Which is the Toughest Exam in the World? 10 Competitive Exams

Standardized tests have been in the world since World War 1. These tests have evolved over the decades as industries and societies have evolved. As industries and societies have evolved, exams are tougher and more diverse. You must be wondering, which is the toughest exam in the world? Different exams are conducted worldwide, from Gaokao, GRE, to GMAT. These exams qualify for being the world’s toughest exam due to their difficulty levels. Extreme dedication, practice, and patience are required for the students to crack these exams. This article will take you through the list of the world’s toughest exams.

1. Gaokao

The first Gaokao exam was introduced in 1952, and the candidates eligible for the test are those who wish to enter college after completing their final year of high school.

• Subjects such as Science, Mathematics, Social Sciences, and Languages, including the Chinese language, constitute the exam.
• Students do have the option to choose another international language as well.

Total Number of Students –  9.75 million annually (Source)
Difficulty Level of the Exam – High
Duration and Format – 9 hours, conducted over 2-3 days
Pass rate – Low
Competition – High
Scope and coverage of the exam – Held annually in Mainland China. Subjects covered: Science, Math, Language.
Impact of the exam – To get into top colleges in China

2. IIT-JEE

IIT JEE is a standardised entrance exam conducted in India for engineering aspirants. This exam is taken by students completing their intermediate and can be considered as another answer to the question which is the toughest exam in the world. This exam primarily qualifies the students to get into elite institutes of the country.

• The IIT JEE comes among the top 5 toughest exams in the world due to the high number of applicants competing for a handful of seats.
• The IIT JEE exam mainly tests the technical skills of an aspirant. Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry are the primary subjects in assessment.

Total Number of Students: Over 11 lakh
Purpose of the exam:  To enter top colleges in the field of engineering

Difficulty Level of the Exam – High
Duration and Format – 3 hours, 90 questions, 4 marks each
Pass rate – 20-30% (Source)
Competition level – High
Scope and coverage of the exam – Held annually in India in all states. The subjects covered are Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology.
Impact of the exam – To get into top graduate colleges in India

3. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

The exams conducted by UPSC are for aspirants who wish to pursue a career in Civil Services in India. Cracking the UPSC exam is a very precious achievement for the aspirants. The preparation to crack UPSC exam could go on for years.

• The aspirants must have a solid knowledge of History, Geography, General Sciences, Government, Social Development, and Economics.
• The UPSC exam tests applicants primarily on these subjects, along with General Knowledge and communication skills.
• The age limit for cracking this exam is between 21 to 32 years, leaving only a small window for aspirants to get through. The exam also comes with a limit on the number of attempts. One cannot attempt the exam more than 6 times(General) and 9 times(OBC).
  

Total Number of Students: Over 11 lakh
Purpose of the exam: To get into the field of Civil Services
Difficulty Level of the Exam – High
Duration and Format – 3 hours, 2 MCQ type papers,  General Studies Paper –1, General Studies paper-2 (CSAT)
Pass rate  – 0.2% pass rate
Competition level – High
Scope and coverage of the exam – India
Impact of the exam – To pursue careers in Civil Services

4. Mensa

Mensa is a society of high intelligence and high IQ. The members of this society have an intelligence quotient of 98%. This percentage puts them in the top 2% of the world. It makes the applicants put their logical and reasoning abilities to the test.

• The test assesses the test takers’ Logic, Critical Thinking, Reasoning Ability, and Problem-Solving.
• The age group for membership of Mensa ranges from 2 years to 100 years, as known. Those who qualify to be a part of Mensa belong to an elite community with an internationally high IQ.

Purpose of the exam: To belong to an elite community of internationally high IQ
Difficulty Level of the Exam – High
Duration and Format – 25 minutes, 35 problems
Pass rate – 0.02%
Scope and coverage of the exam – Conducted in roughly 90 countries such as the US, UK, Ireland, and Germany.
Impact of the exam – To be a part of an elite community of IQ over 98%

5. Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

The GRE is a widely accepted test that makes the applicants credible to pursue a master’s degree, mainly in the US. One example is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which qualifies as the toughest degree in the world and requires a GRE score. Aspirants of a Master’s Degree take this exam to pursue higher education internationally.

• Though the GRE was initially targeted at qualifying candidates for US universities, now the GRE is being accepted in more than 90 countries.
• GRE measures Verbal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Ability, Critical Thinking, and Analytical Writing.

Total Number of Students: Over 11 lakh
Purpose of the exam: To get into top colleges for MS across the world
Difficulty Level of the Exam – High
Duration and Format – 3 hours 45 minutes
Pass rate – 43%
Scope and coverage of the exam – Across the world
Impact of the exam – To get into top global universities in Technology

6. CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)

The CFA exam is considered one of the most rigorous and difficult exams in Finance. This degree could qualify as the hardest degree in the Guinness World Record. There are over 100 countries that accept the results of this exam. Cracking this exam can open doors to many opportunities as a CFA in India.

• There are 3 levels to the exam, and apart from these 3 levels, the aspirants should get a professional experience of at least 48 months to qualify for the third level.
• The first 2 levels consist of objective-type questions, and the last is a subjective-type assessment.
• Only aspirants having prior professional experience receive the CFA Charter.

Total Number of Students: 25000
Purpose of the exam: To qualify as a CFA Charter
Difficulty Level of the Exam – High
Duration and Format – 6 hours,  240 questions
Pass rate and competition level – 20% in level 1 (Source)
Scope and coverage of the exam – All over India. Subjects covered are Economics, Financial Reporting and Analysis, and Portfolio Management, to name a few.
Impact and importance of the exam – High importance for members who want to get into Finance

7. GATE

The GATE exam is an international standardised exam that tests aspirants on their engineering and technical aptitude. A lot of preparation is required to crack GATE exam.

• Indian, German, and Singapore-based universities primarily accept the GATE exam considering the industry growth in technology in these countries.
• The exam combines Aptitude-based Objective type answers, multiple-choice questions, and Numeric answers.
• The subjects include engineering to life sciences.

Total Number of Students: Almost 10 lakh students
Purpose of the exam: To get admission into IITs, IISC, IIITs, NITs, and other prestigious institutes
Difficulty Level of the Exam – High
Duration and Format – 3 hours
Pass rate – 18% (Source)
Scope and coverage of the exam – India, Singapore, and Germany. Subjects covered are Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Information technology, and Computer Science Engineering, to name a few.
Impact of the exam – High importance for technical professionals

8. CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert)

This exam is primarily for professionals who work in building technology infrastructures. The CCIE exam is a series of tests professionals must take to build, maintain and troubleshoot complex network infrastructures.

• Mainly the CISCO engineers qualify to become a part of this exam. The high number of CISCO engineers and low qualification success rate make it one of the toughest test series to crack.
• The exam comprises 6 tests assessing collaboration, routing, security, and other aspects. The difficulty level of the subject qualifies this as the hardest subject in the world.

Purpose of the exam – To get into building technology infrastructures
Difficulty Level of the Exam – High
Duration and Format –  2 hours, 6 series of tests
Pass rate – 30% (Source)
Scope and coverage of the exam – CISCO Engineers are tested on these subjects Network Infrastructure, Software Defined Infrastructure, Infrastructure Structure, and Services

9.  Exam for the Master Sommelier Diploma

The Master Sommelier Diploma Exam is conducted by the Court of Master Sommeliers, also known as CMS, to work on increased levels of beverage services that sommeliers provide. This is primarily relevant in wine and food matching.

• This exam is designed to ensure higher standards of knowledge on beverages and services in the hospitality industry. The success rate of this exam is only 10% success which aspirants receive after several retakes and reattempts.
• The three test levels of this exam are service, theory, and blind tasting.

Total Number of Students – 70
Purpose of the exam – To ensure higher standards of knowledge on beverages and services in the hospitality industry
Difficulty Level of the Exam – High
Duration and Format – 50 minutes                       
Pass rate – 5-10%
Scope and coverage of the exam – Twice per year in the US and once yearly in the UK.

10. All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam

The All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam is a historic examination that Oxford University has conducted for decades. It stands as a contender for one of the most difficult exams in the world. Oxford University administers this exam for a 7-year fellowship.

• The main subject put to the test here is the Humanities. The aspirants are asked to submit 2 essays on any topic, mainly in the Humanities.
• Only students with a solid background in Humanities get to partake in this exam.

Total Number of Students – 80
Purpose of the exam – To qualify for a 7-year fellowship
Difficulty Level of the Exam – High
Duration and Format – 3 hours for 4 papers each
Pass rate – 2.5% (Source)
Scope and coverage of the exam – English Literature, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

Criteria to Determine the World’s Toughest Exam

Whether it is for the world’s toughest exam or any other, the following criteria make an exam tough.

1. Difficulty level of the exam

This means how hard the questions are in the exam. Tough exams have challenging questions that require a lot of thinking and understanding. They may include complex problems or require in-depth knowledge of the subject.

2. Duration and format of the exam

This refers to how long the exam lasts and how it is structured. Tough exams often have a limited time to answer a lot of questions. They may have different sections or formats, such as multiple-choice, essays, or practical tasks.

3. Pass rate and competition level

The pass rate means how many people can succeed in the exam. Tough exams have a low pass rate, meaning only a small percentage of people pass. The competition level is high because many people are trying to do well, making it harder to stand out.

4. Scope and coverage of the exam

Scope means the range or extent of the topics covered in the exam. Tough exams cover a wide range of subjects or detailed information about a subject. They require a deep understanding of various concepts and may test knowledge from different areas.

5. Impact and importance of the exam

This refers to how much the exam matters and how it can affect someone’s future. Tough exams have a significant impact and are often important for career opportunities or educational advancement. Doing well in these exams can open doors to better opportunities in life.

In a Nutshell: World’s Most Competitive Exams

We have explored the world’s toughest exams! Remember, exams can be challenging, but they also present incredible opportunities for growth and success. With perseverance and hard-work one can easily crack these exams. There are many factors involved in determining the toughest exam in the world such as the number of candidates, subjects tested and time limit. Thus coming up with one answer for the world’s toughest exam is not feasible.

We have listed some of the best contenders for the world’s toughest exams such as the Civil Services Examination in India, the Gaokao in China, and the IIT-JEE and SAT.  It is important to not get intimidated by the competitive nature of these exams and instead to embrace the learning process and acquire knowledge to become the best version of yourself.

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