The JEE Main 2026, Day 2 of Session 1, has now concluded. The JEE Main Exam on 22 January 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 feedback from candidates, the memory-based paper, and expert reviews from coaching institutes such as 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.

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JEE Main 2026 January 22 Shift 2 Paper Analysis

JEE Main 2026 January 22 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 challenging due to the lengthy Math. It was balanced across the Class 11 and Class 12 Syllabus.
  • Shift 2 (Afternoon): Moderate to difficult. The math section was lengthy and tough. More application-based and high-calculations problems leading to time pressure.
  • Day 2 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 22nd Jan Shift 2 Question Paper

Subject-Wise JEE Main 2026 January 22 Shift 2 Analysis

JEE Main 2026: 22 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. Electrostatics questions were more on calculations. The physics section was largely based on formulas.

Check:

JEE Main 2026: 22 January Shift 2 Chemistry Analysis

  • Difficulty: Easy to moderate. The most student-friendly and scoring 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: 22 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: Maths is not as difficult as compared to other 2 sections. Vector 3D and integration questions required multiple steps to solve.

Student Reactions & Feedback on JEE Main 2026 January 22 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.
  • More weightage to vectors than expected. Mathematics felt like a marathon; I couldn’t attempt more questions in math because of a time limit.
  • Students who took regular mock tests felt better equipped to handle time management issues in Mathematics.
Aspect Student Feedback Approx. Percentage of Students
Overall difficulty Moderate to difficult 60%
Time Management Challenging 70%
Physics Section Moderate to difficult 60%
Chemistry Section Easy to moderate 65%
Mathematics Moderate to difficult 40%
NCERT Coverage Sufficient for 60-70% questions. 70%

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Expected Good Attempts, Marks & Cutoff After January 22 Analysis

Early estimates based on Day 2 feedback and normalisation trends:

  • Good Attempts: 55-60 questions (with high accuracy) for 200 marks.
  • Marks vs Percentile (Expected for 99+): 185-200+ 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 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, such as Mechanics, Optics, and Modern Physics.
  • Use memory-based questions from Days 1 and 2 to spot patterns and refine strategy.
  • Focus on accuracy to counter normalisation effects.

This JEE Main 2026 January 22 shift-wise analysis indicates a moderate difficulty level, offering strong scoring potential for prepared candidates. Stay updated with daily analyses for shifts ahead - best of luck to all JEE aspirants!