JEE Main 2026 January Session: Will Day 1 and 2 Exam Difficulty Level Impact Cutoff?
Call 8585951111
JEE Main 2026 January session started with different difficulty levels on day 1 and 2 exams. With this students are wondering whether JEE Main 2026 cutoff will be affected or lowered. Check details here
Will JEE Main 2026 Day 1 and 2 Exam Difficulty Level Impact Cutoff?
JEE Main Analysis: The first two days of Joint Entrance Examination Main 2026 January session saw difference in difficulty levels across shifts. JEE Main 2026 day 1 and 2 difficulty level may affect final cutoff and percentile distribution. As per candidates who appeared for JEE Main exam on January 21, shift 1 paper had a lengthy Chemistry and moderate Math and Physics. Whereas, shift 2 paper of JEE Main 2026 was slightly tougher than shift 1.
The overall JEE Main Jan 22 shift 2 exam 2026 was Moderate to tough. Whereas, day 2 shift 1 exam was overall easier than the Jan 21 shift 1 exam. NTA is conducting JEE Main session 1 exam from January 21 to 29, 2026 in morning and afternoon shifts.
GET Real-Time Updates: JEE Main 2026 Jan 24 Shift 1 & 2 Paper Analysis and Answer Keys
JEE Main 2026 January Session Day 1 Difficulty Level
On day 1, January 21, student and expert shift 1 was described as moderate to difficult, particularly in Physics and Chemistry, with some questions demanding conceptual clarity. JEE Main Jan 21 Shift 2 was slightly tougher than shift 1, with Mathematics and Chemistry as time taking calculations. According to initial feedback, Chemistry was based on NCERT but had tricky questions in Physical Chemistry, while Mathematics posed a challenge due that could suppress raw scores.
JEE Main 2026 January Session Day 2 Difficulty Level
JEE Main Jan 22 Shift 1 was rated easy to moderate. Physics and Chemistry were comparatively more straightforward, while some candidates found Mathematics tricky but manageable. Shift 2 was moderate to difficult with Mathematics and Physics as challenging again. Experts noted that this shift might be among the most demanding so far. Physics had more theoretical emphasis in several shifts, and lengthy calculations in Maths increased time pressure, factors that influence overall performance.
JEE Main 2026 January Session Day 1 and 2 Difficulty Level Impact on Cutoff
After day 1 and 2 feedback, students were wondering whether this difficulty would lower or raise JEE Main 2026 session 1 cutoffs
JEE Main Difficulty vs Cutoff
Tougher papers generally reduce JEE Main cutoffs, as very few candidates achieve high raw marks, reducing raw score needed for a given percentile. Easier shifts raise raw JEE Mains mark requirements for the same percentile, yet normalisation across shifts ensures fairness.
Through the normalisation process, NTA adjusts scores across shifts. A tougher day 1 shift 2 may see higher normalised performance points than easier shifts, balancing out differences.
JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Expectations
Commonly asked questions
The time period required to complete the JEE Main preparation depends mainly on the students. Every student has their own pace of study. Ideally, 6-month time is good enough to complete the JEE Main preparation. Students who have started preparing from class 11 or 12 can easily prepare for JEE Main in 6 months considering the topics of JEE syllabus have already been studied in classes 11 and 12.
JEE Main preparation is most effective with classes 11 and 12 as almost 90-95 percent of topics are similar in both exams. This way students can easily complete the entire JEE Main syllabus as well as the syllabus of classes 11 and 12. After the board exams, students get 1-2 months' time where they can focus entirely on JEE Main. Students who have started late for the JEE Main exam can make a 6-month plan where in the first three months they have to focus on revising the syllabus studied in classes 11 and 12. In the next two months focus on solving questions of JEE Main and analyzing the mistakes being made, if any. The last month should be focused on solving mock tests and JEE Main previous year question papers.
General qualifying percentile may fall around 93.0, with slight adjustments depending on final session variance. Experts predict that 99 percentile will fluctuate based on shift difficulty, candidates in tougher shifts may need significantly fewer raw marks to reach the same percentile compared with an easier shift.
| Category |
Cutoff 2026 Expected |
|---|---|
| Unreserved (UR) |
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