JEE Main 2026 (21 Jan, Shift 2) Maths Analysis Chapter Weightage, Difficulty & Expected Cutoff
The 21 January 2026 evening shift followed the morning paper and nudged the difficulty up a notch. The Mathematics paper was moderate-to-tough, again led by Algebra and Calculus, but with a heavier back end — 10 of the 25 questions landed in the hard bucket, most of them in 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 · 21 Jan · 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, leaning tough |
| Biggest units | Algebra (40 marks) · Calculus (24 marks) |
| Toughest questions | Q19, Q21, Q23, Q24 |
| Answer key | Independently verified — no errors found |
Overall verdict
Like the morning slot, the single-correct section stayed mostly medium, but the numerical section (Q21–Q25) was brutal — all five were hard, spanning a greatest-integer Riemann sum, an inverse-trig maximisation, an arccot integral and a slick binomial-reciprocal product. Algebra was even more dominant than the morning, taking 40 of 100 marks. A student who was quick and accurate on algebra could build a big score before ever touching the hard numericals.
Bank the 2 easy + 13 medium questions first (that's already 60/100), then spend what's left on the 10 hard ones. Q19, Q21, Q23 and Q24 were the biggest time sinks save them for last.
Unit-wise weightage
- Algebra — 10 questions · 40 marks. The clear giant: two Sequences, two Sets & Relations, two Matrices, plus Theory of Equations, Complex Numbers, Permutations & Combinations and Binomial.
- Calculus — 6 questions · 24 marks. Limits, Application of Derivatives, Methods of Differentiation, Area, a Differential Equation and a Definite Integral.
- Coordinate Geometry — 4 questions · 16 marks. Ellipse, two Parabola and a Circle.
- Vectors & 3D — 3 questions · 12 marks. One vectors (triangle cross-product) and two 3D problems.
- Trigonometry — 1 question · 4 marks (inverse-trig maximisation).
- Statistics & Probability — 1 question · 4 marks.
Algebra + Calculus = 64 of 100 marks — an even stronger concentration than the morning shift.
Chapter weightage
Five chapters gave two questions each — Sequences & Series, Parabola, 3D Geometry, Sets & Relations and Matrices & Determinants while 15 other chapters gave exactly one. As in the morning, the paper rewarded breadth over depth.
| Chapter | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Sequences & Series | 2 | 8 |
| Parabola | 2 | 8 |
| 3D Geometry | 2 | 8 |
| Sets & Relations | 2 | 8 |
| Matrices & Determinants | 2 | 8 |
| 15 other chapters | 1 each | 4 each |
Difficulty split
| Level | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 2 | 8% |
| Medium | 13 | 52% |
| Hard | 10 | 40% |
At 40%, the hard share edged above the morning's 36%. The two easy questions — Q13 (set operations) and Q20 (power of 7 in 101!) — were pure gifts; everything else needed real work.
The four questions that decided the paper
Q19 — Complex number with maximum argument (Hard). Geometry, not algebra, cracked it: the point of maximum argument on a disc is where the tangent from the origin touches.
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
For with maximum positive argument, is the tangent point , so . Then and , giving . Answer: (4).
Q21 — Greatest-integer Riemann sum (Hard). A limit that looks impossible until you squeeze the floor function away.
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
is squeezed to , so . Then . Answer: 2.
Q23 — Maximum of (Hard). The identity turns it into a single-variable parabola.
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
The expression . With , the max is at : , so . Answer: 65.
Q24 — Product of binomial reciprocals (Hard). One neat identity collapses a 13-factor product.
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
. The product over is , so and . Answer: 32.
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): 21+ correct with clean numericals.
- Strong: 17–20 correct.
- Safe: 13–16 correct — bank every easy and medium question.
With the hard share at 40%, this shift punished slow starts. Speed on the algebra MCQs was the single biggest lever.
What to take away for your prep
- Algebra was 40% of the paper. Sequences, Sets, Matrices and Binomial all showed up — none are optional.
- Parabola appeared twice. Conics remain the most reliable coordinate-geometry marks.
- The numerical section was a wall. Every Section-B question was hard — greatest-integer limits, inverse-trig maxima and binomial identities need pattern practice, not just formula recall.
FAQ
How difficult was JEE Main 2026 Maths on 21 January Shift 2?
Moderate, leaning tough — a shade harder than the morning shift, with 10 of 25 questions rated hard and every Section-B numerical hard.
Which chapters had the highest weightage?
Sequences & Series, Parabola, 3D Geometry, Sets & Relations and Matrices & Determinants — two questions each. Algebra was the biggest unit at 40 marks.
What were the toughest questions?
Q19 (complex number, max argument), Q21 (greatest-integer Riemann sum), Q23 (max of arcsin²+arccos²) and Q24 (product of binomial reciprocals).
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.