Applying for NATA: use the current official cycle
The latest application material checked for this page is NATA 2026. Registration for that cycle opened on 9 March and all 2026 phases have passed. No 2027 application schedule was located in the bounded official-source check as of 28 October 2026. The steps below explain the 2026 process and what to verify in a future cycle; the 2026 dates and fees are not current deadlines.
NATA registration is completed through the official portal. Start by reading the current information brochure and choosing a permitted test phase and session. The 2026 brochure allowed one or at most two tests in Phase 1. Phase 2 was available only to candidates who had not appeared in Phase 1, with one Phase-2 test. A candidate could appear in only one phase. Confirm the equivalent rules in the next brochure before selecting a session; phase rules can change.
A careful application sequence
- Confirm the route and your eligibility. Check that your intended B.Arch admission authority accepts NATA for that intake. Read appearance eligibility and degree-admission eligibility separately. For the 2026 rule, the former included passed or appearing 10+2 with specified subjects or a 10+3 diploma with Mathematics; the latter had separate subject and aggregate requirements.
- Create or access the official application account. Use the official NATA portal linked from the Council of Architecture. Enter identifying and contact information exactly as it appears on your records. Use an email and mobile number that you can access throughout the process, because notices or login recovery may depend on them.
- Select phase, test date and location. In the 2026 system, registration deadlines followed the upcoming Friday or Saturday session. Before payment, check that the date and centre shown in the application are the intended ones. Do not assume a session can be switched later.
- Complete the form and upload the requested records. Follow the current portal’s specifications for photograph, signature, identity and qualification information. The source packet does not establish a universal file-size or document checklist for a future cycle, so use the live instructions rather than a copied checklist.
- Pay the applicable attempt fee and save proof. In 2026, fees were non-refundable and charged per test attempt. Review the category and location shown before submitting payment. Save the transaction confirmation and completed application.
- Use the official correction window if needed. The 2026 portal’s correction deadline was tied to the weekday of the selected session. Only fields allowed by the live correction instructions should be treated as editable. Re-download or save the corrected form after changes.
- Return for the admit card and test instructions. The 2026 schedule linked card release to the selected session. Check the portal, verify that the details match your application and read any centre-specific instructions before test day.
2026 dates and per-attempt fees
For context, 2026 registration opened on 9 March; Phase 1 ran from 4 April through 13 June; Phase 2 was on 7-8 August. The rolling registration close was listed at 11:59 p.m. Monday for an upcoming Friday test and 11:59 p.m. Tuesday for an upcoming Saturday test. The corresponding correction deadline was Tuesday for Friday and Wednesday for Saturday. These are historical schedule rules, not a 2027 calendar.
The 2026 fee page showed a non-refundable fee per attempt of ₹1,750 for India General/OBC-NCL, ₹1,250 for India SC/ST/EWS/PwD, ₹1,000 for transgender candidates and ₹15,000 for candidates outside India. The amount for two tests depends on the candidate’s category and location because it is charged per attempt. This is an exam application fee, not a college tuition or counselling charge. Recheck the official fee page in a live cycle; do not reuse these figures as next-year amounts.
Documents and correction checks
The official portal’s current application instructions determine which uploads are required and the acceptable format. Before submitting, compare spelling, date of birth, category, qualification status and subject information against the underlying documents. If your final examination is pending, report that status accurately and check the brochure for how appearing candidates should document it. Do not substitute a provisional document rule from another exam.
After submission, save the application number, payment receipt and a copy of the submitted form. If the portal offers a correction facility, read which fields can change and when the window closes. A displayed correction date does not prove that a specific field is editable. Make only permitted corrections, save the revised form and verify it again. If the payment is debited but the portal does not confirm registration, follow the official support instructions before making another payment; the 2026 fee was described as non-refundable.
NATA application is not the entire B.Arch admission application
A NATA form registers the candidate for the test. It does not automatically file a state or institutional B.Arch application. The 2026 Kerala CEE process, for example, had its own prospectus and notice. Kerala’s B.Arch merit method used equal weightage for the NATA score and qualifying examination grade or marks, and a separate notice specified a 30 June 2026 qualification deadline. That example is specific to Kerala and the 2026 intake. Other authorities may use different eligibility, merit calculation, reservation and application steps.
Make a second checklist for each target authority: its application portal, document submission, NATA score requirement, qualifying examination details, counselling or selection dates, choice process, fees and reporting requirements. Confirm whether the authority accepts NATA, JEE Main Paper 2A or either route. These are separate test registrations. A college’s presence on the Council’s approved UG list does not by itself prove which test it accepts.
Official pages to consult
Use the NATA portal schedule for session dates and rolling deadlines, the official fee page for per-attempt charges, and the NATA 2026 brochure for the phase and eligibility rules described above. The KEAM 2026 prospectus is a state-specific example of a separate B.Arch admission process. For a future cycle, replace each 2026 detail only when an official updated source is published. If a later official notice changes an application date, fee or requirement, follow the later notice for the affected scope.