Part A
Drawing & Composition Test
- Mode
- Offline (Pen & Paper)
- Marks
- 80
- Duration
- 90 minutes
- Questions
- 3 questions
- Medium
- English and Hindi
- Negative Marking
- No
Question Breakdown:
A1
Composition & Color
25 marksCreate compositions and color them appropriately.
A2
Sketching & Composition B&W
25 marksDraw buildings, people, environment with scale, proportion, shading.
A3
3D Composition
30 marksCreate a 3D composition using a kit provided at the center.
Materials to bring: Pencils, erasers, dry colors, scale (up to 15 cm). No geometry box or other instruments allowed.
Part B
MCQ / NCQ (Adaptive)
- Mode
- Online (Computer Adaptive)
- Marks
- 120
- Duration
- 90 minutes (108 sec/question)
- Questions
- 50 (42 MCQ + 8 NCQ)
- Medium
- English and Hindi
- Negative Marking
- No
Topics Covered:
- Visual Reasoning2D/3D composition understanding
- Logical DerivationDecoding situations and drawing conclusions
- GK, Architecture & DesignBuildings, history, materials
- Language InterpretationGrammar, word meanings
- Design Sensitivity & ThinkingObservation, critical thinking
- Numerical AbilityMath with creative/geometric applications
Exam Day Schedule
Session 1 (Morning)
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 09:00 AM | Report to Examination Centre |
| 09:15 AM | Gate opens to examination hall |
| 09:45 AM | Registration must be completed |
| 10:00 AM | Gate closes, examination begins (Part A + Part B) |
| 10:15 AM | Late entry cutoff. No entry after this. |
| 01:00 PM | Examination ends, exit allowed |
Session 2 (Afternoon)
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 12:30 PM | Report to Examination Centre |
| 12:45 PM | Gate opens to examination hall |
| 01:15 PM | Registration must be completed |
| 01:30 PM | Gate closes, examination begins (Part A + Part B) |
| 01:45 PM | Late entry cutoff. No entry after this. |
| 04:30 PM | Examination ends, exit allowed |
Fridays: 1 session (afternoon only). Saturdays: 2 sessions. Total duration: 3 hours (Part A 90 min + Part B 90 min). No exit before exam ends.
FAQs: NATA 2026 Exam Pattern
NATA 2026 has 3 questions in Part A (offline, 80 marks) and 50 questions in Part B (online, 120 marks): 42 MCQs and 8 NCQs. The total is 200 marks. Part A tests drawing and composition skills while Part B is a computer-based adaptive test.
Yes, Part B of NATA 2026 uses Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT). You get 108 seconds per question. The difficulty adjusts based on your performance. Correct answers lead to harder questions and incorrect ones lead to easier questions.
No, calculators, mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, slide rules, log tables, and electronic watches with calculator facilities are strictly not allowed in the examination hall. Possession of such items may lead to cancellation of candidature.
For Part A, you must bring: pencils, erasers, dry colors, and a scale (up to 15 cm only). No geometry box, compass, set squares, or other instruments are allowed. The exam center provides drawing paper/material and rough sheets.
You can take up to 2 attempts in Phase 1 (April–June 2026) for Centralized Admission Counselling, OR 1 attempt in Phase 2 (August 7–8, 2026) for vacant seats. You cannot appear in both phases. Your best raw score is used for percentile calculation.
Question A3 (30 marks) requires creating an interesting 3D composition for a given situation using a kit provided at the test center. This tests your ability to think in three dimensions and create spatial compositions.
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