NATA score validity: how long is your score valid and what it means for admission

Picture this: a student appeared for NATA in April 2025. Results came in May. The score was decent, not brilliant. The college shortlist did not materialise the way she had hoped. State counselling ended. She did not take a seat. Now it is January 2026, and she is sitting at her desk with six months until the next admission cycle opens. The question on her mind is simple and urgent: is that April 2025 NATA score still usable?

The answer is yes. And understanding exactly why, with what conditions, is the entire point of this post.

NATA score validity is one of those topics that sounds administrative until it directly determines whether a student needs to reappear for the exam or can use an existing score for B.Arch counselling. Students make real decisions based on this, sometimes with incomplete information. What follows draws from the official NATA 2026 Information Brochure published by the Council of Architecture and available at nata.in.

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What NATA is and how it runs (brief context)

NATA, the National Aptitude Test in Architecture, is conducted by the Council of Architecture (CoA), the statutory body that regulates architecture education in India under the Architects Act, 1972. It is the qualifying aptitude test required for admission to B.Arch programmes at most colleges across the country.

From 2026 onwards, NATA runs in two phases: Phase 1 covers April to June (with CAP counselling eligibility), and Phase 2 runs in August (for vacant seats only). In Phase 1, a candidate can appear up to twice. In Phase 2, only one attempt is permitted. This two-phase, multi-attempt structure is central to understanding how scores and their validity work.

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The official validity period: what the Council of Architecture says

The NATA 2026 Information Brochure states this clearly in Section 10.2:

“The NATA 2026 score shall be valid for the academic session 2026-2027.”

So the baseline rule is: a NATA score is valid for one academic session, specifically the 2026-27 cycle if you appeared in NATA 2026.

But that is not the whole picture. The same brochure also contains a dedicated section on the eligibility of NATA 2025 candidates, which adds an important layer:

“Candidates with a valid and qualifying NATA 2025 score, who have not taken admission during 2025-2026 (as per Council records) and do not appear in NATA 2026, shall also be assigned a Percentile Score for admission during CAP round, since the NATA 2025 Score Card remains valid for the academic session 2026-2027.”

This is the key provision. A NATA score is valid for two consecutive admission cycles: the year it was obtained, and the following year, provided the candidate did not take admission in the first cycle.

So the student from the opening scenario, who appeared in April 2025 and did not secure admission in 2025-26, has a valid score for 2026-27 admission. She does not need to reappear if she does not want to.

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What “valid for two cycles” means in practice

Let us walk through the practical scenarios carefully, because the validity rule comes with specific conditions that matter.

Scenario 1: You appeared in NATA 2025 and did not take admission in 2025-26

Your score remains valid for 2026-27 admission. During the 2026-27 CAP counselling, the Council of Architecture will assign you a Percentile Score based on your 2025 performance, even if you do not appear in NATA 2026. You can go directly to state counselling with your 2025 scorecard.

Scenario 2: You appeared in NATA 2025 and took one attempt in NATA 2026 (Phase 1)

The moment you appear in NATA 2026, your 2025 score becomes invalid. This is stated explicitly in the brochure: if you take even one attempt in NATA 2026, the 2026 score replaces the 2025 score entirely. You cannot hold on to 2025 as a backup.

Scenario 3: You appeared in NATA 2025 and took two attempts in NATA 2026 (Phase 1)

Same rule: your NATA 2025 score becomes invalid. The Council uses the best raw score from your two 2026 attempts for the percentile calculation.

Scenario 4: You appeared in NATA 2025 and took one attempt in NATA 2026 (Phase 2, not Phase 1)

The 2025 score also becomes invalid in this case. Phase 2 is for vacant seats only, and appearing there triggers the same score replacement rule.

The core logic: the Council does not allow a student to simultaneously hold a 2025 percentile score and appear in 2026 tests hoping to use whichever is better. Appearing in NATA 2026 is a commitment: your 2026 performance becomes your record.

Did not qualify in NATA 2025? The brochure is clear on this too: “Candidates who did not qualify in NATA 2025 must appear in NATA 2026 afresh.” There is no carry-forward for an unqualified score.

Already took admission in 2025-26 using a NATA 2025 score? That score is invalid for 2026-27 purposes. The Council tracks admission records and the provision only applies to students who did not take up a seat.

If any of these scenarios feel ambiguous for your specific situation, verify directly at nata.in or through the official NATA helpdesk at support@nata-app.org.

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State-by-state counselling: how NATA scores are used

Qualifying NATA is a national requirement for B.Arch admission. But the actual admission process, seat allocation, and counselling is handled by states (or individual institutions). Each state has its own rules for how NATA scores factor in, and a few states also accept JEE Main Paper 2 as an alternative. Here is a state-by-state overview.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra runs a Centralised Admission Procedure (CAP) for B.Arch through the Commissioner of State Common Entrance Test Cell. The state accepts both NATA scores and JEE Main Paper 2 scores for B.Arch counselling. Merit lists are prepared with 50% weightage to the qualifying entrance exam (NATA or JEE Paper 2) and 50% to HSC (Class 12) marks. Maharashtra does not conduct a separate state architecture entrance test. Your NATA scorecard is the primary qualifying document.

For how the state treats score validity across years, follow official updates at the DTE Maharashtra portal (dtemaharashtra.gov.in) since state-level rules can shift each admission cycle.

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh

Both Telangana (TS EAMCET) and Andhra Pradesh (AP EAMCET) conduct their own state-level engineering common entrance tests. For B.Arch, the architecture stream within EAMCET is the primary admission route for government engineering and architecture colleges in these states. NATA is accepted as the qualifying aptitude test for B.Arch admissions, but the EAMCET merit rank is what drives seat allocation in state counselling. Students who want to compete in the state CAP process need to appear in both: EAMCET for merit ranking, and NATA as the mandatory CoA qualification. Verify the current year’s specific conditions at tseamcet.nic.in and sche.ap.gov.in.

Kerala

Kerala’s architecture admissions use NATA scores directly in a combined rank formula. The Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE Kerala) conducts B.Arch admissions where the final rank is computed as a 50:50 split: 50% from NATA score (out of 200) and 50% from qualifying exam marks (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics). Crucially, CEE Kerala typically requires NATA to be completed on or before 30 June of the admission year. A NATA 2025 scorecard held over to 2026 may or may not be accepted for 2026-27 Kerala counselling, since the state portal generally asks candidates to register with a valid NATA score from the current year. Check the official CEE Kerala notification (cee.kerala.gov.in) before assuming a 2025 score works for 2026-27 Kerala admissions.

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu conducts B.Arch admissions through TNEA (Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions) via Anna University. The merit rank is calculated on 400 marks: NATA score out of 200 plus academic marks out of 200. The official B.Arch Information Brochure from TNEA specifies the qualifying exam conditions each year. As with Kerala, states often specify that the NATA score must be from the current year’s exam. Verify at tneaonline.org before relying on a prior year’s score for Tamil Nadu counselling.

Other states

Most other states follow a similar pattern: NATA is the CoA-required aptitude qualifier, and state counselling bodies prepare merit lists combining NATA performance with Class 12 marks. Karnataka uses KCET; Rajasthan uses JoSAA and state-level routes for government colleges; Delhi state quota seats at government colleges typically use JEE Main Paper 2 (and note that SPA Delhi uses JEE Paper 2 exclusively, not NATA). Private colleges in most states conduct their own admission processes using NATA scores directly.

The general rule for state counselling: the CoA confirms a 2025 NATA score is valid for 2026-27 admission. But individual states may require the score to be from the current year for their own rank list calculations. When in doubt, contact the state’s admission authority directly with your scorecard details before the counselling window opens.

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Two NATA sessions in one year: strategy questions

NATA 2026 Phase 1 allows candidates to appear up to twice, across tests conducted from April to June. This is a significant feature, and the strategy around it is worth thinking through carefully.

How the two attempts work: Each attempt generates a raw score. After all Phase 1 tests are complete, the Council calculates a Percentile Score using the best raw score from all attempts. So if you scored 108 in your first attempt and 131 in your second, your percentile is based on 131. You do not submit a separate application saying “use attempt 2.” The system automatically uses your best raw score.

Should you appear for a second attempt in Phase 1? If you are unhappy with your first score and have time to prepare meaningfully, yes. The second attempt is voluntary (“not mandatory and is purely at the discretion of the applicants,” per the brochure). There is no penalty for a lower second score, because the best raw score is what counts. But appearing without preparation rarely helps, and the fee for each additional attempt is non-trivial.

What if you have a 2025 score and want to improve it in 2026? You can appear in NATA 2026 to try for a better score. But as described above, appearing in NATA 2026 invalidates your 2025 score regardless of the outcome. If your 2025 score is strong enough for your target colleges, think carefully before reappearing. If the 2025 score is borderline or insufficient, reappearing makes sense, knowing that the 2026 score will replace 2025 entirely.

Can you use session 1 score while appearing for session 2? Within the same year’s Phase 1 window, both attempts contribute to one final percentile score, so this is not an either/or situation. You do not lock in your Phase 1, Attempt 1 score for admission and then separately appear for Attempt 2. The Council processes both scores together at the end of Phase 1 and issues one Final Scorecard.

Phase 2 is a separate decision: Phase 2 (August) is only for vacant seats after CAP rounds are complete. A candidate who appears in Phase 2 cannot participate in the main CAP counselling rounds. This is a significant limitation. Phase 2 is a backup option for students who missed Phase 1 entirely, not a route for a better score while also competing in main counselling.

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What to do if your NATA score has expired (or will before the next cycle)

If you appeared in NATA in, say, 2024 and did not use that score for 2024-25 or 2025-26 admissions, that score is no longer valid. NATA scores only carry forward one additional academic year from the year of the exam.

In that situation, you have two paths:

Option 1: Reappear for NATA. Reregistering for NATA is straightforward. Applications open on the NATA portal (nata.in) at the start of each exam year. Phase 1 tests run from April to June. If you have been out of active preparation for a year or more, give yourself at least 8-10 weeks of structured practice before appearing, particularly for the Part A drawing and composition section.

Option 2: Consider JEE Main Paper 2. JEE Main Paper 2 is the other nationally recognised qualifying test for B.Arch. It is conducted by NTA and opens different colleges: NITs, SPA Delhi, and several centrally funded institutions. If your target colleges include NITs or SPA Delhi, JEE Paper 2 is not an alternative to NATA, it is the required route. Read the full comparison in our NATA vs JEE Paper 2 post before deciding.

A student in a gap year between exam cycles should plan their timeline early. Check when NATA registration opens (typically February-March) and register well before the deadline.

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NATA score and private B.Arch college admissions

One use case that does not get enough attention: private B.Arch colleges often accept NATA scores for direct institutional admission, separate from state CAP counselling.

The CoA regulations require that all B.Arch admission use either NATA or JEE Main Paper 2. Colleges that claim to admit without any architecture entrance score are violating CoA norms. But within that requirement, private colleges have considerable flexibility in how they run their own admission processes.

Many private colleges, including management-quota seats at institutions like DY Patil, MIT Institute of Design, Pillai College of Architecture, and Symbiosis School of Architecture, conduct their own merit rounds and counselling based on NATA scores. These processes run independently of state CAP rounds. A student who did not secure a seat through state counselling can still pursue these directly.

What this means for score validity: if a private college is running direct admissions in August or September of the 2026-27 cycle and asks for your NATA scorecard, a valid NATA 2025 score (if you did not take admission in 2025-26 and did not reappear in 2026) can be used. Confirm this directly with each institution’s admissions office, since private colleges set their own document requirements and may specify the exam year.

Private college admissions can also extend into September-October for management quota seats, which means a student who missed state counselling still has options. Our B.Arch college directory covers both state and private B.Arch institutions across India with admission process details.

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Summary: the key facts in plain terms

Here is what this post covers, reduced to the essential points:

Score validity period: A NATA score is valid for one academic session. However, if you appeared in NATA 2025 and did not take admission in 2025-26, your 2025 scorecard remains valid for 2026-27 admission, provided you do not appear in NATA 2026.

Appearing in NATA the following year: If you appear in NATA 2026, your NATA 2025 score becomes invalid, regardless of how many attempts you take or which score is higher.

Two attempts in Phase 1: Both attempts contribute to one final percentile score. The best raw score is used automatically. You do not choose which score to submit.

State counselling: NATA is the national qualifier. State counselling bodies may have their own requirements about which year’s score they accept. The CoA confirms 2025 scores are valid for 2026-27. Individual state portals may have additional requirements. Verify with the specific state authority before relying on a prior year’s score.

Did not qualify in 2025: You must reappear in NATA 2026. There is no carry-forward for an unqualified score.

Private colleges: Many accept NATA scores for direct institutional admissions, running their own counselling outside of state CAP. A valid NATA scorecard can be used here too, subject to each college’s own terms.

For any situation not covered here, or if your circumstances are specific, check directly at nata.in or reach the official NATA helpdesk. The Council’s interpretation of its own brochure is final.

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For preparation resources on building a NATA score worth holding on to, read our NATA preparation guide. For the full list of B.Arch colleges in India with details on which exam each accepts, visit our B.Arch college directory. And if your target includes NITs or SPA Delhi, start with NATA vs JEE Paper 2 before planning your exam schedule.