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By rohit.pandey1
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Updated on 19 May 2026, 12:06 IST
JEE Advanced 2026 is done. Both papers are over. Now the real question is — how did the paper actually go? IIT Roorkee conducted JEE Advanced 2026 on May 17, 2026 in two shifts. Paper 1 ran from 9 AM to 12 PM and Paper 2 from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Around 1.9 lakh students appeared across 221 cities in India.
The verdict from students and experts is clear:
This page covers the complete JEE Advanced 2026 difficulty level breakdown — subject-wise analysis for Paper 1 and Paper 2, student reactions, good attempt numbers, comparison with 2025, and expected cutoff based on this year's paper.
Once the score is calculated, use Infinity Learn's JEE Advanced 2026 Rank Predictor to get the estimated All India Rank instantly.
| Parameter | Details |
| Exam Date | May 17, 2026 |
| Conducted By | IIT Roorkee |
| Paper 1 Timing | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Paper 2 Timing | 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM |
| Total Questions Per Paper | 48 (16 per subject) |
| Total Marks | 360 (180 per paper) |
| Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Overall Difficulty | Moderate to Difficult |
| Toughest Subject (Paper 1) | Mathematics |
| Toughest Subject (Paper 2) | Physics |
| Most Scoring Subject | Chemistry (both papers) |
| Good Attempts (Paper 1) | 31 – 38 questions |
| Good Attempts (Paper 2) | 31 – 37 questions |
Also Check: IIT Roorkee Expected 2026 Cutoff
Paper 2 was harder and lengthier than Paper 1. In Paper 1, Mathematics dominated the difficulty. In Paper 2, Physics took over as the toughest section. Chemistry gave relief in both papers.
| Subject | Paper 1 | Paper 2 |
| Mathematics | Toughest — lengthy and calculative | Very tough — time consuming |
| Physics | Moderate to Difficult — conceptual | Toughest in Paper 2 — numerical heavy |
| Chemistry | Easy to Moderate | Easy to Moderate |
| Overall | Moderate | Moderate to Difficult |
Paper 1 was moderate overall. Questions required multi-concept application rather than direct formula substitution. Students who had strong JEE Advanced PYQ practice managed the paper better. Time management was the biggest challenge, especially in Mathematics.
Paper 2 was moderate to difficult and was clearly harder and lengthier than Paper 1. Physics shifted from moderate (Paper 1) to the toughest section in Paper 2. Many students reported time pressure was worse in Paper 2 than Paper 1.
| Subject | Overall Difficulty | Key Topics Tested | Student Verdict |
| Mathematics | Toughest | Integral Calculus, Differential Calculus, Vectors, Matrices, Probability, Functions | Lengthy, time consuming, harder than 2025 |
| Physics | Tough | Mechanics, Electrostatics, Electrodynamics, Thermodynamics, Modern Physics | Conceptual in Paper 1, numerical in Paper 2 |
| Chemistry | Moderate | Organic reactions, Coordination Compounds, p-Block, Physical Chemistry | Most scoring, NCERT-friendly, manageable |
| Chapter | Approximate Weightage |
| Integral Calculus | ~19% |
| Differential Calculus | ~15% |
| Matrices and Determinants | ~12% |
| Vectors and 3D Geometry | ~12% |
| Probability | ~10% |
| Coordinate Geometry | ~8% |
| Others | ~24% |
| Chapter | Approximate Weightage |
| Mechanics | ~25–30% |
| Electrostatics and Magnetism | ~20% |
| Modern Physics | ~15% |
| Thermodynamics | ~12% |
| Optics | ~10% |
| Others | ~13–18% |
| Chapter | Approximate Weightage |
| Organic Chemistry (reactions and mechanisms) | ~30% |
| Physical Chemistry (Thermodynamics and Equilibrium) | ~20% |
| Coordination Compounds | ~12% |
| Inorganic Chemistry | ~15% |
| p-Block Elements | ~10% |
| Others | ~13% |
Students across India shared their feedback after both shifts on May 17, 2026:
| Parameter | JEE Advanced 2025 | JEE Advanced 2026 |
| Overall Difficulty | Moderate to Tough | Moderate to Difficult |
| Mathematics | Tough | Tougher — more lengthy |
| Physics | Moderate to Tough | Tough — numerical heavy in Paper 2 |
| Chemistry | Moderate | Moderate — NCERT-based |
| Toughest Subject Paper 1 | Mathematics | Mathematics |
| Toughest Subject Paper 2 | Mathematics | Physics |
| General Category Cutoff | ~74 marks (20.56%) | Expected ~100–109 marks |
| Overall Verdict | Tougher than 2024 | Tougher than 2025 |
A tougher paper brings the cutoff down. Keep this in mind when estimating rank. Use Infinity Learn's JEE Advanced 2026 Rank Predictor to get an accurate rank estimate based on actual marks.
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Understanding this is important before using any rank predictor:
| Category | Expected Cutoff % | Approx. Marks (out of 360) |
| General / CRL | ~28–30% | ~100–109 marks |
| OBC-NCL | ~27.3% | ~98 marks |
| GEN-EWS | ~27.3% | ~98 marks |
| SC / ST | ~15.2% | ~55 marks |
| PwD (all categories) | ~15.2% | ~55 marks |
| Preparatory Course Rank List | ~7.6% | ~27 marks |
Since Paper 2 was harder than Paper 1 and the overall difficulty was higher than 2025, the cutoff may settle at the lower end of the expected range. Official cutoff releases with results on June 1, 2026 at jeeadv.ac.in.
| Year | Cutoff % | Approx. Marks (out of 360) | Organising IIT |
| 2021 | 17.50% | ~63 | IIT Kharagpur |
| 2022 | 15.30% | ~55 | IIT Bombay |
| 2023 | 23.90% | ~86 | IIT Guwahati |
| 2024 | 30.30% | ~109 | IIT Madras |
| 2025 | 20.56% | ~74 | IIT Kanpur |
| 2026 (Expected) | ~28–30% | ~100–109 | IIT Roorkee |
No major changes were made to the JEE Advanced 2026 syllabus compared to 2025. The syllabus remains the same and is based on NCERT Class 11 and Class 12 topics across Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
Download the official JEE Advanced 2026 syllabus PDF directly from jeeadv.ac.in.
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JEE Advanced 2026 was moderate to difficult overall. Paper 1 was moderate and Paper 2 was moderate to difficult. Paper 2 was lengthier and harder than Paper 1.
Mathematics was the toughest subject in Paper 1. Physics was the toughest subject in Paper 2. Chemistry was the most scoring subject in both papers.
Use Infinity Learn's free JEE Advanced 2026 Rank Predictor — enter subject-wise marks, select category and state, and get the estimated AIR and category rank instantly.
A tougher paper lowers raw scores across all students, which in turn lowers the cutoff. In tough papers, accuracy matters more than attempts. A few marks difference can shift rank significantly in the middle rank bands.
No. There are no major changes to the JEE Advanced 2026 syllabus. It remains the same as 2025 based on NCERT Class 11 and 12 topics.
Good attempts for Paper 1 were estimated at 31–38 questions. For Paper 2, good attempts were estimated at 31–37 questions out of 48 questions per paper.
Based on paper difficulty and past year trends, the expected General category cutoff is approximately 100–109 marks out of 360. Since the paper was tough, the cutoff may settle at the lower end of this range. Official cutoff will be declared on June 1, 2026.
Chemistry was the easiest and most scoring subject in both Paper 1 and Paper 2. NCERT-based preparation was sufficient for most Chemistry questions.
Paper 2 was harder and lengthier than Paper 1. Students reported more time pressure in Paper 2, especially in Physics and Mathematics.
JEE Advanced 2026 was tougher than 2025, especially in Mathematics and Physics. The overall difficulty level was higher compared to the previous year.