JEE Main 2026 Jan 23 Paper Analysis: The JEE (Main) 2026 Session 1 examination continued on January 23, with candidates appearing for the morning shift test across centres nationwide. As per student reactions and expert analysis, the paper was rated easy to moderate overall, with Mathematics rated as the toughest section. Physics was assessed as moderate, while Chemistry was considered comparatively easier. The question paper was largely balanced, with broad coverage across the syllabus and no major surprises for well-prepared candidates.
According to experts, the JEE (Main) paper conducted in the morning shift was of easy to moderate difficulty. While all three subjects, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, were largely balanced in terms of question distribution and syllabus coverage, Mathematics emerged as the most challenging section, followed by Physics and Chemistry.
"All three subjects were almost of equal difficulty. However, Mathematics was slightly more challenging, while Physics and Chemistry were comparatively easier to moderate. The paper was well-balanced in terms of chapter coverage," said Ajay Sharma, National Academic Director (Engineering), Aakash Educational Services Limited.
Physics
The Physics section was of moderate difficulty, with questions covering almost all major chapters.
"There was a higher number of questions from Magnetism, while Optics had comparatively fewer. Mechanics had average representation. Some questions were time-consuming, which made the section slightly challenging," Sharma said.
He added that topics such as Electromagnetic Waves, Thermodynamics, and Modern Physics were also adequately represented in the paper.
Chemistry
The Chemistry section was rated easy to moderate, with a fairly even distribution across all three sections.
"Questions were spread across Organic, Inorganic, and Physical Chemistry, with a slightly higher weightage for Organic Chemistry. Physical and Inorganic Chemistry had nearly equal representation," Sharma said.
Many questions were statement-based and closely aligned with NCERT concepts. While the section was not difficult, some questions required careful reading and strong conceptual clarity.
Mathematics
Mathematics was the toughest section of the paper and ranged from moderate to difficult, according to experts and student feedback.
"Questions were drawn from across the syllabus, with higher representation from Integral Calculus, Conic Sections, and Algebra, particularly the Binomial Theorem. Topics such as 3D Geometry, Vectors, and Complex Numbers had average presence," Sharma said.
He added that Algebra appeared slightly dominant, while Coordinate Geometry carried moderate weightage.
Overall Difficulty Level
Based on student reactions and expert analysis, the overall difficulty order of the January 23 morning shift paper was:
Mathematics > Physics > Chemistry