The JEE Main 2026, Day 3 of Session 1 is now concluded. The JEE Main Exam on 23 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 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.

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JEE Main 2026 January 23 Shift 2 Paper Analysis

JEE Main 2026 January 23 Overall Difficulty Level

  • Shift 1 (Morning): Moderate overall. Balanced paper with conceptual questions in Physics, NCERT-heavy Chemistry, and calculation-intensive Math. The paper followed a predictable pattern similar to previous shifts.
  • Shift 2 (Afternoon): Moderate to difficult. Unexpectedly tough Physics, theory-based chemistry, and moderately doable Math. Time management was crucial, but most students found it manageable with good preparation.
  • Day 3 Overall: Moderate difficulty, as per the recent trends. Chemistry emerged as the easiest and most scoring section, while Physics was slightly tougher. No major surprises, but normalisation across shifts will influence final percentiles.

Check: JEE Main 2026 January 21st shift 2 question paper with solution

Subject-Wise JEE Main 2026 January 23 Shift 2 Analysis

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

JEE Main 2026: 23 January Shift 2 Physics Analysis

  • Difficulty: Moderate to difficult.
  • Key Topics & High Weightage:
    • Mechanics (Kinematics, Laws of Motion, Work-Energy, Gravitation)
    • Electrostatics, current electricity, and magnetism.
    • Ray Optics, Modern Physics, and Rotation
    • Thermodynamics
  • Student Reactions: As per some students, Shift 2 questions were mostly formula-based. Not as straightforward as other shifts. Covered a wide range of topics.

JEE Main 2026: 23 January Shift 2 Chemistry Analysis

  • Difficulty: Easy to Moderate. Student-friendly and scoring section.
  • 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: Organic questions were fewer, but they were complex. Many physical chemistry questions were lengthy. The inorganic section was doable. Mole concept questions were tricky.

JEE Main 2026: 23 January Shift 2 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: Familiar questions but lengthy calculations. A very time-consuming section. Conic questions were very calculative, especially questions involving area calculation.

Check: Predict your college chances as per your JEE Main 2026 Marks

Student Reactions & Feedback on JEE Main 2026 January 23 Shift 2

Students exiting the exam centres shared mixed but positive reactions to the JEE Main 2026 January 23 shift 2.

  • Negative: Organic questions were very complex, with knowledge of 6-7 reagents required to solve a single problem.
  • Subject-wise: Students note that physics is moderate. Few students felt physics was the toughest, along with mathematics. Chemistry was easy to score. Mathematics was the toughest section of the paper.
  • Overall sentiment: Many students were happy with physics and chemistry, but felt mathematics was lengthy and challenging.
Aspect Student Feedback Approx. Percentage of Students
Overall difficulty Moderate to difficult 75%
Time Management Challenging 85%
Physics Section Moderate to difficult 80%
Chemistry Section Easy to Moderate 70%
Mathematics Moderate to difficult 80%
NCERT Coverage Sufficient for 60-70% questions. 70%

Expected Good Attempts, Marks & Cutoff After January 23 Analysis

Early estimates based on Day 3 feedback and normalisation trends:

  • Good Attempts: 52-55 questions (with high accuracy) for 200 marks.
  • Marks vs Percentile (Expected for 99+): 170-180+ 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.

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.
  • Use memory-based questions from the first 3 days to spot patterns and change strategy.
  • Focus on accuracy to counter normalisation effects.

This JEE Main 2026 January 23 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!