TANATA Exam Pattern 2026: 200 Marks for 62 Questions, Marking Scheme and Drawing Test

TANATA 2026 is a 180-minute offline pen-and-paper test conducted by Anna University, Chennai for B.Arch admissions. The exam carries 200 marks across 62 questions in two parts — Part A (MCQ-based Mathematics and General Aptitude) and Part B (Drawing Test). The 2026 pattern remains unchanged from the previous cycle, with the section-wise question distribution, marking scheme, and drawing test format confirmed ahead of the upcoming exam window.

• TANATA 2026 is a 180-minute offline test with 62 questions for a total of 200 marks.
• The exam is split into 2 parts: Part A (Mathematics + General Aptitude) and Part B (Drawing Test), each with a 90-minute time limit.
• Every correct MCQ earns +2 marks and there is no negative marking for wrong answers.
• Drawing Test in Part B contains only 2 questions but carries a heavy weightage of 80 marks.
• You must secure a minimum of 25% marks to qualify for B.Arch counselling at Anna University.
• General Aptitude holds the highest MCQ weightage with 40 questions for 80 marks.
• The exam is conducted in English medium only, in a single session across notified centres in Tamil Nadu.

TANATA Exam Pattern 2026: Overview

The TANATA 2026 exam pattern outlines the overall structure you must follow on test day. Anna University conducts the exam in an offline pen-and-paper mode, with MCQs on OMR sheets in Part A and freehand sketches on drawing sheets in Part B. The pattern is designed to test both your analytical reasoning and your visual-design ability within a fixed 3-hour window.

TANATA 2026 is a 180-minute offline test with 62 questions for 200 marks — split equally in time between MCQs and the drawing section.

TANATA Exam Pattern 2026: Important Dates

Anna University releases the TANATA 2026 schedule along with the official notification on its website. The dates below reflect the current status as of June 2026 — the exam falls in the upcoming fortnight, while results and counselling are still ahead. You should print your admit card and confirm your test centre at least seven days before the exam.

Note: All dates are subject to change. Always verify the latest schedule on the official Anna University website.

TANATA 2026: Detailed Exam Pattern

The TANATA 2026 paper is built on two equal-time sections that together test both analytical and artistic abilities. Part A measures your handling of mathematics and aptitude through 60 MCQs, while Part B tests your drawing skill with two long-form sketching tasks. Below is the section-wise breakdown of questions, marks, and duration.

Note: Both parts must be attempted in the same single sitting. The invigilator collects the Part A OMR sheet at the 90-minute mark before issuing the drawing sheets for Part B.

Source: Anna University, Chennai

TANATA Marking Scheme 2026

The TANATA 2026 marking scheme is straightforward and reward-based. Every correct MCQ in Part A earns you +2 marks, while incorrect or unattempted MCQs carry no penalty. The drawing section is evaluated on a structured rubric covering composition, proportion, perspective, and presentation.

There is no negative marking in TANATA 2026 — you should attempt every MCQ even if unsure.

Note on tie-breaks: If two students score the same total, the number of wrong responses can be used as a secondary differentiator during merit-list preparation. Random guessing therefore costs you no marks directly, but excessive incorrect responses may hurt your tie-break ranking.

TANATA Subject-Wise Exam Pattern 2026

Each subject in TANATA 2026 tests a distinct skill set. Mathematics checks your Class XI–XII numerical fluency, General Aptitude tests reasoning and visualisation, and Drawing evaluates your sense of form, proportion, and composition. The mini-tables below show how questions and marks are distributed across topics within each subject.

Mathematics (20 Questions — 40 Marks)

General Aptitude (40 Questions — 80 Marks)

Drawing Test (2 Questions — 80 Marks)

Drawing contributes 40% of your total TANATA score — strong sketching skills can swing the result more than any single MCQ topic.

TANATA Question Types 2026

TANATA 2026 mixes two distinct question formats. Part A uses standard objective MCQs marked on an OMR sheet, while Part B is a freehand sketching test on physical drawing sheets. There are no numerical-integer-type or assertion-reason questions in this exam. The list below explains each format you will encounter.

• MCQ (Single Correct Option): Four options per question; only one is correct. Used across both Mathematics and General Aptitude.
• Visual / Pattern-Based MCQ: Questions in General Aptitude that show a figure, pattern, or 3D object and ask for the correct visual interpretation.
• Analytical Reasoning MCQ: Short logic puzzles, sequences, and arrangement problems testing your problem-solving speed.
• Drawing Test — Object/Composition: A descriptive prompt asking you to sketch an object, scene, or composition with scale and proportion accuracy.
• Drawing Test — Perspective / Landscape: A scenario-based prompt requiring you to draw a building, landscape, or memory-based scene using perspective rules.

Note: The drawing answers must be made on the official drawing sheets supplied at the centre — extra sheets are not provided, so plan your composition before you begin.

TANATA Exam Pattern: Changes in 2026 vs Previous Year

Anna University has retained the TANATA exam pattern for 2026 with no structural revisions to question count, marks, duration, or marking scheme. The pre-exam fortnight refresh by the conducting body confirms the same two-part offline format that has been in use over the recent cycles. The table below compares 2025 and 2026 parameters side by side.

The TANATA 2026 pattern is identical to 2025 — you can rely on previous years’ papers as the closest practice resource for the upcoming exam.

How to Prepare Based on TANATA Exam Pattern

The TANATA 2026 pattern itself reveals where your preparation time should go. Because 40% of the marks come from just two drawing questions and another 40% from General Aptitude MCQs, the smart strategy is to weight your study calendar in those directions. Use the pattern-driven tips below to convert structural understanding into score gains.

1. Practise drawing on real A3/A4 sheets for 90 minutes daily. Part B has only two questions but carries 80 marks — your speed, layout, and finish under timed conditions decide nearly half of your total score.
2. Master spatial reasoning and 3D visualisation in General Aptitude. This sub-topic alone accounts for up to 20 marks — drill cube-folding, top/side/front views, and pattern rotation questions repeatedly.
3. Pick high-yield Mathematics chapters first. Coordinate geometry, calculus, and algebra together cover roughly 12 of 20 Math questions — secure these before tackling lower-weightage topics like statistics.
4. Attempt every MCQ. Since there is no negative marking, leaving any MCQ blank is a guaranteed loss. Even an educated guess has positive expected value.
5. Time-box Part A at 75 minutes so you have a 15-minute review buffer before the OMR is collected. Drawing speed cannot be recovered if Part A runs long.
6. Sketch monuments and famous architecture from memory. The "Architectural Awareness" sub-topic regularly features iconic Indian and global buildings — building a visual library helps in both MCQ and drawing sections.
7. Solve at least 5 previous years’ TANATA drawing papers. The drawing prompts follow a recognisable pattern (object composition + perspective sketch), and exposure builds muscle memory for the 90-minute window.

Tip: Build a personal drawing portfolio of 30–40 perspective and composition sketches before the exam — reviewing it the night before TANATA primes your hand for the test sheets.