Toughest Shift in JEE Main 2026 Session 1 With Day Wise Difficulty Level

Toughest Shift in JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Exam is an important aspect for aspirants as the examination is being conducted across multiple days and shifts. Maintaining uniform difficulty across all shifts is practically impossible, and each shift has a different question paper. As a result, some shifts naturally turn out to be tougher than others. Identifying the toughest shift helps candidates evaluate their performance realistically and predict their expected percentile under the normalization system. A tougher paper usually results in lower average scores, which can be advantageous for well-prepared students. This article provides a shift-wise difficulty overview and explains what the toughest shift means for JEE Main 2026 results.

Toughest Shift of JEE Main 2026 Session 1: Exam Schedule Overview

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is conducting JEE Main 2026 Session 1 on January 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, and 29, 2026.

• BE/BTech Paper: January 21–24 and January 28

• Number of shifts: 2 per day

• Total shifts: 10

Since each shift has a unique question paper, the difficulty level varies. A shift is termed the toughest only after comparing it with all other shifts based on overall complexity, subject-wise difficulty, and student feedback.

Toughest Shift of JEE Main 2026 Session 1: Shift-Wise Difficulty Status

The toughest shift of JEE Main 2026 Session 1 will be identified after analysing:

• Student reactions

• Subject-wise difficulty level

• Length and complexity of questions

• Average number of attempts

The toughest shift usually emerges once most shifts are completed and compared collectively.

Which Is Toughest Shift of JEE Main 2026 Session 1

The toughest shift of JEE Main 2026 Session 1 will be updated after the completion of all shifts. Based on trends from previous JEE Main sessions, mid-session or later shifts sometimes turn out to be tougher due to lengthy questions and higher conceptual depth, especially in Mathematics and Physics. Early shifts are sometimes perceived as slightly easier, leading to higher average scores. The actual toughest shift can only be determined after analysing student feedback and expert reviews from all shifts.

How Is Toughest Shift of JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Identified

A shift is labelled as the toughest when it shows:

• A higher proportion of difficult or multi-concept questions

• Lengthy and time-consuming Mathematics section

• Tricky, calculation-heavy Physics numericals

• Lower average attempts across candidates

Expert reviews and large-scale student feedback play a key role in final identification.

What Does Toughest Shift Mean for Candidates

Being allotted a tough shift does not put candidates at a disadvantage. In fact, it can be beneficial due to normalization.

Key implications of a tough shift:

• Overall lower average marks

• Reduced raw score required for a high percentile

• Better normalization benefit

• Fair ranking across all shifts

The normalization process ensures that differences in paper difficulty do not impact final merit unfairly.

Is There Any Fixed Pattern for Toughest Shift in JEE Main

No, there is no fixed pattern.

The toughest shift can appear on:

• The first day

• Middle days

• The final day
  
  

Difficulty levels change every year depending on paper design, subject weightage, and question framing. Hence, predicting the toughest shift in advance is unreliable.