What is the difference between JEE Paper 2 and NATA?

NATA and JEE main paper 2 are two national  entrance exams for B.arch courses to get admission in different institutes in India.

Who conducts NATA and JEE main?

COA(Council of Architecture) conducts NATA (National Aptitude Test in Architecture) twice a year after boards in the month of April and May/July.

National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the Council of Architecture (CoA) for candidates seeking admission to undergraduate programmes in Architecture (5-year BArch). Candidates will have the choice of appearing in one or all exams.

At the same time, NTA( National Test Agency) conducts JEE main paper 2 twice a year in January and April, along with JEE main paper 1, which is for B.tech.

NATA paper pattern:

The duration of NATA is two hours. The total mark is 200, and it is divided into two parts.

Part1 - Cognitive skill for drawing and visuals composition contains 125 marks

Part2 - The remaining 75 marks are divided into two parts

The first one contains Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry 15 MCQ questions. Each question contains 1.5 marks = 22.5 Mark, and the second one contains Aptitude and Logical reasoning of 35 questions, and each question contains 1.5 marks =52.5 marks.

JEE main paper-2 exam pattern:

The duration of JEE is three hours, and the total marks is 400. It is divided into three parts.

Part1- Mathematics has 25 questions; each question has four marks in a total of 100 marks and a negative marking of 1 mark.

Part 2 - Aptitude has 50 questions containing four marks, one of each, a total of 200, and 1 negative mark per the wrong answer.

Part 3 - Drawing contains two questions of 50 marks, so in total, 100 marks. This part doesn't have any negative marking.

Exam fees:

Exam fees of NATA:

Category

Single Attempt

Both Attempts

General

Male- INR 2000

Female- INR 1500

Male- INR 4000

Female- INR 3000

SC/ST/PWD

INR 1500

INR 3000

Outside India

INR 10,000

INR 20,000

Exams fees of JEE main:

Paper

Category

Inside India

Outside India

General/Gen-EWS/OBC-NCL

SC/ST/Pwd

General/Gen-EWS/OBC-NCL

SC/ST/Pwd

B.arch or B.planning

Male- INR 650

Female- INR 325

INR 325

Male-INR  3000 

Female- INR 1500

I

NR 1500

B.arch and B.planning

Male- INR 1300

Female- INR 650

INR 650

Male- INR 6000

Female- INR 3000

INR 3000

Eligibility criteria:

For both of the exams 50% marks in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics have required

Colleges accepting NATA:

Several reputed colleges like Sir J.J. College of Architecture, SPA Delhi including govt. Colleges CEPTS( Center for environmental planning and technology accepts NATA marks, and most of the private institutions accepts NATA marks.

NATA 2022 Eligibility Criteria

The CoA has relaxed the NATA 2023 eligibility criteria. Every candidate must fulfill the NATA eligibility criteria before filling out the application form:

  • Age Limit: There is no age limit to apply for the exam.
  • Subjects in Class 12: Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics are compulsory subjects.
  • Qualifications: The candidates must have passed the 12th level examination from a recognised board
  • Marks: Candidates must score at least 50% marks in Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics (PCM) and also at least 50% marks in aggregate of the 10+2 level examination. Candidates belonging to SC, ST, OBC-NCL category or PwD (Persons with a disability) shall be provided with a relaxation of 5% marks in total aggregate in 10+2 level

Colleges accepting JEE main paper marks:

IITS, IITS, NITS, SPAS(School of Planning and Architecture), GFITS( Government funded technical institutes), CFITS( Centrally Funded Technical Institutions) accepts JEE marks.

 Difference between NATA and JEE paper 2 difficulty level:

  • Though both exams are the entrance gateway of B.arch courses, JEE mains difficulty level is considered harder than NATA. The seats through JEE mains is much less than NATA
  • NATA paper weightage is more focused on drawing skills and visuals while JEE is focused on Mathematics and aptitude skills
  • Having negative marking in JEE makes it much harder than NATA.

JEE Mains paper 2 is based on both your drawing and maths skills, it has a math section (level is same as the jee mains paper 1) and a sketching and 3D interpretation section. The rank you obtain in paper 2 is independent of the paper 1 rank. The exam, like paper 1, is conducted by CBSE and helps you secure admission in SPAs ( School of Planning and Architecture) and the B.Arch courses in NITs. ( SPA Delhi is considered the best in the country)

NATA is a test that only tests ur drawing and 3D interpretation skills and even students from humanities or commerce backgrounds can answer the exam.The exam does not test mathematics or science knowledge. The exam is conducted by the Architecture's Association ( don't really remember the actual name) and it helps you secure admission recognized by them and you need to apply to different institutes independently with the NATA scores. CEPT in Ahmedabad is one of the good colleges which accept NATA scores.