JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Toughest Shift Analysis: The National Testing Agency (NTA) successfully concluded the JEE Main Session 1 Examination 2026 for Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech) on January 28, 2026. The exam was held in two shifts on January 21, 22, 23, 24, and 28, 2026. Approximately 14.5 lakh candidates appeared for the JEE Main Session 1 Examination 2026, making it a record. As the examination is now concluded, candidates can expect the JEE Main Session 1 Provisional Answer Key 2026 to be out by first week of February 2026. Knowing the toughest shift details will help candidates predict their percentile score. Interested candidates can check the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Toughest Shift Analysis available here.
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JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Toughest Shift Analysis
Candidates can check the detailed JEE Main 2026 Session 1 difficult shift analysis in the table below.
| JEE Main Session 1 Exam Dates 2026 | Shifts | Overall Difficulty Level | Toughest Subject | Overall Difficulty Out of 10 |
| January 21, 2026 (Day 1) | Shift 1 | Moderate to Difficult | Chemistry | 8.4 |
| Shift 2 | Moderate to Difficult | Mathematics and Chemistry | 7.5 | |
| January 22, 2026 (Day 2) | Shift 1 | Moderate | Mathematics | 6.6 |
| Shift 2 | Moderate (But Lengthy) | Mathematics | 7.85 | |
| January 23, 2026 (Day 3) | Shift 1 | Moderate to Difficult | Mathematics and Chemistry | 7.7 |
| Shift 2 | Difficult | Physics | 8.7 | |
| January 24, 2026 (Day 4) | Shift 1 | Moderate and Lengthy | Mathematics and Physics | 7.6 |
| Shift 2 | Moderate to Difficult | Mathematics and Chemistry | 8.1 | |
| January 28, 2026 (Day 5) | Shift 1 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Shift 2 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
JEE Main 2026 Session 1: Most Difficult Shift
Check what students who appeared for the JEE Main Session 1 Exam 2026 said about each subject below.
| Difficulty Level | Day and Shift |
| Most Difficult Shift in Session 1 2026 | 23rd January 2026 Shift 2 |
| 2nd Most Difficult Shift | 21st January 2026 Shift 1 |
| 3rd Most Difficult Shift | 24th January 2026 Shift 2 |
As per the above JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Toughest Shift Analysis available, 23rd January 2026 Shift 2 was considered the toughest shift in the entire JEE Main Session 1 Examination 2026. Candidates can calculate their percentile scores by considering the toughest shift data. Percentile calculation depends upon the number of candidates who appeared for the examination, exam difficulty level, and the candidates' performances.
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Parameters |
Shift 2 Paper Analysis |
|
Overall Difficulty |
Moderate To Difficult |
|
Mathematics Paper |
Difficult |
|
Physics Paper |
Moderate To Difficult |
|
Chemistry |
Easy |
|
Which Was The Lengthy Paper |
Mathematics |
Yes, for most of the shifts, the Chemistry paper was NCERT-based. Students who torough the NCERT Syllabus found it easy to attempt more questions from Chemistry section.
Yes, students who appeared on January 23 (Shift 2) and January 24 (Shift 2) particularly talked about tough physics questions. The questions were more advanced-level rather than the usual formula-based ones.
Following the previous year’s trends, mathematics continued to be the most lengthy paper. According to the students' reviews, while the questions were doable, it often took students 60-80 minutes to complete the paper due to lengthy calculations.
Based on the data, January 22 (Shift 2) and January 23 (Shift 2) are considered the toughest shifts in JEE 2026 till now.