The first shift of the second day of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) mains 2026 is over, and students are now looking for the unofficial answer answer keys
and review of the question paper. The overall difficulty level of the first shift of the January 22 exam was rated to be easy to moderate, offering a student-friendly experience, particularly in Chemistry. The paper strongly rewarded candidates who had prepared thoroughly from NCERT textbooks, with most questions being theoretical and concept-driven rather than application-heavy. As of now, students have rated Physics to be a bit more challenging than Chemistry of Mathematics, specifically due to statement-based questions from fluid mechanics. Meanwhile, students also stated that Mathematics was lengthier today than the previous day. Chemistry carried greater weightage, with many direct questions drawn from NCERT lines, tables, and factual content. Organic Chemistry questions were largely straightforward, focusing on basic reactions and standard mechanisms. There were very few numerical or tricky application-based questions, making the section approachable for well-prepared students.
| Subject | Difficulty Level | Key Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | Easy to Moderate | Mostly NCERT-based and theoretical questions; minimal tricky or application-heavy problems; paper was length-wise manageable |
| Chemistry | Easy to Moderate | Strong focus on NCERT; Inorganic Chemistry had higher weightage with direct concept and fact-based questions; Organic Chemistry questions were standard |
| Mathematics | Moderate | Manageable overall; fewer lengthy or complex problems compared to tougher shifts; paper could be completed on time |
Physics remained easy to moderate, with questions leaning more towards theory and conceptual understanding. The absence of confusing or out-of-syllabus questions helped students maintain confidence and momentum through the paper.
Mathematics was moderate in difficulty but balanced, without excessive length or complexity. The paper was well within manageable limits, allowing students to complete all sections comfortably within the allotted time.
Approximate Questions From Each Chapter (Subject-Wise)
| Subject | Topic | Number of Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | Gravitational Escape Velocity | 2 |
| Physics | Ray Optics | 3 |
| Physics | Moment of Inertia (MOI) | 1 |
| Physics | Electrostatics | 2 |
| Physics | NLM (Newton’s Laws of Motion) | 1 |
| Chemistry | Chemical Bonding | 2 |
| Chemistry | Chemical Kinetics | 1 |
| Chemistry | P-Block Elements | 2 |
| Chemistry | Solutions | 1 |
| Chemistry | Periodic Properties | 2 |
| Mathematics | Functions | 2 |
| Mathematics | Matrices | 2 |
| Mathematics | Vector Algebra | 2 |
| Mathematics | Three-Dimensional Geometry | 3 |
| Mathematics | Calculus | 1 |
| Mathematics | Differential Equations | 1 |
Overall, the shift rewarded clarity of fundamentals, disciplined NCERT-based preparation, and calm execution, making it a fair and scoring paper for most aspirants, said Ujjwal Singh, Founding CEO, Infinity Learn by Sri Chaitanya.
JEE Mains 2026 is being conducted in two shifts, 9 am to 12 noon and 3 pm to 6 pm. The first session of this exam (January session) commenced on January 21 and will conclude on January 29, 2026. The Paper I exam will be held on January 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28, 2026 in two shifts - first shift from 9 am to 12 noon and second shift from 3 pm to 6 pm. Paper II will be held on January 29, 2026 in single shift - from 9 am to 12:30 pm.
Paper 1 (B.E. /B. Tech.) is being held in the “Computer Based Test (CBT)” mode; Paper 2A (B. Arch): Mathematics (Part-I) and Aptitude Test (Part-II) in “Computer Based Test (CBT)” mode and Drawing Test (Part-III) in pen and paper (offline) mode, to be attempted on a drawing sheet of A4 size; Paper 2B (B. Planning): Mathematics (Part-I), Aptitude Test (Part-II), and Planning-Based Questions (Part-III) in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.
