JEE Main 2026 Complete Exam Analysis: Which was Toughest Shift? Difficulty & Expected Cutoff
JEE Main 2026 complete paper analysis covers all exam shifts and overall difficulty level. Candidates can also check expected cutoff and toughest shift of JEE 2026 based on student feedback and expert reviews.
JEE Main 2026 Complete Exam Analysis
JEE Main Exam Analysis: National Testing Agency conducted JEE Main 2026 session 1 exam from January 21 to 28 for BE/BTech papers. Based on student feedback and expert analysis, JEE Main 2026 January 23 shift 2 has been identified as toughest shift this year. It is closely followed by January 22 Shift 2, which was also considered highly challenging.
This year, JEE Main 2026 exam pattern and difficulty level were different from previous years. Chemistry, which is considered easiest subject, was rated difficult and lengthy in almost all shifts. Physics and Chemistry were time taking. JEE Mains Maths section was especially lengthy and time-consuming. Knowing toughest and easiest shifts of JEE Main 2026 will help students better understand marks-versus-percentile trends for each shift.
Also Read: JEE Main Jan 28 Exam Analysis Live Updates
Which shift was toughest in JEE Main 2026?
Candidates can check JEE Main difficulty level for all days
| Dates |
Shift 1 Difficulty Level |
Shift 2 Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| January 21, 2026 |
Moderate |
Moderate |
| January 22, 2026 |
Easy to Moderate |
Moderate to Difficult |
| January 23, 2026 |
Moderate |
Moderate to Challenging |
| January 24, 2026 |
Moderate and very Lengthy |
Moderate and Lengthy |
| January 28, 2026 |
Moderate and lengthy |
Moderate |
JEE Main 2026 Difficulty Level in Different Shifts
Commonly asked questions
JEE Main session 1 exam 2026 had varying difficulty levels on different days and shifts. On January 21, both shifts were overall moderate, with Mathematics being toughest section, especially in shift 2, where it was lengthy and difficult. JEE Main January 22 shift 1 was rated easy to moderate, while Shift 2 turned out to be moderate to difficult due to very lengthy and challenging Maths questions. On January 23, Shift 1 was moderate and lengthy, whereas Shift 2 was considered moderate to hard. January 24 exams were mostly moderate, with lengthy papers in both shifts, especially in Mathematics and Chemistry. The January 28 Shift 1 paper was rated moderate overall, with all three subjects being lengthy.
JEE Main 2026 Expected Cutoff
Candidates can check expected JEE Main cutoffs for all categories, including General (CRL), OBC-NCL, EWS, SC, ST, and PwD based on exam difficulty
| Categories |
Expected Cutoff |
|---|---|
| General |
93.3045326 |
| Gen-EWS |
81.4387917 |
| OBC-NCL |
80.7456432 |
| SC |
61.3526948 |
| ST |
48.2456783 |
| UR-PwD |
0.0082349 |
Read More
Follow Shiksha.com for latest education news in detail on Exam Results, Dates, Admit Cards, & Schedules, Colleges & Universities news related to Admissions & Courses, Board exams, Scholarships, Careers, Education Events, New education policies & Regulations.
To get in touch with Shiksha news team, please write to us at news@shiksha.com
Sanjana Surbhi is education focused content specialist with over five years of experience in education sector. She covers engineering and government exams. She holds Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Patn
Read Full Bio