JEE Main Exam 2026: The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main, conducted from January 21 to January 24, 2026, has seen over 10 lakh candidates appear so far, accounting for more than 96 per cent attendance. The first session (January) includes BE/BTech papers conducted from January 21 to January 24, with the remaining paper scheduled for January 28, while the BArch/BPlanning papers are set for January 29, 2026.
The January session is expected to witness participation from over 14 lakh candidates. In the first session, the National Testing Agency (NTA) recorded the appearance of 10,36,211 students, out of which 96.19 per cent (9,96,774) had verified their Aadhaar. A total of 3,453 Persons with Disabilities (PwD) candidates appeared for the examination.
Commenting on the conduct of the exam, the agency said, "Seamless coordination with state and district authorities and disciplined participation by candidates ensured the efficient conduct of the examination."
JEE Main Paper Analysis
Overall, the exam was rated moderate to difficult, with Mathematics emerging as the hardest and most time-consuming section. Physics and Chemistry were largely of moderate difficulty.
JEE Main January 24 Exam: Second Shift Analysis
Physics
The Physics section was moderate in difficulty, with questions drawn from almost all major chapters. Mechanics, Electrostatics, and Magnetism carried higher weightage, while Optics and Waves had relatively fewer questions. Topics such as Fluids, Mechanical Properties, Oscillations, Electromagnetic Waves, Thermodynamics, Thermal Properties, and Modern Physics were adequately covered. Around half of the questions were basic, while the rest were calculation-based. Although conceptually straightforward, several questions were time-consuming. Notably, there were no questions from Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) or Alternating Current (AC).
Chemistry
The Chemistry section ranged from easy to moderate. Questions were spread across Organic, Inorganic, and Physical Chemistry, with fewer questions from Inorganic Chemistry. Organic and Physical Chemistry had nearly equal representation, though Physical Chemistry featured slightly more numerical problems. Some integer-type questions involved lengthy calculations, making the section time-consuming. Several statement-based questions were directly based on NCERT.
Mathematics
The Mathematics section was moderate to difficult and proved to be the most challenging. Questions were evenly distributed across the syllabus, with a stronger focus on Algebra, Calculus, and Conic Sections. Topics such as 2D and 3D Geometry, Matrices, Vectors, and Complex Numbers had average representation, while Probability and Permutation and Combination carried relatively higher weightage. Lengthy, multi-step calculations made this section particularly time-consuming.