NATA 2021 (National Aptitude Test in Architecture) will be conducted in the 2nd week of April 2021 for the first session and in the 1st week of July for the second session.The exam is regulated by Council of Architecture for students seeking admission in Bachelor of Architecture programs in colleges across India.

1. Candidates appearing or having passed class 12 with minimum 50% marks are eligible for the exam. Additionally a minimum of 50% in PCM subjects.
2. Application fee isINR 1800 for General, OBC and EWS category and INR 1500 for SC and ST candidates. Candidates opting Dubai as their center have to pay an additional amount of INR 8000.
3. Candidates are allowed to appear in one or both the sessions.
4. NATA 2021 Admit Card for both the sessions will be released separately.
5. As per NATA 2021 Exam Pattern, it will be a 3-hour long online exam having 60 MCQs (Mathematics and General Aptitude) of 2 marks each and 2 Drawing questions for 40 marks each.
6. NATA Syllabus includes General Aptitude, Drawing and Elementary mathematics.

NATA 2021 Highlights

The key points about NATA 2021 that candidates must be aware of are highlighted below:

NATA 2021 Exam Dates

The official NATA 2021 Exam Dates are yet to be disclosed, however, the detailed exam lineup will be announced along with the release of the application forms. The table below mentions the tentative dates:

NATA 2021 Eligibility Criteria

There is an eligibility criterion defined by the Council of Architecture for aspirants which must be fulfilled to register for the National Aptitude Test in Architecture. All the programs have different NATA 2021 Eligibility Criteria.

On the Basis of Age Limit: There is no age limit to apply. Candidates having qualified 10+2 can apply for the aptitude test.

On the basis of Qualifying Exam and Marks: Candidates Passed 12th examinations (10+2) recognized by Central/State Governments. Candidates holding Diploma with minimum 50% marks are eligible to apply. In addition candidates appearing for 10+2 can appear for the aptitude test given they prove their eligibility at the time of admissions.

On the basis of Qualifying Subjects: Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics are compulsory subject combinations to appear for NATA 2021. Diploma candidates should have Maths as one of the compulsory subjects.

On the basis of Stream: Candidates of arts stream can apply if they have PCM subjects as one of the optionals provided in CBSE Board.

Note: NATA does not provide lateral entry to candidates in later years of B.Arch courses.

NATA 2021 Application Process

This article will help a candidate by guiding them through the stepwise process to register for NATA 2021. The steps for registering for the exam are listed below:

Step 1: NATA 2021 Registration and Application Form Filling

1. Logon to the Official website of NATA and Click on ‘Apply Online’
2. A candidate is required to fill out their biographical details
3. On filling out the form, click on the Registration button.

Step 2: Uploading Documents and Images

1. Upload a recently clicked coloured passport size photograph. The face of the candidate should cover at least 75% of the photograph.
2. Candidates also need to upload their signature and their left-hand thumb impression.

Step 3: Paying the Application Fee

1. The application fee can be paid in online mode via a Credit Card or a Debit Card or even through Net Banking.
2. Candidates making the payment through the card, need to provide card no. expiry date, and the CVV.
3. Candidates choosing to pay via Net Banking will be redirected to the respective bank’s site where your account details are verified and payment is approved.

Step 4: Confirmation of Form Submission

1. Upon completing the payment candidates are redirected to the confirmation page.
2. It is advised to keep a soft copy of the confirmation page for future reference.
3. A correction window will be open just in case the candidates made any error.

NATA 2021 Application Fee

To appear in the examination candidates need to pay a certain amount depending on which category they belong to as Application Fee. Tabulated below is the application fee for the various categories of applicants:

NATA 2021 Admit Card

The examination authority will tentatively issue NATA 2021 Admit Card in the 1st week of April and 4th week of June via online mode through the website. Applicants will only be able to download their respective admit cards on entering the Registered ID and Password.

1. The admit card of NATA 2021 exam will be uploaded on the official website.
2. After downloading the admit card, the candidates should confirm that the photograph and signature are printed on the admit card.
3. Every candidate must carry the admit card along with valid Photo Id proof to the exam centre.
4. The information about the exam centre will be mentioned on the admit card.

NATA 2021 Exam Centers

NATA 2021 Exam centers are located in multiple cities across the country. The state-wise centers are as follows:

Important Note: Candidates cannot opt Dubai as their Second or Third exam center preference. If Dubai is opted as Primary choice of center then additional two centers in India have to opted necessarily.

NATA 2021 Exam Pattern

Candidates are advised to be thorough with the Exam Pattern for NATA 2021. This makes them have a clear mind and makes them study just what is needed and not waste time.

1. Exam Mode: The examination will be held through online mode.
2. Time Duration: Candidates will get 180 minutes to solve the question paper.
3. The question paper will comprise of three sections, i.e. Mathematics, Drawing & General Aptitude.
4. Section-wise Time Duration: Candidates will be given 60 minutes to attempt questions of Part-A (aptitude section) and 120 minutes to attempt Part-B (I.e. drawing section).
5. Total Number of Questions: Total 60 questions will be asked in the examination and the question paper will be of 200 marks.
6. Question Type: The question of Mathematics & General Aptitude will be multiple-choice questions.
7. Marking Scheme: Each correct answer will consist of 2 marks
8. Negative Marking: No marks will be deducted for incorrect answer.

NATA 2021 Sectional Exam Pattern

The aptitude test is has two parts Part A and Part B

NATA 2021 Syllabus

Council of Architecture defines the syllabus for architecture aptitude test.

Part A: Mathematics and General Aptitude Test

Part B: Drawing Test

Candidates will be judged on their sketching skills of the given object accurately and in an attractive manner. Visualisation ability is tested with a sense of perspective as well. Drawing 3D Objects. Harmony of Colours in respect to scale and proportion should be kept in iind. Drawing memory of the candidate is also put to test.

Recommended Books for NATA 2021 Preparation

1. NATA & B.Arch Question Bank written by Ar. Shadan Usmani
2. NATA & B.Arch complete self-study material: entrance examination written by Ar. Shadan Usmani
3. A Complete Self Study Guide for B.Arch written by P. K. Mishra
4. B.Arch Entrance Examination Guide was written by Surendra Kalimantan

Students can also prepare thoroughly from the material provided by coaching centres, some very useful ones include:

1. NATA Study Material and Online Test Series
2. Buying the Nata Entrance Books online by Mosaic Institute of Design

NATA 2021 Result

NATA 2021 Results have been tentatively chosen to be announced on the fourth working day as soon as the test date gets over. Candidates who appeared for the same can download their scores via NATA’s official site. It is suggested for taking a print out of the score while applying for the admission.

1. Before announcing the results, the authorities have decided to disclose the response sheets of the candidates who appeared.
2. Please note the response sheets will be uploaded only for Part A. The sheets of Part B will not be uploaded.
3. On disclosure of the answer sheets, the NATA 2021 Results will be available for everyone to view on the official website.
4. The qualifying marks will be based on the rule given below:

At least 25% marks must have scored in MCQ part (Part A) – 30 out of 120

A minimum 25% marks in Drawing port (Part B) – 20 out of 80

NATA 2021 Counselling Schedule

After releasing the results, one of the most crucial steps of the admission procedure begins. NATA 2021 Counselling Schedule is not conducted by the Council of Architecture rather it is undertaken by the participating colleges themselves.

1. The NATA Score Card will be valid only for the academic year 2021-2021.
2. There will be no separate counselling conducted by the official authority for providing admissions. Candidates will have to apply separately in each institution in which they want to apply for admission.
3. Candidates who want to get admission in B.Arch. courses should appear in separate counselling conducted by each institution.
4. Candidates have to carry all required documents and their photocopies for the verification process.
5. Final admission is granted to candidates who will fulfil eligibility criteria completely and have all the required documents verified.

NATA 2021 Participating Colleges

Amidst a wide array of colleges accepting students based on the NATA 2021 Scores, here are a few high ranking colleges that will be participating in the counselling process.

On gaining a thorough knowledge of the exam, few candidates may have pending doubts about the same. Here are a few Frequently Asked Questions for NATA 2021: