After the completion of JEE Main 2026 Session 1 (January 21 to January 28), a clear picture of paper difficulty has emerged. While no shift can be called “easy,” based on student feedback, teacher reviews, and early exam analysis, some shifts were clearly more challenging than others.
Across almost all JEE Main 2026 shifts, Mathematics remained the toughest section, while Physics was mostly scoring. Chemistry, however, played a key role in deciding which paper felt easy and which one turned stressful. However, the Physics section in Day 4 JEE Mains 2026 (Jan 23) was a shocker for students, being the toughest among all. When all three subjects are considered together, experts have now shortlisted the toughest shift of JEE Mains till now.
According to the JEE Main session 1 exam analysis 2026, the three toughest shifts are:
- JEE Main 2026 - 22 January Shift 2
- JEE Main 2026 - 23 January Shift 2
- JEE Main 2026 - 28 January Shift 1
Among these, 23 January Shift 2 and 22 January Shift 2 are being considered the toughest shifts of JEE Mains till now due to the combined pressure of lengthy Mathematics and tricky Chemistry. Having said that, the 28 January Shift 1 session was no less in terms of difficulty. Mathematics was the most challenging subject on 28th January, followed by Chemistry. According to some experts, the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 exam is the toughest in recent years (2025, 2024, 2023)!
Check Out:
| JEE Main Shift 2 Question Paper 2026 January 23 | |
|---|---|
| JEE Mains Question Paper 22 January 2026 Shift 2 |
JEE Main 2026 January 23 Shift 2
Subject | Overall Difficulty Level | Expert Analysis | Difficulty Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
Mathematics | Moderate to Difficult | Main focus is on Coordinate Geometry (Straight Lines & Circles) and Calculus. Conceptually manageable but extremely calculation-intensive with multi-step problems. | 8.0 / 10 |
Physics | Difficult | Emerging as the toughest section of the shift. Questions required JEE Advanced-level thinking, focusing on conceptual application rather than direct formula use. High weightage in Modern Physics and Electrostatics. | 8.5 / 10 |
Chemistry | Moderate | Balanced across Organic, Inorganic, and Physical. Tricky due to a high number of statement-based and assertion-reasoning questions. Good NCERT clarity was the main differentiator here. | 6.5 / 10 |
Overall | Difficult | Widely regarded as the most difficult shift of the session so far. Time management was the biggest hurdle, with many students unable to complete the paper. | 8.0 / 10 |
Also Read: Which JEE Main Jan 2026 Shift Was the Easiest Till Now?
JEE Main 2026 January 22 Shift 2
The JEE Main 2026 22 Jan Shift 2 paper is currently rated as the second most difficult shift of the session. Both students and experts agreed that the Mathematics section was on the tougher side and extremely time-consuming.
Subject | Overall Difficulty Level | Expert Analysis | Difficulty Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
Mathematics | Difficult & Very Lengthy | Focus on Calculus, Vectors, and 3D. Calculations were multi-step, making it nearly impossible to finish on time. | 8.8 / 10 |
Physics | Easy to Moderate | Balanced paper with emphasis on Ray Optics and Fluid Mechanics. Formula-based but required conceptual clarity. | 5.5 / 10 |
Chemistry | Moderate | Heavily NCERT-focused. Organic Chemistry was dominant with named reactions, while Physical Chemistry had tricky numericals. | 6.5 / 10 |
Overall | Moderate to Difficult | Rated as the toughest shift so far because the Maths section took up a lot of time, leaving less time for the other sections. | 7.5 / 10 |
Also Read: Math Difficulty Rising in JEE Main 2026 Session 1: Shift-wise Weightage
JEE Main 2026 January 28 Shift 1
The JEE Main 2026 28 Jan Shift 1 exam followed a demanding morning shift but increased the difficulty level mainly through Chemistry, which usually acts as a scoring section.
Subject | Overall Difficulty Level | Expert Analysis | Difficulty Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
Mathematics | Moderate to Difficult | Lengthy, but included some familiar patterns from PYQs. Still required high calculation accuracy in Algebra and Coordinate Geometry. | 8.2 / 10 |
Physics | Easy to Moderate | Most scoring section. Heavily focused on Modern Physics and Current Electricity. Very student-friendly. | 5.0 / 10 |
Chemistry | Difficult / Analytical | Harder than Shift 1. Included deep conceptual questions from Organic Chemistry and assertion-reasoning types. | 7.2 / 10 |
Overall | Moderate to Difficult | Higher difficulty in Chemistry and Mathematics made it harder for students to balance their total scores compared to Shift 1. | 7.0 / 10 |
Check
JEE Main 2026 Jan 21 Shift 1 vs Shift 2: Which was tougher and why?
Based on the NTA JEE Mains exam trend and early analysis, 23 January Shift 2 currently stands as the toughest shift of JEE Main 2026 Session 1. Students appearing in upcoming shifts should be prepared for lengthy Mathematics and concept-heavy Chemistry, while using Physics as a scoring section to balance their attempts.
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