JEE Main 2026 Session 1 paper analysis: Moderate overall, Maths toughest section

The JEE Main 2026 Session 1 paper was rated moderate in overall difficulty. The question paper featured a balanced mix of conceptual understanding and application-based problems. Students with strong fundamentals and effective time management were able to attempt a fair number of questions across sections.

However, the distribution of difficulty varied sharply across Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.

Here's the subject-wise JEE Main 2026 Session 1 paper analysis as per Saurabh Kumar, Founder and CEO Shiksha Nation:

PHYSICS: CONCEPTUAL AND TIME-CONSUMING

Physics was rated moderate to tough by most candidates. Many students found the section lengthy and conceptually demanding, requiring careful application of fundamentals rather than direct formula use.

Questions were largely asked from:

• Modern Physics
• Wave Motion

While the syllabus coverage was standard, the depth of questions tested conceptual clarity. Candidates reported that solving Physics questions required more time compared to Chemistry.

CHEMISTRY: EASY AND SCORING

Chemistry turned out to be the most scoring section of the paper.

The section was dominated by:

• Physical Chemistry (around 4 questions)
• Organic Chemistry (1 question)

Most questions were direct, memory-based, and formula-driven, allowing students to attempt them quickly. Compared to Physics and Mathematics, Chemistry required less calculation and time, making it a high-confidence section for many candidates.

JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Live Updates

MATHEMATICS: TOUGHEST SECTION

Mathematics emerged as the most challenging and time-consuming section of the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 paper.

Key topics included:

• Vectors
• 3D Geometry

Questions demanded strong spatial understanding and involved lengthy calculations, testing students’ problem-solving speed and accuracy. Many candidates struggled to manage time effectively in this section.

EXPERT ANALYSIS: WHAT AAKASH SAYS

Ajay Sharma, National Academic Director (Engineering) at Aakash Educational Services Limited, also described the JEE Main January 21, 2026 morning shift paper as moderate in overall difficulty, largely aligning with student feedback.

Physics:
According to Sharma, the Physics section was moderate, with greater emphasis on Class 12 topics such as Optics and Electromagnetism. Mechanics, Waves and Thermodynamics had comparatively lower weightage, while Modern Physics appeared in moderate numbers. Topics like AC, EMI and Magnetism were less prominent.

Chemistry:
Chemistry emerged as the easiest and most time-efficient section, he said. Organic Chemistry dominated the paper with direct, familiar questions, while Inorganic Chemistry had fewer questions. Physical Chemistry included a reasonable number of numerical problems but remained manageable overall.

Mathematics:
Mathematics was rated moderate to difficult, primarily due to lengthy calculations. Class 12 topics such as Calculus, 3D Geometry & Vectors, and Conic Sections dominated, while Class 11 topics had limited presence. Despite standard concepts, the section proved time-consuming for many students.

Overall Difficulty:
Ranking the sections by difficulty, Sharma placed them as:
Mathematics > Physics > Chemistry

He added that students who followed a strategic approach — beginning with Chemistry and managing time carefully — were likely to score better.

STUDENT FEEDBACK SNAPSHOT

• Physics: Conceptual, lengthy, application-heavy
• Chemistry: Easy, scoring, straightforward
• Mathematics: Toughest, calculation-intensive

Overall, both student reactions and expert feedback suggest that the JEE Main Session 1 paper on January 21 tested conceptual clarity and time management rather than surprise elements.