JEE Main 2026 (2 Apr, Shift 2) Maths Analysis Chapter Weightage, Difficulty & Expected Cutoff
The 2 April 2026 evening shift was a moderate Mathematics paper with the difficulty evenly spread rather than clustered. Algebra and Calculus led the weightage, seven questions were hard, and no single unit carried all the toughness Theory of Equations, Coordinate Geometry and Calculus each contributed.
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 2 (Evening) |
| 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 |
| Biggest units | Algebra (36 marks) · Calculus (24 marks) |
| Toughest questions | Q1, Q18, Q23, Q24 |
| Answer key | Independently verified no errors found |
Overall verdict
A balanced, fair paper. The hard questions were spread through the shift — a linked-quadratic problem early, a polynomial-extrema question mid-paper, and an ellipse-locus and hyperbola-area pair in the numerical section. Both easy marks (Q2 two circles, Q17 a periodic integral) were quick, and the medium band was large, so a composed student could bank a strong score by staying accurate and picking off the reachable hard problems.
Bank the 2 easy + 16 medium questions first (that alone is a strong 72/100), then attack the 7 hard ones. Q1, Q18, Q23 and Q24 were the biggest time sinks — save them for last.
Unit-wise weightage
- Algebra 9 questions · 36 marks. Two Sequences, two Matrices, plus Theory of Equations, Complex Numbers, Binomial, Permutations & Combinations and Sets/Relations.
- Calculus 6 questions · 24 marks. Definite and Indefinite Integration, Application of Derivatives, a Differential Equation, Area and Continuity.
- Coordinate Geometry 4 questions · 16 marks. Circle, Hyperbola, Parabola and Ellipse one from each.
- Vectors & 3D 2 questions · 8 marks.
- Trigonometry 2 questions · 8 marks.
- Statistics & Probability 2 questions · 8 marks.
Algebra + Calculus = 60 of 100 marks the usual backbone.
Chapter weightage
Three chapters gave two questions each Sequences & Series, Matrices & Determinants and Trigonometry while 19 other chapters gave one apiece, making this one of the most spread-out April papers.
| Chapter | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Sequences & Series | 2 | 8 |
| Matrices & Determinants | 2 | 8 |
| Trigonometry | 2 | 8 |
| 19 other chapters | 1 each | 4 each |
Difficulty split
| Level | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 2 | 8% |
| Medium | 16 | 64% |
| Hard | 7 | 28% |
At 28% hard (DI 2.20), this sat comfortably in the moderate band a touch gentler than the morning shift, and the most balanced of the two 2 April papers.
The four questions that decided the paper
Q1 Two linked quadratics (Hard).
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
From and : . The product of the two target roots , so . Answer: (D).
Q18 Degree-5 polynomial with a limit condition (Hard).
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
Extrema at and fix ; being odd, . Answer: (D).
Q23 Locus under internal tangency (Hard).
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
The tangency condition gives — an ellipse with foci , , , so and . Answer: 18.
Q24 — Area between a hyperbola and a line (Hard).
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
Integrating the branch minus the line from to gives , so and . Answer: 24.
Every answer on this shift was independently re-derived and verified by IITIANFORUM no key errors found.
Expected good attempt & cutoff read
Directional only actual percentiles depend on normalisation across shifts:
- Excellent (top percentile): 22+ correct with clean numericals.
- Strong: 18–21 correct.
- Safe: 14–17 correct bank every easy and medium question.
With the difficulty evenly spread, this was a shift where consistent accuracy across all units beat chasing any one hard problem.
What to take away for your prep
- Algebra + Calculus = 60% of the paper. Sequences and Matrices each repeated — keep them sharp.
- Coordinate Geometry covered all four conics. One question each from Circle, Hyperbola, Parabola and Ellipse — the most reliable unit.
- Difficulty can be spread, not clustered. When hard questions appear across every section, steady triage matters more than raw speed.
FAQ
How difficult was JEE Main 2026 Maths on 2 April Shift 2?
Moderate — seven of 25 questions hard (DI 2.20), with the difficulty spread evenly across units.
Which chapters had the highest weightage?
Sequences & Series, Matrices & Determinants and Trigonometry two questions each. Algebra was the biggest unit at 36 marks.
What were the toughest questions?
Q1 (two linked quadratics), Q18 (degree 5 polynomial extrema), Q23 (ellipse locus under internal tangency) and Q24 (area between a hyperbola and a line).
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.