The National Testing Agency (NTA) will hold the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 exam in January 2026 . Around 14.5 lakh students are expected to take this important engineering entrance exam. An analysis of past exams shows that some shifts might be tougher than others. Students can use this information to plan their studies better.
The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 exams are scheduled to begin on January 21, 2026 . The NTA has already shared details about exam cities and shifts with candidates through the JEE Main 2026 City Intimation Slip.
JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Exam Dates
The exam for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech courses) will happen over 5 days in 10 shifts. Paper 2 (B.Arch/B.Planning courses) will be held on a separate day.
- Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech): January 21, 22, 23, 24, and 28, 2026
- Paper 2 (B.Arch/B.Planning): January 29, 2026
Expected Toughest Exam Shifts
Looking at previous years, the NTA usually sets tougher exam shifts in the later part of the exam schedule. For JEE Main 2026 Session 1, shifts on Days 2, 4, and 5 of the exam are likely to be more challenging. Students appearing on these days should prepare for possibly harder questions, especially in Physics and Mathematics.
History shows that Physics and Mathematics papers often have more difficult questions. They also tend to include longer calculations. Chemistry papers, however, are usually of easy to moderate difficulty and are based on NCERT textbooks.
Analysis of Past JEE Main Toughest Shifts (Last 3 Years)
To understand which shifts might be toughest in 2026, we can look at data from the last three years. This analysis helps predict patterns in the exam's difficulty.
| Year | Most Difficult Exam Shift | Details |
| 2025 | January 28, 2025 (Day 4) Shift 1 | Mathematics and Physics papers were tough and lengthy. Students attempted fewer questions. |
| 2024 | February 1, 2024 (Day 5) Shift 1 | Mathematics and Chemistry papers were the most difficult. |
| 2023 | January 25, 2023 (Day 2) Shift 1 | Mathematics was difficult and lengthy. Physics paper was of moderate difficulty. |
Key Observations from Past Trends
Based on the toughest shifts of the last three years, some clear patterns appear:
- Mathematics sections are often longer and harder in later exam shifts.
- Physics sections usually have questions that need longer calculations.
- Chemistry questions remain mostly easy to moderate across all shifts. They are typically based on NCERT books.
For example, in JEE Main 2025 Session 1, the exam on January 28 (Day 4), Shift 1 was the most challenging. It had a very difficult Physics section and lengthy Mathematics questions. This meant students needed lower raw scores to get higher percentiles. Similarly, in JEE Main 2024 Session 1, February 1 (Day 5), Shift 1 was also identified as the toughest, featuring tough conceptual Physics questions and a heavy Mathematics section.
Considering these past trends, the most challenging shifts for JEE Main 2026 Session 1 are likely to fall in the mid-to-late stages of the examination period. Students should prepare thoroughly for all shifts, but especially if they are scheduled for the predicted tougher days.
