The BTech and BE papers of JEE Main were conducted between January 21 and January 28. Overall, the papers were of moderate difficulty, though the level varied across shifts and subjects. Compared with last year’s sessions, most shifts were assessed as easy to moderately difficult. However, in several shifts, the Mathematics section was perceived as moderately difficult. For more updates on JEE Main answer key, result date and analysis, click here
In terms of structure, the papers largely adhered to the JEE Main blueprint and were aligned with the NCERT syllabus. The focus was on testing fundamental conceptual understanding and the application of concepts to problem-solving, rather than rote memorisation.
Shift-wise difficulty level and variability across multiple days
TL;DR: The overall difficulty level of the JEE Main paper across all days was moderate.
The overall difficulty level of the JEE Main paper across all days was moderate. On certain days, some shifts — particularly in Physics and Chemistry — were slightly easier, while on others, especially during evening sessions, the Mathematics section featured several lengthy and complex problems, pushing the overall difficulty to moderate to difficult. Morning shifts, by contrast, were generally more balanced than afternoon or evening shifts. Despite these variations, the degree of shift-wise fluctuation over the four-day examination window remained within the expected range.
As a result, the normalisation process is expected to effectively address minor differences across shifts and ensure parity in score evaluation.
When compared with previous years, the overall difficulty trend shows minimal change. However, a gradual and consistent shift is evident across all three subjects: Mathematics questions have become longer and more calculation-intensive; Chemistry has increasingly relied on NCERT-based content; and Physics has placed greater emphasis on application-based questions. With speed, accuracy, and conceptual clarity taking precedence over rote learning, these trends have become more pronounced in recent years.
Overview of subjects from January 21 to 28
Physics continues to be a consistently moderate subject during the JEE Main 2026 January session, while Chemistry varied with moderate/difficult questions on some days and easy questions on other days. In addition, the Mathematics section was the most difficult area to test, which was primarily related to the long, multi-step calculations instead of extreme concepts.
Physics remained consistent in overall scoring across all days. The Physics section of the exam on January 23 had moderate questions covering topics including the De Broglie wavelength and matter waves, electrostatics, magnetic effects of current, wave and ray optics, capacitors, semiconductors, and modern physics. The questions were designed to test the students’ understanding of the basic principles as well as their ability to apply them correctly.
The Physics section covered a significant number of topics like electrostatics, capacitors, current electricity, ray optics, and modern physics.
Many questions were based on formulae, and the majority of numerical problems were either direct or calculus-based.
The trend in the Physics section of the exam from January 21-28 showed a preference for accuracy over speed. Students who were well-prepared with their NCERT information and could demonstrate their knowledge of formulae benefited the most from this trend.
Mathematics was the hardest section for all test days. The January 23 exam was the hardest section by a clear margin as it yielded lengthy multi-step problems. Mathematics was moderate to difficult on January 24, with the majority of the weight coming from coordinate geometry (parabola, circle, straight line), matrix and determinant, vector, and 3D geometry and one long question on definite integration. The number of at-work direct formula substitution questions was very low.
On January 28, Mathematics was moderate to difficult, having very few conceptual issues, but primarily driven by calculus (definite integrals, application of derivatives), coordinate geometry, vector/3D. This makes the section very time-consuming owing to the number of calculations involved. An attempt range of 10–14 questions with an emphasis on accuracy is recommended.
Final Verdict: Mathematics will continue to be the most important differentiator between top rankers.
Question and answer format
TL;DR: There are two sections in the Paper: Section A consists of multiple-choice questions (Single Correct Answer), and Section B consists of Numerical Value-Based Questions.
There are two sections in the Paper: Section A consists of multiple-choice questions (Single Correct Answer), and Section B consists of Numerical Value-Based Questions. Section B does not provide an internal choice for each question. The majority of the questions are standard in nature; however, many of the required extended reasoning beyond single steps to solve Mathematical problems.
Profile of attempted questions for JEE Main:
Curated by James Chen
