Physics

• Overall difficulty: Moderate
• Topic distribution: Mechanics, Current Electricity, Electrostatics, Modern Physics, Optics

Detailed analysis:

• The paper featured a healthy mix of conceptual and numerical problems.
• Mechanics questions tested fundamentals such as Laws of Motion and Work-Energy, mostly single-concept based.
• Current Electricity and Electrostatics required formula application with basic calculations.
• Modern Physics was direct and scoring, with theory-based and formula-driven questions.
• Overall, Physics was approachable for students with clear fundamentals.

Chemistry

• Overall difficulty: Easy to Moderate
• Topic distribution: Inorganic Chemistry (dominant), Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry

Detailed analysis:

• Inorganic Chemistry was largely NCERT-based, with straightforward questions on periodic trends, coordination compounds, and chemical bonding.
• Organic Chemistry focused on fundamental reaction mechanisms and basic conversions rather than complex synthesis.
• Physical Chemistry included standard numericals from Thermodynamics and Chemical Kinetics.
• Chemistry emerged as the most scoring section of the paper.

Mathematics

• Overall difficulty: Moderate
• Topic distribution: Algebra, Calculus, Coordinate Geometry, Trigonometry

Detailed analysis:

• Algebra questions were direct and scoring, particularly from Matrices and Determinants.
• Calculus questions were of moderate length, testing understanding of differentiation and basic integration.
• Coordinate Geometry questions required careful calculation but were not conceptually difficult.
• Mathematics was less lengthy than several previous shifts, allowing better time management.

Overall Assessment

• Balanced paper with no extreme difficulty spikes
• Chemistry and Physics offered scoring opportunities
• Mathematics tested accuracy rather than speed
• Well-prepared students could attempt a high number of questions confidently

Expected Score vs Percentile (Shift 1 – 23 January 2026)

Normalization in JEE Main 23 January 2026 (Shift 1)

• Percentiles are calculated within the shift based on relative performance.
• These percentiles are aligned with all other shifts across January and April.
• Final All India Rank (AIR) is prepared using normalized percentile scores, not raw marks.
• Minor differences in shift difficulty are neutralized through normalization.

In essence: Candidates from 23 January Shift 1 are evaluated equitably against all other shifts and sessions, with difficulty differences neutralized.