The NATA exam 2027 dates will presumably adhere to the same pattern of conducting multiple sessions every Friday and Saturday that has been followed by the Council of Architecture since 2025. Instead of a single test date, in this approach, candidates can opt for a preferred day and session during their registration itself. This scheduling gives an advantage of spreading out candidates across multiple weekends in a phase.

It measures how a candidate observes, draws, reasons, and thinks about space and proportion, skills that carry directly into an architecture classroom. This guide walks through NATA exam dates, eligibility, the registration process, fees, syllabus, exam pattern, cut-off trends, and how NATA compares with JEE Main B.Arch.

Table of Contents

Key Highlights: NATA 2027 Exam

NATA is a 200 mark two-section examination, consisting of a practical drawing and computer-based aptitude section without any negative marking and hence, no loss will come even if all questions are attempted by the candidate. This is what makes the exam before you prepare for it in a nutshell.

NATA is conducted by the Council of Architecture twice a year
NATA is a 200 mark examination with Part A consisting of 80 marks Drawing and Part B consists of 120 marks Aptitude section
This exam is of 3 hours with the practical drawing section in paper and aptitude section computer based
There are two chances to appear in Phase 1 and an extra chance in Phase 2
A NATA score stays valid for one academic year only

Read more: Navisworks Manage vs Navisworks Simulate

What is NATA 2027 Exam

The NATA or National Aptitude Test in Architecture does not evaluate the memorization capacity of the applicant; instead, it evaluates his/her drawing skills, visual skills, proportion and design sense abilities. Architecture institutes rely on the NATA marks directly for admission in B.Arch course since it is designed keeping in mind the actual abilities that are required for a design course rather than a general entrance examination. The NATA is conducted under the Council of Architecture regulation, so the valid NATA marks can be accepted in all the institutes accepting NATA.

NATA 2027 Exam Highlights

Before diving into dates and eligibility, it helps to see the exam’s core details laid out together.

Particular	Detail
Full form	National Aptitude Test in Architecture
Conducting body	Council of Architecture
Level	National
Mode	Part A offline, Part B online
Duration	3 hours
Total marks	200
Frequency	Twice a year (Phase 1 and Phase 2)

NATA Exam Dates and Schedule [Official]

For NATA 2027, the examination dates will be following the same pattern as adopted by the Council of Architecture starting from 2025, which allows students to choose their preferred date and session during the time of registering for the exam and not have a fixed one-time exam on a single pre-fixed date. Thus, the exam essentially continues through a few weekends in each phase of the exam cycle.

Event	Expected Timeline
NATA registration 2027 opens	March-April 2027
NATA 2027 registration last date	April-May 2027
Phase 1 exam dates	April-June 2027
Phase 2 exam dates	August 2027
Result declaration	7-10 days after each exam session

As there has been no official notification issued by the Council of Architecture for 2027 yet, you can assume all the dates mentioned above as tentative according to the trend in the past years, and verify the exact date of NATA exam 2027 schedule once the official notification comes out at nata.in.

Read more: BIM Designer Interview Questions and Answers for Architects

NATA Day-wise Schedule (Tentative)

Every NATA exam day consists of one or two sessions each of 180 minutes duration; therefore, registering early would give you the liberty to choose your favorable session.

Day	Session
Friday	Afternoon session
Saturday	Morning and afternoon sessions

The choice of day and timing by the candidates is done at the time of application for NATA 2027. The selection mostly depends upon the availability of centre in the city of your choice. Early registration can help you to secure the time slot of your choice.

NATA 2027 Exam – Eligibility Criteria

Prior to registration, make sure you fulfill at least one of the following educational qualifications because the eligibility of students for the exam is checked by the Council of Architecture at various levels, including counselling stage.

Eligible candidates should have 12th (or equivalent) class pass with subjects as Physics, Mathematics, and any other subject with an aggregate of 45%
Students with 10+3 Diploma having Mathematics subject also qualify for appearing in NATA, again with an aggregate of 45%
Students belonging to SC/ST/OBC-NCL/PwD are given a relaxation of 5% in aggregate score
Age bar does not exist for NATA, making it possible for those students who take a gap year or change streams after 10+2 to write NATA.

Fulfilling these conditions makes you eligible to write the exam, however, colleges add further eligibility criteria on top of these during the counselling process.

NATA 2027 Exam – Application Form

The registration process begins on the official website of NATA. For the 2027 application, you should use the official NATA website above once registration opens. The whole process is pretty simple if one has his/her documents ready. The candidate registers himself, fills in all his personal and academic information, uploads his photograph and signature in the required format, selects the centers and sessions of his choice and makes payment of the application fees through net banking or debit/credit cards.

One must ensure that he has all his scanned mark sheets of Class 10 and Class 12, a photograph and a photo ID handy before logging into the portal because the portal automatically signs him off in case there is inactivity for sometime and then again uploading the documents will be really annoying.

NATA 2027 Application Fees (Expected)

Application fees vary by category and citizenship, and they are non-refundable once paid, so double-check your category and centre choice before submitting payment.

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

Candidates who register for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 pay the fee separately for each phase, so factor that into your budgeting if you plan to attempt the exam twice.

NATA 2027 Exam – Admit Card/Hall Ticket

The Council of Architecture issues admit cards on a weekly basis before the exam day chosen by each candidate, through the website only, and not via emails. You have to log into the website yourself and not wait for any notifications.

You can login with your application number and password in order to download the admit card
You should make sure you have verified your photograph, signature, exam center name, date and session properly; and lodge a request for correction in case anything is wrong
You must carry a printed copy of the admit card and a valid form of identification proof such as Aadhaar or school ID to the exam center; otherwise, your entry will be denied

Keep a digital and printed copy of your admit card handy through results day, since several colleges ask for it again during document verification at counselling.

Read more: BIM Draftsman Interview Questions and Answers for Architects

NATA 2027 Exam – Pattern & Marking Scheme

NATA 2027 is expected to retain the 3D modelling component that the Council of Architecture added to Part A back in 2025, alongside the more traditional drawing and composition tasks.

Part	Section	Marks
A (Drawing)	Composition & colour, sketching, 3D composition	80
B (Aptitude)	42 MCQs + 8 NCQs (numerical/coding-type questions)	120

Since there is no negative marking scheme anywhere in NATA, it becomes very important for students to attempt each question in Part B, even those questions they do not have an answer for, because answering a wrong question will cost them nothing, but leaving any answer blank will guarantee them zero marks. The evaluation of Part A is done by a panel of architects based on sketches.

NATA 2027 Exam Syllabus [Official]

The NATA exam syllabus has stayed largely consistent for several years, and it splits into two broad components that test very different skills.

Drawing Test: composition and colour, freehand sketching, and 3D visualization and composition
General Aptitude: visual and logical reasoning, mathematics, language comprehension, and sensitivity to design

Since the NATA syllabus is based on the concepts from Class 10 and Class 12 and not those of higher education, the aspirants generally prepare for NATA along with other boards’ exams.

NATA Syllabus 2027 for General Aptitude

Part B tests seven core skills rather than a fixed list of chapters, so practice should focus on building speed and accuracy across each skill area instead of memorizing formulas alone.

Visual and logical reasoning, including pattern recognition and spatial relationships
General knowledge of architecture, materials, and famous structures, both Indian and global
Language interpretation, comprehension, and numerical ability drawn from Class 10-12 mathematics
Design sensitivity and design thinking, tested through scenario-based and analytical questions
Mental ability and diagrammatic reasoning
Object and elemental drawing awareness
Colour theory and composition awareness

Since Part B runs as a computer-based test, candidates benefit from practicing on a screen rather than only on paper, so the format itself does not slow them down on exam day.

NATA Exam Preparation Tips for 2027

Consistency in preparation for both sections is much more crucial than last minute revision since drawing skills and designing sense develop gradually through weeks, and not in days.

Keep practicing drawing of actual things, interior and architecture in your daily routine, even if you spend just half an hour on it.
Solve mathematics problems of the level of Class 12 from NCERT and CBSE books since NATA questions on numerics are based on the same syllabus.
Study famous Indian and international architects, famous buildings, and construction materials, since general knowledge questions come every year.
Make sketches using actual answer sheet layout for timing yourself for composition, shading, and detailing in the assigned time.
Make full mock test of NATA in exam-like conditions at least once a week in last two months of preparation and analyze each mistake made and not just the score obtained.
Develop observational skills by making sketches from memory of regular life sceneries since NATA often tests students in terms of recall and interpretation.

Preparation that blends steady practice with realistic mock tests consistently outperforms compressed, last-minute study, especially for a skill-based exam like NATA.

NATA 2027 Exam Preparation Books [Most Recommended]

These titles align closely with the current NATA exam syllabus and include solved past papers, which helps candidates understand the actual difficulty level rather than guessing from generic study material.

A Complete Self-Study NATA Guide by P.K. Mishra
NATA & B.Arch Question Bank by Ar. Shadan Usmani
NATA & B.Arch Complete Self-Study Material by Ar. Shadan Usmani
Art and Perspective Drawing series for visual and freehand sketching practice
Previous years’ NATA question papers, which the Council of Architecture partially releases and coaching platforms compile in full

Books work best when paired with regular sketching practice and timed mock tests, rather than as standalone reading material.

Should You Consider NATA Coaching Online?

Many candidates nowadays undergo NATA coaching online as compared to, or in addition to, classroom NATA coaching due to the following reasons: students can revisit classes in online mode; receive feedback on sketches in a structured manner; practice mock tests using the very interface used by NATA for conducting the Part B exam. NATA online coaching serves a particular advantage to those candidates hailing from smaller towns who lack a dedicated architecture coaching center in their vicinity, as well as for working professionals/repeat candidates who require flexibility in their schedule. When choosing among various NATA coaching online programs, give preference to the ones that provide you with one-on-one sketch feedback and conduct mock drawing tests rather than only recording video lectures, because drawing can be improved only via corrections.

NATA 2027 Exam Centres List of Cities

It is likely that NATA 2027 would be conducted in more than 20 states/union territories in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad with candidates having the option of choosing their preferred centre and city during the time of NATA 2027 registration. The availability of centres depends on the demand for NATA test center in a particular city and sometimes candidates opting for registration closer to deadline get allotted centers far away from their preferences.

NATA 2027 Exam – Answer Key

The Council of Architecture typically does not release an official answer key or question paper for NATA, unlike several other national entrance exams. Candidates instead estimate their performance using their own recall of the aptitude section and solutions shared by coaching platforms after each session, since Part A’s drawing responses cannot be scored through a fixed answer key in the first place.

NATA 2027 Exam Result: Score Card and Merit List

The Council of Architecture declares results separately for each phase, and every scorecard shows the Part A marks, Part B marks, the combined total out of 200, and the candidate’s qualifying status for that session.

Log in to the official portal using your candidate ID and password
Download and save the scorecard, since colleges request it directly during admission and counselling

Given that NATA results fall short of state counseling timetables, it would be advisable for candidates to visit the site frequently near the period of their results rather than expecting an email from the Council, which may not be forthcoming.

What is NATA 2027 Exam Score Validity and Attempt Rule?

The validity period of NATA score is one year; hence, anyone appearing for NATA test in 2027 can only make use of that NATA score for 2027 admission purposes only and not for the subsequent year. Anyone with a NATA 2026 score will be allowed to keep it only if he skips all attempts in 2027 since taking any attempt in 2027 will freeze his score from that point onwards.

NATA Cut-Off: Qualifying Marks & College Trends

The cut-off mark for NATA is now flexible since there is no fixed qualifying mark anymore for NATA. Anyone scoring anything above zero percentile in the test qualifies for the examination, although different colleges have their own much higher cut-offs for admitting students.

College Tier	Indicative Score (/200)
Top architecture colleges	150+
Reputed government/private colleges	120-140
Other NATA-accepting colleges	80-120

These figures move a little each year depending on the overall difficulty of that year’s paper and the number of candidates, so treat them as a planning benchmark rather than a guarantee.

What is the Counselling Process in NATA 2027 Exam?

There is no centralized body to conduct the counseling for NATA in contrast to JEE Main, where there is a joint authority to allocate the seats throughout the country. The individual states as well as the approximately 400 institutions involved in conducting this test take care of the counseling process for themselves depending on the set criteria for eligibility and the seat matrix provided by the institute. It is essential to understand that you will have to register individually for counseling at all colleges or states where you wish to join.

What are the Major Participating Colleges Accepting NATA 2027 Exam Scores?

Around 400 institutes across India accept NATA scores for B.Arch admission, spanning government, private, and deemed universities.

CEPT University, Ahmedabad
Sir J.J. College of Architecture, Mumbai
Chandigarh College of Architecture
BMS College of Architecture, Bengaluru
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
School of Planning and Architecture campuses (through JEE Main, alongside select NATA-accepting seats)

Each institution maintains their own cut-off marks and counseling schedule, hence students aspiring to join a particular institution should keep track of the admission site of that institution rather than the national average.

What is the Difference Between the NATA Exam and the JEE Main B.Arch Exam 2027?

NATA and JEE Main B.Arch lead to different sets of colleges, so the right choice depends on which institutes you are actually targeting rather than which exam sounds easier.

Point	NATA	JEE Main B.Arch
Conducted by	Council of Architecture	NTA
Total marks	200	390
Negative marking	None	-1 for wrong MCQs
Drawing component	Yes, hands-on Part A	Yes, but smaller weightage
Admits to	State, private, and deemed colleges	IITs (Roorkee), NITs, SPAs, GFTIs

Many serious B.Arch aspirants end up preparing for and attempting both exams, since the syllabus overlaps significantly and a strong NATA score does not automatically guarantee a JEE Main-linked seat, or vice versa.

Common Mistakes Candidates Make While Preparing for NATA

A few recurring mistakes cost candidates marks every year, and most are easy to avoid once you know to watch for them.

Practicing only mathematics and neglecting drawing, since drawing carries 80 of the 200 total marks
Skipping mock tests and only revising theory, which leaves candidates unprepared for the actual time pressure
Ignoring general knowledge questions about architects and buildings, assuming they carry too little weight to matter
Registering close to the deadline and losing a preferred exam centre or session slot as a result

Avoiding these four mistakes alone puts a candidate ahead of a large share of the applicant pool, since they account for a disproportionate share of lost marks.

Conclusion

Continuous preparation in the fields of drawing and aptitude will prove more helpful than revising at the last minute for NATA 2027. You must keep an eye on the official notification regarding NATA 2027 examination date on the website of nata.in. Moreover, you must choose between the NATA or JEE Main B.Arch exams according to your targeted colleges.

Clearing NATA is only step one; the software skills that follow once you are in architecture school. BuildAmbit’s courses, powered by RSP Design India, build those skills through real project studios rather than isolated software tutorials, giving students a head start on the practical side of architecture school long before graduation.

Explore What Shapes Real Careers in the AEC Industry

Full-Stack BIM Professional Course for Architects

Full-Stack BIM Professional Course for Civil Engineers

Full-Stack BIM Professional Course for MEP Engineers

Explore What Shapes Real Careers in the AEC Industry

Full-Stack BIM Professional Course for Architects

Full-Stack BIM Professional Course for Civil Engineers

Full-Stack BIM Professional Course for MEP Engineers