JEE Main 2026 (8 Apr, Shift 2) Maths Analysis: Chapter Weightage, Difficulty & Expected Cutoff

The 8 April 2026 evening shift was the closing paper of the JEE Main 2026 April session, and it went out on the toughest note of the set. Ten of the 25 questions were hard and only two were genuinely easy, with Algebra and Calculus carrying most of the weight and most of the difficulty.

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 · 8 Apr · 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	Tough (the hardest shift of the April set)
Biggest units	Algebra (36 marks) · Calculus (24 marks)
Toughest questions	Q2, Q17, Q24, Q25
Answer key	Independently verified — one booklet typo noted (final answers correct)

Overall verdict

This was a demanding finish. With ten hard questions and a Difficulty Index of 2.32, it sat clearly above the rest of the April shifts. The hard questions were not confined to the numerical block five of the nine Algebra questions and four of the six Calculus questions were hard, so there was no easy stretch to coast through. Two clean marks in Q3 (a determinant giving infinitely many solutions) and Q6 (a Bayes probability) plus a solid medium band were the difference between a fair score and a poor one.

Unit-wise weightage

• Algebra — 9 questions · 36 marks. Sets/Relations/Functions, two Matrices, Complex Numbers, Sequences (twice), Binomial, Permutations & Combinations and a log-to-quadratic — five of nine hard.
• Calculus — 6 questions · 24 marks. Continuity, Limits, two Definite Integration, a radical ODE and an iterated-function area — four of six hard.
• Coordinate Geometry — 4 questions · 16 marks. Straight Lines, Parabola, Ellipse and Circle.
• Vectors & 3D — 3 questions · 12 marks. All medium.
• Statistics & Probability — 2 questions · 8 marks.
• Trigonometry — 1 question · 4 marks.

Algebra + Calculus = 60 of 100 marks and that is where almost all the hard questions lived.

Chapter weightage

Four chapters gave two questions each Matrices & Determinants, Sequences & Series, Definite Integration and 3D Geometry while 17 other chapters gave one apiece.

Chapter	Questions	Marks
Matrices & Determinants	2	8
Sequences & Series	2	8
Definite Integration	2	8
3D Geometry	2	8
17 other chapters	1 each	4 each

Difficulty split

Level	Questions	Share
Easy	2	8%
Medium	13	52%
Hard	10	40%

At 40% hard (DI 2.32) this was the steepest shift of the April session a paper where accuracy under time pressure mattered more than raw coverage.

The four questions that decided the paper

Q2 — Concentric ellipse and circle (Hard).

▸ SHOW SOLUTION

The condition $|z-(3+5i)|+|z-(5+11i)|=4\sqrt5$ is an ellipse with foci $(3,5),(5,11)$, centre $(4,8)$ and semi-minor axis $b=\sqrt{10}$. The circle $|z-(4+8i)|=\sqrt{10}$ is concentric with radius equal to $b$, so it touches the ellipse at exactly the two minor-axis endpoints. Answer: (2).

Q17 — Linear ODE with an arccosine (Hard).

▸ SHOW SOLUTION

Written as $\dfrac{dy}{dx}+\dfrac{y}{x}=\dfrac{\cos^{-1}x}{x\sqrt{1-x^2}}$, the integrating factor is $x$, giving $yx=-\sqrt{1-x^2}\cos^{-1}x-x+2$. At $x=\tfrac12$, $y=3-\dfrac{\pi}{\sqrt3}$. Answer: (1).

Q24 — Right-angle chord locus (Hard).

▸ SHOW SOLUTION

For the foot $P(h,k)$, the chord $hx+ky=h^2+k^2$ subtends a right angle at the origin. Homogenising the circle and setting (coeff $x^2$)+(coeff $y^2$)$=0$ gives locus $x^2+y^2-3x-4y-\tfrac{11}{2}=0$, so $\alpha+\beta+2\gamma=18$. Answer: 18.

Q25 — Polynomial from a log equation (Hard).

▸ SHOW SOLUTION

The geometric series sums to $3$, so the relation collapses to $f(x)f(1/x)=f(x)+f(1/x)$, satisfied by $f(x)=1\pm x^n$. With $f(6)=37$, $f(x)=1+x^2$, and $\sum_{n=1}^{10}(1+n^2)=10+385=395$. Answer: 395.

Expected good attempt & cutoff read

Directional only actual percentiles depend on normalisation across shifts:

• Excellent (top percentile): 18+ correct with clean numericals.
• Strong: 15–18 correct.
• Safe: 12–15 correct banking every easy and medium question.

Because this was the toughest shift, the same raw score should normalise to a higher percentile here than on the easier April papers.

What to take away for your prep

1. Hard papers reward the medium band. With only two easy questions, the students who scored well were the ones who cleared all 13 medium questions cleanly, not the ones who chased hard problems.
2. Algebra depth is non-negotiable. Five of nine Algebra questions were hard Complex Numbers, Binomial, a log equation and a functional equation all demanded more than formula recall.
3. Calculus was the other minefield. Four of six were hard: two definite integrals, a radical ODE and an iterated-function area. Integration technique decided this unit.

FAQ

How difficult was JEE Main 2026 Maths on 8 April Shift 2?

Tough (DI 2.32) — 10 of 25 questions hard and only two easy, the steepest shift of the April session.

Which chapters had the highest weightage?

Matrices & Determinants, Sequences & Series, Definite Integration and 3D Geometry — two questions each.

What were the toughest questions?

Q2 (concentric ellipse and circle), Q17 (linear ODE with an arccosine), Q24 (right-angle chord locus) and Q25 (polynomial from a log equation).

Were there any errors in the answer key?

No every answer was independently verified. One booklet determinant typo in Q4 was noted, but the printed answer 441 is correct.

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.