There are certain tests which strike dread even amongst the most diligent and hard-working students and professionals alike. This guide highlights some of the toughest exams in the world and what makes them essentially unique.
| Exams | Country | Exam Duration | Preparation Time Needed | Passing % / Score | Number of Candidates Per Year |
| Gaokao Exam | China | 9h | 12 years | Success Rate- 0.25% | 12 million |
| IIT JEE Exam | India | 3h | Minimum two years of continuous efforts | 1% | 1,026,799 |
| UPSC Exam | India | 2-3h | 12-month advanced preparation | Success rate- 0.1% – 0.3% | 500 |
| Mensa International | England | 1-2h | – | 98th percentile or above | 134,000 candidates |
| GRE | USA & Canada | 3h 45min | 4-12 weeks or1 – 5 months studying | Any score above the 50th percentile | 700,000/ yearly |
| CFA | USA & Canada | 4.5 hours | 300 h | 43% | 175,000 charterholders |
| CCIE | USA | Around 120 minutes | 9-15 months | 26% | 8,000/ yearly |
| GATE exam | India | 3 hours | 6 months | 18% | 700,000 |
| UMSLE exam | USA | 8 hours | 6-12 months | 77% | 19,210 |
| California Bar Exam | USA | 4 hours | 40 hours per week over 8-10 weeks | 52.40% | 7,164 |
Top 10 Toughest Exams In The World
If you have been wondering about tough exams in the world, here is a list of the top 10 most difficult examinations:
1. Gaokao Exam In China:
Gaokao is China’s national entrance test which is similar to GATE for India. Students planning to attain higher education in China need to clear the Gaokao exam since it is a primary condition for higher education.
- The exams are conducted for around 9 hours across two days.
- The test includes both Chinese and Mathematics.
- The total marks the student receives are usually the average of their subject marks to decide whether the candidate has passed or failed their examination.
2. IIT JEE Exam (Joint Entrance Exam – Indian Institute of Technology)
The IIT JEE Exam is one of the toughest exams in the world and one of the most difficult examinations in India in particular. IIT JEE is the entrance examination to secure admission into either of the 23 IITs (Indian Institute of Technology) in India.
- JEE (Joint Entrance Exam) is a national-level entrance test for engineering colleges in India. JEE Main and JEE Advance are the two main aspects.
- Students who have cleared the JEE Main can attend the JEE Advanced.
3. UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) In India:
The CSE (Civil Service Exam) is conducted by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission). It is a national test in India to secure an administrative position such as IAS, IPS and IFS.
- The exam mainly includes three stages: Preliminary, Mains and an Interview round.
- CSE Preliminary has two exams: General Studies I and General Studies II (CSAT).
- The test duration for each paper is 2 hours.
- The total marks for these two papers individually is 200.
4. Mensa International:
The Mensa International is not an examination but an international organisation for a group of top test scorers. Mensa is the senior-most high-IQ society in the world, with over 150,000 members from 90+ countries.
- It is a non-political platform for social, cultural, and intellectual interaction.
- Applicants who score 98 percentile or above in a standardised IQ test can only join the team.
- You must initially score in the top 2% of test-takers in an objective, standardised IQ test to be a Mensa member.
5. GRE (Graduate Record Examination):
The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is a standardised test for graduate admission. Around 7 lakh students attempt the GRE every year. It is commonly needed for admission in the USA, Canada and the UK’s Top Universities.
It is accepted by multiple graduate and business schools around the world. Students opting for international courses in MBA, Engineering programmes and MS are normally required to submit GRE test scores.
6. CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst):
The CFA( Chartered Financial Analyst) is one of the most sought-after qualifications in the field of finance and investment. Students with a finance, accounting, economics, or business background normally appear for the CFA examination.
- It is one of the toughest exams in the world. The test consists of three levels. After completing all three parts, you will become a CFA charter holder.
- Level I includes two sessions of 2 hours and 15 minutes each. Level 2 consists of two sessions with 2 hours and 12 minutes each. Level 3 consists of two sessions for 2 hours and 12 minutes each.
7. CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert):
CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) is a technical certification that is essentially offered by Cisco Systems to networking professionals. The test is usually conducted in two stages: a 2-hour written exam and an 8-hour lab exam.
- The areas covered during the test include configuration, troubleshooting, and integration.
- The Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert certificate costs around $2,050. The cost of the CCIE written exam is around $450 for each attempt.
- The lab exam cost is approximately $1,600 for each attempt. All CCIE certifications are valid for three years from the date of certification.
8. GATE Exam (Graduate Aptitude Test In Engineering):
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) in India is amongst the top 10 toughest exams in the world for engineering. Candidates are evaluated in areas such as Mathematics, Engineering, Science, and General Aptitude.
- The GATE examination is conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Science and seven Indian Institutes of Technologies (IIT) namely, Roorkee, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Chennai (Madras), Mumbai.
- The test duration is 3 hours and is conducted online. Some universities in Germany and Singapore also use GATE scores to evaluate a candidate’s skills.
9. USMLE Exam (United States Medical Licensing Examination):
USMLE is a three-step examination for medical licenses in the US with reference to the United States Medical Licensing Examination. The exam is conducted by the Federation of State Medical Boards and the National Board of Medical Examiners.
It is one of the toughest exams in the world and is time-bound. The first step of the exam takes eight hours, the second step takes nine hours, and the third step takes two days (seven hours for the first day and nine hours for day two each).
10: California Bar Exam:
The California Bar Exam is a test that is authorised for individuals seeking to become lawyers and practice in California. The exam is held under the Supreme Court of California supervision.
- The State Bar’s Committee of Bar Examiners is the responsible authority for developing, administering, and grading the test. Around 16,000 people attempt the California Bar Exam every year, and the success rate is estimated at about 50%.
- The test is conducted over two days. Day 1 includes essay questions and a 90-minute performance test. The second day consists of the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) comprising 200 questions.
Thus, this was a compilation of the top 10 toughest exams in the world. No matter how difficult these tests can be, strategic planning and determination will help you succeed!
FAQs
1. Which are the most difficult exams in the world?
The Chinese Gaokao, UPSC Civil Services Examination, the GRE and Mensa are some of the extremely difficult exams in the world.
2. Is IIT the toughest exam in the world?
The Gaokao exam in China is estimated to be the toughest one.
3. Is UPSC tougher than IIT?
While each of these tests is different from the others, they are equally difficult. The opinion may vary for individuals belonging to different academic backgrounds.
4. Is CFA harder than IIT?
Comparing the difficulty level of one exam with another exam is highly difficult. Both the CA Final and IIT Advance are from completely different backgrounds, and their syllabus are totally different from each other.
5. Who can be a Mensa member?
The candidates who score above the 98th percentile in the Mensa exams, 2% of the whole exam-giving population, are eligible to become Mensa members.
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