Architecture Entrance Exams 2027: List, Dates, Eligibility

The architecture entrance exam 2027 cycle decides B.Arch, B.Planning and M.Arch admissions for the 2027-28 session. For B.Arch, the two tests that matter are NATA, conducted by the Council of Architecture, and JEE Main Paper 2, conducted by NTA. IIT B.Arch seats need one more step, the JEE Advanced AAT.

This page covers which exam to take, eligibility, M.Arch routes, preparation and question papers. The exam list, open applications and dates below update automatically as official notices come out.

List of Architecture Entrance Exams 2027

The list shows every architecture exam we track. Use the filters to switch between National and State exams, or between UG (B.Arch, B.Planning) and PG (M.Arch, M.Planning).

Upcoming Architecture Exam Dates

Registration, exam and result dates for the next few months, refreshed as each body announces them.

No confirmed dates in the next 90 days. These are the next expected dates, based on previous cycles:

• Mar2027NATA 2027NATA 2027 brochure · March 2027
• Apr2027MAH M.Arch CET 2027PGETA 2027 registration (2027-28) · April 2027
• May2027ACPC B.Arch 2027Online registration (B.Arch 2027-28) · May 2027
• May2027ACPC M.Arch 2027Registration (M.Arch 2027-28) · May 2027
• May2027ACPC M.Plan 2027Registration · May 2027

Top Architecture Entrance Exams Explained

NATA 2027

The National Aptitude Test in Architecture is conducted by the Council of Architecture (CoA), the body that regulates architecture education in India. It tests drawing, observation, visual reasoning and general aptitude rather than school subjects alone. Most CoA-approved B.Arch colleges, including state counselling in many states, admit on NATA scores, so nearly every B.Arch aspirant should take it.

JEE Main 2027 (Paper 2A and 2B)

JEE Main is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Paper 2A is for B.Arch and Paper 2B is for B.Planning; both include Mathematics and aptitude, and Paper 2A also has a drawing test. Paper 2 scores are used for B.Arch and B.Planning seats at NITs, the Schools of Planning and Architecture (SPAs) and other centrally funded institutes through JoSAA counselling.

JEE Advanced AAT 2027

The Architecture Aptitude Test is held by the IIT that organises JEE Advanced, under the Joint Admission Board. Only candidates who have qualified JEE Advanced can register. Passing it is needed for B.Arch at IITs that offer the course, such as IIT Roorkee and IIT Kharagpur. It is a qualifying test; seats are allotted on the JEE Advanced rank.

GATE 2027 (Architecture and Planning Paper)

GATE is the main route to M.Arch and M.Planning at IITs, NITs, SPAs and many other institutes. It is conducted by IISc and the IITs, and has a separate Architecture and Planning (AR) paper. Take it in the final year of B.Arch or B.Planning, or after graduating.

COMEDK UGET 2027

COMEDK runs admissions to private professional colleges in Karnataka. Its B.Arch seats are generally filled using NATA or JEE Main Paper 2 scores rather than the engineering UGET paper, so read the COMEDK page before applying for B.Arch.

DASA 2027

Direct Admission of Students Abroad is the route for NRIs, OCI and PIO card holders and foreign nationals to UG and PG seats, including B.Arch, at NITs and other centrally funded institutes. Indian residents cannot use it.

Which Entrance Exam for Architecture After 12th?

Pick your exams by the colleges you want. Most students should write both NATA and JEE Main Paper 2.

NATA vs JEE Main Paper 2: Which One Do You Need?

NATA is the wider net. It is accepted by a large majority of B.Arch colleges and by many state counselling bodies, and it usually offers more than one attempt in a cycle. JEE Main Paper 2A is narrower but leads to the most sought-after public institutes, the NITs and SPAs, through JoSAA.

The two papers overlap: both test Mathematics-style reasoning, spatial ability and drawing. Preparing for one covers most of the other, so writing both costs little extra effort and keeps both sets of colleges open. Some state counselling bodies accept either score, so check your state’s rules on the exam pages.

Eligibility for Architecture Entrance Exams

• B.Arch: Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, or a three-year diploma with Mathematics, with the minimum marks set by the Council of Architecture. Mathematics is compulsory.
• B.Planning: Class 12 with Mathematics; exact subject rules vary by institute.
• JEE Advanced AAT: you must first qualify JEE Advanced in the same year.
• M.Arch: a B.Arch degree. M.Planning usually accepts B.Arch, B.Planning, civil engineering and some related degrees.

Class 12 students can usually write NATA and JEE Main before their board results, but admission needs the final marks. Percentage cut-offs and category relaxations differ by exam and college, so confirm them on each exam’s page and the official notice.

M.Arch Entrance Exams After B.Arch

For a Master of Architecture, GATE with the Architecture and Planning paper is the main national route and is used by IITs, NITs and SPAs. Several states and universities run their own PG admissions; for example, Maharashtra conducts the MAH M.Arch CET for its state seats. Some private universities admit on their own test, interview or B.Arch marks.

B.Arch Admission Without Entrance Exam

For a CoA-recognised B.Arch, the honest answer is no. Council of Architecture rules tie B.Arch admission to an aptitude test score, which in practice means NATA or JEE Main Paper 2. Management quota and direct admission seats in private colleges still need a valid score; they only skip the counselling rank order. A university’s own test, where one exists, is usually in addition to NATA, not a replacement.

If you have missed both exams, options without a national test include a polytechnic diploma in architecture assistantship (state admission rules apply), or B.Des and B.Sc interior design programmes that admit on Class 12 marks or their own tests. None of these is a B.Arch, so check how each fits your plans.

How to Prepare for Architecture Entrance Exams

• Read the latest pattern first. NATA’s format has changed in recent cycles, so start from the current syllabus on the exam page.
• Keep Class 11 and 12 Mathematics strong. It is scored in JEE Main Paper 2 and supports reasoning questions in NATA.
• Draw every day. Practise perspective, light and shade, proportion, memory drawing and 2D and 3D composition.
• Build visual reasoning. Work on mental rotation, patterns, views of 3D objects, and basic awareness of buildings, materials and famous architects.
• Solve previous papers under time. Old NATA and JEE Main B.Arch papers are the best guide to question types and pace.
• Plan both exams together. One preparation plan serves both; only the timing and paper format differ.

Official sources: Council of Architecture, NATA and JEE Main (NTA). For other streams, see all entrance exams.

Architecture Entrance Exam Question Papers

Download previous year question papers and sample papers for NATA, JEE Main B.Arch and other architecture exams below.

• NATA Question Papers9 years, latest 2026
• JEE Advanced AAT Question Papers10 years, latest 2025

Architecture Entrance Exams 2027 FAQs