JEE Main 2026 Paper Analysis Jan 21–28: Difficulty, Weightage & Cutoff

The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 paper analysis for January 21 to 28 is now available. Based on student feedback and expert review, the overall exam difficulty remained moderate. Chemistry emerged as the toughest section, while Maths was lengthy in most shifts.

JEE Main 2026 Jan Session Difficulty Level (Jan 21–28)

The January session followed a balanced pattern across shifts, with slight variations in difficulty.

• Overall difficulty: Moderate
• Toughest section: Chemistry
• Lengthiest section: Mathematics
• Easiest section: Physics (mostly easy to moderate)

Experts observed that Chemistry was comparatively tougher than previous years, while Physics remained formula-based.

JEE Main 28 Jan Shift 1 & 2 Analysis 2026

January 28 exams showed clear variation between shifts.

Shift 1 Analysis

Shift 2 Analysis

Shift 2 was reported as the easiest paper of the session by most candidates.

JEE Main 2026 Paper Analysis Jan 22–24 Trends

A clear trend was observed between January 22 and 24 exams.

• January 22 Shift 2: Toughest paper overall
• January 23 Shift 2: High difficulty level
• January 24: Moderate but lengthy

Maths remained the most time-consuming section across all these days.

JEE Main 2026 Subject-Wise Weightage Trends

The exam followed expected topic distribution with repeated high-weightage areas.

Mathematics:

• High weightage: Calculus, Vectors & 3D
• Moderate: Algebra, Coordinate Geometry

Physics:

• Frequent: Optics, Current Electricity, Modern Physics
• Moderate: Thermodynamics

Chemistry:

• High weightage: Organic Chemistry, Coordination Compounds
• Tough areas: Physical Chemistry numericals

JEE Main 2026 Expected Cutoff (Session 1)

Based on difficulty level and student attempts, the expected cutoff range is:

• General: 88–92 percentile
• OBC/EWS: 70–75 percentile
• SC/ST: 45–55 percentile

The final cutoff may vary after normalization across shifts.

JEE Main 2026 Analysis Key Takeaways

The JEE Main 2026 January session maintained a consistent pattern with moderate difficulty. Chemistry stood out as the toughest section, while Maths required strong time management. Easier shifts like January 28 Shift 2 may influence normalization, but overall cutoff trends are expected to remain stable.