NATA previous year question papers from 2018 to 2026 are free to download here, 22 test-wise and shift-wise PDFs, most with the answers or answer key inside the same file. NATA now has an offline drawing part (80 marks) and an online adaptive aptitude part of 50 questions (120 marks) in 3 hours, a pattern that began in 2025, so the 2025 and 2026 papers are the closest match to the Phase 1 tests expected from April 2027.
NATA Previous Year Question Papers
Pick a year to see its papers test by test; recent years are split by test, shift or day.
Newest papersNATA 2026 Question Paper
View 2026 papers4 papers
NATA Question Papers by Year
| Year | Papers | Pattern that year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NATA 2026 | 4 papers | Drawing 80 + 50 Q 120 · 3 h | View papers |
| NATA 2025 | 1 paper | Drawing 80 + 50 Q 120 · 3 h | View papers |
| NATA 2024 | 1 paper (some memory-based) | View papers | |
| NATA 2023 | 5 papers (some memory-based) | View papers | |
| NATA 2022 | 4 papers | View papers | |
| NATA 2021 | 3 papers | View papers | |
| NATA 2020 | 1 paper | View papers | |
| NATA 2019 | 2 papers | View papers | |
| NATA 2018 | 1 paper | 60 MCQs 120 + drawing 80 · 3 h | View papers |
NATA Paper at a Glance
| Parts | Part A: Drawing and Composition, offline on paper (80 marks); Part B: Aptitude, online adaptive test (120 marks) |
|---|---|
| Questions | 3 drawing tasks (A1 25, A2 25, A3 30 marks) and 42 MCQs + 8 no-choice questions (NCQs) |
| Marks and time | 200 marks in 3 hours: 90 minutes for each part |
| Medium | English and Hindi (2026) |
| Scoring | Best raw score in Phase 1 turned into a percentile (2026) |
| Papers on this page | 2018 to 2026, 22 PDFs; answers inside most aptitude papers |
| Next exam | NATA 2027: April 2027 (expected). Application: March 2027 (expected) |
How the NATA Paper Changed (2018–2026)
- 2018: one test on 29 April 2018. Part A was online with 20 Mathematics MCQs (40 marks) and 40 General Aptitude MCQs (80 marks); Part B was 2 drawing questions on paper (80 marks).
- 2019 to 2023: CoA held two or three tests a year, and in 2020 NATA could also be taken from home as an online proctored test. The 2019 papers here are printed from the online answer key page of each test.
- 2025 onwards: Part A became three offline drawing tasks (80 marks) and Part B an online adaptive test of 42 MCQs and 8 NCQs (120 marks). The 2026 test kept this pattern.
- Using older papers: the maths and aptitude questions from 2018 to 2024 are still useful practice for Part B, while the 2024 to 2026 drawing sets show the current A1, A2 and A3 task types.
How to Use NATA Previous Year Papers?
- Split your practice into two 90-minute blocks. Part B has 50 questions in 90 minutes, about 108 seconds a question. Part A has 3 drawing tasks in 90 minutes, so give A3 (30 marks) a little more time than A1 and A2.
- Solve 2026 and 2025 first, because they follow the current drawing-plus-adaptive pattern. The 2026 Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 aptitude papers and the 2025 paper all have answers inside.
- Practise NCQs without options. 8 of the 50 aptitude questions give no choices, so you must work out the answer. Cover the options on older MCQs and solve them as NCQs for practice.
- Use the drawing sets as timed tasks. The 2026 Part A collection and the 2024 sets (a logo from circles and triangles, light and shadow compositions, a 3D composition) can be drawn against the clock at home.
- Plan for two Phase 1 attempts. In 2026 you could take up to two Phase 1 tests and your best score counted. Registration is expected from March 2027, which leaves about five months to work through these papers.
Practise for NATA on the real exam pattern
Start a free mock testFree full-length NATA mock tests with timers and answers.
NATA Previous Year Question Papers FAQs
What is the NATA exam pattern now?
Part A is an offline drawing test with 3 tasks for 80 marks, and Part B is an online adaptive test of 42 MCQs and 8 NCQs for 120 marks. Each part takes 90 minutes, for 200 marks in 3 hours.
When did the NATA pattern change?
NATA 2025 introduced the offline drawing plus online adaptive structure, and NATA 2026 kept it. The 2018 paper had a different split: 60 online MCQs for 120 marks and 2 drawing questions for 80 marks.
Do NATA papers on this page have answer keys?
Most do. The 2018 to 2023 papers have the answer key in the same PDF, the 2025 paper has answers with worked solutions, and the 2026 Day 1 to 3 aptitude papers include answers. The 2024 PDF is a recalled set with answers for most aptitude questions.
Did CoA publish an official NATA 2026 answer key?
No. CoA did not publish an official answer key for NATA 2026; the answers in the 2026 PDFs come with the papers.
Are NATA 2026 Phase 2 papers available?
Not on this page. All four 2026 PDFs are from Phase 1, held from 4 April to 13 June 2026.
In which languages is NATA held?
In 2026 the test was offered in English and Hindi.
When is NATA 2027?
NATA 2027: April 2027 (expected). Application: March 2027 (expected). See the NATA 2027 page for every date.