B.Arch Counselling 2026

Apply to JoSAA if you have JEE Main Paper 2 or JEE Advanced. Apply to your home state counselling (TNEA for Tamil Nadu, KEAM for Kerala, MHT-CET for Maharashtra, KEA for Karnataka, etc.) for state quota seats. CEPT and BIT Mesra are separate, NATA-only premium options. Apply to multiple counsellings, allotment timelines vary, you only commit when you accept a seat.

No. JoSAA, CSAB, JAC Delhi, and JAC Chandigarh accept JEE Main Paper 2 only. KEAM and HSTES accept NATA only. Most state counsellings (TNEA, MHT-CET, KEA, AP, TG, UPTAC, ACPC) accept either NATA or JEE Paper 2. Submit both for maximum coverage.

10+2 with Physics and Mathematics compulsory plus one more subject (Chemistry, Biology, CS, IP, Engineering Graphics, or Vocational), with 45% PCM aggregate per Council of Architecture's 2024 norm. Some state counsellings still apply 50%. A 10+3 Diploma with Mathematics also qualifies.

Most counsellings use a 50:50 formula: 50% NATA or JEE Paper 2 score plus 50% Class 12 aggregate. Tamil Nadu (TNEA) scales HSC marks to 200 and adds NATA or JEE P2 (200) for a total of 400. Kerala uses NATA plus 12th marks. Each state has its own normalisation, always read the official brochure.

Yes for most states (TNEA, MHT-CET, KEA, AP, TG, UPTAC, ACPC, REAP, WBJEE, OJEE). No for KEAM Kerala (NATA only) and HSTES Haryana (NATA only). Always confirm in the state's 2026 brochure.

For most thin-pool states (Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Goa, J&K, Himachal, Uttarakhand, most Northeast states), JoSAA is the better route to a high-quality NIT or SPA seat. Local state counsellings have very limited seats, often at lower-tier institutes. Plan for JoSAA and use the state counselling as a backup.

B.Arch is a 5-year course (10 semesters), mandated by the Council of Architecture. Lateral entry into the second year is rare and policies vary, do not plan around it.

Most state counsellings have a separate 15% All India quota or NRI quota. Application fees are higher (e.g. ₹5,000 in Maharashtra for NRI/OCI/PIO/FN). DASA (Direct Admission of Students Abroad) is a separate central scheme for some institutes, check institute-level policies.

JEE Advanced 2026 is on May 17, AAT on June 4. JoSAA registration is expected to open in mid-June 2026. State counsellings start staggered from June through August: TNEA in June, MHT-CET in July, KEAM, AP, TG in July to September. Bookmark the master hub for live status updates.

If you accept a JoSAA seat and then register for CSAB Special, getting any seat in CSAB automatically cancels your JoSAA allotment. The cancellation cannot be reverted. If your JoSAA seat is acceptable, simply do not register for CSAB. Read the JoSAA vs CSAB explainer for full mechanics.