JEE Main 2026 Day 4 Analysis: Shift 1 Ends with ‘Lengthy’ Maths; Session 1 Attendance Hits Record 96% New Delhi: The Day 4 (January 24) M...
JEE Main 2026 Day 4 Analysis: Shift 1 Ends with ‘Lengthy’ Maths; Session 1 Attendance Hits Record 96%
New Delhi: The Day 4 (January 24) Morning Shift of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026 Session 1 has concluded. Initial reactions from students and experts suggest a "Balanced but Exhausting" paper, with Mathematics once again emerging as the toughest section due to its length.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has also reported a record-breaking attendance of 96% for Session 1 so far, with over 7.7 lakh candidates having appeared in the first four days.
Shift 1 Analysis: Moderate Difficulty, High Calculation
Students coming out of exam centers reported that while the paper was conceptually balanced, it required significant time management skills.
Mathematics (The Decider): Consistent with previous shifts, Maths was reported as Moderate to Difficult and extremely lengthy. Questions from Calculus, Vectors & 3D Geometry, and Conic Sections involved multi-step calculations that consumed a major chunk of the exam duration.
Physics (Formula-Heavy): Rated as Moderate. The section had a good mix of formula-based and conceptual questions. Topics like Ray Optics, Modern Physics, and Fluid Mechanics saw high weightage. However, many numerical questions were calculation-intensive.
Chemistry (The Savior): Rated as Easy to Moderate. The section was largely based on the NCERT syllabus. Physical Chemistry carried slightly higher weightage than usual in the numerical section, while Organic and Inorganic questions were direct.
Key Exam Statistics
Overall Attendance: 96% (Session 1 average).
Total Candidates: 7.7 Lakh+ (Days 1–4).
Biometric Success: Aadhaar-based verification has been successful for 96.1% of candidates, ensuring a smooth entry process.
Expert Verdict
"The paper followed the pattern of Jan 22 and 23. Students who managed their time well in Physics and Chemistry could afford the extra minutes required for Maths. We expect the percentile cutoff for this shift to be slightly lower due to the lengthy nature of the paper."
