JEE Main 2026 (23 Jan, Shift 1) Maths Analysis Chapter Weightage, Difficulty & Expected Cutoff
The 23 January 2026 morning shift was a moderate Mathematics paper in the now-familiar January mould: Algebra and Calculus led, the single-correct section stayed mostly medium, and the seven hard questions clustered 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 · 23 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 (36 marks) · Calculus (24 marks) |
| Toughest questions | Q2, Q21, Q22, Q23 |
| Answer key | Independently verified — no errors found |
Overall verdict
A well-balanced paper. The single-correct section (Q1–Q20) offered clean medium problems and two easy marks — Q10 (a King-property integral) and Q19 (a work-and-time quadratic). The difficulty then concentrated in the numerical section, where four of the five were hard: an indefinite-integration pattern, a nested-adjugate determinant, an area problem and an integral equation. A composed student could bank a strong score before the back five.
Secure the 2 easy + 16 medium questions first (that alone is a strong 72/100), then attack the 7 hard ones. Q2, Q21, Q22 and Q23 were the biggest time sinks — save them for last.
Unit-wise weightage
- Algebra — 9 questions · 36 marks. Two Matrices, two Binomial, plus Sets & Relations, Theory of Equations, Complex Numbers, Quadratics and Permutations & Combinations.
- Calculus — 6 questions · 24 marks. Indefinite and Definite Integration, Continuity, Area, and two Differential Equations.
- Coordinate Geometry — 3 questions · 12 marks. Hyperbola, Straight Lines and Ellipse.
- Vectors & 3D — 3 questions · 12 marks. One vectors and two 3D problems.
- 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, Binomial Theorem, Differential Equations, 3D Geometry and Trigonometry — while 15 other chapters gave exactly one.
| Chapter | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Matrices & Determinants | 2 | 8 |
| Binomial Theorem | 2 | 8 |
| Differential Equations | 2 | 8 |
| 3D Geometry | 2 | 8 |
| Trigonometry | 2 | 8 |
| 15 other chapters | 1 each | 4 each |
Difficulty split
| Level | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 2 | 8% |
| Medium | 16 | 64% |
| Hard | 7 | 28% |
With 64% of the paper at medium and only 28% hard, this shift rewarded accuracy over raw problem-solving power — careless slips cost more than any single tough question.
The four questions that decided the paper
Q2 — Indefinite integration, eˣ[g + g′] pattern (Hard). The whole problem is recognising the derivative-plus-function form.
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
Split so the integrand becomes with . Then ; , so . Answer: (1).
Q21 — Nested adjugate determinant (Hard). Layered adjugate/determinant identities on a matrix.
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
, so ; then and , giving . Answer: 62.
Q22 — Area under y = max{sin x, cos x} (Hard). Careful sign-tracking across four sub-intervals.
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
On the curve switches between cos and sin; integrating each piece, the terms cancel and . So . Answer: 12.
Q23 — Integral equation forcing f(x) = 5eˣ (Hard).
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
Differentiating gives , so and . Then , and the mean over is . Answer: 1565.
Every answer on this shift was independently re-derived and verified by IITIANFORUM — no key errors found. (Q14: n = 2, 3, 4 all satisfy the AP condition, so the sum is 9.)
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 decisive. Two silly slips cost more than one skipped hard numerical.
What to take away for your prep
- Algebra + Calculus = 60% of the paper. The two pillars again decide most of the score.
- Matrices, Binomial and Differential Equations each appeared twice. These recurring chapters must be automatic.
- The numerical section is where papers are won. Indefinite integration and integral equations need pattern practice, not just formula recall.
FAQ
How difficult was JEE Main 2026 Maths on 23 January Shift 1?
Moderate — 16 medium questions, only 7 hard, and 2 easy (DI 2.20).
Which chapters had the highest weightage?
Matrices & Determinants, Binomial Theorem, Differential Equations, 3D Geometry and Trigonometry — two questions each. Algebra was the biggest unit at 36 marks.
What were the toughest questions?
Q2 (indefinite integration), Q21 (nested adjugate determinant), Q22 (area under max{sin, cos}) and Q23 (integral equation).
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.