The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 exam for B.E./B.Tech courses ended on January 28, 2026 . The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the exam across five days, from January 21 to January 28, 2026. Around 14.5 lakh students took this exam, which is a record number. Now that the exam is over, students are looking for information on how difficult each exam day was. This helps them guess their scores. The NTA is expected to release the provisional answer key in the first week of February 2026 .
Exam Difficulty Analysis
Students and experts have analyzed the difficulty of each exam shift. The analysis shows that some days and shifts were tougher than others. This information can help students estimate their performance.
| Exam Date | Shift | Overall Difficulty Level | Toughest Subject | Difficulty Score (Out of 10) |
| January 21, 2026 | Shift 1 | Moderate to Difficult | Chemistry | 8.4 |
| January 21, 2026 | Shift 2 | Moderate to Difficult | Mathematics and Chemistry | 7.5 |
| January 22, 2026 | Shift 1 | Moderate | Mathematics | 6.6 |
| January 22, 2026 | Shift 2 | Moderate (but lengthy) | Mathematics | 7.85 |
| January 23, 2026 | Shift 1 | Moderate to Difficult | Mathematics and Chemistry | 7.7 |
| January 23, 2026 | Shift 2 | Difficult | Physics | 8.7 |
| January 24, 2026 | Shift 1 | Moderate and Lengthy | Mathematics and Physics | 7.6 |
| January 24, 2026 | Shift 2 | Moderate to Difficult | Mathematics and Chemistry | 8.1 |
| January 28, 2026 | Shift 1 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| January 28, 2026 | Shift 2 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Which Shift Was the Toughest?
Based on student feedback and expert analysis, the exam shifts had different levels of difficulty. The table below highlights the toughest shifts.
| Difficulty Ranking | Day and Shift |
| Most Difficult Shift | January 23, 2026, Shift 2 |
| 2nd Most Difficult Shift | January 21, 2026, Shift 1 |
| 3rd Most Difficult Shift | January 24, 2026, Shift 2 |
Student Feedback
Students reported that the exam on January 23, 2026, Shift 2 was particularly challenging, especially the Physics section. The shift on January 21, 2026, Shift 1, was also noted as being quite difficult, with Chemistry being the toughest subject. Many students found the Mathematics section to be lengthy in several shifts, even if it wasn't rated as the most difficult subject overall.
The NTA will soon release the official answer key, after which students can raise objections if needed. The final results will be based on the performance after considering all valid objections.
