NATA Cutoff Trends 2015 to 2025
How NATA qualifying scores and top architecture college cutoffs have shifted across a decade. Plan your NATA 2026 target with data, not guesswork.
The Council of Architecture (CoA) sets the NATA qualifying score every year, and individual architecture colleges set their own admission cutoffs on top of that. This page tracks how both have moved across the last decade, so you know what score to aim for in NATA 2026.
We synthesise data from the CoA portal, JoSAA and CSAB closing ranks, TNEA B.Arch counselling data, and state-level admission records to build this trend view. For live admission probability against your exact score, use our free NATA cutoff calculator.
NATA cutoff trend by period
2015 to 2017
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Qualifying scoreAround 70 to 80 marks out of 200
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Top college admission bandSPA Delhi, CEPT, NIT Trichy: aspirants scoring 130+ admitted
Pre-revision era. NATA was a paper-based exam with one drawing test and an aesthetic-sensitivity test.
2018 to 2019
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Qualifying scoreStabilised at 75 marks out of 200
·
Top college admission bandTop colleges admitted students scoring 120 to 140
CoA introduced computer-based MCQ section. Drawing weightage redistributed; raw scoring became less predictable year-over-year.
2020 to 2021
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Qualifying scoreAround 75 marks; multiple test attempts allowed
·
Top college admission bandCutoffs for SPA Delhi, NIT Trichy hovered around 130 to 145
Pandemic disruption: NATA was held in 3 phases (2020) and 2 phases (2021). Best-of-multiple-attempts policy raised effective median scores.
2022 to 2023
·
Qualifying score75 to 80 marks out of 200 across phases
·
Top college admission bandNIT Trichy: ~140 to 150; SPA Bhopal: ~125 to 135; state-tier colleges: 100 to 115
Drawing test moved fully online (digital tablet input experimented). Aspirant pool grew; tier-2 college cutoffs climbed roughly 5 to 10 marks.
2024 to 2025
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Qualifying score75 marks qualifying, 70th percentile cutoff for top institutes
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Top college admission bandNIT Trichy B.Arch: 145+, SPA Delhi: 140+, top state institutes: 120+
Percentile-based scoring (Phase 1) reduced raw-mark predictability. Coaching focus shifted from rote drawing to multi-modal aptitude.
NATA 2026 target scores by college tier
College Tier
NATA Score Band (out of 200)
Notes
AIR top tier (SPA Delhi, NIT Trichy, CEPT, IIT Roorkee/Kharagpur B.Arch)
140 to 160
JEE Paper 2 + NATA combined cycle recommended.
Premier state (SPA Bhopal, JJ Mumbai, Anna University SAP, Chandigarh CoA)
125 to 145
NATA dominant, state cutoff varies by category.
Tier-2 state institutes (MEASI, BMS, RV, Hindustan, JNAFAU, Karpagam)
105 to 130
Score band stable over 5 years. Drawing scoring tightened.
Tier-3 / private colleges
80 to 110
NATA-qualified status enough; institute fee structures vary widely.
AIR top tier (SPA Delhi, NIT Trichy, CEPT, IIT Roorkee/Kharagpur B.Arch)
JEE Paper 2 + NATA combined cycle recommended.
Premier state (SPA Bhopal, JJ Mumbai, Anna University SAP, Chandigarh CoA)
NATA dominant, state cutoff varies by category.
Tier-2 state institutes (MEASI, BMS, RV, Hindustan, JNAFAU, Karpagam)
Score band stable over 5 years. Drawing scoring tightened.
Tier-3 / private colleges
NATA-qualified status enough; institute fee structures vary widely.
5 takeaways for NATA 2026 aspirants
Aim for 140+ if top-tier is your target
SPA Delhi, NIT Trichy, CEPT, and IIT B.Arch admissions in 2024 to 2025 clustered around the 140 to 160 NATA score band. Plan your preparation around this number.
Tier-2 cutoffs are stable, do not over-stress
For state-premier and tier-2 colleges (Anna University, JNAFAU, MEASI, BMS, RV), the 105 to 130 band has been stable for 5+ years. A focused 90-day prep plan can hit this range.
Drawing scoring tightened in 2023
Since the CoA shifted drawing evaluation to a standardised rubric, raw drawing marks have less variance. Invest more time in aptitude and mathematics for marginal score gains.
Multi-attempt strategy raises effective median
NATA allows up to 2 attempts in Phase 1. Plan for both, with revision blocks between attempts. Best-of-both scoring has helped many students lift their final score by 10 to 15 marks.
Percentile beats raw marks for SPA Delhi
Top institutes increasingly weight percentile rank. A 140 in a high-competition cohort may be the 95th percentile, the actual admission threshold. Watch percentile, not just marks.
NATA cutoff FAQ
What is a good NATA score for top architecture colleges?
For 2026 admissions, a score of 140+ out of 200 is competitive for top-tier institutes like SPA Delhi, NIT Trichy, and CEPT Ahmedabad. State-premier institutes (SPA Bhopal, JJ Mumbai, Anna University SAP) typically admit students scoring 125 to 145. Tier-2 institutes admit from a wider range of 105 to 130.
Has the NATA cutoff increased over the years?
Cutoffs for top-tier colleges (SPA Delhi, NIT Trichy) have risen modestly over the last 5 years as the aspirant pool grew and percentile-based scoring tightened the top end. Tier-2 college cutoffs have been more stable. The "qualifying score" at 75 out of 200 has stayed largely consistent across years.
Why is NATA cutoff different from the qualifying score?
The NATA "qualifying score" (around 75 out of 200) is the minimum mark the Council of Architecture sets to declare a candidate NATA-qualified. The "cutoff" for any specific college is the lowest NATA score it actually admitted in a given year, which can be much higher. Always compare your score to the specific college's historical cutoff, not just the qualifying score.
What is the trend for SPA Delhi NATA cutoff?
Based on publicly available SPA Delhi B.Arch admissions data, the indicative NATA score band for admission has trended from ~130 (2017) to ~140+ (2024). Final cutoff depends on JEE Paper 2 score (SPA admits via both routes) and category-wise reservation.
Do private architecture colleges have NATA cutoffs?
Most private architecture colleges in India require a valid NATA score for B.Arch admission but do not publish strict cutoffs. They admit any NATA-qualified candidate (75+ score), then apply their own merit criteria (10+2 marks, drawing portfolio, personal interview).
How do I check the live cutoff for a specific college?
Use the Neram Classes free Cutoff Calculator. Enter your NATA score, expected category, and preferred state, and the calculator returns your admission probability for 5,000+ colleges including SPA Delhi, NIT Trichy, CEPT, Anna University, and major state institutes.
Will the NATA 2026 cutoff increase compared to 2025?
Most likely yes for top-tier colleges, because (a) the NATA aspirant pool keeps growing year-over-year, and (b) percentile-based scoring rewards the top of the distribution. Tier-2 cutoffs are likely to stay stable. Plan your preparation to target 140+ out of 200 if you are aiming for SPA Delhi, NIT Trichy, or CEPT.