Council of Architecture

The Council of Architecture (CoA) is an autonomous statutory authority constituted under the Architects Act, 1972, which came into force on 1 September 1972. It regulates architectural education and professional practice in India, maintains the register of architects and prescribes standards for recognized architectural qualifications. CoA also conducts the National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA), the aptitude assessment used for admission to first-year B.Arch programmes at approved institutions. For architecture aspirants, the CoA record is therefore relevant both for NATA examination information and for understanding the regulatory framework governing architectural education.

The Council of Architecture was constituted under the Architects Act, 1972, which came into force on 1 September 1972. The legislation established the statutory framework for registration of architects, recognized qualifications, standards of architectural education and professional conduct. CoA introduced NATA in 2006 to provide a common aptitude assessment for candidates seeking admission to B.Arch programmes and to reduce the need for multiple institutional aptitude tests.

The Council of Architecture operates through its statutory council, office bearers, members, statutory committees and administrative functions. Its responsibilities include regulation of architectural education, maintenance of the national register of architects, recognition and monitoring of architectural institutions and qualifications, and administration of NATA.