JEE Main 2021–2025 Difficulty Trend: Subject-Wise Analysis, Comparison

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• Updated on 19 Jan, 2026, 1:17 PM, by Ishita Tanwar

The JEE Main exam difficulty has shown variation over the past five years, with Maths consistently the most challenging section. Physics and Chemistry patterns also shifted, helping students gauge preparation focus for future attempts.

Understanding the year-on-year difficulty pattern of the JEE Main exam can help aspirants fine-tune preparation strategy and set realistic performance goals. Over the five exam cycles from 2021 to 2025, trends in overall toughness and subject-wise challenge levels have emerged that provide insights into how the test evolved. Here is a comparison of difficulty levels for each year based on expert reviews and student feedback from previous JEE Main sessions.

JEE Main 2021: Mixed Difficulty Across Sessions

The 2021 sessions showed a generally moderate overall level, with fluctuations across shifts. Some sessions were easier while others leaned slightly more demanding, reflecting variability as the exam adapted to pandemic-era formats.

JEE Main 2022: Mathematics Challenging, Others Balanced

In 2022, the Mathematics section emerged as comparatively harder with multi-step problems. Physics was moderate overall, and Chemistry stayed relatively balanced and manageable. The difficulty spectrum ranged from moderate to somewhat challenging.

JEE Main 2023: Chemistry Scored Well for Candidates

By 2023, Chemistry was frequently reported as one of the more accessible sections, often based on straightforward NCERT-linked questions. Physics remained within the easy-to-moderate band, while Mathematics continued to present a moderate challenge.

JEE Main 2024: Consistent Moderation Across Subjects

The 2024 sessions maintained a moderate overall difficulty, with Physics and Chemistry often easier than Maths. Variations occurred across shifts, but the general trend pointed to a stable level of challenge, neither exceptionally tough nor too easy.

JEE Main 2025: Maths Still Toughest, Chemistry Easier

In 2025, the continuing trend saw Mathematics as the most demanding subject due to lengthy and complex problem solving. Physics was moderately difficult, and Chemistry remained among the easiest and most scoring sections for many candidates.

Year-Wise Difficulty Overview

Year	Mathematics	Physics	Chemistry	Overall
2021	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Mixed
2022	Difficult	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate to Tough
2023	Moderate	Easy to Moderate	Easy	Moderate
2024	Moderate	Moderate	Easy	Moderate
2025	Challenging	Moderate	Easiest	Moderate to Tough

What This Means for JEE Main 2026 Aspirants?

These trends reveal a few consistent patterns:

Mathematics tends to be the most time-consuming and conceptually demanding section year after year.
Chemistry often offers scoring opportunities through NCERT-based and direct concept questions.
Physics usually sits between Maths and Chemistry in difficulty, with conceptual problems requiring clear understanding.

Understanding this pattern can help candidates prioritise preparation areas, focus revision on recurring tough topics, and simulate exam conditions to build time management skills.

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