JEE Main Paper Review 2026 January 21 Shift 1(Available): Chemistry Moderate to Difficult, Check student and expert reviews
The JEE Main 2026 January 21 Shift 1 exam was of moderate difficulty. Chemistry was Moderate to Difficult, Physics was Easy to Moderate. Mathematics was Moderate. Here’s a detailed review with student feedback from exam centres and expert insights to help you understand the paper pattern and scoring areas.
JEE Main 2026 January 21 Shift 1 Question Paperwas ofmoderate difficulty overall, but the level varied from subject to subject. If you managed your time properly and stayed calm during the exam, there were good chances to score well.Physics was Easy to Moderate focused more on understanding concepts and using basic formulas. Chemistry was mostly based on NCERT and felt Moderate to Difficult to attempt for many students. Mathematics, however, was the longest section and took more time to solve. Surprisingly, this shift's Mathematics was comparatively easier than Chemistry.No out-of-syllabus questions were asked, according to the students.Most of the questions were asked about the 3D Vector.
Overall paper was balanced but required careful calculation, especially in numerical questions where small mistakes could cost marks. If you performed well in Chemistry and chose Mathematics questions smartly instead of attempting all of them, it would have helped you aim for a higher percentile.
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JEE Mains 2026 January 21 Shift 1 Student Reviews
The CollegeDekho team visited exam centres inRai Bareilly, Saharanpur, and Pratapgarhto collect feedback right after the exam. Most students came out of the exam hall feeling reasonably positive, though they agreed that smart time management was important.
- Aman Verma (Rai Bareilly)said that the Physics section felt familiar and was mostly based on formulas. Many questions were asked from current electricity, modern physics, and mechanics. He felt the calculations were simple, but you needed a clear understanding of concepts to solve them correctly.
- As per the student, from Optics, a question from Microscope was asked, which has never been asked in the last four years. Questions of Inorganic Chemistry were tough followed by Organic and Physical Chemistry.
- Another student stated that many questions were asked from Chemical Bonding and 1-2 questions were asked from GOC.
- Shreya Singh (Saharanpur)found Chemistry to be the easiest section. She mentioned that physical chemistry had direct numerical questions, inorganic chemistry was clearly based on NCERT, and organic chemistry focused on basic reaction concepts without any surprise elements.
- Mohit Kumar (Pratapgarh)felt that Mathematics took the most time. He noticed that calculus had a major share of questions, especially from definite integration and application of derivatives, which made it difficult to attempt all questions within the given time.
- Neha Gupta (Rai Bareilly)said that the paper followed the expected pattern, but small mistakes could easily reduce scores. She advised you to focus on accuracy instead of trying to attempt too many questions.
- Arjun Yadav (Saharanpur)shared that the paper rewarded regular and disciplined preparation. He felt confident in Physics and Chemistry, but said that Mathematics involved multiple steps, making it hard to solve every question.
Overall, student feedback shows that if you practiced mock tests well, the paper felt manageable and not too stressful.
Subject Expert Review on JEE Mains 2026 January 21 Shift 1 Question Paper
According toSupreeta Roy, Subject Expert in guiding JEE aspirants, January 21 Shift 1 paper tested how well you understood concepts rather than how much you memorised. She explained that Physics questions were based on applying basic ideas, not just using formulas blindly. Topics like semiconductor devices and ray optics were given balanced importance.She also pointed out that Chemistry was a good scoring subject for students who prepared properly. Inorganic chemistry could be solved easily using NCERT, while organic chemistry checked your understanding of reaction steps. Mathematics, however, was kept lengthy on purpose to separate high scorers, with calculus and coordinate geometry playing a key role in deciding overall performance.
JEE Main 2026 January 21 Shift 1 Topic-Wise Weightage (Memory-Based)
The following topic-wise weightage is based on memory-based questions recalled by students.
Physics (Memory-Based)
Topic | Total Number of Questions Asked |
Current Electricity | 1-2 |
Modern Physics | 3 |
Mechanics | 4–5 |
Optics | 2 |
Thermodynamics | 2 |
Electrostatistics | 2 |
| Kinematics | 1 |
Chemistry (Memory-Based)
Topic | Total Number of Questions Asked |
Physical Chemistry | 8–9 |
Organic Chemistry | 6–7 |
Inorganic Chemistry | 6 |
Mole Concept | 3-4 |
| Chemical Compound | 3-4 |
| Coordination | 3 |
Mathematics (Memory-Based)
Topic | Total Number of Questions Asked |
Calculus | 8–9 |
Coordinate Geometry | 5–6 |
Algebra | 4–5 |
Trigonometry & Vectors | 2–3 |
| 3D Geometry | 2 |
Final Verdict on JEE Main 2026 January 21 Shift 1 Question Paper by CollegeDekho
The JEE Main 2026 January 21 Shift 1 paper was well-balanced and neither too easy nor too difficult. If you were clear with basic concepts, prepared Chemistry mainly from NCERT, and attempted Mathematics questions wisely instead of trying everything, the paper likely went well for you. The questions were familiar, but staying calm and choosing the right questions was important to score better.According to CollegeDekho’s overall review, this shift is expected to have a moderate level of competition when it comes to percentile calculation. Chemistry helped you score comfortably, while Mathematics played a major role in separating higher scores from average ones. If you followed your exam strategy properly and avoided silly mistakes, you can expect a positive result from this shift.
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