JEE Main 2026 (24 Jan, Shift 1) Maths Analysis — Chapter Weightage, Difficulty & Expected Cutoff

The 24 January 2026 morning shift was a moderate Mathematics paper that leaned on Calculus for its difficulty. Algebra and Calculus led the weightage as usual, the single-correct section stayed mostly medium, and the seven hard questions clustered in continuity, integration 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 · 24 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	Q1, Q11, Q21, Q25
Answer key	Independently verified — no errors found

Overall verdict

A well-balanced paper where Calculus was the difficulty engine — four of its six questions were hard, including a continuity limit, an eˣ[g+g′] integral, an integral-equation parabola and a log-quadratic maximum. The single-correct section still offered two clean easy marks (Q17 binomial probability, Q18 mean/variance) and a solid block of mediums. A composed student could bank a strong score by staying disciplined on the routine questions.

Unit-wise weightage

• Algebra — 9 questions · 36 marks. Two Sequences, plus Basics & Logarithms, Complex Numbers, Sets & Relations, Binomial, Theory of Equations, Permutations & Combinations and Matrices.
• Calculus — 6 questions · 24 marks. Two Continuity, Indefinite Integration, Area, a Differential Equation and Application of Derivatives — the hardest unit.
• Coordinate Geometry — 3 questions · 12 marks. Circle, Ellipse and Straight Lines.
• 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

Four chapters gave two questions each — Sequences & Series, Continuity & Differentiability, 3D Geometry and Trigonometry — while 17 other chapters gave exactly one.

Chapter	Questions	Marks
Sequences & Series	2	8
Continuity & Differentiability	2	8
3D Geometry	2	8
Trigonometry	2	8
17 other chapters	1 each	4 each

Difficulty split

Level	Questions	Share
Easy	2	8%
Medium	16	64%
Hard	7	28%

With 64% at medium and only 28% hard, this shift rewarded accuracy over raw problem-solving. The hard questions were concentrated in Calculus, so a Calculus-strong student had a real edge.

The four questions that decided the paper

Q1 — Continuity via series expansion (Hard). A $\tfrac00$ limit split into two well-known pieces.

▸ SHOW SOLUTION

$f(0)=\lim_{x\to0}\tfrac{e^x(e^{\tan x-x}-1)}{\tan x-x}+\lim_{x\to0}\tfrac{\ln(\sec x+\tan x)-x}{\tan x-x}=1+\tfrac12=\tfrac32$, using $\tan x-x=\tfrac{x^3}{3}+\cdots$ and $\ln(\sec x+\tan x)-x=\tfrac{x^3}{6}+\cdots$. Answer: (4).

Q11 — Integral of eˣ[g + g′] with a half-angle (Hard).

▸ SHOW SOLUTION

Writing $\tfrac{1-\sin x}{1-\cos x}=\tfrac12\csc^2\tfrac x2-\cot\tfrac x2=g'+g$ with $g=-\cot\tfrac x2$, we get $f(t)=-t\cot\tfrac{\ln t}{2}+C$; $C=0$, and at $t=e^{\pi/4}$, $\alpha=-1-\sqrt2$. Answer: (1).

Q21 — Integral equation giving a parabola (Hard).

▸ SHOW SOLUTION

Substituting reduces the condition to $f(x)=\tfrac{\alpha}{9}(f+xf')$, so $f=cx^{9/\alpha-1}$. A parabola forces $\tfrac9\alpha-1=2\Rightarrow\alpha=3$; then $f(x)=\tfrac{x^2}{4}$, $\beta=f(-4)=4$ and $\beta^\alpha=64$. Answer: 64.

Q25 — Counting 3×2 matrices with tr(AᵀA) = 5 (Hard).

▸ SHOW SOLUTION

The six entries' squares (0, 1, 4) must sum to 5: multisets $\{4,1,0,0,0,0\}$ (120 ways) and $\{1,1,1,1,1,0\}$ (192 ways). Total $=312$. Answer: 312.

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 the hard questions clustered in Calculus, a student weak in Integration and Continuity felt this paper much more than a Calculus-strong one.

What to take away for your prep

1. Algebra + Calculus = 60% of the paper. The two pillars again decide most of the score.
2. Calculus was the difficulty engine. Continuity, integration patterns and integral equations need real practice, not just formulae.
3. Sequences, Continuity and 3D each appeared twice. These recurring chapters must be automatic.

FAQ

How difficult was JEE Main 2026 Maths on 24 January Shift 1?

Moderate — 16 medium questions, 7 hard and 2 easy (DI 2.20), with the hard questions concentrated in Calculus.

Which chapters had the highest weightage?

Sequences & Series, Continuity & Differentiability, 3D Geometry and Trigonometry — two questions each. Algebra was the biggest unit at 36 marks.

What were the toughest questions?

Q1 (continuity limit), Q11 (eˣ[g+g′] integral), Q21 (integral equation → parabola) and Q25 (counting matrices by trace).

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.