Free Practice Questions for NEC Architecture

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Key Facts: NEC Architecture Exam

100 MCQs

Questions (1 mark each)

Nepal Engineering Council

2 hours

Exam Duration

Nepal Engineering Council

50%

Passing Mark

Nepal Engineering Council

NPR 2,500

Exam Fee

Nepal Engineering Council

10 Chapters

Syllabus Structure (10 questions each)

Nepal Engineering Council

NPR 5,000

Registration Fee After Passing

NEC Regulations, 2057

Architecture graduates in Nepal must pass the Nepal Engineering Council registration exam before they can practice. The AArc paper has 100 one-mark multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, 10 from each syllabus chapter, and the pass mark is 50%. The exam fee is NPR 2,500 (double in the late-application window), and passing candidates pay NPR 5,000 to be registered.

Sample NEC Architecture Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the NEC Architecture exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 102+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which body of surviving evidence best characterizes Licchavi-period (c. 400–750 CE) architecture in the Kathmandu Valley?

A.Multistoried timber-framed palaces with carved struts and projecting latticed windows

B.Stucco-plastered facades with Corinthian pilasters and triangular pediments

C.Stone inscriptions, inscribed pillars, stone sculpture and stone water conduits

D.Intact brick monastery courtyards with carved timber toranas and gilded roofs

Explanation: Few Licchavi buildings survive, so the period is known mainly through stone: dated inscriptions (such as Manadeva's pillar inscription of 464 CE at Changu Narayan), inscribed pillars, sculpture and stone water conduits (hitis). The richly carved multistoried timber palaces belong to the later Malla period, and stucco Neoclassical facades to the Rana period.

2In the Malla palace complexes of the Kathmandu Valley Durbar Squares, what is a chowk such as Mul Chowk or Sundari Chowk?

A.An enclosed internal courtyard around which the palace wings are organized

B.A monumental outer gateway linking the public square with the royal audience hall inside

C.A raised open platform in the public square used for masked dances and public gatherings

D.A sunken stone water-spout basin fed by an underground channel from the surrounding hills

Explanation: Malla palaces in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur are built as a series of chowks: courtyards enclosed by multistoried brick-and-timber wings. Mul Chowk in Patan served ritual and coronation functions, while Sundari Chowk contains the royal bath (Tusha Hiti). The courtyard gives the inward-facing rooms security, privacy, light and ventilation.

3What is the main structural role of the carved inclined strut called a tudal in traditional Nepalese tiered temples?

A.A horizontal tension tie that stops the base of the roof from spreading outward

B.A purely decorative carved panel that hides the ridge-beam joinery

C.A sill-level brace that ties the door frame down to the stone plinth

D.An inclined bracket that carries the projecting roof eaves back to the wall

Explanation: Tudals are set at an angle beneath the wide eaves of tiered temples and many traditional buildings. They act mainly in compression, carrying the weight of the overhanging roof and its heavy clay tiles back to the wall structure. Their carving of deities and figures makes them decorative as well, but they are structural members.

4Which feature distinguishes a Newar tiered temple (often called 'pagoda style') from a shikhara temple in the Kathmandu Valley?

A.Tiered temples are solid stone throughout, while shikhara temples rely on timber roof trusses

B.Tiered temples have stacked timber-framed roofs on struts, while shikhara temples rise as a masonry spire

C.Tiered temples house only Buddhist deities, while shikhara temples house only Hindu deities

D.Tiered temples have no inner sanctum, while every shikhara temple has a garbhagriha

Explanation: Newar tiered temples stack two or more pitched roofs, timber-framed and clad in clay tiles or metal, supported on carved struts above a brick shrine. Shikhara temples, such as Krishna Mandir in Patan, rise as a curvilinear or stepped masonry tower crowned by an amalaka and finial. Both types have a sanctum (garbhagriha), and both forms are used for Hindu and Buddhist deities.

5In Kathmandu Valley Buddhist architecture, how does a bahal (baha) generally differ from a bahil (bahi)?

A.A bahal is a royal palace courtyard, whereas a bahil is a rest house for Hindu pilgrims near temples

B.A bahal is a free-standing stupa, whereas a bahil is a tiered temple that has no courtyard at all

C.A bahal became home to married Shakya and Vajracharya families; a bahil stayed more ascetic

D.A bahal is always octagonal in plan, whereas a bahil is circular around a central pillared hall

Explanation: Both are Newar Buddhist monastic complexes built around courtyards. Over time most bahals became the hereditary residence and ritual center of married Shakya and Vajracharya lineages, with a main shrine (kwapa-dyo) facing the entrance. Bahils preserved a more ascetic monastic tradition for longer, are typically more austere, and often lie toward the edges of the old towns.

6In a traditional Newar house, which level is the chota?

A.The second floor, with large windows (sanjhya), used as the main living space

B.The ground floor, used for shops, workshops, storage or keeping animals

C.The first floor, with small latticed windows, used mainly for sleeping

D.The attic directly under the roof, holding the kitchen and the family shrine (agam)

Explanation: A traditional Newar house is zoned vertically. The ground floor (chhidi) is for storage, shops or workshops; the first floor (mata) has small windows such as the tikijhya and is used mostly for sleeping; the second floor (chota) has large windows such as the sanjhya and serves as the main living room; and the attic (baiga) holds the kitchen and agam shrine, where ritual purity is easiest to maintain.

7What allows a traditional Kathmandu Valley stone water spout (hiti or dhunge dhara) to flow without pumps?

A.A hidden lever-and-cistern device that is refilled by hand from wells each morning

B.Direct diversion of untreated river water into the spout during the monsoon

C.Rainwater stored in rooftop tanks of the surrounding houses and siphoned to the spout

D.Gravity: the spout sits in a sunken basin fed by underground channels and recharged groundwater

Explanation: Hitis are gravity systems. The spouts are built at the bottom of sunken, stepped basins so that they sit below the level of their water source. Water reaches them through underground conduits from springs, ponds and aquifers that were recharged by canals (rajkulos) and ponds. Some hitis, such as Manga Hiti in Patan, date from the Licchavi period.

8How do traditional Tharu houses in the Terai respond to the hot, humid climate?

A.Thick stone walls, small windows and flat mud roofs that store heat for cold nights

B.Light wattle-and-daub walls, steep thatched roofs with wide eaves, and airy plans

C.Multistoried brick houses with carved timber windows arranged around enclosed courtyards

D.Timber houses with slate-covered roofs and enclosed upper verandas facing the sun

Explanation: Tharu houses use locally available bamboo, reeds, timber and mud plaster (wattle-and-daub). Their elongated plans and permeable walls let air move through the house, while steep thatched roofs with wide overhangs shade the walls and shed heavy monsoon rain quickly.

9Rana-period palaces such as Singha Durbar broke with Newar building traditions. What triggered this shift to European styles?

A.The Mughal conquest of the Kathmandu Valley in the 16th century and its lasting court influence

B.The adoption of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention in 1972

C.Jung Bahadur Rana's 1850 visit to Britain and France, which made European styles a status symbol

D.The 1934 earthquake, after which all the damaged Newar-style palaces had to be rebuilt in stucco

Explanation: After Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana's visit to Britain and France in 1850, the Rana elite adopted European Neoclassical and Baroque forms as symbols of modernity and power. Palaces such as Thapathali Durbar and Singha Durbar (1903) replaced exposed brick and carved timber with lime-stuccoed facades, classical orders, colonnaded porticos and pediments.

10The Kathmandu Valley was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979. How is the property made up?

A.One continuous protected zone covering the whole valley floor and its rim

B.Seven monument zones: three Durbar Squares, Swayambhu, Boudha, Pashupati and Changu Narayan

C.Seven zones: the three Durbar Squares plus Lumbini, Gorkha, Kirtipur and Panauti

D.Five zones: the three Durbar Squares plus the Pashupati and Swayambhu complexes

Explanation: The Kathmandu Valley World Heritage property consists of seven monument zones: the Durbar Squares of Kathmandu (Hanuman Dhoka), Patan and Bhaktapur; the Buddhist stupas of Swayambhu and Boudhanath; and the Hindu temple complexes of Pashupatinath and Changu Narayan.

About the NEC Architecture Exam

The Nepal Engineering Council Registration Examination for architecture (syllabus code AArc) is the written exam that architecture graduates must pass to register with the Nepal Engineering Council as general registered engineers, as required under the Nepal Engineering Council Act, 2055 (first amendment 2079). Under NEC's 2082 exam procedure, the paper has 100 one-mark multiple-choice questions, 10 from each of the 10 syllabus chapters, covering Nepalese architectural heritage, materials and services, history and theory, design studio, structures and building science, settlement planning, landscape, policy and professional practice, and project planning. This page offers independent practice by OpenExamPrep.

Exam sponsor: Nepal Engineering Council (NEC). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

100 multiple-choice questions of 1 mark each (full marks 100) in 2 hours. Each of the 10 syllabus chapters contributes 10 questions, with at least one question from each of its 6 sub-chapters. The pass mark is 50%.

Time Limit

2 hours

Passing Score

50%

Exam / Certification Fees

NPR 2,500

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

10%

Architectural Context in Nepal

Licchavi to Rana architecture, traditional typologies, vernacular regions, heritage conservation, and bylaw terms such as FAR, ground coverage, setback, ROW and light plane.

10%

Building Material, Construction Technology & Components (Services)

Stone, brick, timber, lime, cement and concrete; walls and finishes; foundations; concrete and steel works; damp and fire prevention; basic MEP services.

10%

Architectural History and Theories

Ancient, medieval and Eastern architecture, Modern and Post-Modern movements, master and contemporary architects, and modern Nepalese architecture.

10%

Architecture Design-I (Basic Studio Works)

Composition, projection and perspective, architectural drawings, design process and bubble diagrams, CAD basics, and small design projects.

10%

Architecture Design-II (Advanced Studio Works)

Advanced drawings and design process, universal design, rendering and BIM software, municipal drawing sets, construction details and complex projects.

10%

Basic Engineering Aspects & Building Science in Architecture

Structural basics, steel and RCC design, surveying and estimating, climatology, lighting, acoustics and passive energy design.

10%

Settlement Planning and Architecture

Planning theories, planning practice in Nepal, demography, land pooling and GLD, squatter settlements, urban design and planning legislation.

10%

Site Works and Landscaping

Site analysis, soils and topography, grading and drainage, hard and soft landscape, open spaces and roof gardens.

10%

Architects, Society and Policies

Architecture and society, professional role and conduct, National Building Codes, planning, apartment and procurement laws, shelter policy and valuation.

10%

Project Planning, Design and Implementation

Engineering drawing and economics, CPM/PERT scheduling, tendering and contracts, professional practice, and the NEC Act and Regulations.

Preparing for the NEC Architecture Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 50%
Assessment: 100 multiple-choice questions of 1 mark each (full marks 100) in 2 hours. Each of the 10 syllabus chapters contributes 10 questions, with at least one question from each of its 6 sub-chapters. The pass mark is 50%.
Time limit: 2 hours
Exam / certification fees: NPR 2,500 Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

Work through all 102 available questions
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NEC Architecture: Suggested Study Strategy

1Work through the official AArc syllabus chapter by chapter; each chapter carries 10 of the 100 marks, with at least one question from every sub-chapter.

2Learn traditional Newar terms and typologies, such as dachi appa, tudal, sanjhya, bahal and bahil, dabali, pati and hiti, and the chhidi–mata–chota–baiga zoning of houses.

3Practice quick calculations: FAR and ground coverage, slope from contours, bending moments, U-values, Sabine's reverberation time, CPM float, PERT, depreciation and NPV.

4Review current Nepalese codes and laws, including NBC 105:2025 importance factors, NBC 206:2015 exits, ramps and parking, building-permit steps in the Local Government Operation Act, 2074, and bid security under the Public Procurement Regulations, 2064.

5Read the Nepal Engineering Council Act, 2055 and the code of conduct in Rule 18 of the NEC Regulations, 2057.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the format and passing score of the NEC Architecture registration exam?

Under NEC's 2082 exam procedure, the paper has 100 multiple-choice questions worth 1 mark each (full marks 100), takes 2 hours, and requires 50% to pass. It replaced the earlier scheme of 60 one-mark and 20 two-mark questions. The official marking scheme does not list a negative-marking rule.

How are questions distributed across the syllabus?

The AArc syllabus has 10 chapters with 6 sub-chapters each. NEC sets 10 questions from each chapter, including at least one question from every sub-chapter, so each chapter carries 10% of the marks.

How much does the NEC Architecture exam cost?

The exam fee is NPR 2,500, paid with the online application at register.nec.gov.np; applications in the late window after the normal deadline cost double. After passing, the NEC Regulations set a registration fee of NPR 5,000 for entry in the register as a general registered engineer.

Who is eligible to sit the exam?

Applicants need a bachelor's degree in architecture from an institution recognized by the Nepal Engineering Council. The application includes certified copies of the degree, the Nepali citizenship certificate, and an equivalence certificate where one is required.

In what language is the exam conducted?

The official AArc syllabus and NEC's model question paper for architecture are in English, and this practice bank is also in English.

Is this practice bank official?

No. These are independent practice questions by OpenExamPrep for studying the NEC Architecture syllabus topics. They are not NEC questions, and NEC's notices on nec.gov.np remain the authority on exam dates, fees and rules.