If you’re dreaming of designing spaces that inspire and endure, the NATA 2025 National Aptitude Test in Architecture is your starting line. Organized by the Council of Architecture (CoA), this exam opens doors to Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.). programs across India. With its refreshed format for 2025, NATA blends creativity, logic, and skill to find the architects of tomorrow. Whether you’re sketching your first building or plotting a sustainable city, here’s your all-in-one guide to NATA 2025—exam dates, syllabus, test centers, and everything else you need to know.
When is NATA 2025 Exam?
NATA 2025 kicks off on March 1, 2025, and runs through June 2025, held on designated Fridays and Saturdays. You can take up to three attempts, and your best score will shine through. Online registration began on February 3, 2025, at NATA official website with exact dates and sessions assigned via your Appointment Card. Here’s the session lineup:
| Day | Session | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fridays | Afternoon Session Only | 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM |
| Saturdays | Morning Session | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM |
| Afternoon Session | 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM |
Each session lasts 3 hours (180 minutes). If you took NATA 2024, your 2025 score factors in prior attempts: best of 2024 and 2025 for one attempt, or best of three across both years for two or three attempts. Flexibility is your friend here—pick your moments and make them count.
What’s on the NATA 2025 Syllabus?
NATA 2025 tests your architectural aptitude across two parts, totaling 200 marks, in English and Hindi. To qualify, you’ll need at least 20 marks in Part A, 30 marks in Part B, and 70 marks overall. Here’s the breakdown:
| Part | Mode | Duration | Components | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A: Drawing and Composition Test | Offline | 90 minutes | A1 – Composition and Color | 25 |
| A2 – Sketching & Composition (B&W) | 25 | |||
| A3 – 3D Composition | 30 | |||
| Total | 80 | |||
| Part B: MCQ and NCQ | Online (Adaptive) | 90 minutes | B1 – 42 Multiple Choice Questions | – |
| B2 – 8 No Choice Questions | – | |||
| Total | 120 | |||
| Grand Total (Part A + Part B) | – | – | – | 200 |
Part A (Offline):
- A1: Arrange shapes into eye-catching compositions and add color.
- A2: Sketch scenes—think buildings, people, or landscapes—with scale, texture, and shading.
- A3: Build a 3D composition using a kit, showcasing spatial creativity.
Part B (Online):
Covers visual reasoning (2D/3D reconstruction), logical derivation (decoding contexts), architecture/design general knowledge, language interpretation (grammar and meaning), design sensitivity (analyzing spaces and products), and numerical ability (geometry for creative solutions).
This mix tests your raw talent—less about rote learning, more about thinking like an architect.
Where Are the NATA Test Centers?
NATA 2025 spans over 70 cities in India, plus Union Territories and an international hub in Dubai. You’ll pick your preferred city during registration, but the CoA assigns the final center based on availability, detailed in your Appointment Card. Here’s a snapshot of probable locations:
| State/Region | Cities |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Guntur, Vijayawada, Kadapa, Visakhapatnam |
| Assam | Guwahati |
| Bihar | Gaya |
| Chhattisgarh | Raipur |
| Delhi | New Delhi |
| Goa | Panaji |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad, Anand, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara |
| Haryana | Faridabad, Gurgaon, Jhajjar, Sonipat |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Kakrial/Katra |
| Jharkhand | Ranchi |
| Karnataka | Belgaum, Bengaluru, Bijapur, Dharwad, Kalburgi/Gulbarga, Hubali, Mangalore, Manipal, Mysuru, Tumkur |
| Kerala | Idukki, Ernakulam/Kochi, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram/Kazhakkuttam, Thrissur |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore |
| Maharashtra | Ahmednagar, Akola, Amravati, Aurangabad, Baramati, Kolhapur, Latur, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Raigarh, Ramtek, Sangli, Satara, Solapur |
| Mizoram | Aizawl |
| Odisha | Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack |
| Punjab | Ludhiana, Mandi Gobindgarh, Mohali, Phagwara |
| Rajasthan | Jaipur, Tonk |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai, Chengulput District, Coimbatore, Dindigul, Erode, Hosur, Kancheepuram, Kanya Kumari, Marthandam, Namakkal, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvallur, Trichy, Ooty/Nilgiris, Vellore, Villupuram, Virudhunagar |
| Telangana | Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Outer Periphery of Twin Cities |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun |
| Uttar Pradesh | Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Jhansi, Lucknow, Muzaffarnagar, Noida |
| West Bengal | Durgapur, Howrah |
| Union Territories | Puducherry, Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) |
| International | Dubai (no alternate city options) |
- Note: Dubai candidates get no city choice, and centers depend on sufficient registrations. Check Appendix IV of the brochure for the full tentative list.
How to Get Started and Key Details
Eligibility:
- To take NATA: Passed or appearing in 10+1, 10+2, or 10+3 Diploma with Mathematics.
- For B.Arch. admission: 10+2 with Physics, Mathematics, and one of Chemistry/Biology/Technical Vocational subject/Computer Science/IT/Informatics Practices/Engineering Graphics/Business Studies (45% aggregate), or 10+3 Diploma with Mathematics (45% aggregate).
Application:
- Register at www.nata.in from February 3, 2025.
- Upload a photo (4-100 KB, 4.5×3.5 cm) and signature (1-30 KB, 1.5×3.5 cm).
- Fees per test:
| Category | Fee per Test (₹) |
|---|---|
| General/OBC-NCL (India) | 1750 |
| SC/ST/EWS/PwD (India) | 1250 |
| Transgender (India) | 1000 |
| Outside India | 15000 |
- Result: Posted on www.nata.in after each attempt, valid for two years (2025-2027).
- Help Desk: Email stusupport@nata-app.online or call 7385395400.
Why NATA 2025 Matters
This isn’t just an exam—it’s your chance to join a profession shaping India’s future, from sustainable cities to cultural landmarks. With its flexible dates, nationwide reach, and focus on innate talent, NATA 2025 is designed for dreamers ready to build. So, grab your pencils, sharpen your mind, and step into the world of architecture—one test at a time.
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