JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Question Paper Analysis – Paper 1: January 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 2026

Session 1 of the Joint Entrance Examination Main 2026 (JEE Main 2026) began on Wednesday, January 21, 2026. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the exam in two shifts. The first shift will be from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, while the second shift will be from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Students appearing for this exam must leave home with their admit card, self-declaration form, and a recent passport-size photograph.
 

Joint Entrance Examination - Main (JEE Main): JEE Main is one of the most competitive and significant engineering entrance examinations in India that is undertaken by more than 10 to 12 lakh students every year. The JEE Mains exam is a national-level test that is taken by applicants who have already finished their 12 th class and want to study engineering and architecture and planning subjects.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) holds the exam twice in a year, in the months of January and April, in computer based test mode. A good score in JEE main examination guarantees admission in the most preferable colleges in India such as NIT, IIIT, and GFTIs. Only on the basis of JEE Main ranks do these colleges admit to UG engineering studies such as BE/BTech/BPlanning/BArch. Besides, JEE Main scores are accepted in lots of the best private engineering colleges.

The 2.5 lakh best JEE Mains students can also take JEE Advanced exam. Premier engineering institutions - Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) can only be reached by the JEE Advanced exam.

The JEE main exam comprises three papers which include BE/BTech (paper 1), BArch (paper 2a) and BPlan (paper 2b). The exam questions are based on the class 11 and 12 level prescribed syllabus as by NTA.

In the next session, NTA has declared the dates of the JEE Main exam:

• JEE Main 2026 session 1 exam date Paper 1: January 21, 22, 23, 24, 28 and Paper 2: January 29.
• April attempt date: April 2 to 9.

On January 22, TODAY, NTA is conducting the second day of JEE Mains 2026 session 1 examination of BE/BTech candidates. The exam of shift 1 will be taking place between 9 am and 12 noon and the exam of shift 2 will be taking place between 3 pm and 6 pm. Candidates are able to check here memory based questions and answers after the exam is over. Shifts as well as day-wise JEE Main paper analysis can also be found here.

JEE Main 2026 - 21 January Shift 1 Question Paper Overview

JEE Main is an online engineering entrance test organised twice a year. Candidates get 75 questions in JEE Main to solve in 3 hours. It is an online-based exam. JEE Main scores help candidates take admission in the engineering institutions in India. 

Exam Name	Joint Entrance Examination (Main) – 2026
Authority Name	National Testing Agency (NTA)
Exam Date	21 January 2026
Exam Duration	3 Hours (180 Minutes)
Subjects	Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics
Total Questions	75 Questions (25 per subject)
Total Marks	300 Marks
Marking Scheme	+4 for Correct Answer; -1 for Incorrect Answer; 0 for Unattempted
Official Website	jeemain.nta.nic.in

Subject-Wise JEE Main 2026 Paper-1 Analysis – 21 January

The JEE Main 2026 Paper-1 conducted on 21 January was rated moderate overall by most candidates. The paper followed the standard NTA pattern and tested conceptual clarity, speed, and accuracy. Chemistry turned out to be the most scoring section, Physics was manageable for well-prepared students, while Mathematics was lengthy and time-consuming. Candidates who focused on NCERT concepts and practiced previous year questions were able to attempt a good number of questions across all three subjects.

Physics Analysis – JEE Main 2026 

The Physics part was not very difficult to moderate. The majority of questions were formulaic and directly concerned with the Class 11 and 12 concepts. Mathematical problems involved few calculations and were simple. There were good weightages on topics such as Modern Physics, Current Electricity, Ray Optics and Thermodynamics. This section scoring was done by students having clear fundamentals.

Physics Question Paper Analysis – Shift 1
Topic	Number of Questions
Optics (1 from Microscope, 1 from Power of Lens)	2
Semiconductor (Logic Gates)	1
Units & Dimensions (1 from Dimensions, 1 from Errors)	2
Current Electricity	1
Calorimetry	1
Rotational Motion (Moment of Inertia)	1

Chemistry Analysis – JEE Main 2026 

Chemistry was considered the easiest and most scoring section in this shift. A large number of questions, especially from Inorganic Chemistry, were directly based on NCERT textbooks. Physical Chemistry questions were numerical but simple, while Organic Chemistry focused on basic reaction mechanisms and standard reactions. Proper NCERT revision was sufficient to score well.

Chemistry Question Paper Analysis – Shift 1
Topic	Number of Questions
Thermal Properties of Fluids (Bernoulli’s Theorem)	1
Optics	2
Semiconductor (Logic Gates)	1
Units & Dimensions	2
Current Electricity	1
Calorimetry	1
Rotational Motion (Moment of Inertia)	1

Mathematics Analysis – JEE Main 2026 

Mathematics was the most challenging section of the paper. Questions were lengthy and required multi-step calculations. Calculus, Vectors, 3D Geometry, and Coordinate Geometry dominated the section. While the difficulty level was moderate to difficult, students with strong problem-solving skills and time management were able to attempt a decent number of questions.

Mathematics Question Paper Analysis – Shift 1
Topic	Number of Questions
Calculus	Fewer questions
Vector Algebra & 3D Geometry	2–3
Quadratic Equations	1
Matrices	1 (Lengthy)
Sets & Relations	2

Subject-Wise Difficulty Level & Good Attempts (Table Format)

Subject	Difficulty Level	Key Topics Asked	Good Attempts
Physics	Easy to Moderate	Modern Physics, Current Electricity, Optics, Thermodynamics	20–22
Chemistry	Easy	NCERT Inorganic, Physical Chemistry, Basic Organic Reactions	22–24
Mathematics	Moderate to Difficult	Calculus, Vectors, 3D Geometry, Coordinate Geometry	12–15
Overall	Moderate	Balanced syllabus coverage	50–60

JEE Main 2026: Report on time, follow the dress code

The JEE Main 2026 admit card will contain all the details related to the candidate's name, exam date and time, exam center, reporting time, and exam center gate closing time. Therefore, students should leave home for the exam only after reviewing the details and exam guidelines provided on the admit card. Furthermore, students should be sure to follow the dress code, as failure to follow the correct dress code will result in denial of entry into the exam center after security checks.

JEE Main 2026: Bring a passport-sized photo

Students who have not yet downloaded their admit card can download it by visiting the official website – jeemain.nta.nic.in. Also, students should be sure to bring the passport-sized photo they uploaded on the application form, as the same photo will be affixed on the attendance sheet at the exam center. Only after this will they be allowed to appear for the exam.

Conclusion

In January 21, 2026, the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 exam commenced in a trouble-free environment, and the exam was conducted under the control of the National Testing Agency. The exam was of the anticipated pattern and syllabus and presented students with a level-playing field to demonstrate their preparation on the concepts of Class 11 and 12 NCERT.

Paper 1 (BE/ BTech), which was held on 21, 22, 23, 24 and 28 had an average level of difficulty with Chemistry being comparatively simple, Physics being medium and Mathematics being a bit lengthy. Applicants who paid attention to the conceptual clarity, practice on the mock tests and time management could afford to answer a high number of questions.

Students should not be compared in their raw scores between shifts because there are several shifts and normalization factors. Applicants that failed to do so have an excellent opportunity of doing better in April 2026 attempt, which will be between April 2 and April 9.

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