Think IIT is Hard? Meet the World’s Toughest Exams

Discover the 10 toughest exams across the world—from Gaokao to CCIE—designed to test the world’s sharpest minds.

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Gaokao Exam – China

[{"selector":"#anim-9845c022-776f-449d-a8b9-5a854041b0ce","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] China’s national college entrance exam lasts 9 hours and can determine your entire future. 1 Earn Money from Home

UPSC Civil Services – India

[{"selector":"#anim-2c3bcdbe-44b6-477d-9f63-8089732d526c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Less than 0.2% clear India’s elite civil exam—testing intellect, ethics, and endurance. 2 Earn Money from Home

IIT JEE Advanced – India

[{"selector":"#anim-ff0a3198-4969-4ec4-b3b2-ce8a3acbac47","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Cracking JEE Advanced means beating 99% of 1M+ test-takers for entry into top Indian tech schools. 3 Earn Money from Home

CFA Exam – Global

[{"selector":"#anim-d59843ca-12a7-44ba-b59d-1d92a7d9cc76","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] With just ~10% passing all 3 levels, this finance exam demands years of study and discipline. 4 Earn Money from Home

GRE – Global

[{"selector":"#anim-2dde8dbb-5318-4729-84fb-a6bd6ce69971","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Accepted by top grad schools, GRE tests verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing under tight time. 5 Earn Money from Home

GATE – India

[{"selector":"#anim-193b497e-bd5e-4205-87ff-f63963a0a3fa","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] GATE tests engineering concepts and is key to postgraduate studies and PSU jobs in India. 6 Earn Money from Home

Mensa IQ Test – Global

[{"selector":"#anim-4257506c-eacd-4b1f-835b-7b8258b7d884","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Only the top 2% globally qualify. It challenges raw logic, pattern recognition, and problem-solving. 7 Earn Money from Home

Master Sommelier Diploma – Global

[{"selector":"#anim-b8cf0314-b8b6-48dc-b3a1-78980a323530","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Only a handful pass. This wine exam tests theory, blind tasting, and flawless service under pressure. 8 Earn Money from Home

All Souls Prize Fellowship – UK

[{"selector":"#anim-089fe79b-1a8d-45c9-b019-a7be59a435c1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Oxford’s invite-only exam has no syllabus and famously abstract questions like “What is character?” 9 Earn Money from Home

CCIE – Global

[{"selector":"#anim-b0faff8d-ba58-465d-82bd-aad412002f7e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] CISCO’s expert certification exam includes an intense 8-hour hands-on lab with real-time challenges. 10 Earn Money from Home