JEE Main 23 January 2026 – Shift 2 (Evening) Paper Analysis

Physics

• Overall difficulty: Moderate to Slightly Difficult
• Topic distribution: Magnetism, EMI, Thermodynamics, Mechanics, Optics

Detailed analysis:

• Physics featured multi-step numericals, especially from Magnetism and EMI.
• Mechanics questions combined concepts, increasing calculation length.
• Optics questions required conceptual clarity but were standard.
• Compared to Shift 1, Physics was more time-consuming.

Chemistry

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

Detailed analysis:

• Organic Chemistry was more concept-driven, testing reaction mechanisms and reasoning.
• Inorganic Chemistry questions were NCERT-based but required careful interpretation.
• Physical Chemistry numericals involved multiple steps and calculations.
• Chemistry remained scoring but required careful reading.

Mathematics

• Overall difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
• Topic distribution: Calculus, Coordinate Geometry, Vector–3D Geometry, Algebra

Detailed analysis:

• Calculus questions were lengthy and layered, especially from Integration.
• Coordinate Geometry involved multiple steps and was time-intensive.
• Vector and 3D Geometry required precision and clarity.
• Mathematics clearly became the rank-deciding section in this shift.

Overall Assessment – Shift 2

• More time-consuming than Shift 1
• Mathematics and Physics demanded speed with accuracy
• Chemistry was balanced but less straightforward
• Strong time management separated top performers

Expected Score vs Percentile (Shift 2 – 23 January 2026)

Normalization – Shift 2 (23 January 2026)

• Percentiles are first calculated within Shift 2.
• These are aligned across all January and April shifts.
• AIR is based only on normalized percentile, ensuring fair ranking.
• Despite Shift 2 being relatively tougher, normalization ensures no disadvantage.

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