The JEE Main 2026, January Session started on 21st January 2026, as the first day of the exam for the January Attempt. The JEE Main Exam was conducted in 2 shifts: Shift 1 (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM) and Shift 2 (3:00 PM – 6:00 PM).

The Shift 2 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.

Also Read:

JEE Main 2026 January 21 Shift 2 Paper Analysis

JEE Main 2026 January 21 Overall Difficulty Level

  • Shift 1 (Morning): Moderate overall. Balanced paper with conceptual questions in Physics, NCERT-heavy Chemistry, and calculation-intensive Math. Time management was crucial, but most students found it manageable with good preparation.
  • Shift 2 (Afternoon): Moderate to moderately difficult. Slightly tougher than Shift 1, especially in Physics and Math sections, with more application-based problems leading to time pressure.
  • Day 1 Overall: Moderate difficulty, as per the recent trends. Chemistry emerged as the easiest and most scoring section, while Mathematics was the lengthiest. No major surprises, but normalisation across shifts will influence final percentiles.

Check: JEE Main 2026 21st Jan Shift 2 Memory-Based Question Paper

Subject-Wise JEE Main 2026 January 21 Shift 2 Analysis

JEE Main 2026: 21 January Shift 2 Physics Analysis

  • Difficulty level: Moderate to difficult
  • Key Topics & High Weightage:
    • Mechanics (Kinematics, Laws of motion, Gravitation)
    • Electrostatics, current electricity, and magnetism
    • Ray Optics, Modern Physics
  • Student’s reaction: As per some students, shift 2 was straightforward, with questions based on conceptual application.

JEE Main 2026: 21 January Shift 2 Chemistry Analysis

  • Difficulty: Easy to moderate. The most student-friendly section.
  • Key Topics & High Weightage:
    • Physical Chemistry: Equilibrium, Thermodynamics, Solutions
    • Organic Chemistry: Reactions, Mechanisms, Hydrocarbons, Biomolecules
    • Inorganic Chemistry: Coordination Compounds, Periodic Table, d-Block Elements
  • Student Reactions: Heavily NCERT-based, quick to solve, and high-scoring. Many completed it early, freeing time for tougher sections. Most questions from physical chemistry were in the numerical section.

JEE Main 2026: 21 January Shift 2 Mathematics Analysis

  • Difficulty: Moderate to difficult. The lengthiest and toughest.
  • Key Topics & High Weightage:
    • Calculus (Integration, Differentiation, Applications)
    • Algebra (Matrices, Determinants, Sequences & Series)
    • Coordinate Geometry (Conics, Straight Lines)
    • Vectors, 3D Geometry, Probability
  • Student Reactions: Lengthy calculations, time-consuming. Tougher than the other 2 sections.

Student Reactions & Feedback on JEE Main 2026 January 21 Shift 2

The student reaction to the JEE Main shift 2 was largely positive regarding physics and chemistry. Many students reported that solving PYQs was the single most effective way to prepare for the paper.

  • Overall sentiment: Many students felt chemistry was easy, while physics was moderate. Mathematics was lengthy and challenging.
  • Positive: Many questions felt like direct repeats or slight variations of older JEE Main papers.
  • Students who took regular mock tests felt better equipped to handle time management issues in Mathematics.
Aspect Student Feedback
Overall difficulty Moderate
Time Management Challenging
Physics Section Moderate
Chemistry Section Scoring
Mathematics Moderate to difficult
NCERT Coverage Sufficient for 60-70% questions.

Expected Good Attempts, Marks & Cutoff After January 21 Analysis

Early estimates based on Day 1 feedback and normalisation trends:

  • Good Attempts: 57-64 questions (with high accuracy) for 200 marks.
  • Marks vs Percentile (Expected for 99+): 200-210+ 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 expected cutoffs - final cutoffs depend on overall session performance, number of candidates (~15+ lakh expected), and NTA normalisation.

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

  • Solve questions from the previous year’s question papers.
  • Master the NCERT thoroughly for easy scoring in Chemistry.
  • Practice timed mocks to boost speed and accuracy in maths.
  • Revise high-weightage Physics topics like Mechanics, Optics, and Modern Physics.
  • Use memory-based questions from Day 1 to spot patterns and refine strategy.
  • Focus on accuracy to counter normalisation effects.

This JEE Main 2026 January 21 shift-wise analysis indicates a moderate start to the session, offering strong scoring potential for prepared candidates. Stay updated with daily analyses for shifts ahead - best of luck to all JEE aspirants!