NATA vs JEE Main B.Arch 2025: Which is better to choose?

Summary: Once you know that you want to pursue a career in architecture, you must shortlist the exams to write. This article gives a comparison of NATA vs JEE Main B.Arch: Which is better?

NATA and JEE Main B.Arch are competitive exams for admission to Architectural courses.

Both exams require a good understanding of the subject and good preparation.

NATA focuses more on drawing skills, whereas JEE Main B.Arch focuses more on drawing and other aptitude subjects. The choice between these two exams should be based on the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate.

Therefore, assessing the candidate's aptitude and competency is important before deciding.

Download Free Study Material for NATA by Creative Edge

NATA vs JEE Main B Arch 2025 Overview

Let's take a look at the facts of these Architectural exams. 

NATA vs JEE Main Paper 2 which is better?

NATA exam

• The Council of Architecture (COA) conducts the National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) for admission to B.Arch and B.Planning courses in various colleges.
• They offer a 5-year undergraduate degree program in architecture. The NATA entrance exam is conducted thrice this year.

Check: Tips to prepare for NATA Exam

JEE exam

• The National Test Agency (NTA) annually conducts the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main B.Arch examination. JEE Main examination offers admission in various BE, B.Tech, B.Arch, and B planning courses.
• These courses are offered to get admission to India’s leading institutes which are – the National Institute of Technologies (NITs), the Indian Institute of Technologies (IITs), and Centrally Funded Technical Institutes (CFTIs).
• The JEE Main paper 2 B.Arch is also conducted twice a year, like NATA.

Check: JEE Main Paper Preparation Strategy

Differences between JEE MAIN B.ARCH and NATA 2025

The table below provides an understanding of the  Differences between NATA and JEE Main Paper 2:

Parameters	JEE MAIN B.Arch	NATA
Conducting Body	The National Test Agency (NTA)	The Council of Architecture (COA)
Exam Level	National Level exam	National Level Exam
Programs Offered	BE (Bachelor of Engineering), B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology), B.Arch (Bachelor of Architecture), and B.Planning.	Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch)
Participating Institutes	The National Institute of Technology (NITs) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)	School of Planning and Architecture (SPA)
Frequency of Exam	Twice a year	Twice a year
Eligibility	12th-pass students from PCM backgrounds with a minimum aggregate of 50% are eligible for JEE Main (Paper-II). Students Appearing in the class XIIth exam and those who have passed their qualifying exam in the last two years are also eligible. No minimum or maximum age limit to appear in JEE Main (Paper-II)	12th pass students from PCM background with a minimum aggregate of 50% are eligible for NATA Minimum age limit is 17 years for NATA (on the 01st of July of the year of admission)
Appeared Candidates (2024)	55,493	22,853
Subjects in Exam	General Aptitude, Drawing, and Mathematics	Drawing, Mathematics, and General Aptitude
Number of Questions	Total of 83 (General Aptitude has 50 questions, mathematics has 30 questions, and Drawing has only 3 questions)	Total of 62 (Part A contains 60 questions, and Part B contains 2 questions)
The Language of Paper	English, Hindi, and Gujarati for candidates belonging to Gujarat, Daman, Diu, and Nagar Haveli	English
Duration of Examination	3 hours	3 hours (Part A - 90 minutes and Part B – 90 minutes)
Mode of Examination	Online mathematics and General Aptitude test and drawing exams will be in offline mode/pen and paper-based	Part A – online Part B – online
Question Pattern	Multiple choice questions with one correct answer for Aptitude and Mathematics, whereas for drawing, a candidate has to represent his/her sketching skills	Part A- Multiple Choice Questions (Online-mode) Part B- Drawing sheets (Offline-mode)
Marks Allocation	4 marks will be given for each correct answer, 1 mark will be cut for every wrong answer, and 0 marks will be given for unanswered questions.	2 marks will be given for each correct answer; there is no negative marking
Total Marks Allocated	390 Marks	200 marks (Part A will be allotted 110 marks, and Part B will be allocated 90 marks)

Check: Logical Reasoning Questions for NATA

• In JEE Main B.Arch examination, students have to solve 77 questions in 3 hours, while in the NATA examination 2025, students have to solve 53 multiple choice questions in 3 hours.
• The marking scheme of JEE Main 2 B.Arch states a negative marking of 1 mark for each wrong answer, whereas, in NATA, there is no negative marking.
• To get admission to various NITs and IITs institutes, you must appear for the JEE Main Paper 2 Examination.
• To get admission to the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), you must give the National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA).
• The National Institute of Technologies (NITs) and the Indian Institute of Technologies (IITs) accept JEE Main scores, while around 500 colleges across India accept the NATA score.
• The JEE Main application fee for general category students is Rs. 650/- and Rs 325/- is for SC/ST/PwD category students, whereas the NATA application fee for general category students is Rs. 2000/- for one test and other category students have to pay Rs.1500/- for one test. If you want to give two tests, you have to pay Rs.4000/- and Rs. 3000/- respectively.

JEE Main B.Arch vs NATA Nature of Exams 2025

Both exams are highly prestigious and hold equal significance. However, there are major differences that the two exams hold, and exam pattern is one of them.

The table below shows the JEE Main and NATA exam patterns: 

JEE Mains Exam Pattern 2025

Check the table below for a detailed JEE Mains Paper 2 Exam Pattern.

Specifications	JEE Main 2025 Exam Pattern for Paper 2 (B.Arch.)
Exam Mode	Mathematics and Aptitude - CBT Mode; Drawing - Pen and paper mode
Subjects	Aptitude Tests, Mathematics, Drawing
Type of Questions	Maths - 20 (MCQs) + 5 (Questions for which answer is a Numerical Value) + Aptitude- 50 MCQ + Drawing - 2 Questions
Medium of Exam	English and Hindi (All Centre Cities) English, Hindi, and Gujarati (Centre Cities in Gujarat, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli)
Duration of Exam	3 hours
Total Marks	400 Marks
Marking Scheme	For MCQs: +4 for each correct response; -1 for each incorrect response; Unattempted questions will not be marked. For Non-MCQs: +4 for each correct response, no negative marking for incorrect answers or unattempted questions. For the Drawing Test: 2 questions of 100 marks

Check: NATA Preparation Strategy.

NATA Exam Pattern 2025

The following table explains the detailed NATA Exam Pattern, such as exam mode, number of questions, type of questions, and more.

Particulars	Details
Mode of Examination	Online
Medium of Examination	English
Duration of the Exam	3 hours
Number of Sections	The exam will have only one part- The aptitude Test
Number of Questions	125 Questions
Type of questions	Multiple-Choice type (MCQ), Multiple Select types (MSQ), Preferential Choice type (PCQ), and Numerical Answer type (NAQ)
Total Marks	200 Marks
Marking Scheme	The questions will carry either 1 mark, 2 marks, or 3 marks

Difficulty Level of JEE Main B.ARCH 2025 vs NATA 2025 Exam 

The level of difficulty of JEE Main examination is moderate to high, but the NATA examination level is easy to moderate.

Here below are some of the points mentioned on the difficulty level of both examinations: -

JEE Mains – Difficulty Level 

• The JEE Main examination is considered to be easier than JEE Advanced examination as it only examines the candidates based on classes 11th and 12th.
• The number of students appearing for the exam is very high.

Check: JEE Main Paper 2 Drawing Questions with Answers

NATA - Difficulty Level

• NATA is easier than the JEE Main examination as it includes many easy topics, and you can score well.
• The NATA cut-off is also less than JEE Main Paper 2 cut-off. 

Conclusion

Both NATA and JEE Main B.Arch exams are equally important for aspiring architecture students. However, the choice of either of the two exams depends on the student's score and preferences.

NATA assesses the aptitude of the student in the field of architecture, while JEE Main B.Arch exam assesses the student's knowledge in the subject of Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.

Both exams are tough and require rigorous preparation to crack them. It is also important to note that some colleges accept scores of both exams for admission.

Therefore, it is essential to keep track of the updates of both exams before appearing for them.

Check: NATA Maths Syllabus and Sample Questions 2025