JEE Main 2026 (21 Jan, Shift 2) paper analysis

JEE Main 2026 (21 Jan, Shift 2) was tough compared with all 163 JEE Main papers since 2019, and the 7th easiest of the 10 shifts of the January 2026 session, by our question ratings.

Difficulty by subject

  • Physics: Moderately tough
  • Chemistry: Moderately tough
  • Mathematics: Moderately tough

Difficulty is Autonise's own rating, not NTA's. Every question in our bank has a difficulty rating. We work out the marks a well-prepared student would expect in every JEE Main paper and rank this shift against all of them: the easiest fifth is "Easy", the toughest fifth "Tough". NTA works percentiles out within each shift, so the same marks give a higher percentile in a tougher shift; the percentile predictor uses this level.

Physics chapter-wise questions

  • Current Electricity: 4
  • Capacitor: 2
  • Rotational Dynamics: 2
  • Units, Dimensions & Error Analysis: 2
  • Viscosity & Surface Tension: 2
  • Wave Optics & Interference: 2
  • Atoms: 1
  • Circular Motion Dynamics: 1
  • Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter: 1
  • Electrostatics: 1
  • Kinematics in 1D & 2D: 1
  • Kinetic Theory of Gases: 1
  • Magnetic Effect of Current & Moving Charge: 1
  • Refraction & Prisms: 1
  • Simple Harmonic Motion: 1
  • Thermodynamics: 1
  • Work, Energy & Power: 1

Chemistry chapter-wise questions

  • Alkyl Halides (Haloalkanes & Haloarenes): 3
  • Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure: 3
  • Coordination Compounds: 2
  • Electrochemistry: 2
  • Liquid Solutions & Colligative Properties: 2
  • Aldehydes and Ketones: 1
  • Amines, Nitro, Diazonium Salts: 1
  • Analytical Qualitative Salt Analysis: 1
  • Atomic Structure: 1
  • Biomolecules: 1
  • Carboxylic Acids & Derivatives: 1
  • Chemical Kinetics: 1
  • Chemical Thermodynamics & Energetics: 1
  • Classification of Elements and Periodicity in Properties: 1
  • Ionic Equilibrium: 1
  • Isomerism: 1
  • Mole Concept & Stoichiometry: 1
  • Practical Organic Chemistry (POC): 1

Mathematics chapter-wise questions

  • Binomial Theorem: 2
  • Parabola: 2
  • Quadratic Equation: 2
  • Sequence and Series: 2
  • Sets: 2
  • Three-Dimensional (3D) Coordinate Geometry: 2
  • Application of Derivatives: 1
  • Area Under Curves: 1
  • Circles: 1
  • Complex Numbers: 1
  • Definite Integration: 1
  • Determinants: 1
  • Differential Equations: 1
  • Differentiation: 1
  • Ellipse: 1
  • Inverse Trigonometric Functions (ITF): 1
  • Matrices: 1
  • Probability: 1
  • Vector Algebra (Fundamentals & Products): 1

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