JEE Main 2026 (2 Apr, Shift 1) Maths Analysis Chapter Weightage, Difficulty & Expected Cutoff
The 2 April 2026 morning shift opened the JEE Main April session and set a tougher tone than most of January. This Mathematics paper was moderate-to-tough: Algebra and Calculus led the weightage as always, but eight of the 25 questions were hard, with the difficulty concentrated in Calculus and the numerical section.
Here is the full breakdown: what was asked, where the marks sat, how hard it really was, and roughly what a good attempt looked like.
The paper at a glance
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam | JEE Main 2026 · 2 Apr · Shift 1 (Morning) |
| Questions | 25 (Q1–Q20 single-correct MCQ, Q21–Q25 numerical) |
| Marks | 100 (+4 correct, –1 wrong on MCQs; no negative on numericals) |
| Overall difficulty | Moderate, leaning tough |
| Biggest units | Algebra (36 marks) · Calculus (24 marks) |
| Toughest questions | Q16, Q18, Q24, Q25 |
| Answer key | Independently verified no errors found |
Overall verdict
The April opener made students work. The single-correct section carried five hard problems and the numerical section three, so there was no easy stretch to coast through. Calculus was the difficulty engine — a sin-of-a-cubic limit, a critical-points count and a function-inverse integral all demanded real thought. Two clean easy marks (Q10 ellipse, Q17 differential equation) and a broad medium band gave a disciplined student a solid base.
Secure the 2 easy + 15 medium questions first (that alone is a strong 68/100), then attack the 8 hard ones. Q16, Q18, Q24 and Q25 were the biggest time sinks — save them for last.
Unit-wise weightage
- Algebra 9 questions · 36 marks. Two Matrices, two Sequences, plus Theory of Equations, Complex Numbers, Permutations & Combinations, Binomial and Basics & Logarithms.
- Calculus 6 questions · 24 marks. Two Differential Equations, two Definite Integration, a Limit and Application of Derivatives the hardest unit.
- Coordinate Geometry 3 questions · 12 marks. Straight Lines, Ellipse and Circle.
- Vectors & 3D 3 questions · 12 marks. Two 3D problems and one vectors.
- Trigonometry 2 questions · 8 marks.
- Statistics & Probability 2 questions · 8 marks.
Algebra + Calculus = 60 of 100 marks — the usual backbone.
Chapter weightage
Five chapters gave two questions each Matrices & Determinants, Sequences & Series, Differential Equations, Definite Integration and 3D Geometry while 15 other chapters gave one apiece.
| Chapter | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Matrices & Determinants | 2 | 8 |
| Sequences & Series | 2 | 8 |
| Differential Equations | 2 | 8 |
| Definite Integration | 2 | 8 |
| 3D Geometry | 2 | 8 |
| 15 other chapters | 1 each | 4 each |
Difficulty split
| Level | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 2 | 8% |
| Medium | 15 | 60% |
| Hard | 8 | 32% |
At 32% hard (DI 2.24), the April opener sat a notch above the average January shift — an early sign that the April papers ran tougher across the board.
The four questions that decided the paper
Q16 Limit with sin of a cubic (Hard).
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
A double-zero denominator () forces the cubic to factor as , giving , and , so . Answer: (2).
Q18 Critical points of |sin x / x| (Hard).
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
Stationary points solve (three on ), and adds corners at where . Total . Answer: (3).
Q24 Circle with equal intercepts (Hard).
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
Equal intercepts + a chord on (distance from centre) give , so . Answer: 8.
Q25 Function and its inverse (Hard).
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
The two integrals are a function–inverse pair, so , giving . Answer: 192.
Every answer on this shift was independently re-derived and verified by IITIANFORUM. Q15 had a likely source-transcription issue in the given vectors; the printed answer key is retained.
Expected good attempt & cutoff read
Directional only actual percentiles depend on normalisation across shifts:
- Excellent (top percentile): 21+ correct with clean numericals.
- Strong: 17–20 correct.
- Safe: 14–17 correct bank every easy and medium question.
Because April papers ran tougher, cutoffs across the session tended to sit a little lower than January but normalisation across shifts evens this out.
What to take away for your prep
- April is harder calibrate accordingly. The opener already carried eight hard questions; don't prepare only against gentle January papers.
- Calculus was the difficulty engine. Limits, integration patterns and function-inverse tricks all need genuine practice.
- Matrices and Sequences each appeared twice. These recurring chapters must be automatic.
FAQ
How difficult was JEE Main 2026 Maths on 2 April Shift 1?
Moderate-to-tough eight of 25 questions hard (DI 2.24), a step up from the average January shift.
Which chapters had the highest weightage?
Matrices & Determinants, Sequences & Series, Differential Equations, Definite Integration and 3D Geometry two questions each. Algebra was the biggest unit at 36 marks.
What were the toughest questions?
Q16 (sin-of-a-cubic limit), Q18 (critical points of |sin x/x|), Q24 (circle with equal intercepts) and Q25 (function-and-inverse integral).
Were there any errors in the answer key?
No every answer was independently verified.
Want the fully worked, step-by-step solution to all 25 questions of this shift? Practise these exact chapters on IITIANFORUM and download the complete verified solutions PDF below.
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Ritesh Raj
Founder and Lead Mentor at IITian Forum. M.Sc Mathematics, IIT Delhi. 500+ students mentored for JEE and Olympiad mathematics.