Bursting brains, sleepless nights, shouting your doubts at the wall—and yet, students line up every year for a seat in one of India’s IITs. The IIT-JEE isn’t your average school test; it’s a high-stakes brain marathon. But let’s face it: not all subjects in this infamous exam are created equal. Which one trips up even the sharpest students? There’s a clear favourite for ‘toughest subject’ among students, but what actually makes it so daunting? If you think the answer is simple, you haven’t experienced the reality of IIT-JEE prep.
The Three Pillars of IIT-JEE: What Are You Up Against?
To understand which subject reigns as the true tormentor, you have to know what’s on the menu. IIT-JEE, both Main and Advanced, tests you on Physics, Chemistry, and Maths. Sounds standard, right? Except each section is not your regular classroom version but supercharged, twisted, and mixed with a bit of psychological warfare.
Maths throws curveballs with integration so tangled you’d think they were designed by chess grandmasters. Chemistry has chapters that look innocent until you get to Organic, where reactions blur and you question reality. But Physics—oh, Physics is another beast. It’s not just memorizing formulas; it’s building intuition, visualizing invisible forces, creating mental models for how the world actually works under the hood. According to data from the JEE Advanced 2024, average scores in Physics were the lowest among all sections, clocking in at just under 30% compared to Chemistry’s almost 40%.
| Subject | Average Marks (JEE Advanced 2024) | Difficulty Rating (1-10) |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | 29% | 9 |
| Maths | 33% | 8 |
| Chemistry | 39% | 7 |
You might be surprised that Chemistry is not automatically the hardest. Thanks to its heavy theory, it can feel intimidating, but the numbers don’t lie: Physics, with its problem-solving and real-world complexity, gives the most sleepless nights.
Why Physics Breaks So Many: Real Stories and Data
Physics isn’t just about cramming formulas and regurgitating laws. It asks you to build a new way of thinking, like switching your brain’s operating system. Even students who ace school tests hit a wall here. That’s because the IIT-JEE throws conceptual questions, mixes topics, and even expects you to solve problems you’ve never seen before. Picture yourself staring at a question that’s partly Mechanics, with a dash of Electromagnetism, and a topping of Thermodynamics—just for the chaos.
Here’s something you won’t see in glossy coaching brochures: nearly 58% of top rankers in 2024 said Physics was their weakest subject during prep, according to a poll run by a leading Indian education portal. One student reportedly spent more than 60% of his time on Physics but could only match Chemistry scores after months of extra coaching. There’s simply no shortcut.
Why is it so rough? Unlike Chemistry, where you can often memorize reactions, or Maths, where there’s usually one correct method, Physics asks, “How well do you understand, really?” A shift in mindset is needed. Students have to combine math skills, visualization, logic, and a large dose of grit.
Dr. V.K. Bansal, who’s written JEE textbooks for over 30 years, says,
“The best students can quote formulas and solve equations, but Physics at JEE level needs them to see through the problem, feel what’s happening even if it’s not obvious, and often use concepts in strange combinations.”
That’s why practice and consistency matter more here than most students expect. Corkscrew questions, where one wrong assumption can trip you up five lines later, are standard fare. And with time running out during the exam, Physics can truly rattle even the most confident.
Maths versus Chemistry: The Battle of the Next Hardest
So Physics takes the crown, but the battle for second place is pretty fierce. Some years, Chemistry has a slightly higher average score; other times, Maths problems create waves on social media for their nightmarish length. It depends a lot on the current patterns and which topics the exam setters want to spotlight.
Maths in IIT-JEE isn’t about slogging through endless sums—anyone can do that with enough time (okay, and chocolate). It’s about pattern recognition and spotting shortcuts. Problems may look familiar but have a sneaky twist. For example, in calculus, a question that seems standard at first glance could rely on a tiny property buried in an obscure theorem.
On the other hand, Chemistry feels massive in scope. Inorganic is a memory game, Organic is more like solving a mystery, and Physical Chemistry blends math into everyday substances. But, because the volume means many students can bank on scoring well by focused revision, Chemistry doesn’t terrify as much—unless you ignore it, in which case it comes back with a vengeance.
The data says Maths is statistically a bit harder in recent years, but you’ll hardly find any consensus. If you love logic, Maths is a breeze. If you’re more into memorization or logical leaps, Chemistry can carry you through. Still, Physics—ask around and you’ll hear: “Physics is the boss level.”
Tips for Tackling the Hardest Subject: Physics That Fights Back
No one crushes JEE Physics with just natural talent. You need battle-tested strategies. Here’s what separates the survivors from the rest:
- Start from basics—don’t rush straight to Advanced-level questions. The ground-up approach is vital.
- Don’t memorize formulas blindly. Understand where each comes from and practice deriving them.
- Solve a mix of problems daily. Alternate between easy, medium, and tough. Throw in questions from HC Verma, Irodov, and past JEE papers.
- Ask ‘why?’ about everything, even if it slows you down. That curiosity leads to real conceptual clarity.
- Draw diagrams for every Mechanics and Electrodynamics problem, no matter how silly it feels—visualizing is half the battle.
- When you’re stuck, don’t just look up solutions. Give the problem a break, return with fresh eyes, or discuss with friends. Sometimes, the ‘ah-ha!’ moment only comes after you give up for a bit.
- Mock tests matter, but post-mortem your mistakes. Keep a ‘mistake diary’ and revise it regularly to avoid falling for the same traps.
- Time-bound sessions simulate exam pressure. 45-50 minute sprints build real endurance.
- Use online lectures—sometimes a fresh teaching style clears up your longest-held doubts.
- Keep space for revision. Physics isn’t just learned, it’s reinforced over months.
This isn’t about brute force but smart habits. The best JEE scorers aren’t always the most brilliant, but they’re definitely the most persistent and curious. They learn to treat hard Physics questions as puzzles, not punishments.
Cracking the Code: Do Toppers Struggle With Physics Too?
If you’re grinding through IIT-JEE prep and Physics feels like a boulder hurled out of nowhere, you’re not alone—even the best struggle. Toppers across the last ten years regularly share how they found Physics so draining, it almost broke their motivation. Yet, by shifting their mindset from seeing Physics as a monster to treating it like a challenging puzzle, they managed to turn weakness into strength.
One pattern keeps showing up in interviews and surveys: toppers almost always spent more time on the toughest subject, not their favourite one. Pre-2024 AIR 1, Pranjal Singh, famously claimed: “I was never great at Physics, but I kept a separate notebook just for my dumbest, silliest mistakes. That book is now my best friend.”
It’s never about avoiding hard topics, but facing them head-on. They follow a simple loop—struggle, fail, reflect, repeat—until Concepts finally stick. What often surprises aspirants is that the more you practice and tinker with problems, the more your brain starts to ‘feel’ the answers. It won’t happen overnight, but every wrong answer takes you one step closer to those magical marks.
So, which is the toughest subject in IIT-JEE? The evidence and stories point at Physics. But with the right attitude and the unwavering belief that nobody finds it easy (no, not even the geniuses), it’s less of a mountain and more of, well, an epic climb. You might sweat, stumble, or want to throw your book out the window—but once you conquer it, there’s no better feeling.
