The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted JEE Main 2026 Session 1 in multiple shifts during January 2026. Based on student feedback and expert analysis, one particular session stood out as the most difficult among those completed so far. According to responses from candidates appearing in various shifts, the 23 January 2026 evening shift (often referred to as Shift 2) was widely rated as the toughest of all, primarily due to the length and complexity of questions — especially in Mathematics and Chemistry. This shift involved numerous concept-intensive and time-consuming problems, making it more challenging compared with others
How Shifts Varied in Difficulty?
JEE Main 2026 Session 1 consisted of ten different shifts for the B.Tech (BE/B.Tech) paper, with student reactions showing variation in difficulty levels:
- Maths tended to be lengthy and time-consuming across most shifts, posing challenges for many test-takers.
- Chemistry had a mix of conceptual, tricky and statement-based questions that pushed up difficulty in several sessions.
- Physics was generally moderate to easier in most slots, except in the toughest shift where all three sections demanded more effort overall.
While a few other shifts were described as moderate to difficult, including some on 22 January, the 23 January evening paper emerged as the most formidable based on feedback collected from candidates who appeared in those slots.
Why the Jan 23 Evening Shift Was Considered Tough?
Students and subject experts pointed to a few common reasons why this shift was perceived as the hardest:
- Lengthy and calculation-heavy Mathematics questions that required careful time management.
- Challenging conceptual chemistry questions that tested deeper understanding.
- A high proportion of problems that were time-intensive rather than straightforward.
In other shifts, although individual sections like maths or chemistry were demanding, the balance between subjects and overall time-consumption made them more manageable compared with the 23 January evening session.
Impact on Preparation and Future Attempts
A tough shift can lower raw marks, but normalisation ensures fairness across all sessions, adjusting scores to a common scale so that percentiles reflect relative performance more accurately. Candidates are encouraged to focus on strengths across subjects and use difficulty feedback to refine revision strategies for future sessions, including the April 2026 session.