architecture. CoA accepts either NATA or JEE Main (Paper 2A). Which one you need depends on the college and counselling you want. You can take both.
Can I take NATA after Class 12 with PCB?
Not with PCB alone. B.Arch needs Physics and Mathematics in 10+2, plus one approved subject such as Chemistry or Biology, with at least 45% aggregate.
How many times can I take NATA?
In 2026, you could take up to two attempts in Phase 1, and the best raw score counted. Or you could take one attempt in Phase 2, for vacant seats only. You could not sit both phases. Check the NATA 2027 brochure for the new rules.
Is there a NATA exam centre in Dubai?
In 2026, Dubai was the only international NATA centre, run only if enough students chose it. The fee was ₹15,000 per test. JEE Main 2027 also has centres in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
What is the passing mark for NATA?
For NATA 2026, there was no minimum raw score to qualify. A final scorecard with a non-zero percentile was a valid qualifying score. Colleges and state authorities set their own merit lists, so check each one.
Ready to start? Book a free demo class and advisor call, or see our plans and fees.