In U-turn, JEE Main 2025 January 28 shift 1 exam ends up ‘challenging’, with tougher physics; analysis

NEW DELHI: In a surprise, today’s Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2025 shift 1 exam turned out to be challenging and tough, according to expert analysis. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the JEE Mains 2025 January 28 shift 1 from 9 am to 12 noon at various examination centres. JEE Main 2025 analysis live updates.

The first shift’s JEE Main question paper 2025 was tough in comparison to both the previous day's paper (January 24) and last year's paper. Students rated mathematics lengthy, physics conceptually challenging, and chemistry straightforward but heavily reliant on the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

A total of 114 candidates are taking re-exam today and tomorrow along with the other candidates who were previously allotted these dates. The NTA rescheduled the exams for the affected candidates who appeared in a Karnataka centre, due to technical issues. JEE Main exam centres 2025 have also been changed in three cities, Sharjah, Ayodhya, and Prayagraj.

As per the JEE Main 2025 exam analysis of previous days, students found the question paper easy to moderate in difficulty level as compared to the last year’s exam. The mathematics subject was rated the hardest in comparison to physics and chemistry sections.

JEE Mains 2025 January 28 Shift 1 Exam Analysis

The section-wise difficulty level of JEE Main 2025 day 4 shift 1 is as follows:

• Mathematics: Questions were lengthy, requiring significant time for calculations and problem-solving.
• Physics: The difficulty-level was tough, with conceptually challenging questions.
• Chemistry: The question paper was highly NCERT-based.

According to Ajay Sharma, National Academic Director, Engineering, Aakash Educational Services Limited, "The JEE Main paper conducted on 28th January, 2025, during the morning shift, was rated as moderate to difficult overall. Among the three sections, Chemistry was the easiest and served as a time-saver for students. Physics was moderate to difficult, while Mathematics was deemed the most challenging and time-consuming due to its lengthy calculations. The distribution of questions across topics was generally balanced, although some chapters were notably absent."

A detailed JEE Main exam analysis is given below.

Physics

The physics section was rated moderate to difficult by most of the students, with some questions reaching JEE Advanced levels of difficulty. Many questions were theoretical in nature. While the distribution of topics appeared balanced, some chapters were under-represented or missing. Key topics like Mechanics, Waves, and Thermodynamics were adequately covered, while Electrostatics, Optics, and Mechanics had a stronger presence. There were fewer questions from Modern Physics and Magnetism, and topics like Alternating Currents (AC) and Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) were entirely absent. Instrument-related questions were not included.

Chemistry

Chemistry was rated as the easiest section and was a significant time-saver. Almost all chapters were covered, with Inorganic and Physical Chemistry dominating the question set, while Organic Chemistry featured fewer questions. Most theoretical questions were directly based on NCERT, making the section straightforward and quick to complete. This allowed students to allocate more time to the other sections.

Mathematics

The Mathematics section ranged from moderate to difficult. Questions were well-distributed across most chapters, with Algebra being the most prominent. Topics such as 3D, Vectors, Binomial Theorem, and Conic Sections also had a significant presence, while Calculus had comparatively fewer questions. Although the difficulty level was not excessively high, the lengthy and time-consuming nature of many questions made Mathematics the most challenging section for many students.

Overall Difficulty Level: Mathematics > Physics > Chemistry