JEE Main 2026 Toughness Level: If you are a JEE Main 2026 aspirant, you probably would have question in mind that “Will JEE Main 2026 Be Tough than 2025?”. Social media is filled with coaching teachers, posts, and numerous videos about the JEE Main 2026 difficulty level and, expected paper. Isn’t it?
But here’s the real question: Does JEE Main actually get more difficult every year, or is it just the pressure talking? And if it does feel tougher, what factors could actually make JEE Main 2026 harder than the previous sessions?
| JEE Main Latest Update: NTA has released JEE Main 2026 January Admit Cards, Download Here |
Well your answer to the queries related to JEE Mains toughness level is explained in this article. Here, you can compare the difficulty level with the past trends for various years along with the year wise cut off.
Is JEE Main 2026 Going to Be Difficult?
The truth is, difficulty isn’t a permanent label on the exam. It shifts with trends, syllabus changes, and most importantly, how you prepare in comparison to lakhs of other students. In this article, we have talked about whether JEE Main 2026 is going to be difficult or not, based on research, past patterns, and facts.
Every year, JEE Main the number of candidates for the JEE Main exam increases. Talking about from 2021 to 2025, the registered candidates went from about 6.5 lakh to 13.1 lakh. On average, every year, around 1.5- 1.7 lakh more candidates appear for the examination.
Along with the number of candidates JEE Mains cutoff also increases. The JEE Main cutoff was 87.8992 in the year 2021 and 93.1023 in 2025 for the general category. Below we have given the details about the previous 05 years of JEE registered students, appeared students, and the general cutoff.
| Year | Session | Registered Students | Students Appeared | General Cutoff |
| 2025 | January | 13.11 lakh | 12.58 lakh | 93.1023 |
| April | 10.62 lakh | 9.92 lakh | ||
| 2024 | January | 12.32 lakh | 11.70 lakh | 93.2362 |
| April | 12.58 lakh | 10.68 lakh | ||
| 2023 | January | 8.60 lakh | 8.24 lakh | 90.7789 |
| April | 9.31 lakh | 8.83 lakh | ||
| 2022 | June | 8.73 lakh | 7.70 lakh | 88.4121 |
| July | 6.22 lakh | 5.40 lakh | ||
| 2021 | February | 6.53 lakh | 6.21 lakh | 87.8992 |
| March | 6.20 lakh | 5.56 lakh | ||
| July | 7.10 lakh | 6.10 lakh | ||
| August | 6.09 lakh | 4.81 lakh |
For the year 2026, the JEE Main registered candidate has beaten the past records for January session. Around 14.5 lakhs candidates have registered so far. Based on that, higher competition can be expected due to which the JEE Main cutoff can go upto 95.
Another reason why JEE Main 2026 is expected to be tougher is that, in previous years, several concerns were raised regarding the conduct of the exam, with many students scoring unusually high marks. To ensure fairness and smooth administration this time, the Ministry of Education has reconstituted the JEE Apex Board (JAB) for JEE Main 2026.
So, based on the research ‘Yes, JEE Main is going to be difficult for 2026.’
| Also Read: What is JEE Apex Board? Reconstituted for JEE 2026-27 Aspirants |
Watch Our Latest Video On JEE Main Toughness Level & Exam Shift Reality
Which is the Toughest JEE Mains Paper?
In the below table we have provided the overall difficulty, paper wise toughness level and past difficulty trends on JEE Mains.
The JEE Main 2026 session 1 exam is on 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 28th & 29th January 2026. The session 2 exam will be conducted from 2nd to 09th April 2026. Also check important notes and trends year wise.
| Year | Session | Overall Difficulty | Mathematics Difficulty | Physics Difficulty | Chemistry Difficulty | Important Notes & Trends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | January | Moderate | Tough, lengthy & calculation-heavy | Easiest section | Moderate, mostly NCERT-based | Multiple shifts; Math was toughest; Physics easiest; Chemistry moderate. |
| April | Moderate | Tough, lengthy problems | Moderate | Easy, NCERT-based | April considered slightly easier than January overall. | |
| 2022 | January | Moderate to Difficult | Tough and tricky problems | Moderate | Easy, NCERT-focused | Balanced paper with tricky Math; Physics moderate; Chemistry easy. |
| April | Moderate to Difficult | Lengthy, tricky & time-consuming | Moderate | Easy | Slightly balanced; Math tough; Chemistry remained scoring. | |
| 2023 | January | Moderate | Lengthy and calculation-heavy | Moderate, easier than Math | Easy to Moderate | Some shifts tougher in Math. |
| April | Moderate | Lengthy but easier than January | Moderate | Easy | April comparatively easier than January. | |
| 2024 | January | Moderate to Difficult | Tough, complex problems | Moderate to Difficult | Easiest among three | Higher conceptual questions in Physics and Math; Chemistry very scoring and NCERT-based. |
| April | Moderate | Tough but manageable | Moderate | Easiest | Balanced and slightly easier than January. | |
| 2025 | January | Moderate to Difficult | Most challenging, time-consuming | Moderate to Difficult | Easy, NCERT-based | January 28 shift toughest with challenging Math and Physics; Chemistry scoring. |
| April | Easy to Moderate | Moderate, lengthy | Moderate | Easy | April 2 shift considered easiest; overall April session more scoring. |
All the applicants going to take the upcoming examination are required to boost their JEE Main exam preparation, as only few days are left. It is also advised that there is no need to panic and do your last minute preparation and revision with a positive mind.
We wish you all the best! Happy Engineering…
JEE Main Frequently Asked Questions:
If you have any other query related to JEE Main 2026, feel free to ask us in the comments section provided below.
I have applying for jee exam for my child Application no 260310140592. I will pay the amount for billdesk site.my amount will be deducted,but registration is not completed. Please verify and confirm the registration.
You are advised to get in touch with the official JEE helpdesk and provide your application number and payment details to confirm your registration.