Exams are a crucial part of a student’s life. They can be hard and meticulous. Scholars have to face various tests, such as exams, to complete high school and to look for entrances to pursue graduation or post-graduation. Every exam has different benefits and difficulty levels and is unique from other tests. In this blog, you will learn about the top 10 toughest exams in the world in 2024.
Table of Contents
1. Which 5 Countries Are Known to Have the Hardest Exams in the World?
2. Can Indians Apply for the Gaokao Exam in China?
3. What Tests Are Needed to Apply for a Master's Degree in Universities in the USA and Canada?
4. Can Citizens of Other Countries Apply for the UPSC Exam in India?
5. What Is the Toughest Exam in Asia?
6. What Is the Toughest Exam in India?
As you know, every country has exams that are considered tough to pass in one go. In this section, you will learn about the most challenging tests in the world and the country or the conducting body to which they belong. The following table shows the world's toughest exam list:
| Examination | Conducting Body / Country |
|---|---|
|
Gaokao Exam |
China |
|
IIT-JEE Exam |
India |
|
UPSC Exam |
India |
|
Mensa International |
England |
|
GRE |
United States of America / Canada |
|
CFA |
United States of America / Canada |
|
CCIE |
United States of America |
|
GATE |
India |
|
All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam |
United Kingdom |
|
California Bar Exam |
United States of America |
As per the above table, China has the world's most difficult exam. At the same time, India and the USA have the majority of the rigorous and bothersome exams globally. In the upcoming sections, you will learn about the top 5 toughest exams in the world in detail.
The Gaokao, which means higher exam, is the abbreviation of the Nationwide Unified Examination for Admissions to General Universities and Colleges. This test is the national undergraduate admission exam for China. It is the most difficult exam in the world.
The Gaokao test is held by the provincial government under the order of the Ministry of Education in early June every year. The exam is conducted over two days when the nation comes to a standstill. The first Gaokao exam was held on 15-17 August 1952.
The Gaokao test is not just an exam; it's a gateway to all the higher education institutes in China. It's a crucial requisite for undergraduate admissions, marking the end of a high school journey and the beginning of a new academic chapter.
The Gaokao exam is conducted in Mandarin Chinese. It consists of subjects such as Science, Mathematics, Languages, and Social Sciences. The score is measured on a scale of 750-950 points. The test lasts 9 hours.
Every year, a staggering 12 million students apply for the Gaokao exam, a testament to its significance. However, only around 10 million students manage to qualify, making the pass rate quite low. This test is not for the faint-hearted; it's considered the world's toughest exam.
The eligibility criteria for the Gaokao exam are as follows:
IIT-JEE exam stands for Indian Institute of Technology - Joint Entrance Examination. It is the 2nd hardest exam in the world. This is a national-level engineering entrance test that is held in India. The exam is conducted under the guidance of the Joint Admission Board (JAB), India.
The first IIT-JEE exam was conducted in the year 1961. It consists of two stages - JEE Main and JEE Advanced. The JEE Main is a screening test to select the applicants who will be eligible to appear in the Advanced. The JEE Advanced is the final stage of examination for admission into IITs.
The test is conducted by one of the 23 zonal IITs under the guidance of the Joint Admission Board in a round-robin rotation pattern to select students for admission into these IITs.
The exam pattern for IIT-JEE consists of topics from the CBSE Board's curriculum for classes XI and XII. These subjects include Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. The test lasts 3 hours.
The number of applicants for the IIT-JEE exam is around 190 thousand yearly and is increasing rapidly. Out of which, around 40 thousand students qualify for admission. Thus, the pass rate of this test is around 24.26%. Eventually, this makes it the 2nd most difficult exam in the world.
The eligibility criteria for the IIT-JEE exam are as follows:
Union Public Service Commission, or UPSC, is a central government agency that conducts India's Civil Services Examination (CSE) for students. The UPSC exam is ranked third among the top five toughest exams in the world.
This exam is India's most difficult, competitive, and meticulous. Students spend years preparing for this century-old test. However, the number of attempts is limited. These limits are made according to the student's caste category.
The UPSC exam is conducted to recruit people to higher civil services for the government of India. These services include the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS), as well as Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
The format for this test consists of three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview. The Prelims consist of two papers of 200 marks each, and the Mains consist of nine subjective papers. Also, the duration for writing is 3 hours for each test paper.
Every year, around 10,00,000 applicants appear for the UPSC exam. Out of these, a very small number of students qualify after attempting all the stages of the test. Thus, the overall pass rate of this exam is 0.2%. Therefore, the UPSC test is the hardest exam in the world.
Mensa International is not an exam. It is a society of members with higher IQs and intelligence. The society was founded in 1946 in England. The society believes in non-political among the aspirants and is free from all kinds of discrimination based on race, religion, or nationality.
The test offered by this society is one of the toughest exams in the world. It is conducted in approximately 90 countries, such as the US, the UK, India, Ireland, and Germany. The test is based on IQ and intelligence.
The main purpose of this society is to identify and nurture human intelligence so that it benefits humanity and its characteristics and encourages research into nature. It offers its members a stimulating intellectual and social environment.
The famous IQ exams and their Mensa cutoff score are as follows:
There are around 145,000 Mensans in about 90 countries in the world. The competition to get into this society is very high. The society is open only to those who gain scores within the top 2% of the general population. Thus, the pass rate of these exams is 0.02%. Hence, it became the 4th most hardest exam in the world.
Mensa India tests only on children over 10 years of age. However, there is no such age limit for joining this society. Thus, if a child below 10 years gives the results of the authorized intelligence tests that meet the score criteria, are eligible to get recruited in Mensa.
The GRE, or Graduate Record Examination, is considered the fifth most difficult exam in the world. This test evaluates an applicant's ability to pursue a master's in foreign institutes, mainly in the USA and Canada. Earlier, this exam was targeted at US-based universities, but now it is recognized by institutes in over 90 nations.
The GRE test was established in 1936 and is owned by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). This exam is responsible for measuring a student's verbal reasoning, logical reasoning, quantitative ability, critical thinking, and analytical writing.
The sole purpose of the GRE test is to offer admissions to master's and doctoral degree programs in various universities, especially in the USA and Canada.
The computer-based GRE consists of 6 sections. The 1st section is about analytical writing. While the next 4 sections include 2 verbal reasoning sections and 2 quantitative reasoning sections. Also, the last section is either an experimental or research section. The duration of this test is about 3 hours and 45 minutes.
The number of applicants participating in the GRE every year is over 11 lakh. Therefore, the competition level is high due to a large number of candidates. Thus, the pass rate for the same is 43%, which makes the test considered as 5th world's toughest exam.
As per the Educational Testing Service (ETS), there are no rules for eligibility for taking the GRE. Students from any academic background are allowed to appear for the exam.
Get Trained by experienced IELTS instructors through engaging live online classes
Book FREE IELTS Masterclasse are a few difficult tests that are accepted worldwide. One such exam is the GRE, which is accepted by the institutes of the USA and Canada for applying for a master's degree. Thus, students must get the right guidance to excel in this test and get enrolled in their dream universities. Therefore, overseas education consultants offer coaching for this test preparation and help aspirants ace it.
Also Read: What Are the Different Entrance Exams for Studying Abroad?
If you are looking forward to joining the workforce in the field of investment or finance, here's an exam for you. Passing this exam is the dream of many finance professionals. Hence, several students attempt this exam every year.
The CFA stands for Chartered Financial Analyst. Students take it from a business or economics background. You can go onto their official website and check out the valid dates, your exam center, etc.
After clearing this exam, the scholars get the positions of executives and senior managers. These job roles revolve around economics, finance, asset, and risk management.
It is one of the world's toughest exams with 3 levels:
Level 1: It has 2 sessions of 2 hours and 15 minutes each. These are multiple-choice questions.
Level 2: This one has 2 sessions of 2 hours and 12 minutes each. These are vignette multiple-choice questions.
Level 3: The last one also has 2 sessions of 2 hours and 12 minutes each. This section has vignette-supported essays and multiple-choice questions.
Last year, in 2023, more than 60,000 people took the CFA exam. However, the recent level 1, 2, and 3 CFA exams were conducted in February 2024. In level 1, 17,000 people took the exam and the pass rate was around 44%. The level 2 had a similar turnout as the first level. Moreover, level 3 had 14,000 people who appeared for the exam, yet, 49% of the people managed to pass it.
To appear for the level 1 exam:
you must have a certain work experience of 4000+ hours in a related field. You must use analytical thinking and business-related skills.
However, you may also be an undergraduate or a degree holder (UG or PG).
To appear for the level 2 exam, you must have cleared the level 1 exam
Likewise, you must have cleared the level 2 exam, to appear for the level 3 exam.
Let us now discuss another exam
These are a bunch of certifications provided by Cisco. These exams are tough to crack and the people taking the tests have to go through hard learning and marking strategies.
The CCIE exam stands for Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert. It is a series of exams related to networking professionals. These programs are designed to test people's development and troubleshooting skills.
The purpose of these exams is to certify individuals with global credibility for their skills. There are several different exams under the CCIE for testing various skill sets. They include network architecture, design, and other IT related projects.
The written part of the CCIE exam is of 120 minutes in which you have to answer 90-110 questions. The lab exam is of 8 hours straight (ends within one day). Earlier, the lab exam used to continue for 2 consecutive days.
There are a total of 68,206 CCIEs as of now in 2024. The pass rate of the CCIE exam is around 26%.
The only criterion for appearing for the CCIE exam is that you must have passed 10+2 from a recognized board. The minimum percentage you must have is 55%.
GATE is an exam held in India and is only accepted within the nation. However, it is one of the toughest exams in the world. This national-level examination is also one of the most applied for.
The GATE exam is for Indian students who wish to pursue their post graduate degree in IITs or NITs and other top engineering institutes in India.
The purpose of the GATE exam is to test the students who wish to secure a seat for studying in the most prominent colleges in India. However, the GATE exam is only for those who want to study ME and M tech in their PG degree. Moreover, there are many recruiters who hire the ones who score well in this exam.
The GATE exam pattern 2025 is going to be 3 hours. Moreover, the test will be computer-based. The exam format will include MCQs, MSQs, and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions.
Moreover, there are a total of 65 questions in 30 pages of question paper.
In the year 2022, more than 8,00,000 people applied for the exam, and only 15% passed the exam. The GATE exam is highly competitive and hard to crack considering the country's size.
The applicants must have a bachelor's degree in engineering or technology. In addition, students studying in any science field can also apply for the GATE exam.
All Souls College, Oxford University students can apply for this fellowship exam. This prize is for those who are up for researching under senior scholars. The amount given to the ones who pass this exam depends on how many hours they dedicate to the research field.
This exam assesses the overall knowledge of the students on topics like classical studies, law, history, and literature. There is no key rule to clearing this exam. Yet, it would help if you only wrote scripts that describe you the best. There is also a viva segment which is held on the last Saturday of October. This viva lasts for around 25 minutes. There is a lot of
Upon clearing these fellowship exams, students are expected to serve as teachers in the university itself. The purpose of this exam is to cream out the most talented scholars of the college.
There are two parts: Examination and election. In the examination, there is a written exam and a 25 minute viva. Moreover, the essays and scripts that students write are uploaded on the college website. The vivas are very friendly and you are encouraged to be the best of yourself.
The election, however, is done the very next day. If you are to become a fellow, you will know that by the next day.
Normally, the number of applicants does not exceed 200. However, the passing rate is 1%.
Stated below are the eligibility criteria for applying for the All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam:
The California Bar Exam is conducted twice a year. This exam is one of the toughest exams in the world. It is for those who wish to pursue a career in law in California, USA.
This exam has an enrollment fee of $ 500. Candidates are assessed on their knowledge of the US law and the law of the state of California. Moreover, upon unsuccessful payment of the enrollment fees, they will not register you for the exam.
This exam licenses the attorneys by assessing their basic knowledge and understanding. Moreover, this exam also judges the candidates on the basis of their analytical thinking. In addition to this, this is the minimum criteria to enroll for studying law in the state.
It happens for 2 days and has the following types of questions:
In the year 2023, 7,555 students took the California Bar exam. Out of these applicants, 51.5 % passed the exam.
If you want to practice law in California, you must have the following:
These were some of the toughest exams in the world in 2024. However, there are more hard-to-crack exams in the world apart from these. The next section will talk about the exam preparation tips for candidates.
The scholars or applicants of these exams struggle with a lot of things while preparing for the exams. However, experts suggest the following 7 ways to maintain a constant focal point:
The above pointers have a detailed explanation below:
Firstly, try to get a segregated space where you can study without unnecessary distractions. Now, a room that has a TV and game station can work too if you can control it well. However, if you are the type of person who can't study with visible distractions then change the room. Moreover, you may also try to get away from people including family and friends. Seek a quiet place to study.
Secondly, it is vital to make a timetable before following it religiously. Moreover, keep in mind that you cannot make a timetable in hyperactivity and expect yourself to follow it without a hitch. However, you should build a practical list of things you need to do and be consistent. Dedicate hours or minutes to these tasks and try to abide by them. If you expect to study for hours with a 15 minutes of break in an entire day, it won't go as planned. You must understand your body, its sleep cycle, and its capacity.
Thirdly, take a good look on the internet for available sample tests and mock exams. It would be wise to practice them before sitting for the actual paper. If, in case, the format and question type do not change this year then you would have an advantage!
Fourthly, there are several ways to enhance your note-making skills. If you use diagrams, flowcharts, and colors, you will get a better understanding of the concepts. Moreover, you will also be able to remember the key points and words while taking the exam.
Fifthly, several experts on the internet can help you build a study plan for any exam. You can contact them and hire them for the same. Moreover, you can also get it personalized by sharing your requirements with them.
Furthermore, you should study yourself before studying for the exam. You must be aware of where you can excel easily and where there would be more effort required.
Lastly, it is best to finish the syllabus and main topics of the exam and start revising them way before the exam. The timetable or the study plan must have a slot for revision as well. It keeps you in the habit of studying and helps you memorize things well.
In this blog, you learn about some of the toughest exams in world with their details. This information consists of the purpose of these tests, their eligibility, pass rate, format and other essential data. You also learned about the criteria used to determine which exam is the toughest in the world. These criteria involve the level of difficulty, the competition level, scope, coverage, impact, and other crucial information needed to determine the same.
The 5 countries that are known to have the hardest exams in the world are China, India, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore.
No, Indians cannot apply for the Gaokao exam in China to gain entrance to higher education institutes. But if you have dedicated your time and efforts to learning Mandarin Chinese, you can choose to take this exam.
The tests needed for applying for a master's degree in universities of the USA and Canada are GRE as well as a language proficiency test such as IELTS. Various education consultants provide online IELTS classes to study abroad. They also offer coaching for GRE preparation.
No, citizens of other countries cannot apply for the UPSC exam in India. The only exception is the Tibetan refugees who permanently settled in India before 1st January 1962.
The Gaokao exam is the toughest in Asia. It is conducted by the Government of China for final-year high school students to get admission to graduation in higher educational institutes in the country.
The UPSC exam is the toughest in India. This exam is conducted to recruit aspirants for various civil services for the government of India. These services include IAS, IPS, and IFS. It is one of the most competitive exams among Indians.
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