JEE Main 2026 (28 Jan, Shift 2) Maths Analysis Chapter Weightage, Difficulty & Expected Cutoff
The 28 January 2026 evening shift closed the January session on a moderate-to-tough note. Nine of the 25 Mathematics questions were hard, with the difficulty spread through Section A rather than saved for the numerical block. Algebra and Calculus led the weightage as always, and the paper rewarded students who stayed calm under a steady stream of demanding problems.
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 · 28 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 (36 marks) · Calculus (24 marks) |
| Toughest questions | Q5, Q12, Q19, Q23 |
| Answer key | Independently verified — no errors found |
Overall verdict
A tough but fair finish to January. The hard questions were spread a limit-defined piecewise continuity problem, a circle-locus derivation, a rationalising integral and an integral-function extrema question. Both easy marks (Q9 shifted ellipse, Q22 lift-exit count) were genuinely quick, and the medium band was large, so a disciplined student could still post a strong score by banking the routine marks and picking off reachable hard problems.
Bank the 2 easy + 14 medium questions first (that alone is a strong 64/100), then attack the 9 hard ones. Q5, Q12, Q19 and Q23 were the biggest time sinks — save them for last.
Unit-wise weightage
- Algebra — 9 questions · 36 marks. Two Binomial, two Sequences, plus Theory of Equations, Functions, Complex Numbers, Permutations & Combinations and Matrices.
- Calculus — 6 questions · 24 marks. Continuity, Area, Definite and Indefinite Integration, a Differential Equation and Application of Derivatives.
- Coordinate Geometry — 4 questions · 16 marks. Parabola, Ellipse, Hyperbola and Circle — one from each.
- Vectors & 3D — 3 questions · 12 marks. Two 3D problems and one vectors.
- Trigonometry — 2 questions · 8 marks.
- Statistics & Probability — 1 question · 4 marks.
Algebra + Calculus = 60 of 100 marks — the usual backbone.
Chapter weightage
Three chapters gave two questions each Binomial Theorem, Sequences & Series and 3D Geometry — while 19 other chapters gave exactly one, making this one of the most spread-out papers of the session.
| Chapter | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Binomial Theorem | 2 | 8 |
| Sequences & Series | 2 | 8 |
| 3D Geometry | 2 | 8 |
| 19 other chapters | 1 each | 4 each |
Difficulty split
| Level | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 2 | 8% |
| Medium | 14 | 56% |
| Hard | 9 | 36% |
At 36% hard (DI 2.28), this was clearly on the tougher side slightly gentler than the morning shift but still demanding, with six of the hard questions falling in Section A.
The four questions that decided the paper
Q5 — Limit-defined piecewise continuity (Hard).
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
As , for and for , giving on and on . It's continuous at but not at , so both statements are false. Answer: (1).
Q12 — Locus of an intersection point (Hard).
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
Slopes and with ; the tangent subtraction formula collapses to . Answer: (1).
Q19 — Integral by rationalising substitution (Hard).
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
turns the integral into ; fixes , so and . Answer: (3).
Q23 — Local extrema from an integral function (Hard).
▸ SHOW SOLUTION
The integral equation gives , so . Sign analysis puts the minimum at and maximum at , so . Answer: 9.
Every answer on this shift was independently re-derived and verified by IITIANFORUM no key errors found. (Q24: since , ; either way.)
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 hard questions scattered through Section A, this was another shift where triage — knowing when to move on mattered as much as raw ability.
What to take away for your prep
- Algebra + Calculus = 60% of the paper. Binomial and Sequences each repeated — keep them sharp.
- Coordinate Geometry covered all four conics. One question each from Parabola, Ellipse, Hyperbola and Circle — the most reliable unit.
- Continuity and integration were the hard edge. Limit-defined functions and rationalising substitutions need genuine practice, not just formulae.
FAQ
How difficult was JEE Main 2026 Maths on 28 January Shift 2?
Moderate-to-tough nine of 25 questions hard (DI 2.28), a demanding close to the January session.
Which chapters had the highest weightage?
Binomial Theorem, Sequences & Series and 3D Geometry two questions each. Algebra was the biggest unit at 36 marks.
What were the toughest questions?
Q5 (limit-defined piecewise continuity), Q12 (circle locus of an intersection), Q19 (rationalising integral) and Q23 (integral-function extrema).
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.