The JEE Main 2026, Day 5 of Session 1, has now concluded. The JEE Main Exam on 28 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 28 Shift 2 Paper Analysis

JEE Main 2026 January 28 Overall Difficulty Level

  • Shift 1 (Morning): Moderate to difficult. Calculation-heavy Physics, NCERT-heavy Chemistry, and lengthy Math. The paper was exceptionally lengthy and calculation-heavy. Time management was the biggest hurdle.
  • Shift 2 (Afternoon): Moderate to difficult. NCERT-based multi-statement chemistry. Lengthy Physics and challenging Math. Shift 2 questions required thinking outside the box.
  • Day 5 Overall: Moderate to difficult, as per ‌recent trends. Chemistry emerged as moderate, while Physics was slightly tougher and longer. No major surprises, but normalisation across shifts will influence final percentiles.

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Subject-Wise JEE Main 2026 January 28 Shift 2 Analysis

JEE Main 2026: 28 January Shift 2 Physics Analysis

  • Difficulty level: Moderate. Lengthy due to many statement-based questions.
  • Key Topics & High Weightage:
    • Mechanics (Kinematics, Laws of motion, Work-energy, Gravitation)
    • Electrostatics, current electricity, and magnetism
    • Ray Optics, Modern Physics
    • Fluids and properties.
  • Student’s reaction: As per some students, shift 2 was a bit trickier than shift 1. Shift 2 saw more assertion-reasoning and statement-based questions. There were more questions from the Class 12 syllabus. Electrostatics questions were more about calculations. The physics section was largely based on multiple-concept questions.

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JEE Main 2026: 28 January Shift 2 Chemistry Analysis

  • Difficulty: Moderate.
  • 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 questions. The questions were not entirely straightforward. Chemistry felt lengthy due to statement-based questions. Most questions from physical chemistry were in the numerical section.

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JEE Main 2026: 28 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: Math was the toughest and lengthiest section of the paper. Differential equations and integration were lengthy. Questions were merged between 2 different chapters, often requiring “thinking outside the box”.
Predict Your College Chances As Per Your JEE Main 2026 Marks

Student Reactions & Feedback on JEE Main 2026 January 28 Shift 2

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

  • Overall sentiment: Time management was crucial because of lengthy sections with many statement-based questions. Physics felt like a JEE Advanced paper.
  • Chemistry was a saviour, but there were more reading-intensive questions.
  • 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 60%
Chemistry Section 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 28 Analysis

Early estimates based on Day 5 feedback and normalisation trends:

  • Good Attempts: 45-50 questions (with high accuracy) for 180 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 expected cutoffs - 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
JEE Main 2026 January 24 Shift 1 Answer Key JEE Main 2026 January 24 Shift 2 Answer Key

This JEE Main 2026 January 28 shift-wise analysis indicates a moderate to difficult paper, offering scoring potential for prepared candidates. Stay updated with daily analysis. Best of luck to all JEE aspirants!