JEE Main B.Arch Paper 2A Structure

Paper 2A combines an objective test with a hand-drawn response. The first 75 questions are attempted on the computer. The final two are Drawing questions answered on paper.

Mathematics: 25 Questions, 100 Marks

Mathematics is split into 20 MCQs and five numerical-value questions. Each is worth four marks. Negative marking applies to both groups. Numerical answers are entered with the on-screen numeric keypad and rounded to the nearest integer.

The old five-out-of-ten choice is not part of the 2026 paper. Five numerical questions appear, with no substitute set. This does not mean a student has to guess every answer: leaving one blank still gives 0 marks.

Aptitude Test: 50 Questions, 200 Marks

Aptitude is the largest section by both question count and marks. Its 50 MCQs cover awareness of buildings, materials, objects and the built environment; visualising 3D objects from 2D drawings; analytical, visual, numerical and verbal reasoning; and scale and proportion, colour, texture, plans, elevations and transformations of forms.

The 50% share is a paper fact, not a chapter-wise weightage forecast. NTA does not divide those 50 questions into guaranteed topic counts. The detailed JEE Main B.Arch syllabus is the better place to map these units before practice.

Drawing Test: 2 Questions, 100 Marks

Drawing is answered on an A4 sheet at the centre. The official syllabus asks for memory sketches of urban scenes and activities, landscapes and rural life. The two responses are evaluated together out of 100 rather than scored at +4 or -1.

A total of only two questions can look small beside 50 Aptitude MCQs, but Drawing carries the same 100 marks as Mathematics. It also needs a different exam skill: completing a visible composition on paper while the same three-hour paper is running.

JEE Main B.Arch Marking Scheme 2026

Negative marking applies to every objective part of Paper 2A, including Mathematics Section B.

Raw score formula: (4 x correct objective answers) - (1 x wrong objective answers) + Drawing marks. If a student has 45 correct objective answers, 8 wrong answers and 74 in Drawing, the raw score is 246/400.

Final-key changes can alter this calculation. When more than one option is correct in an MCQ, +4 goes to students who marked any correct option. If all options are correct, students who attempted the MCQ get +4. When an MCQ is dropped, every candidate in that particular shift gets full marks. A dropped or incorrect numerical question also gives +4 to all candidates in that shift.

JEE Main B.Arch Duration, Mode and Language

Paper 2A uses one overall clock. NTA does not publish separate Mathematics, Aptitude and Drawing timers.

The paper was offered in 13 languages: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Regional-language availability depended on the examination-centre location. The selected medium could not be changed later, and the English text prevailed when the two versions differed.

B.Arch Paper 2A vs B.Planning Paper 2B

Both papers share Mathematics and Aptitude. The last 100 marks decide the course route: Drawing for B.Arch and Planning-based MCQs for B.Planning.

JEE Main B.Arch Pattern: 2024 to 2026

The important change is confined to Mathematics Section B. The pandemic-era choice ended from 2025.

A 2024 paper is still useful, but its ten numerical questions should not be treated as ten current-format attempts. Choose five before starting that block, or build a fresh set of five, and score only those five. The JEE Main question-paper collection can be filtered by year before a timed practice session.

JEE Main B.Arch 2026 Difficulty Level

NTA does not grade a paper as easy, moderate or difficult. These labels come from post-exam student reactions and expert reviews; they are not an NTA difficulty rating, so the date and source matter.

The common point is more useful than the label: Mathematics repeatedly consumed the most time, while Aptitude offered the largest mark pool. Drawing difficulty depended on finishing a complete, readable response within the shared clock. For the wider shift record, use the dated JEE Main 2026 paper analysis.

What the 2024-2026 Papers Suggest for Practice

The official pattern and the reported papers point to three separate review questions after every mock:

• Mathematics: how many of the 25 questions were recognised but left because calculations ran long?
• Aptitude: where did marks go within the 50-question block - built-environment awareness, 2D/3D visualisation or reasoning?
• Drawing: was the problem idea, proportion, composition or simply an unfinished sheet?

There is no official section-time split to memorise. Use the first full Paper 2A mock to record actual time, then set the next mock around the section that was left incomplete. This gives a personal adjustment without turning one student's pace into a universal rule.

JEE Main B.Arch Raw Marks, NTA Score and Rank

Raw marks are the points earned out of 400. NTA adds the Drawing marks after digital evaluation, then converts Mathematics, Aptitude, Drawing and total raw marks into NTA scores for multi-shift comparison. A raw 246/400 is not a 61.5 percentile.

A candidate who appeared in both sessions was ranked using the better total NTA score. NTA did not combine Mathematics from one session with Aptitude or Drawing from the other. For an equal Paper 2A total NTA score, the order began with Mathematics NTA score, followed by Aptitude and then Drawing.

The final JEE Main result carries the NTA scores and rank.

What do you need right now?

1. Pattern Highlights
2. Mathematics, Aptitude & Drawing
3. B.Arch or B.Planning?

1. Marking Reference
2. Calculate Raw Score
3. Raw Marks and NTA Score

1. 2026 Difficulty Reports
2. 2024-2026 Pattern Change
3. B.Arch Pattern FAQs