JEE Main 2026 Jan 24 Session 1 Shift 1 Paper Analysis: Difficulty Level & Free Question Paper PDF
The 7th shift of the JEE Main exam on 24 January 2026 (Morning Shift) was finally over, and students, especially those with remaining exams, want to know about the exact paper analysis. The students want to know about the overall difficulty level of Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics papers.
So, this blog from Matrix Academy will offer detailed insights into Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Apart from this, we will also provide a paper PDF to help you analyse, revise, and strategise for the upcoming JEE Main exam 2026.
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JEE Main Exam 2026 January 24 Shift 1 Exam (Shift Timing & Structure)
The 7th shift on January 24, 2026, Shift 1 examination was successfully conducted between 9 AM and 12 PM. The entry gates were closed at 8:30 AM, and candidates were allowed to log in and read instructions from 8:50 AM onwards. An in-depth detail of this shift is as follows-
| Parameter | Details |
| Exam | January 24, 2026 |
| Shift | Shift 1 (Morning) |
| Reporting Time | Around 7:00 AM |
| Last Entry | 8.30 AM |
| Exam Time | 9 AM-12 PM |
| Duration | 3 Hours (180 Minutes) |
| Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Paper | Paper 1 – BE/BTech |
| Sections | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics |
| Questions to Attempt | 25 questions per subject |
| Total Questions | 75 to be attempted |
| Total Marks | 300 |
JEE Main Exam 2026 January 24 Shift 1 Overall Paper Analysis
The JEE Main Exam 2026 Jan 24 shift 1 ended at 12 PM, and Matrix Academy expert educators have analysed the difficulty of this shift based on the memory-based questions and student feedback. The Jan 24 Shift 1 is moderate in difficulty. And many students mentioned the paper was very lengthy.
- The chemistry section was very lengthy and had long statement questions.
We will discuss the paper in complete detail in this blog. A subject-wise and overall analysis will be done along with chapter-wise weightage. Feedback from students will also be discussed in the blog.
Expert Analysis: According to the paper’s difficulty and questions, experts predict thet 99 percentile cut off will be at 170-180 marks for the JEE Main 2026 Jan 24 Shift 1 paper. The cut off might go lower as the paper was highly lengthy and unpredictable in nature.
Subject-Wise Difficulty Level of JEE Main Exam, 24 January 2026 (Shift 1)
Here is a brief exam paper analysis of the difficulty level of the Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics sections. Also, check out the chapters that are of the highest weightage.
| Subject | Difficulty Level | Topics Appeared in the JEE Main Exam 24 Jan, 2026 Shift 1 |
| Physics | Moderate (Lengthy) | High weightage was seen from Heat & Thermodynamics, Ray and Wave Optics, Kinematics, Current Electricity, Magnetism, and Electrodynamics. Mechanics topics such as Laws of Motion, Work–Power–Energy, Rotation, and Fluids were prominent, along with semiconductors and microscope-based optics. |
| Chemistry | Easy to Moderate (Lengthy) | Questions were well distributed across Physical, Organic, and Inorganic Chemistry. Major focus areas included Coordination Compounds, Thermodynamics, Chemical Bonding, Atomic Structure, s- and p-Block elements, Polymers, and Environmental Chemistry. Physical Chemistry numericals dominated, making the section easy to moderate and NCERT-oriented. |
| Mathematics | Moderate to Difficult (Lengthy) | Mathematics was dominated by Calculus and Vector/3D Geometry. High-weightage topics included Applications of Derivatives, Integrals, Limits, Vectors, 3D Geometry, Conic Sections, Sequence & Series, and Permutations & Combinations. The section was moderate to difficult, lengthy, and calculation-intensive. |
| Overall Difficulty Level | Moderate but very lengthy. | – |
JEE Main Exam 2026 Session 1, 24 January 2026 Shift 1: Most Difficult Section
The most discussed question after every JEE exam is which section was the most difficult in the paper. In the JEE Main 2026 Jan 24 Shift 1 paper, the most difficult section is mathematics, along with being lengthy. Next is physics (very lengthy), and the chemistry section was a more balanced and easier side.
JEE Main 2026 Jan 24 Shift 1 Mathematics Paper Analysis
The JEE Main 24 Jan Shift 1 Mathematics section was also very lengthy. The estimated average attempt time per question was 10 minutes. And the average attempts in the mathematics section are estimated to be 8-10 questions.
- Calculus (35-40% weightage) is dominated by lengthy integrals, derivative applications (maxima-minima, tangents), and limits.
- Algebra/Coordinate (30%) included tricky vectors/3D intersections, conics (parabola focus), and Permutations & Combinations/series.
- The easiest questions were from statistics and matrices.
JEE Main 2026, 24 January Session 1 Shift 1 Mathematics Analysis (Topic-Wise Weightage)
| Chapter Name (Topic) | No. of Questions |
| Permutations & Combinations | 1 |
| Vector 3D | 3 |
| Conic Section (Ellipse, Hyperbola, Straight Line) | 4 |
| Complex Number | 1 |
| Probability | 2 |
| Sequence & Series | 1 |
| P & C + Sequence & Series (Mixed) | 1 |
| Quadratic Equations | 1 |
| Integration | 1 |
| Matrices | 1 |
| Statistics | 1 |
JEE Main 2026 Jan 24 Shift 1 Chemistry Paper Analysis
The chemistry section of JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Shift 2 is moderately difficult but very lengthy. The section was dominated by physical chemistry questions with very long statements. Organic chemistry questions were doable. But inorganic chemistry was again very lengthy. The majority of the questions in inorganic chemistry were from coordination compounds. For example, one question had 8 ions in one statement, where the process of finding paramagnetic and diamagnetic ions becomes very lengthy.
- Questions from physical chemistry – 10
- 3-4 statement-based questions.
- The average time taken to attempt this section is 40-50 minutes.
JEE Main 2026, 24 January Session 1 Shift 1 Chemistry Analysis (Topic-Wise Weightage)
| Chapter Name (Topic) | No. of Questions |
| Atomic Structure (Balmer Series, Lyman Series) | 1 |
| Coordination Compounds (Statement Based) | 3–4 |
| Thermochemistry | 1 |
| Chemical Equilibrium | 1 |
| Ionic Equilibrium (Mixed) | 1 |
| Electrochemistry | 1–2 |
| Chemical Bonding + Coordination (Mixed) | 1 |
| Chemical Bonding | 2–3 |
| Mole Concept | 1 |
| Thermodynamics | 1 |
| Liquid Solution | 1 |
JEE Main 2026 Jan 24 Shift 1 Physics Paper Analysis
The Physics section of JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Shift 2 was the lengthiest compared to Jan 21, Jan 22 and Jan 23 shifts. The average time to attempt the physics section was found to be 60-75 minutes, according to many students.
- The questions in phsyics section had 60% blended numericals and 40% thoery.
- Based on student feedback, the average number of good attempts can be said to be 15-18 questions.
- Lengthy numericals were from topics Heat/Thermodynamics (e.g., heat engines, kinetic theory) and Optics (microscope resolution, wave optics).
- Modern Physics (semiconductors) had direct formula-based questions.
JEE Main 2026, 24 January Session 1 Shift 1 Physics Analysis (Topic-Wise Weightage)
| Chapter Name (Topic) | No. of Questions |
| Modern Physics (Hydrogen Series) | 1 |
| Ray Optics (Microscope, Prism, Brewster Angle) | 3 |
| Kinematics | 1 |
| Fluid Mechanics (Terminal Velocity) | 2 |
| Current Electricity (Potentiometer) | 1 |
| NLM (3 Block) | 1 |
| SHM | 1 |
| Rotation (Moment of Inertia) | 1 |
| Magnetic Effect of Current (Bar Magnet) | 1 |
| AC (LCR Circuit) | 1 |
| Semiconductor (Zener Diode) | 1 |
| Gravitation | 1 |
| Thermodynamics | 1 |
JEE Main 2026 Jan 24 Shift 1 – Student Reactions & Feedback
As per the majority of students, the JEE Main 2026 Jan 24 Shift 2 exam had balanced difficulty but was very lengthy. There were mixed concepts at the JEE Advanced level. Here is a subject-wise student feedback:
- Physics: The physics section was said to have moderate-level questions, but very lengthy. The whole section was time-consuming. The questions seemed doable, but the steps and calculations were lengthy. The average attempts for this section were around 18-20 questions. But the multi-concept integration was tougher than Chemistry, which many students felt demanded accuracy over speed.
- Chemistry: The chemistry section was rated to be balanced and moderate. This section was the easiest to solve. The average time taken to solve the section was 40-50 minutes. Almost 23-25 questions featured direct numericals. Students felt NCERT-based questions were the saviour in the chemistry section.
- Mathematics: The mathematics section was the toughest and lengthiest. The difficulty level of the questions was moderate to tough. Though most of the questions seemed doable but were extremely calculation-heavy. The average attempts for toppers is found to be 18-22 questions.
JEE Main Exam 2026 January 24 Shift 1 Question Paper
Every year, question papers are released on our website based on the memory-based questions after the paper. Once all the questions are collected, students can download the question papers or memory-based questions, subject-wise, from the table below:
Subject-Wise Questions Papers PDFs of January 24, 2026
| Subject | JEE Main 2026, 24 January Session 1 Shift 1 Question Paper |
| Physics | Download JEE Main 2026 Jan 24 Shift 1 Physics Paper |
| Chemistry | Download JEE Main 2026 Session Shift 1 Chemistry Paper |
| Mathematics | Download JEE Main 2026 Session Shift 1 Mathematics Paper |
How to Download the JEE Main 2026, 24 January Shift 1 Question Paper PDF?
Students can also download the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Shift 1 question paper from the official NTA website. We will also upload the subject-wise question papers in this blog. Students can download the question papers from our website as well.
- Go to jeemain.nta.nic.in.
- Find the link for “JEE Main Papers & Answer Key” or similar.
- Log in using your application number, password/date of birth.
- Select the specific exam date and shift.
- You can then view and download the question paper, answer key, and your response sheet.
When will NTA release the Answer Key and Questions of JEE Main Exam 2026 Session 1?
NTA will release the answer key almost 7-10 days after the exam. Students can expect the answer key and questions to be released within 2 weeks on the official website. Candidates can cross-check their responses and estimate their scores. Stay updated with the latest updates regarding the JEE Main 2026 exam and results by regularly following the NTA official website.
FAQs
The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) every year. The JEE Main exam is conducted for admissions to undergraduate engineering and architecture programmes in India. The JEE Main exam is also a qualifying exam for JEE Advanced.
NTA releases the official answer key along with the response sheet a couple of days after the exam. It is estimated that the response sheet will be released along with the questions 2 weeks after the JEE Main 2026 exam.
JEE Main 2026 Jan 24 Shift 1 difficulty level was moderate overall, but very lengthy across sections. Time pressure was the main challenge in this shift.
Mathematics was the most difficult section in JEE Main 2026 January 24 Shift 1. The physics section was moderate but lengthy, whereas the chemistry section was easier.
NTA follows a standard timeline post-exams to release the answer key and results. It is estimated that the results will be released on February 12, 2026. Access scorecards, percentiles, and ranks online at jeemain.nta.nic.in using application number and Date of Birth.
The Physics paper in JEE Main 2026 January 24 Shift 1, was rated moderate in difficulty. High weightage was on topics like Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Thermodynamics, and Optics, where lengthy calculations made it time-intensive.
The exam time for JEE Main Exam 2026, 24 Jan Shift 1 is between 9 AM and 12 PM, and for Shift 2, the exam time is between 3 PM and 6 PM.
The Chemistry paper in JEE Main 2026, January 24 Shift 1, was easy to moderate in difficulty. It was the most scoring and quickest section because of the majority of NCERT-based questions.
Yes, Mathematics was tougher than both Physics and Chemistry in JEE Main 2026 January 24 Shift 1.
