B.Arch is a 5-year professional degree regulated by the Council of Architecture (CoA). To use the title Architect in India, a person must be registered with the CoA, and the degree must follow CoA minimum standards.

What You Study

• Design studio and drawing
• Building construction and structures
• History and theory of architecture
• Urban design and sustainability

Related Degrees

• B.Planning: urban and regional planning, admitted through JEE Main Paper 2B.
• M.Arch / M.Planning: postgraduate study, usually through GATE (Architecture & Planning).

Check the brochure: rules vary by state and college and change yearly. Confirm in the CoA brochure at nata.in and the counselling prospectus.

Expect a timeline similar to 2026. Confirm everything in the CoA brochure.

2027 Schedule

• Session 1: Jan 22–24 and 28–30, 2027 (buffer date Jan 31). Registration expected from October 2026.
• Session 2: April 2027 (dates awaited).
• The official brochure is awaited; check jeemain.nta.nic.in.

This is a representative list, not an exhaustive one. Verify: only Council of Architecture-approved colleges give a degree valid for registration. Check approval, seats and fees each year in the current prospectus.

• Anna University School of Architecture and Planning (SAP), Chennai is the flagship government option; an Anna University listing cites a minimum NATA score of 80 out of 200 (verify the current figure).
• NIT Tiruchirappalli: B.Arch via JEE Main Paper 2A and JoSAA.
• TN reservation (2026): BC 26.5%, BCM 3.5%, MBC/DNC 20%, SC 15%, SCA 3%, ST 1%. These are the percentages reported for TNEA 2026.

Ten exams fall into three groups. Government and national institutes are the most sought after and the most affordable. Specialists such as IICD focus on crafts, and AIFD is run by the Army. Private institutes have their own entrance tests, often followed by a portfolio review. Almost all lead to a 4-year B.Des.

Common route: a 4-year B.Des after 10+2 in any stream (AIFD offers a 3-year B.Sc).

Weights differ: IICD scores 35% Part A + 45% Part B + 20% interview. The names differ but the pattern repeats: a written aptitude stage, a practical or interview stage, then merit and counselling. Always read each brochure for exact rules.

* AIFD fee is for the 3-year B.Sc. All other fees are approximate totals for 4 years. AIFD is not directly comparable.

Most exams accept any 10+2 stream, so Arts, Commerce and Science students are all eligible; only NIFT B.F.Tech needs PCM. Watch for age limits (NID about 20, NIFT under 24, FDDI 25) and the UCEED two-attempt rule.

National Institute of Fashion Technology · conducted with NTA | Govt. of India

Good to know

• Centres in 60+ Indian cities.
• The last cycle exam was on Feb 8, 2026. NTA has listed Jan 10, 2027 as the tentative 2027 date; confirm on nift.ac.in and nift.ntaonline.in.
• Rankings and placements: NIRF, the official NIFT placement portal and IIRF Design rankings.

National Institute of Design Design Aptitude Test · NID Admissions Cell | National institute

Good to know

• NID DAT 2027 is for 2027-28 admissions. Mains follows for shortlisted candidates (expected April to May 2027).
• Correction: NID Bengaluru and Gandhinagar are M.Des campuses; B.Des is offered at Ahmedabad, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Assam.
• Centres in about 22 cities.
• Rankings and placements: NID Industry Interface Cell reports, QS Art & Design rankings and IIRF.

Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design · IIT Bombay | IITs

Good to know

• CEED (M.Des) is held on the same day. Centres in 27+ cities.
• Rankings and placements: NIRF and IIT placement reports.
• Update: an earlier version of this guide showed Part A 240 + Part B 60, an age limit of 24 and six institutes. The 2027 split is 200 + 100, eligibility is by birth date, and IIT Indore is also a participating institute.
• Streams: IIT Bombay, Delhi, Hyderabad and Indore accept all streams; IIT Guwahati and Roorkee need Physics, Chemistry and Maths; IIITDM Jabalpur needs PCM or Biology. Confirm in the UCEED 2027 brochure.

Footwear Design & Development Institute All India Selection Test · Ministry of Commerce & Industry | Govt. of India

Good to know

• FDDI has 12 campuses: Noida, Firozabad, Rohtak, Chandigarh, Jodhpur, Patna, Ankleshwar, Guna, Chhindwara, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai. Centres in 36 cities.
• The profile says registration is Nov to Apr, while the summary table says Jan to Apr; verify on fddiindia.com.
• Rankings and placements: FDDI Corporate Relation Cell reports, Ministry of Commerce publications and India Today design rankings.

All India Entrance Examination for Design · ARCH College of Design & Business | Private

Good to know

• A take-from-home, online proctored screening plus offline rounds at the Jaipur or Gurgaon campuses.
• The correct website domain is archedu.org (an older listing shows achedu.org, which is a typo).
• Rankings and placements: ARCH placement portal, India Today and Outlook-ICARE surveys.

Army Institute of Fashion and Design Written Admission Test · Bengaluru | Army institute

Good to know

• The fee is lower (concessional) for students with an Army background.
• Centres at army exam centres such as Bangalore, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Guwahati.
• Rankings and placements: Bangalore North University academic audit, AIFD placement brochure and India Today fashion design rankings.

Srishti Manipal Entrance and Aptitude Test · Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design & Technology | Private · MAHE

Good to know

• A take-from-home exam.
• Rankings and placements: MAHE NIRF and NAAC reports and the Srishti industry placement cell.

Pearl Academy Entrance Examination (DAT & GAT) | Private

Good to know

• Cycles in January, April and June; online and offline in major metros.
• The highest fee range of the ten exams (₹20–26 lakh).
• Rankings and placements: ASSOCHAM awards, India Today design survey and the Pearl career services report.

UPES Design Aptitude Test · UPES School of Design, Dehradun | Private

Good to know

• A UCEED score can replace this test.
• Rankings and placements: QS I-GAUGE ratings, UPES placement cell annual reports and the NIRF Innovation category.

Indian Institute of Crafts and Design Entrance Test · IICD, Jaipur | Crafts specialist

Good to know

• The interview is held online by video call.
• Rankings and placements: IICD annual report and Industry Connect Cell, Crafts Council of India publications and IIRF design school rankings.

• IIRF Design Rankings: the most comprehensive list, covering NID, NIFT, IITs and top private schools together (iirfranking.com).
• NIRF (Ministry of Education): Innovation, Engineering or Architecture categories, covering IITs and central universities (nirfindia.org).

No single government portal ranks all design institutes together. For placements, use the institute’s own reports; they carry the verified numbers. Magazine surveys such as India Today are also useful references.

Ranking portals: iirfranking.com | nirfindia.org

“Confirmed / updated” rows are checked for the 2027 cycle. Other rows are typical windows from earlier cycles, so check each site. FDDI is Nov–Apr in its profile but Jan–Apr in the summary table; this calendar uses Jan–Apr. NIFT also lists nift.ntaonline.in.

UCEED closes first, then NID DAT. NATA (architecture) opens later, around March 2027.

Three government or central options in Tamil Nadu: NIFT Chennai (Taramani), IIITDM Kancheepuram (product design plus engineering) and CFTI Chennai (Guindy) for footwear and leather diplomas.

Fees are approximate totals. Several institutes (SRM, VIT) accept a UCEED score, which makes UCEED a flexible choice.

BFA Specialisations

• Visual Communication Design
• Painting and Sculpture
• Industrial Design (Ceramic / Textile)
• Printmaking
• Traditional Sculpture (Mamallapuram)

The Chennai and Kumbakonam government fine arts colleges are affiliated with the Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University; the Mamallapuram government college offers traditional sculpture. Notifications usually come out mid-year with closing dates around September, so check the current notice. Fees are very low (a listing shows under ₹10,000 total for BFA programmes; verify). Careers include art teaching, studio practice and design roles.

• B.Arch is 5 years: NATA or JEE Main Paper 2 gives entry; there is no central counselling, so register for each process.
• Apply now: JEE Main (from October), UCEED closes Oct 31, NID DAT Nov 30; NIFT opens Nov–Dec 2026.
• Ten B.Des exams: compare total fees (₹6.5–26 L) with verified placement data and rankings.
• In Tamil Nadu: Anna University SAP and NIT Trichy for B.Arch; NIFT Chennai, IIITDM, CFTI, DOT, VIT, SRM and ICAT for design.