The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 examination for January 22, 2026 was held in two shifts at exam centres nationwide. Both the morning and afternoon sessions of this national‑level engineering entrance test were conducted as per schedule, with candidates providing initial reactions on paper difficulty and trends.
JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Exam Schedule
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is conducting JEE Main 2026 Session 1 from 21 January 2026 to 29 January 2026, with daily exams held in two shifts — the first from 9 am to 12 noon and the second from 3 pm to 6 pm. The January 22 exams followed this format, and both shifts concluded smoothly without major disruptions.
JEE Main 2026 January 22 Shift 1 Difficulty and Reviews
The January 22 Shift 1 exam was reported by many students to be of moderate overall difficulty with a mix of easy, medium and a few challenging questions. Physics was seen as mostly concept‑based and manageable, while Mathematics posed time‑management challenges due to lengthier numerical problems. Chemistry questions were generally NCERT‑aligned and approachable for well‑prepared candidates. Students suggested that scoring around 170–180 marks could lead to a high percentile performance based on this shift’s pattern.
JEE Main 2026 January 22 Shift 2 Analysis
Initial student feedback indicates that the afternoon shift (Shift 2), held from 3 pm to 6 pm, followed trends similar to the morning session in overall difficulty. Reports suggest the paper was balanced yet time‑intensive, with questions across Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics requiring careful problem‑solving and application‑based thinking. Specific subject difficulty and student reactions for Shift 2 will be updated as more responses are gathered.
JEE Main 2026 Subject‑Wise Trends and Difficulty
Feedback from test‑takers showed the following general trends on January 22:
- Physics: Conceptual and formula‑based questions, largely moderate in difficulty.
- Chemistry: Largely aligned with NCERT, making it accessible and scoring for many.
- Mathematics: Lengthy numerical problems remained the most time‑consuming and challenging section for several students.
JEE Main 2026 Expected Marks vs Percentile
Based on the difficulty level of the Shift 1 paper, expert projections suggest that a score of 190–200 marks could correspond to near 99 percentile performance — though exact percentiles depend on overall trends across all exam days and shifts.
JEE Main Answer Key and Next Steps
Memory‑based answer keys and question papers for both shifts are being shared by coaching experts soon after each session. These unofficial solutions help candidates estimate probable scores before the official answer keys are released on the NTA’s website. The final answer key and results for JEE Main 2026 Session 1 will be declared after all exams conclude. Candidates are advised to check the official website regularly for official answer keys, scorecards, and other updates.
