The JEE Main 2026, Day 4 of Session 1, is now concluded. The JEE Main Exam on 24 January was conducted in 2 shifts: Shift 1 (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM) and Shift 2 (3:00 PM – 6:00 PM).

As per the initial feedback from candidates, the exam was moderate but lengthy. Maths was difficult and time-consuming, physics was moderate but lengthy, including some direct questions and chemistry was easy with major statement-based questions. 

The Shift 1 detailed paper analysis will be based on the feedback given by candidates, the memory-based paper, and the expert reviews from the coaching institutes like Vedantu, Allen, and collegedunia.com.

The paper analysis will cover the overall difficulty, subject-wise trends, topic weightage, good attempts, and cutoff to help candidates check the performance and prepare for the next shifts.

You can check this video by @esaraljee to know the candidate’s responses after JEE Main 2026 Jan 24 Shift 1 Paper Analysis. 

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JEE Main 2026 January 24 Shift 1 Paper Analysis

JEE Main 2026 January 24 Shift 1Difficulty Level

The Jan 24 Shift 1 was Moderate. Balanced paper with conceptual questions in Physics, NCERT-heavy Chemistry, and calculation-heavy Math. The paper was exceptionally lengthy and calculation-heavy.

Subject Difficulty Question Type Key Topics Exam Impact
Physics Moderate & Lengthy Statement + calculation-based Ray Optics, Microscopes, core numericals Time-consuming but conceptually manageable
Chemistry Easy to Moderate Statement-based, NCERT-oriented Coordination Compounds, Physical Chemistry Most scoring section
Mathematics Moderate to Difficult Highly calculative & numerical Coordinate Geometry, Vectors & 3D Lengthiest section; affected attempts
Overall Moderate (Lengthy) Balanced across syllabus Class 11 & 12 mixed coverage Time management was the key differentiator

JEE Main 2026 January 24 Overall Difficulty Level

  • Shift 1 (Morning): Moderate. Balanced paper with conceptual questions in physics, NCERT-heavy Chemistry, and calculation-heavy Math. The paper was exceptionally lengthy and calculation-heavy.
  • Shift 2 (Afternoon): Moderate to difficult. Physics was easy, NCERT-based moderate chemistry, and lengthy and challenging Math. Time management was crucial, but most students found it manageable with good preparation.
  • Day 4 Overall: Moderate to difficult, as per ‌recent trends. Chemistry emerged as moderate but time-consuming, while Physics was slightly tougher. No major surprises, but normalisation across shifts will influence final percentiles.

Check:

Subject-Wise JEE Main 2026 January 24 Shift 1 Analysis

The JEE Main 2026 Analysis differs as per the different subjects of Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics.

JEE Main 2026: 24 January Shift 1 Physics Analysis

  • Difficulty: Easy to moderate.
  • Key Topics & High Weightage:
    • Mechanics (Kinematics, Laws of Motion, Work-Energy, Gravitation)
    • Electrostatics, current electricity, and magnetism.
    • Ray Optics, Modern Physics
    • Thermodynamics
  • Student Reactions: As per some students, Shift 1 questions were mostly formula-based. It was generally easy but required more time to solve due to application-based questions.

Check:

JEE Main 2026: 24 January Shift 1 Chemistry Analysis

  • Difficulty: Moderate. Questions felt easier but time-consuming.
  • Key Topics & High Weightage:
    • Physical: Chemical kinetics, Mole concept, Thermodynamics, Solutions
    • Organic: GOC, Alcohol, Phenol & Ethers, Biomolecules
    • Inorganic: Coordination Compounds, Periodic Table, d and f-block Elements
  • Student Reactions: Focused more on organic chemistry than physical and inorganic. Despite being a moderate paper, it took so much time to complete.

JEE Main 2026: 24 January Shift 1 Mathematics Analysis

  • Difficulty: Moderate to difficult. Lengthy and most time-consuming.
  • Key Topics & High Weightage:
    • Calculus (Integration, Differentiation, Applications)
    • Algebra (Matrices, Determinants, Sequences & Series)
    • Coordinate Geometry (Conics, Straight Lines)
    • Vectors and 3D Geometry, Probability
  • Student Reactions: Lengthy calculations and a very time-consuming section. Even though the questions were familiar but couldn’t complete it because of heavy calculations.
Predict Your College Chances As Per Your JEE Main 2026 Marks

Student Reactions & Feedback on JEE Main 2026 January 24 Shift 1

Students exiting the exam centres shared mixed but positive reactions to the JEE Main 2026 January 24 shift 1.

  • Time Management: Time management was very challenging, especially with the chemistry and mathematics sections.
  • Subject-wise: Students note that physics was easy compared to the other 2, while chemistry was time-consuming, even though the questions felt moderate. Mathematics was a time-consuming section.
  • Overall sentiment: Many students were not happy with chemistry being time-consuming. Mathematics was tough and challenging.
Aspect Student Feedback Approx. Percentage of Students
Overall difficulty Moderate 75%
Time Management Challenging 85%
Physics Section Easy to Moderate 60%
Chemistry Section Moderate 70%
Mathematics Moderate to difficult 80%
NCERT Coverage Sufficient for 60-70% questions. 70%

Also Check:

Expected Good Attempts, Marks & Cutoff After January 24 Analysis

Early estimates based on Day 4 feedback and normalisation trends:

  • Good Attempts: 52-55 questions (with high accuracy) for 200 marks.
  • Marks vs Percentile (Expected for 99+): 190-200+ marks.
  • Qualifying Cutoff (General Category): Likely 93-95 percentile (may rise slightly if papers remain moderate across the session).
  • Category-Wise Expected Percentile:
    • OBC-NCL/EWS: 80-82
    • SC: 60-62
    • ST: 47-50 These are preliminary projections - final cutoffs depend on overall session performance, number of candidates (~15+ lakh expected), and NTA normalisation.

Download JEE Main 2026 Answer Key:

JEE Main 2026 January 21 Shift 1 Answer Key JEE Main 2026 January 21 Shift 2 Answer Key
JEE Main 2026 January 22 Shift 1 Answer Key JEE Main 2026 January 22 Shift 2 Answer Key
JEE Main 2026 January 23 Shift 1 Answer Key JEE Main 2026 January 23 Shift 2 Answer Key

Key Takeaways & Preparation Tips for Remaining JEE Main 2026 January Shifts

  • Master the NCERT thoroughly for easy Chemistry scoring.
  • Practice timed mocks to boost Math speed and accuracy.
  • Revise high-weightage Physics topics, such as mechanics and modern physics.
  • Do a thorough revision across all topics.
  • Solve more calculus problems, focusing on increasing speed along with accuracy.
  • Prioritise time management and select questions wisely to answer.
  • Use memory-based questions from the previous days to spot patterns and change strategy.
  • Focus on accuracy to counter normalisation effects.

This JEE Main 2026 January 24 shift-wise analysis indicates a moderate and balanced paper, offering strong scoring potential for prepared candidates. Stay updated with daily analyses for shifts ahead - best of luck to all JEE aspirants!