AAT 2026: The IIT Architecture Aptitude Test, Decoded

Only candidates who have qualified JEE (Advanced) 2026 are eligible to appear in AAT 2026. There is no separate eligibility check beyond the JEE Advanced qualifying status. You must register through the JEE (Advanced) 2026 portal during the short registration window.

AAT 2026 is on Thursday, June 4, 2026 from 09:00 to 12:00 IST. Online registration is open from Monday, June 1, 2026 (10:00 IST) to Tuesday, June 2, 2026 (17:00 IST) at jeeadv.ac.in. Results are declared on Sunday, June 7, 2026 at 17:00 IST.

AAT 2026 is a single offline pen-and-paper test of 3 hours, conducted in English, at zonal IIT centres in Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, and Roorkee.

No. AAT is a qualifying test only. Candidates are declared either Pass or Fail. No marks, percentile, or AAT rank is published. B.Arch seats at IIT Roorkee, IIT Kharagpur, and IIT (BHU) Varanasi are allotted strictly on JEE (Advanced) 2026 All India Rank, with AAT Pass status as a prerequisite.

No separate admit card is issued. Carry the printed JEE (Advanced) 2026 admit card and an original government photo ID (Aadhaar, Passport, Driving License, or Voter ID). Without these, you will not be permitted to sit for AAT.

There is no separate registration fee for AAT 2026. The JEE (Advanced) 2026 fee that you already paid covers AAT.

Pencils (HB to 2B), sharpener, soft erasers, geometry box (compass, scales, set squares, protractor), a 12 to 15 inch ruler, and colour pencils or crayons. Avoid wet paints or watercolours that could smudge the answer sheet. Mobile phones, calculators, and electronic devices are not allowed.

Five areas: Freehand Drawing, Geometrical Drawing, Three-Dimensional Perception, Imagination and Aesthetic Sensitivity, and Architectural Awareness. The official syllabus PDF is published at jeeadv.ac.in/documents/aat-syllabus.pdf.

Yes. PwD candidates with at least 40% impairment under the RPwD Act 2016 are eligible for one hour of compensatory time, making AAT a 4-hour test. Candidates with less than 40% disability who have difficulty writing under Section 2(s) of the same Act are also eligible. Scribe (amanuensis) services are available, but must be requested during JEE Advanced registration via the prescribed certificate format.

AAT is for B.Arch at three IITs only (Roorkee, Kharagpur, BHU) and requires JEE Advanced qualification. NATA is for B.Arch at most other architecture colleges in India (state and private), conducted by the Council of Architecture, with no JEE prerequisite. AAT is offline pen-and-paper for 3 hours with Pass/Fail result. NATA combines an offline drawing test with an online MCQ/NCQ paper, with marks and percentile. Many architecture aspirants take both.

AAT registration is only 48 hours. The realistic preparation horizon is the weeks before JEE Advanced. Practice freehand sketching of common objects, geometrical projections (plans, elevations), 3D visualisation puzzles, and read about famous buildings and architects. Work fast: 16 questions in 3 hours means roughly 11 minutes per question. Sketching speed and clarity matter more than artistic perfection.

No. AAT Pass status is non-negotiable for B.Arch allotment at IIT Roorkee, IIT Kharagpur, and IIT (BHU) Varanasi. A high JEE Advanced rank without AAT Pass cannot secure a B.Arch seat at these IITs. You can still consider B.Arch via NATA at other COA-approved colleges, or B.Arch via JEE Main Paper 2 at NITs, SPAs, and IIITs.