JEE Main 2026 (22 Jan, Shift 1) Maths Analysis Chapter Weightage, Difficulty & Expected Cutoff
The 22 January 2026 morning shift eased off slightly from the 21 January papers. The Mathematics section was moderate Algebra and Calculus still led, but with only 7 hard questions out of 25, a prepared student had real room to score. The difficulty, as usual, was concentrated in the numerical back five.
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 · 22 Jan · 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 |
| Biggest units | Algebra (32 marks) · Calculus (24 marks) |
| Toughest questions | Q16, Q21, Q22, Q25 |
| Answer key | Independently verified — one booklet typo noted (Q16) |
Overall verdict
This was the friendliest of the first four January shifts. The single-correct section (Q1–Q20) stayed comfortably in medium territory, with two clear easy marks (Q2 relations, Q20 AP). The numerical section again carried the weight — four of the five were hard, spanning complex numbers, matrices, integration and combinatorics. If your fundamentals were solid, this paper rewarded steady accuracy over heroics.
Bank the 2 easy + 16 medium questions first (that alone is a strong 72/100), then attack the 7 hard ones. Q16, Q21, Q22 and Q25 were the biggest time sinks — save them for last.
Unit-wise weightage
- Algebra — 8 questions · 32 marks. Sets & Relations, Quadratics, two Matrices, Binomial, Sequences, Complex Numbers and Permutations & Combinations.
- Calculus — 6 questions · 24 marks. Application of Derivatives, Area, two Differential Equations, Definite and Indefinite Integration.
- Coordinate Geometry — 3 questions · 12 marks. Hyperbola, Circle and Parabola.
- Vectors & 3D — 3 questions · 12 marks. One vectors and two 3D problems.
- Trigonometry — 3 questions · 12 marks. Two inverse-trig and one identity.
- Statistics & Probability — 2 questions · 8 marks.
Algebra + Calculus = 56 of 100 marks the usual backbone, though slightly less concentrated than 21 Jan.
Chapter weightage
Five chapters gave two questions each Probability, 3D Geometry, Differential Equations, Matrices & Determinants and Inverse Trigonometry while 15 other chapters gave exactly one. Breadth over depth, again.
| Chapter | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Probability | 2 | 8 |
| 3D Geometry | 2 | 8 |
| Differential Equations | 2 | 8 |
| Matrices & Determinants | 2 | 8 |
| Inverse Trigonometry | 2 | 8 |
| 15 other chapters | 1 each | 4 each |
Difficulty split
| Level | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 2 | 8% |
| Medium | 16 | 64% |
| Hard | 7 | 28% |
A 28% hard share is the lowest of the four January shifts so far. With 64% of the paper sitting at medium, this was a shift where careless mistakes not tough questions — separated scores.
The four questions that decided the paper
Q16 Coefficient of in an AGP expansion (Hard). A sum of the form has to be collapsed before you can read off a coefficient.
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
With , sums (as an AGP) to . The coefficient of comes from the term () and the term (), giving . Answer: (4).
Q21 — Cube roots of unity, power 20 (Hard). Recognising makes three of the four terms vanish.
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
Since , the fourth base is . The first three terms share a factor . So the sum , giving . Answer: 49.
Q22 — Skew-symmetric matrix + adjugate (Hard). Chained adjugate/determinant identities on a skew-symmetric matrix.
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
skew-symmetric with the given actions gives with . Then , so . Answer: 18.
Q25 — Pentagons from points on a triangle's sides (Hard). Collinearity forces at most two vertices per side.
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
A pentagon needs a split across the three sides. Summing: . Answer: 660.
Every answer on this shift was independently re-derived and verified by IITIANFORUM. In Q16 the correct expression is ; a printed would be a booklet typo.
Expected good attempt & cutoff read
Directional only actual percentiles depend on normalisation across shifts:
- Excellent (top percentile): 22+ correct with clean numericals.
- Strong: 19–21 correct.
- Safe: 15–18 correct — bank every easy and medium question.
Because this shift was so medium-heavy, accuracy was everything. On a paper like this, two silly slips cost more than a skipped hard numerical.
What to take away for your prep
- Algebra + Calculus = 56% of the paper. Even on an "easy" shift they dominate.
- Inverse Trigonometry showed up twice — a chapter students often under-practise.
- The medium band was huge (64%). On friendly shifts, ranks are decided by accuracy, not by cracking the hardest question.
FAQ
How difficult was JEE Main 2026 Maths on 22 January Shift 1?
Moderate — the friendliest of the first four January shifts, with 16 medium questions and only 7 hard.
Which chapters had the highest weightage?
Probability, 3D Geometry, Differential Equations, Matrices & Determinants and Inverse Trigonometry two questions each. Algebra was the biggest unit at 32 marks.
What were the toughest questions?
Q16 (AGP coefficient), Q21 (cube roots of unity), Q22 (skew-symmetric matrix adjugate) and Q25 (pentagons combinatorics).
Were there any errors in the answer key?
No answer-key errors.
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.