NATA Previous Year Question Paper​

The general rule of thumb is to solve at least five years’ worth of question papers for effective preparation. And at SelfStudys, we are offering 5+ years of NATA PYQs available for free download in PDF format.

We provide more than question papers — experts have solved all the questions to help you self-evaluate your preparation and find areas to improve. Using the year-wise links, you can directly get the NATA previous year question papers with solutions PDF free download​.

NATA Exam Overview: Details You Shouldn’t Miss

The National Aptitude Test in Architecture isn’t like any other design entrance test. The eligibility criteria make it different from the other design entrance tests, such as NIFT, NID, etc. There are two parts in it — Part A assesses the candidates’ creative ability, and Part B examines aptitude. To learn the crucial details about the NATA exam, go through the table below.

Particulars	Details
Exam Name (Full)	National Aptitude Test in Architecture
Who Conducts?	Council of Architecture (CoA)
Exam Level	National
Purpose	For B.Arch. admissions
Exam Frequency	Three times
Mode	Part A (Offline), Part B (Online)
Duration	180 minutes; 90 minutes for each part.
Total Marks	200 (Part A & Part B)
Sections	Part A: Drawing & Composition (Offline) Part B: Aptitude (Online MCQs)
Marking Scheme	Questions carry 1, 2, or 3 marks each.  No negative marking.
Medium	English and Hindi
Official Website	https://www.nata.in/
NATA Official Email (Support)	stusupport@nata-app.online
NATA Help Desk Phone Number	98342 25196 (Monday to Saturday, 09:30 AM to 06:30 PM)
NATA Headquarters Address	Council of Architecture India Habitat Centre, Core 6A, 1st Floor, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 India

Year-Wise NATA Question Papers in PDF

The NATA is conducted every year, each year having a unique set of question papers while following the same exam pattern and syllabus. Our team has collected the NATA previous year question paper PDF download​ and provided it here in a year-wise manner. You can refer to them to practice the questions as well as to check your preparedness for the exam.

Usually, the experts and toppers suggest solving various question papers to better understand the mindset of the exam conducting body. You can also refer to the year-wise NATA previous year question paper PDF​ to learn about the question trends, their difficulty level, and the strategy required to prepare for this exam. 

Sr No	Year-Wise NATA PYQs
1	NATA 2025 Question Papers
2	NATA 2024 Question Papers
3	NATA 2023 Question Papers
4	NATA 2022 Question Papers
5	NATA 2020 Question Papers
6	NATA 2019 Question Papers
7	NATA 2018 Question Papers
8	NATA 2017 Question Papers

NATA Previous Year Question Papers with Solutions PDF Free Download​

Solved question papers are very helpful for self-assessment. So, using the NATA previous year question papers with answers​, you practice questions and understand your mistakes to avoid them in the future. The solutions enable you to deepen your conceptual understanding and help you revise the topics, too.

The important point to keep in mind is to avoid looking at solutions without attempting the questions. Doing this, you test your actual preparation instead of just solving the problems. It gives you real insights and familiarises you with the topics where your grip is weak.

How to Download NATA Previous Year Question Paper PDF​?

Follow the steps mentioned below to download the NATA previous year question papers with solutions PDF​ for free:

1. Visit Selfstudys.com. 

2. Go to menu → UG → NATA PYQs. 

 

 

3. The page containing the NATA previous year question paper​ in a year-wise manner opens. Pick a year to proceed next.

 

4. Now, you see a direct link to access the NATA PYQs — click on it to view or download the file for free.

 

Note: NATA previous year question papers with solutions PDF free download​ is only possible with a Google Log In.

Understand NATA Syllabus

You won’t be able to prepare effectively for this exam if you are unaware of the NATA syllabus. In this section, we are deep-diving into the marks, time, and question distribution of NATA.

Exam Pattern (Questions & Marks of Examination)

There are two parts of the NATA exam, and Part A is a drawing and composition test, which happens in an offline mode. The duration of the first part is 90 minutes, and this test is for a total of 80 marks.

Number of Questions	Question Type	Marks
Question 1 of Part A	Composition & Colour	25
Question 2 of Part A	Sketching & Composition (Black and White)	25
Question 3 of Part A	3D Composition	30
Total 3 Questions	-	Total Marks: 80

The NATA Part B consists of MCQ and NCQ types of questions, which are administered online in a computer-based Adaptive Test format. The duration of NATA Part B is 90 minutes, and for each question, you have 108 seconds. This part is for a total of 120 marks.

Number of Questions	Question Type	Marks
42	MCQ	-
8	NCQ	-
Total Questions: 50	Total Marks: 120

Note: Part B, Aptitude, is bilingual. You can have questions in Hindi & English.

NATA Part A Syllabus: Drawing & Composition

This part has three questions for a total of 80 marks. The questions are based on the topics as mentioned in the table below:

Question	Brief	Marks
A1: Composition and Colour	This section asks candidates to create a suitable composition for various situations. Along with making the composition, colouring is required, too. Composition, colouring skills, and fundamentals of colour theory are examined in this section.	25
A2: Sketching and Composition (B&W)	The purpose of this section is to examine the candidates' ability to draw, visualise, and depict a situation while including the buildings and their components, people, environment, etc. Along with these, the understanding of scale, proportions, textures, shades, and shadows, etc., is examined through A2 questions.	25
A3: 3D Composition	This section contains the question about creating interesting 3D compositions for the given situations. To make those three-dimensional compositions, the candidates must use the provided kit.	30

NATA Part B Syllabus: General Aptitude/Mathematics

For the NATA Part B exam, candidates must appear for an online test. The test duration is 90 minutes, where two types of questions are asked: MCQ and NCQ (No Choice Questions). B1 has 42 questions, and B2 contains 8 questions from the topics mentioned below:

Topic	Brief
Visual Reasoning	This type of question examines the candidates' ability to understand and reconstruct 2D and 3D composition and its technical concepts.
Logical Derivation	The logical derivation aims to evaluate a candidate's ability to decode a situation, context, and generate meaning.
General Knowledge, Architecture, and Design	This focuses on general awareness of architecture and design, current issues, and recent developments in the field of Architecture and design.
Language Interpretation (English)	Candidates’ knowledge of English grammar is examined through Language interpretation.
Design Sensitivity and Thinking	This section is quite subjective, but overall, the candidates’ observation skills of people, space, product, environment, critical thinking, etc, are examined. Also, the ability to understand semantics, metaphors, problem identification, and analysis of given situations is assessed.
Numerical Ability	Basic Mathematical skills and Geometrical skills are examined in this section.

Benefits of Solving the NATA Previous Year Question Paper​

Solving the NATA (National Aptitude Test in Architecture) previous year question papers is one of the most effective ways to prepare for the exam. It plays an important role in developing a successful preparation strategy. Let's know a few key benefits of solving the NATA previous year question paper PDF download​:

• Develops a Strong Command of Speed and Time Management Skills: Since the NATA is a timed test, a strong command of speed, accuracy, and time allocation is crucial to have. When you solve NATA previous year question papers PDF​ under timed, exam-like conditions, your ability to solve aptitude questions faster and your drawing speed increase. The timed environment keeps you alert and creates an urgency to complete the PYQs on time. This way, you also become aware of the best sequence for attempting sections.

• Helps in Finding the Weak Areas to Strengthen: The NATA previous year question papers with answers​ work as a diagnostic tool, which helps you identify your weaknesses. When you solve the complete paper and analyse your performance, it clearly shows which topics need the most attention, whether it is mathematical reasoning or perspective drawing. Based on the feedback you receive from analysing your performance, you can study and revise those weaker areas to strengthen them.

• Boosts Confidence and Reduces Exam Day Anxiety: The familiarity with the actual question paper and its difficulty level helps you enhance confidence because you are aware of the format and types of questions. This enables you to take the test with a calm and more focused mindset. Not only does this contribute to boosting your confidence, but tracking your scores and seeing an improvement over multiple NATA previous year question papers with solutions PDF​ boosts your self-confidence.

Preparation Tips for NATA

The topics of NATA are so vast, you may never feel prepared for the exam till you give it. Therefore, here are a few preparation tips for NATA:

• Before anything else, download the NATA previous year question paper​ and solve all the questions. Note down those questions that you couldn’t solve.

• Now, understand the NATA exam pattern and syllabus before creating the study schedule and purchasing any preparation book. If the pattern and syllabus feel achievable to you, proceed to the next step.

• Gather all the important study materials required, including year-wise NATA PYQs, mock tests, practice tests, reference textbooks, and links to online articles to avoid time wastage.

• Since the NATA is in two parts, prepare your study schedule accordingly. We have shared a detailed month-wise timetable in the NATA mock test, which you can try to implement.

• Read online design and Architectural magazines such as ArchDaily, dezeen.com/architecture, designboom, architecturaldigest, etc. Also, learn about India's top architects, their works, and more. There is no limit to how much information you should gather for the Aptitude section, but a thorough question analysis of NATA previous year question papers with solutions PDF free download​ can help you find some clues.

• Attempt short-length and full-length NATA mock tests weekly — analyse your performance, and make improvements to achieve 100% accuracy. 

• Important: Spend at least 3 to 4 hours daily on creative parts such as perspective drawing, compositions, coloring, and 2D (such as isometric view), 3D compositions, etc.

Conclusion

The NATA previous year question paper PDF download​ is an ultimate preparation material. It helps you gather details about the exam pattern, question types, difficulty level, and marking scheme. By including this study material in your preparation journey, you prepare for the exam holistically. It offers you real questions to practice as well as for self-assessment. The answers are comprehensive and prepared to help you understand how to answer such questions accurately. To start solving the PYQs, browse the available links to download their PDFs for free. Or you can choose to view the question papers online at SelfStudys while practicing.