JoSAA 2026: Complete Guide for B.Arch Aspirants
Everything B.Arch students need — eligibility, institutes, choice filling, schedule, Freeze/Float/Slide, fees & documents.
What is JoSAA & Who Should Read This Guide?
JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) manages centralised seat allocation for IITs, IISc, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. For B.Arch specifically, JoSAA covers two distinct routes depending on your target institute.
B.Arch Admission Routes Through JoSAA
IIT B.Arch (AAT Route)
- JEE Main Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) rank required
- THEN qualify JEE Advanced 2026
- THEN clear AAT (Architecture Aptitude Test)
- Seats at IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee etc.
- AAT choices fill after AAT result on Jun 7
SPA / NIT / GFTI B.Arch
- JEE Main Paper 2A (B.Arch) rank required
- Covers SPA Delhi, SPA Bhopal, SPA Vijayawada
- All NIT B.Arch programmes
- IIITs and GFTIs with B.Arch
- NATA not accepted here — JEE Paper 2 only
josaa.nic.in is the ONLY authorised portal. No agency other than JoSAA 2026 is responsible for seat allocation. For CSAB Special Rounds after JoSAA, visit csab.nic.in.
Who is Eligible — B.Arch Routes Explained
| Route | Qualifying Exam Required | XII Requirement | Institutes Covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIT B.Arch (AAT Route) | JEE Main Paper 1 (B.E.) rank + JEE Advanced 2026 rank + AAT 2026 (Architecture Aptitude Test) | 75% aggregate (65% SC/ST/PwD) OR top 20 percentile of board. Min 5 subjects in XII. | IIT Kharagpur (B.Arch) IIT Roorkee (B.Arch) IIT Varanasi (B.Arch) |
| SPA / NIT B.Arch | JEE Main 2026 Paper 2A (B.Arch) rank — only this is needed | 75% aggregate (65% SC/ST/PwD) OR top 20 percentile of board. Min 5 subjects in XII. | SPA Delhi, SPA Bhopal, SPA Vijayawada. All NIT, IIIT & GFTI B.Arch programmes. |
JoSAA 2026 Business Rules — Section III, Annexure 2(a) & 2(b)
NATA is required for State CET admissions but is NOT accepted at JoSAA institutions. For SPA Delhi, SPA Bhopal, SPA Vijayawada, and all NIT B.Arch seats — only JEE Main Paper 2 (B.Arch) rank is valid. Apply for NATA separately and in parallel for state colleges.
B.Arch Institutes Available Through JoSAA 2026
These are the B.Arch institutes accessible via JoSAA. Verify the official 2026 seat matrix on josaa.nic.in from June 2, 2026.
B.Arch at SPA, NIT & GFTIs (via JEE Main Paper 2):
| Institute | City | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| SPA Delhi | New Delhi | 132 |
| SPA Bhopal | Bhopal, MP | 94 |
| SPA Vijayawada | Vijayawada, AP | 94 |
| NIT Calicut | Calicut, Kerala | 59 |
| NIT Trichy | Tiruchirappalli, TN | 57 |
| NIT Raipur | Raipur, CG | 40 |
| NIT Hamirpur | Hamirpur, HP | 58 |
| NIT Kurukshetra | Kurukshetra, Haryana | 40 |
| NIT Rourkela | Rourkela, Odisha | 20 |
| NIT Patna | Patna, Bihar | 40 |
| MNIT Jaipur | Jaipur, Rajasthan | 27 |
| MNIT Bhopal | Bhopal, MP | 100 |
| VNIT Nagpur | Nagpur, Maharashtra | 78 |
| IIEST Shibpur | Shibpur, WB | 24 |
| Mizoram University, Aizawl | Aizawl, Mizoram | 11 |
| SMVD Katra, J&K | Katra, J&K | 10 |
| IUST Kashmir | Kashmir, J&K | 20 |
B.Arch at IIT (via AAT):
| Institute | Programme | Seats | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIT Kharagpur | B.Arch (5-yr) | 40 | JEE Main P1 → JEE Advanced → AAT |
| IIT Roorkee | B.Arch (5-yr) | 30 | JEE Main P1 → JEE Advanced → AAT |
| IIT Varanasi | B.Arch (5-yr) | 26 | JEE Main P1 → JEE Advanced → AAT |
⚠ Seat numbers from official 2026 seat matrix published on josaa.nic.in from June 2, 2026.
SPAs are 100% dedicated architecture schools — entire campus culture, faculty, and curriculum focused on architecture and planning. NITs offer B.Arch alongside B.Tech disciplines — broader campus with mixed engineering culture. SPA Delhi consistently has the most competitive B.Arch cutoff rank among NIT+ options. SPA Bhopal and SPA Vijayawada are comparatively accessible.
Registration & Choice Filling — 9 Days Only
Window: June 2, 2026 at 17:00 IST → June 11, 2026 at 17:00 IST. No extensions possible.
- 01Register immediately on June 2 — Go to josaa.nic.in at 17:00 on June 2. Log in with your JEE Main Paper 2 roll number and date of birth. Register on Day 1 — do not wait.
- 02Fill B.Arch choices specifically — Search and add only B.Arch programmes. Add SPA Delhi, SPA Bhopal, SPA Vijayawada first, then NITs in order of preference. Fill the maximum choices allowed.
- 03Check Mock Allocations — adjust accordingly — Mock 1 on June 8 shows where you would go based on current choices. Mock 2 on June 10 gives you a refined picture. Use both to reorder your list intelligently before locking.
- 04Pre-upload & Pre-pay (strongly recommended) — Scan and upload all documents between June 2–11. Optionally pre-pay the seat acceptance fee — fully refunded if no seat is allotted. JoSAA explicitly recommends this to avoid last-minute payment failures.
- 05Lock by June 11 at 17:00 — no exceptions — Choices auto-lock at 17:00. Your last saved list is used. Once locked — no changes are possible under any circumstances as per the Business Rules.
Do NOT accidentally add B.Tech or B.Plan choices when you intend B.Arch — each is listed separately. Double check every entry. Do NOT shortlist only SPA Delhi if your rank is borderline — include SPA Bhopal and NIT options lower in your list as backup.
JoSAA 2026 — Official Round-by-Round Schedule
JoSAA 2026 conducts exactly 5 rounds of seat allocation — confirmed by the official schedule released May 31, 2026. (Previous years had 6 rounds; 2026 has 5.) Round 5 is the final round. NIT+ / SPA candidates then pay the Partial Admission Fee and CSAB manages physical reporting.
Source: Official JoSAA 2026 Schedule. All times IST.
Registration & Choice Filling| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, 2 Jun | 17:00 | Registration & Choice Filling OPENS — Pre-payment & pre-upload also start |
| Mon, 8 Jun | 14:00 | Mock Seat Allocation 1 (based on choices as of Jun 7, 20:00 IST) |
| Wed, 10 Jun | 13:00 | Mock Seat Allocation 2 (based on choices as of Jun 9, 17:00 IST) |
| Thu, 11 Jun | 17:00 | ⚠ Choice Filling CLOSES — Auto-lock. No changes possible after this. |
| Fri, 12 Jun | — | JoSAA data reconciliation, verification & validation |
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, 13 Jun | 10:00 | Round 1 Seat Allocation announced |
| 13 Jun – 26 Jun | By 17:00 | Online reporting: fee payment / document upload / respond to queries |
| Fri, 26 Jun | By 17:00 | ⚠ LAST DATE for fee payment — Round 1 |
| Mon, 29 Jun | By 13:00 | Resolution of fee payment issues (for candidates who attempted payment) |
| Mon, 29 Jun | By 17:00 | Last day to respond to Withdrawal Query — Round 1 |
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, 30 Jun | 17:00 | Round 2 Seat Allocation announced |
| 30 Jun – 3 Jul | By 17:00 | Online reporting: fee payment / document upload / respond to queries |
| Wed, 1 Jul | 10:00 | Withdrawal window OPENS (Round 2) — Jul 1 10:00 to Jul 3 17:00 |
| Fri, 3 Jul | By 17:00 | ⚠ LAST DATE fee payment — Round 2 | Withdrawal window CLOSES |
| Sat, 4 Jul | By 17:00 | Resolution of fee payment issues — Round 2 |
| Sun, 5 Jul | By 17:00 | Last day for Withdrawal Query response — Round 2 |
Rounds 3, 4 & 5 follow the same pattern — check josaa.nic.in for exact dates.
Previous years (2023, 2024) had 6 rounds. The official 2026 schedule explicitly labels Round 5 as "FINAL ROUND." After Round 5, NIT+ candidates pay PAF and CSAB conducts special rounds for remaining vacant seats.
"The seat allocation process follows a strict timeline. The entire process is online and computer-operated. No exceptions are possible. It will not be possible to entertain requests for an extension of time for completing any activity."
Freeze, Float & Slide — Official Rules 2026
After each round, if you receive a seat you must choose one of three options. This is mandatory to continue in JoSAA. Rules are from official Business Rules 2026 — Clauses 48–52.
| Option | What It Means (Official) | Upgrade Scope |
|---|---|---|
| ❄ FREEZE | Accepted seat stays with you. You are NOT considered for any further rounds. | No upgrade — final |
| ↑ FLOAT | Retain current seat as backup AND seek upgrade at ANY institute in your list. | Any SPA or NIT |
| ⇉ SLIDE | Retain current seat AND seek upgrade ONLY within the SAME institute. | Same institute (e.g. SPA Delhi B.Plan → SPA Delhi B.Arch) |
First choice allocated → ONLY Freeze available. Not choosing Freeze = seat rejection = removed from all rounds. Not your first choice → Choose either Float or Slide to continue participating in subsequent rounds. Choosing nothing = rejection of the seat. You can change Float → Slide → Freeze in Rounds 1–4. You cannot undo Freeze once chosen (Clause 52). If an upgraded seat is allotted, it is automatically accepted. You cannot reject the upgraded seat and retain the previous allotment.
Got SPA Bhopal in Round 1 but want SPA Delhi? Choose FLOAT. Your SPA Bhopal seat is held as backup while JoSAA automatically moves you to SPA Delhi if it opens up based on your rank. Never reject a confirmed seat without understanding this.
Seat Acceptance Fee & Refund Rules — Exact Official Figures
Source: JoSAA 2026 Business Rules — Sections XXII & XXIII
| Category | Seat Acceptance Fee | Partial Admission Fee (NIT+/SPA — due Jul 22–24) | Withdrawal Refund |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC / ST / GEN-PwD / all PwD variants | Rs. 15,000 | Rs. 20,000 | Fee minus Rs. 7,000 |
| GEN / GEN-EWS / OBC-NCL | Rs. 30,000 | Rs. 45,000 | Fee minus Rs. 7,000 |
Pre-payment during choice filling (Jun 2–11): FULLY REFUNDED if you are not allotted any seat. Valid withdrawal: Seat acceptance fee refunded MINUS Rs. 7,000 processing charge — NOT a full refund. Seat cancelled due to document discrepancy: Refunded MINUS Rs. 5,000 JoSAA processing charge. Partial Admission Fee (PAF): NEVER REFUNDABLE once paid. Only pay when you are sure.
Documents Checklist — Prepare Before June 2
Pre-upload available June 2–11. After each round's allotment, document queries may be raised — log in to josaa.nic.in daily. No separate email/SMS notice is sent for queries.
| # | Document | Required For |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JEE Main 2026 Paper 2 (B.Arch) Rank Card | All SPA / NIT / IIIT / GFTI choices |
| 2 | JEE Main Paper 1 + JEE Advanced Rank Card + AAT result | IIT B.Arch choices only |
| 3 | Class X Certificate & Marksheet | All candidates |
| 4 | Class XII Certificate & Marksheet (min 5 subjects, 75% / 65% SC-ST-PwD) | All candidates |
| 5 | Valid Photo ID — Aadhaar / Passport / Voter ID | All candidates |
| 6 | Category Certificate — GEN-EWS / OBC-NCL / SC / ST (current year) | Reserved category candidates |
| 7 | Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) Certificate — current year | OBC-NCL candidates |
| 8 | PwD Certificate + UDID Card | PwD candidates |
| 9 | JoSAA Seat Allotment Letter (download from portal after each round) | All allotted candidates |
| 10 | Passport-size photographs (white background, recent) | All candidates |
| 11 | Medical Fitness Certificate (Annexure 7 of Business Rules) | At physical reporting only |
Note — All Documents (1–10) need to be pre-uploaded & (11) has to be uploaded at the time of Physical Reporting.
If a query is raised on your documents, respond ONLINE within 2–3 days. No email or SMS notice is sent. Check josaa.nic.in daily during rounds. Failure to respond = seat cancelled + Rs. 5,000 deducted from refund.
Frequently Asked Questions — B.Arch Students
Key Takeaways for B.Arch JoSAA 2026
- NATA not accepted in JoSAA — only JEE Main Paper 2 rank for SPA/NIT B.Arch.
- IIT B.Arch route: JEE Main Paper 1 → JEE Advanced → AAT. Different from NIT/SPA route.
- JoSAA 2026: exactly 5 rounds (not 6–7). Round 5 ends July 21 — this is confirmed official.
- Choice filling: June 2–11 only — 9 days. Register and fill from Day 1.
- If allocated first choice — Freeze only. Not freezing = seat rejection = out of JoSAA.
- Got SPA Bhopal, want SPA Delhi? FLOAT. Never reject a confirmed seat.
- Seat fee: Rs. 15,000 (SC/ST/PwD) or Rs. 30,000 (others). Withdrawal = minus Rs. 7,000.
- PAF due July 22–24 (Rs. 20,000 or Rs. 45,000). Never refundable. Non-payment = seat cancelled.
- No tie-breaking by age in JoSAA — supernumerary seats created for tied candidates.
- Physical reporting at SPA/NIT: after CSAB Special Rounds — check csab.nic.in.
- Apply to JoSAA and state CETs simultaneously — completely independent processes.
- Log in to josaa.nic.in daily during rounds — document queries have no separate notice.
Need Help with JoSAA 2026 B.Arch Counselling?
Silica's counsellors specialise in B.Arch admissions — SPA strategy, NIT choice filling, and state CET in parallel.
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