The JEE Main 2026 exam for January 22, Shift 1 has finished. Students and experts have shared their thoughts on how difficult the exam was. Many students found the paper easy overall, but also lengthy. About 190-200 marks are expected to get a 99 percentile.
Exam Difficulty Levels
The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the JEE Main 2026 exam across India and in some foreign cities. This exam is for students who want to get into engineering courses. Over 14 lakh students applied for the JEE Main 2026 exam. This year, more exam centres were set up to help accommodate the large number of students.
Based on what students said, the January 22, Shift 1 exam was generally seen as easy but long. Some questions were easy, some were of medium difficulty, and a few were challenging. Good preparation helped students manage the exam well. However, managing time was very important, especially for the Mathematics section.
| Subject | Difficulty Level |
| Physics | Medium to Hard |
| Mathematics | Easy |
| Chemistry | Easy |
Student Reactions
Students had mixed feelings about the exam. While some found it tough, many thought it was manageable. The exam had sections on Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
Subject-wise Analysis
Physics was considered moderately difficult to hard by most students. The questions were based on formulas and were directly from the NCERT syllabus. Topics like mechanics, current electricity, and modern physics were common.
Chemistry was seen as a scoring section. The questions in Physical Chemistry were mostly calculations but straightforward. Many students felt this section was quick to finish because of theory-based questions.
Mathematics was rated as easy. However, the questions were long. Calculus, algebra, and coordinate geometry had more questions compared to other topics.
The JEE Main 2026 exam for Session 1 is taking place over several days.
