The JEE Main 2026 January 22 examination, conducted in Shift 1 and Shift 2, featured a balanced mix of conceptual and numerical questions across Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. This detailed analysis covers the complete shift-wise paper review, including answer key discussion, question paper with solutions, and section-wise difficulty level. Candidates can also check the expected cutoffs for JEE Main 2026 along with insights on topic-wise trends to better evaluate their performance and predict percentile outcomes.
The morning shift of the JEE Main 2026 January 22 exam has started. Candidates who have their exams in the morning shift have now entered the centre, and their exams are ongoing. The shift 2 exam will start at 3 pm. Catch here live updates on JEE Main 2026 day 1 exam, including reporting time, essential documents to carry, dress code,student reactions, paper analysis, memory-based answer keys, questions with solutions and more.
Jee Main & Advanced College ( JoSAA ) Predictor – Click
| Nit Details | Top Private College | IIIT Details | Government College Details | IIT Details | Gfti Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Click | Click | Click | Click | Click | Click |
JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Exam Timings
JEE Main exam is conducted for a duration of 3 hours. Candidates are required to reach their allotted exam centers at least an hour before the exam time. The section below covers JEE Main 2025 Session 1 Exam Timings.
| Paper | For non-PwD Candidates | For PwD Candidates |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech.) | 3 hours | 4 hours |
| Paper 2A (B.Arch) | 3 hours | 4 hours |
| Paper 2B (B.Planning) | 3 hours | 4 hours |
| Paper 2A (B.Arch) & Paper 2B (B.Planning) | 3 hours 30 minutes | 4 hours 10 minutes |
JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Shift-wise Timings
| Duration of examination | First shift | Second shift |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1/ 2A/ 2B | 09.00 A.M. to 12.00 Noon | 03.00 P.M. to 06.00 P.M |
| Paper 2A and 2B | 09.00 A.M. to 12.30 P.M | 03.00 P.M. to 06.30 P.M. |
Top engineering Exams in India – Apply Now
Jee Main & Advanced College ( JoSAA ) Predictor – Click
JEE Main 2026 Exam Day Instructions and Important Guidelines
Check all the important JEE Main exam day guidelines and instructions that need to be followed by candidates
- Candidates must reach the exam centre as per the reporting time mentioned on their admit card
- No candidate will be allowed to enter the exam centre without NTA JEE Mains admit card, photo ID proof and passport size photograph
- Candidates will be allowed to carry only the following items with them inside the exam centre
- JEE Main admit card 2026 downloaded from the NTA website jeemain.nta.nic.in
- Passport size colour photo
- Valid ID proof ( aadhaar mandatory + others if any )
- Water bottle (transparent)
- Ball point pen
- Photo verification certificate ( If you have )
- Candidates will not be allowed to enter the exam hall after the test starts
- Candidates will not be allowed to leave the exam centre before the paper concludes
- Candidates will be provided fresh masks at the exam centre. Candidate’s own mask will be disposed of at the exam centre.
NTA JEE Main 2026 Jan 22 Shift 1 Paper Analysis
According to the JEE Main 2026 January 22 Shift 1 paper analysis, the overall difficulty level of the exam was moderate, based on the first impressions and initial student reactions. The Physics section appeared moderate, with questions mainly from Electrostatics and Moment of Inertia. The Chemistry section was also moderate, carrying higher weightage from p-Block elements and Chemical Bonding. The Mathematics section was rated easy to moderate but lengthy, with questions from Coordinate Geometry, Hyperbola, and Matrices, demanding effective time management. This analysis is based on early student feedback, and the difficulty level or topic distribution may change slightly after a detailed paper review and expert evaluation.
| JEE Main 2026 Subjects | Dtailed Section-wise analysis | Important Topics Covered |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | Moderate | Electrostatics – 2 ques, moment of inertia 2, |
| Chemistry | Moderate | p-block – 3 questions, chemical bonding |
| Mathematics | Easy to moderate + Lengthy | Co-ordinate geometry, hyperbola, matrices |
JEE Main Jan 22 Shift 2 Question Paper – Analysis OUT
As per the initial Jan 22 shift 2 student reactions and question paper analysis, the shift 2 exam was tough, even at par with JEE Advanced difficulty level.
- Maths was lengthy and Moderate. Questions in Maths came from topics like sequence, vector & 3D, integration, functions, sets, and probability
- Chemistry was moderate. In Chemistry, prominent questions were from d-block, p-block, ionic, buffer, entropy, and chemical kinetics.
- Physics was moderate. Physics had questions from ray optics, fluid mechanics, rotation, inertia, semiconductors, logic gates, ray optics, and thermodynamics.
Jee Main & Advanced College ( JoSAA ) Predictor – Click
Jee Mains 2026 January 22 Overall Analysis
| Topic | 22 January shift 1 | 22 January shift 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | Moderate | Moderate |
| Maths | Easy To Moderate & Lengthy | Moderate & Lengthy |
| Physics | Moderate | Moderate |
Jee Mains 2026 January 22 Expected Cutoffs
Please keep in mind , the cutoffs shown below are based on memory based question and student reaction , it might vary slightly (5-10%)
| Category | shift 1 Cutoff Score | shift 2 cutoff score |
|---|---|---|
| Common Rank List (CRL) | 102-107 Marks | 100-105 Marks |
| GEN-EWS | 74-79 Marks | 72-77 Marks |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC-NCL) | 75-80 Marks | 73-77 Marks |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 59-64 Marks | 57-62 Marks |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 52-57 Marks | 50-55 Marks |
Overall 2nd shift of 22nd January 2026 was slightly tougher than shift 1
JEE Main 2026 January 22 Answer Key Shift 1 and 2
NTA will display the Provisional JEE Main 2026 Answer Key of the questions on the NTA website: https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/. An opportunity will be given to the candidates to challenge the Provisional Answer Keys with a nonrefundable online payment of ₹ 200/- per question challenged as processing charges. The provisional Answer Keys are likely to be displayed for two to three days after the exam is over.
| Subjects | Shift 1 | Shift 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | Download PDF | Download pdf |
| Chemistry | Download PDF | Download pdf |
| Mathematics | Download PDF | Download pdf |
Answer key & solution Credit Goes to Aakash Institute – Click
| Nit Details | Top Private College | IIIT Details | Government College Details | IIT Details | Gfti Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Click | Click | Click | Click | Click | Click |
Toughest Shift of JEE Mains 2025 April Shift-Wise Analysis (as per subject experts)
Candidates can check out the shift and day-wise difficulty level ( tentative ) below to get an idea of ‘which was the hard shift of JEE Mains April 2025 (Session 2) –
Note: According to Final Result and shift-wise analysis, the JEE Main 2025 April 2 Shift 1 is currently considered the toughest shift, while the April 2 Shift 2 appears to be the easiest in terms of difficulty level. This JEE Main 2025 difficulty analysis is based on responses from approximately 2,50,000 students, and the insights may evolve as more data becomes available.
| Date and Shift | Difficulty Level | Difficulty Rating (Out of 10) | 99%ile score (Percentile vs Marks) | Cutoff Marks (93.10 %ile) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2 – Shift 1 | Moderate to Tough | 7.5 | 172 | 105 |
| April 2 – Shift 2 | Easy | 5.6 | 204 | 134 |
| April 3 – Shift 1 | Moderate to Tough | 7.3 | 175 | 110 |
| April 3 – Shift 2 | Easy | 5.8 | 200 | 128 |
| April 4 – Shift 1 | Moderate | 7.1 | 177 | 112 |
| April 4 – Shift 2 | Moderate | 7.0 | 179 | 114 |
| April 7 – Shift 1 | Moderate | 6.9 | 180 | 118 |
| April 7 – Shift 2 | Easy to Moderate | 6.2 | 185 | 123 |
| April 8 – Shift 2 | Easy to Moderate | 6.2 | 185 | 123 |
