JEE Main 2026 Jan 21 Shift 1 Paper Analysis: Difficulty, Weightage & Student Reactions

The JEE Main 2026 January 21 Shift 1 paper marked the beginning of this year’s JEE Main session and set the tone for what aspirants can expect in upcoming shifts. As always, students were eager to know about the paper level, toughness, chapter-wise weightage, and overall trend.

In this detailed analysis, we bring you a complete breakdown of the paper based on student feedback and expert review. If you are preparing for upcoming sessions or JEE Advanced, joining a focused JEE Crash Course can help you revise effectively and boost your score in a short time.

Overall Paper Difficulty – Jan 21 Shift 1

The overall difficulty level of JEE Main 2026 Jan 21 Shift 1 can be classified as:

✅ Moderate

The paper maintained a balance between conceptual and numerical questions. It was neither too easy nor excessively tough, making it a fair paper for well-prepared students.

Subject-wise Difficulty Analysis

Physics Analysis – Jan 21 Shift 1

Physics was rated Moderate, with emphasis on conceptual clarity and formula application.

Physics Highlights:

• Questions were more concept-based than calculation-heavy
• NCERT-based theory questions were visible
• Some tricky questions from Modern Physics and Electrodynamics

Physics Difficulty: 🟡 Moderate

Chemistry Analysis – Jan 21 Shift 1

Chemistry emerged as the easiest section among the three.

Chemistry Highlights:

• Inorganic Chemistry was directly NCERT-based
• Organic had predictable reactions
• Physical Chemistry was formula-driven

Chemistry Difficulty: 🟢 Easy to Moderate

Mathematics Analysis – Jan 21 Shift 1

Mathematics was the toughest section in this shift.

Mathematics Highlights:

• Lengthy calculations
• Questions required multi-step problem solving
• Strong hold on Algebra and Calculus was necessary

Mathematics Difficulty: 🔴 Moderate to Tough

Chapter-wise Weightage – Jan 21 Shift 1

Here is the approximate chapter-wise distribution based on memory-based questions:

Physics Weightage

Chemistry Weightage

Mathematics Weightage

Toughness Level Compared to Previous Years

Compared to JEE Main 2025 January papers:

👉 The paper was a little tougher than the average 2025 shift but still within JEE Main standards.

Students’ Reactions – Jan 21 Shift 1

Based on student feedback after the exam:

What Students Liked 👍

• Chemistry was scoring
• Physics was balanced
• No out-of-syllabus questions
• NCERT played a major role

What Troubled Students 👎

• Maths was lengthy
• Time management in Mathematics
• Few tricky Physics questions

Common Student Opinion:

“Paper was fair but Maths consumed a lot of time.”

If you are preparing for upcoming sessions or JEE Advanced, joining a focused JEE Crash Course can help you revise effectively and boost your score in a short time.

Expected Cut-off Trend Based on This Shift

Since the paper was Moderate, the expected percentile vs marks trend may look like:

(Indicative only, actual may vary)
To understand how your raw score translates into percentile, check the detailed JEE Mains Marks vs Percentile analysis.

What This Means for Upcoming Shifts

If you are appearing in later shifts:

• Focus on speed in Maths
• Revise NCERT thoroughly for Chemistry
• Strengthen Modern Physics & Current Electricity
• Practice mixed conceptual problems

Final Verdict – JEE Main 2026 Jan 21 Shift 1

The paper was balanced, fair, and concept-driven.
Students with:

• Strong NCERT base
• Regular mock practice
• Time management skills

were able to perform well in this shift.

FAQs – JEE Main 2026 Jan 21 Shift 1 Paper

Q1. Was JEE Main 2026 Jan 21 Shift 1 paper tough?

The paper was moderate overall, with Mathematics being relatively tougher than Physics and Chemistry.

Q2. Which section was the easiest in Jan 21 Shift 1?

Chemistry was considered the easiest and most scoring section.

Q3. Which subject was toughest in this shift?

Mathematics was the toughest due to lengthy calculations and multi-step questions.

Q4. Was the paper based on NCERT?

Yes, especially Chemistry and parts of Physics were heavily NCERT-based.

Q5. Can Jan 21 Shift 1 be considered a high-scoring paper?

Yes, for students strong in Chemistry and Physics, it was a good scoring opportunity.

Q6. How was this paper compared to JEE Main 2025?

Slightly tougher overall, mainly due to Mathematics.

Q7. What chapters should students focus on based on this shift?

Modern Physics, Current Electricity, Chemical Bonding, Coordination Compounds, Calculus, and Vector 3D.