Physics

• Overall difficulty: Moderate to Slightly Difficult
• Key focus areas: Electrodynamics, Magnetism, Heat & Thermodynamics, and Mechanics.

What stood out:

• Questions involved longer calculations than Shift 1, especially in Electrostatics and Current Electricity.
• Mechanics included multi-concept problems combining Laws of Motion and Work–Energy.
• Modern Physics had fewer direct formula-based questions compared to Shift 1.
• Accuracy was crucial; minor calculation errors could significantly affect scores.

Chemistry

• Overall difficulty: Moderate
• Key focus areas: Organic Chemistry and Physical Chemistry.

What stood out:

• Organic Chemistry was more dominant than in Shift 1, with emphasis on reaction mechanisms and conceptual understanding.
• Inorganic Chemistry was NCERT-based but required careful reading; some questions were indirect.
• Physical Chemistry numericals were calculation-heavy but standard.
• Chemistry was scoring but less straightforward than Shift 1.

Mathematics

• Overall difficulty: Difficult
• Key focus areas: Calculus, Coordinate Geometry, and Vector–3D Geometry.

What stood out :

• Calculus questions were lengthy and conceptually layered, especially Integration and Applications of Derivatives.
• Coordinate Geometry problems required multiple steps and were time-consuming.
• Algebra had fewer direct questions and more mixed-concept problems.
• Mathematics clearly emerged as the rank-deciding section in Shift 2.

Overall Assessment

• Shift 2 was more time-consuming and mentally taxing than Shift 1.
• Physics and Mathematics required careful pacing, while Chemistry demanded conceptual clarity.
• Candidates with strong calculation skills and effective time allocation performed better.

Expected Score vs Percentile (Shift 2 – 22 January 2026)

Normalization in JEE Main 22 January 2026 (Shift 2)

• Percentiles are first calculated within Shift 2, reflecting relative performance.
• These percentiles are then aligned with all other shifts across January and April sessions, ensuring fairness.
• Since Shift 2 had longer Mathematics and calculation-heavy Physics, normalization ensures candidates are not penalized.
• The All India Rank (AIR) is generated using normalized percentiles, not raw marks.

In essence: Candidates from 22 January Shift 2 are evaluated equitably against all other shifts and sessions, with difficulty differences neutralized.