160 Marks NATA 2026 Phase 1: Percentile and SPA Delhi Chances

A score of 160 in NATA 2026 Phase 1 is expected to correspond to approximately 85 to 92 percentile based on 2025 trends — a strong result that opens doors at several top NATA-accepting architecture colleges across India.

The Council of Architecture (CoA) conducted NATA 2026 Phase 1 between April 4 and June 13, 2026. Scorecards including individual percentile scores have been declared and are available at the student portal on nata.in. Colleges use the NATA percentile rather than raw marks for merit list preparation. If you scored 160 in NATA 2026 Phase 1, here is what your score means for architecture admissions.

• NATA 2026 Phase 1 results are declared and scorecards are downloadable at nata.in.
• A score of 160 is expected to yield 85 to 92 percentile based on 2025 score distribution trends.
• SPA Delhi, SPA Bhopal, and SPA Vijayawada do not accept NATA for B.Arch admissions — they admit through JEE Main Paper 2 via JoSAA.
• Top NATA-accepting colleges where 160 marks is competitive include CEPT University Ahmedabad and Jamia Millia Islamia.
• Final admission depends on category, state domicile, 10+2 marks, and the college’s merit formula.

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NATA 2026 Phase 1 — Exam Overview

NATA 2026 Phase 1 was conducted in multiple slots between April 4 and June 13, 2026 as a computer-based test. The exam covers visual reasoning, spatial aptitude, logical reasoning, and situational judgment through two sections: B1 (42 multiple-choice questions) and B2 (8 numerical choice questions). Phase 1 scores are normalised and issued as percentiles, unlike Phase 2 which provides raw scores.

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Expected Percentile for 160 Marks in NATA 2026 Phase 1

NATA Phase 1 does not issue absolute ranks. It releases a percentile score that reflects your standing relative to all students who appeared in the same exam phase. A score of 160 out of 200 in NATA 2026 Phase 1 is expected to yield approximately 85 to 92 percentile based on 2025 score distribution trends. This places you in the top 8 to 15 percent of all test-takers — a genuinely strong result for architecture admissions.

Percentile can vary slightly between sessions within the same phase because it is recalculated based on each session’s unique applicant pool and score distribution. Your exact official percentile is printed on your NATA 2026 scorecard, available at nata.in.

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NATA 2026 Phase 1 — Expected Score vs Percentile

The table below shows indicative percentile ranges for various score bands in NATA 2026 Phase 1 based on 2025 score distribution. These are expected figures and not official percentiles. Your actual percentile is on your scorecard at nata.in.

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Does SPA Delhi Accept NATA for B.Arch Admission?

No. SPA Delhi (School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi) does not accept NATA for B.Arch admissions. This is one of the most widespread misconceptions among architecture aspirants. All three SPA institutions — SPA Delhi, SPA Bhopal, and SPA Vijayawada — are centrally funded and admit students exclusively through JEE Main Paper 2 (Architecture) scores processed via JoSAA counselling.

Most National Institutes of Technology (NITs) offering B.Arch also admit through JEE Main Paper 2, not NATA. If SPA Delhi or an NIT is your primary target, you need a valid JEE Main Paper 2 score in addition to or instead of NATA. That said, 160 marks in NATA 2026 opens strong opportunities at several reputed NATA-accepting institutions.

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Top Architecture Colleges to Target with 160 Marks in NATA 2026

For NATA-accepting colleges, 160 marks at an expected 85 to 92 percentile is a competitive score. The table below shows expected admission chances based on 2025 closing score trends. Actual 2026 cutoffs will be declared after each college closes admissions.

Note on CEPT Ahmedabad: CEPT uses a combined merit formula where 50% weightage comes from your NATA score and 50% from your 10+2 aggregate marks. Students with 160 NATA marks and 85% or above in Class 12 boards stand a strong chance at CEPT.

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Factors That Affect Your Admission Chances with 160 Marks

Your NATA score is one part of the admissions picture. These factors significantly influence your final outcome:

• Category: SC, ST, and OBC students generally qualify at lower cutoffs than general category students at the same college.
• State domicile: Most state government architecture colleges reserve 50 to 85 percent of seats for home-state students with separate lower cutoffs.
• 10+2 aggregate: Colleges like CEPT give equal weightage to board marks. A 10+2 score of 80% or above combined with 160 NATA marks creates a very competitive composite rank.
• Number of applicants: A surge in applicants in a given year can push cutoffs higher even if your score stays the same.
• Phase 2 option: Students who appear for NATA Phase 2 generally have the better of their two phase scores considered for merit, so appearing for Phase 2 can only help if your score improves.