JEE Main 2026 Questions Difficulty Level: Easy, Moderate, or Tough?

JEE Main 2026 Questions Difficulty Level: Easy, Moderate, or Tough?

Shivani PooniaUpdated on 11 Nov 2025, 09:30 AM IST

JEE Main Exam 2026 Question Difficulty Level - To prepare for JEE Main 2026 exam, students must have a clear idea about the difficulty level of the exam. It is important to know how tough the questions usually are, which subject fall into the moderate category, which subject is considered more difficult, and which one is relatively easier. Having this idea helps students plan their preparation. In this article, we provide the expected difficulty level of JEE Main 2026, the exam pattern, a smart preparation strategy, subject-wise weightage, and repeated JEE Mains questions PDF. Scroll down the article to know more and boost your preparation with the right approach. JEE Main 2026 registration is open from 31 October to 27 November 2025, and Session 1 will take place from 21 to 30 January 2026. New updates this year include dark mode, adjustable font size, and zoom options. Keep checking the official website.

This Story also Contains

  1. JEE Main 2026 Question Difficulty Level Expected (Subject-Wise Analysis)
  2. JEE Main Previous Year Question Difficulty Trends (2021–2025)
  3. JEE Main 2026 Question Difficulty Level: Chapter-Wise Weightage
  4. Expected JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Based on Difficulty Level
  5. JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme
JEE Main 2026 Questions Difficulty Level: Easy, Moderate, or Tough?
JEE Main 2026 Questions Difficulty Level

JEE Main 2026 Question Difficulty Level Expected (Subject-Wise Analysis)

Here’s the expected difficulty level of JEE Main 2026 and the reason behind it:

Subject

Expected Difficulty Level

Reason

Physics

Moderate

Questions likely to be conceptual, application-based, with some numerical calculation; more NCERT-based.

Chemistry

Easy to Moderate

Mostly NCERT-based, inorganic and physical chemistry scoring; organic chemistry may include some tricky reactions.

Mathematics

Moderate to Tough

Calculation-heavy, lengthy questions, some multi-concept problems; time management will be crucial.

Overall Paper

Moderate

Balanced mix of easy, moderate, and a few tough questions; overall scoring depends on accuracy and time management.

Now, let's understand why:

  1. Physics is conceptual due to past years trends. Numerical calculations seem manageable, but understanding is required due to multi-step answers.

  2. Chemistry is mostly NCERT direct questions, and therefore, it is mostly scoring.

  3. Maths is tricky. You might have to refer to multiple books and a lot of practice.

  4. Overall: The paper is balanced with a mix of easy and difficult questions, leaning slightly towards the difficult side. Therefore, a mixed practice of all types of questions is required.

JEE Main Previous Year Question Difficulty Trends (2021–2025)

To understand JEE Main 2026 question difficulty level, it is important to know the previous years trends first. Let's dive into the difficulty level of JEE Mains 2026 with the table below. It gives details about how the past 5 years trends have been:

Year / Session

Overall Difficulty

Hardest Subject

Moderate Subject(s)

Easiest Subject

Notes (what made hardest/easiest)

2021

Moderate

Mathematics

Physics

Chemistry

Maths is lengthy/calculation-heavy, Physics is conceptual but manageable.

2022

Moderate to Difficult

Mathematics

Chemistry

Physics

Long/tricky Math; Chemistry more NCERT.

2023

Moderate

Mathematics

Chemistry, Physics

Balanced, but Math is still trickier.

2024

Moderate-Difficult

Mathematics

Physics

Chemistry

Physics is more conceptual; Time pressure in Math.

2025

Moderate overall

Mathematics

Physics

Chemistry

Some shifts are tougher; Maths is time-consuming; Chemistry is more scoring.

A few points to note:

  1. Maths is mostly tricky or lengthy.

  2. Physics is conceptual.

  3. Chemistry is easy and scoring (due to direct questions from NCERT).

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JEE Main 2026: Preparation Tips & Study Plan
Download the JEE Main 2026 Preparation Tips PDF to boost your exam strategy. Get expert insights on managing study material, focusing on key topics and high-weightage chapters.
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Download Most Repeated JEE Main Questions (Free PDF)

In the pdf given below we have compile the most repeated question fron the past years. These questions help you identify the good concepts, helps you strengthen your exam preparation strategy. Download the PDF and boost your preparation with most repeated questions:

JEE Main 2026 Question Difficulty Level: Chapter-Wise Weightage

Our experts have created the past years combined weightage. This data will help you understand approximately how much weightage is expected from the chapters as well. You can refer to the data for the JEE Main 2026 question difficulty level expected.

Expected JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Based on Difficulty Level

let's see the expected cutoff trend accordingly to expert analysis of What is the difficulty level of JEE Mains 2026?

Category

Expected Qualifying Percentile

General (UR)

91 – 95

EWS

79 – 83

OBC-NCL

85 – 89

SC

67 – 70

ST

50 – 55

PwD (UR)

0.001 – 0.01

JEE Main Syllabus: Subjects & Chapters
Select your preferred subject to view the chapters

JEE Main 2026 Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme

Particulars

Details

Mode of Exam

Computer‑Based Test (Online)

Subjects

Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics

Total Questions

75 questions (25 per subject)

Composition per Subject

20 MCQs + 5 NAT

Total Marks

300 Marks (100 per subject)

Duration

3 Hours (180 minutes)

Marking Scheme

+4 for each correct answer; −1 for each wrong answer; no negative marking for unattempted questions

Also Read:

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the expected overall difficulty level of JEE Main 2026?
A:

Overall moderate but slightly leaning to difficult.

Q: Which subject is likely to be the hardest in JEE Main 2026?
A:

Maths is expected to be the toughest with tricky and time-consuming questions.

Q: Which subject is expected to be the easiest?
A:

Chemistry is expected to be the easiest and most scoring with direct NCERT-based questions.

Q: What percentile is expected to qualify for JEE Main 2026?
A:

The expected percentile is as follows:

  • General (UR): 91–95
  • EWS: 79–83
  • OBC-NCL: 85–89
  • SC: 67–70
  • ST: 50–55
  • PwD (UR): 0.001–0.01
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Questions related to JEE Main

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to JEE Main ?

Good Evening,

Yes, you are eligible for both JEE Mains and Advanced, as you completed your 12th with physics, chemistry and biology. Moreover, you passed mathematics in 2025, which makes you fit the eligibility criteria of both exams.

Aspirant, I would like to inform you that Careers360 recently launched a free mock test series for JEE students. The last date of registration is 8th January, 2026. Enroll and solve chapter wise question papers and improve you concept and assess your learning. The link to the mock test series is attached herewith. https://learn.careers360.com/test-series-jee-main-free-mock-test/

Best regards.


Hello,
Since the NTA conducts exams in Tamil, these official papers will have a Tamil language option. Kindly check the following link to get the question papers.
https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/jee-main-question-papers
I hope this helps you.

Hello there,

Understanding and solving different question papers is one of the best practice for the preparation specially when it comes to JEE mains. It gives you proper understanding of the exam pattern, important topics to cover and marking scheme.

Here is the link attached from the official website of Careers360 which will provide you with the link of previous year question papers on chemistry in PDF format. Hope it helps!

https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/jee-mains-chemistry-questions-in-last-year-exam-premium

thank you!

Good Morning, Candidate,

The 30-day study plan for JEE is now available on the website of Careers360. The link is attached herewith.

https://engineering.careers360.com/download/ebooks/jee-main-study-plan-30-days

There is an option for free download, which will help to proceed further.

Careers360 would like to inform you that you can have an opportunity to analyse your in-depth performance. Careers360 is conducting a free all-India online JEE mock test series on 11th January. It will provide you with a proper question pattern with chapter-wise questions and answers.

Registration is closed on 8th January. Registered and assessed your learning.

Thank You


Hello,

Yes, you can be eligible , but it depends on how you passed Mathematics.

JEE Main
You are eligible if:

  • You passed Class 12 with Physics and Mathematics.

  • Mathematics was passed as a full subject from NIOS.

  • NIOS is a recognized board.

  • Having two marksheets is allowed.

You are not eligible if:

  • Mathematics was taken only as an improvement or additional without passing it as a full subject.

MHT-CET
You are eligible if:

  • You passed Class 12 with Physics and Mathematics.

  • Mathematics from NIOS is shown as a passed subject.

  • NIOS is recognized for Maharashtra admissions.

  • Mathematics was passed before the admission year.

You are not eligible if:

  • Mathematics is not shown as a passed subject.

Important

  • Mathematics must be a separate and passed subject.

  • Keep both marksheets during counselling.

Always check the current year information brochure before applying.

Hope it helps !