Candidates appearing for JEE Advanced 2026 exam in Patna on Sunday. ANI

Patna: More than 14,000 students appeared for JEE Advanced 2026 across Bihar on Sunday, of which around 9,000 candidates took the exam at around 18 centers in Patna.The exam was conducted in two shifts – Paper 1 from 9 am to 12 noon and Paper 2 from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm. Students emerging from centers across Patliputra found the paper a bit tough, with Mathematics in Paper 1 and Physics in Paper 2 emerging as the toughest sections.According to the candidates, more importance was given to coordinate geometry and vectors in mathematics, while questions from integration were less than expected. Physics in Paper 2 was described as long and calculation-heavy.“Topics like ray optics and rotation dominated the paper. On the other hand, Chemistry was relatively easy compared to other subjects. Overall the paper was difficult. Now, it all depends on how many questions I solve correctly. For this, I will match it with the answer key,” said Shashank Srivastava, a student.Students said Paper 1 consisted of four categories of questions – single correct question (SCQ), multiple correct question (MCQ), matrix matching and integer-based questions.Abhyanand, an academic and former Bihar DGP (retired IPS), said the negative marking pattern has been comparatively relaxed this year. “It was not as rigorous as it used to be in previous years. However, the Physics questions were a little tougher than before. Mathematics was challenging but possible with good practice. For Chemistry, the questions were a little better than the standard level – we can call it moderate,” he said.Physics expert Anand Kumar Jha said that Physics in Paper 2 and Mathematics in Paper 1 will probably decide the rank. “This year’s JEE Advanced was a little easier compared to last year’s paper, so a slight increase in the cutoff is expected,” he said.This exam, conducted by IIT Roorkee this year, is the gateway for admission to other premier institutes including IIT and IISc Bengaluru.