JEE Mains 2026: Student Reactions After First Shifts – Harder Than Last Year?

The JEE Mains 2026 Session 1 is in full swing, with exams running from January 22 to 31, 2026. As of today (January 24), several shifts have concluded, and students are buzzing on social media, forums, and coaching groups about their experiences. Over 12 lakh candidates are appearing this session, vying for spots in NITs, IIITs, and other top engineering institutes — the pressure is immense, and early feedback gives a glimpse into how it’s going.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the exam in two shifts daily (9 AM–12 PM and 3 PM–6 PM). Subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics (Paper 1 for B.E./B.Tech). Difficulty levels vary by shift, but patterns are emerging from student reactions.

Overall Difficulty and Shift Breakdown

From the first completed shifts (Jan 21 morning, Jan 23 shifts 1&2, Jan 24 shift 1):

Overall Level: Moderate to tough. Many rate it similar or slightly harder than JEE Mains 2025 Session 1, with more emphasis on application-based questions.
Mathematics: Lengthy and tricky — the biggest complaint. Problems on calculus, algebra, coordinate geometry were time-consuming, with some students unable to attempt 20–30% of the section. Compared to 2025, Math feels “more conceptual and calculation-heavy.”
Physics: Moderate — conceptual with numerical twists. Topics like mechanics, optics, modern physics were balanced, easier than Math but tougher than 2025 in some shifts.
Chemistry: Easy to moderate — a relief for many. Organic and inorganic were straightforward, physical chemistry had some calculations but overall scoring.

Experts from coaching institutes (FIITJEE, Allen, Resonance) echo this: Day 3 Shift 1 (Jan 23) was “moderate to tough” with Math as the decider. Student polls on Reddit/Telegram show 45–50% calling it “harder than expected,” 30% “similar to mocks,” 20% “easier.”

JEE Mains Exam 2026 Day 3: Shift 1 exam difficulty level moderate to tough, expert shares complete analysis https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/competitive-exams/jee-mains-exam-2026-day-3-shift-1-exam-difficulty-level-moderate-to-tough-expert-shares-complete-analysis-101769164007092.html
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) January 23, 2026

Student Feelings and Experiences

Aspirants who’ve taken the exam are sharing raw emotions — relief, frustration, anxiety. Many describe the pressure of NTA’s normalization process (for shift variations) adding stress: “What if my shift was tougher?”

Positive Takes: “Chemistry saved me — finished early and scored high. Physics was doable. Math was lengthy but concepts from PYQs.” (From a Hyderabad student on Reddit). Some feel confident for 99+ percentile if normalization favors them.
Challenges: “Math killed time — couldn’t finish 10 questions. Felt harder than 2025 mocks.” A Delhi girl shared: “Tears after exam; prep was good but shift luck matters.” Fatigue from back-to-back shifts is common.
Compared to 2025: Students say 2026 feels “more balanced but trickier in Math/Physics.” 2025 had easier Chemistry too, but overall difficulty similar — though some shifts tougher due to length.

Mental health concerns are rising: Coaching forums report increased anxiety calls. Parents note kids “demotivated” if shift felt hard, fearing low scores despite prep.

NTA ensures fairness via normalization — scores adjusted based on shift difficulty. Results expected Feb 12; Session 2 in April for better scores.

For remaining shifts: Focus on time management, revise PYQs, stay calm. JEE Mains is a marathon — one bad shift isn’t the end.

This year’s exam reflects evolving patterns: more application, less rote. Students, hang in there — your hard work counts.

Here's another dose of post- exam students' reaction— unfiltered, unscripted, raw & full of information

[ALLEN, Student Reaction, JEE Main 2026, JEE Main, Session 1, JEE Exam] pic.twitter.com/UZGi67UGnB
— ALLEN Career Institute (@ALLENkota) January 21, 2026