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13 February,2024 | By Brainwonders
In 2024, Some tough examinations in the world include the Gaokao Exam in China, IIT JEE Advanced, Civil Services Exam (CSE)/UPSC, GATE, GRE, Master Sommelier Diploma Exam, ICAI CA Exams, CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert), Mensa International and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Top 10 toughest exam in the World.
Toughest Exams in the World (Rank wise):
Exams are an integral part of a student's life. Whether you are completing high school, pursuing graduation, or aiming for post-graduate studies, exams are a common experience. Many government and private sector jobs also require candidates to undergo multiple selection rounds, including written tests and interviews, as part of the hiring process. Consequently, whether you are a student or a job seeker, exams are unavoidable. This article discusses the Top Toughest exams in the world. He said every exam has its level of complexity, but for this list, he looked at some of the toughest exams in the world.
However, no two exams can be truly compared in terms of difficulty since all serve different purposes; thus, this article addresses them individually. It offers an understanding of the most difficult tests in the world, focusing on the tests taken by learners at different phases of their learning and career paths.
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Let us know about the toughest exams in the world (rank-wise) in detail, below:
The National College Entrance Examination, also known as Gaokao, is a national civil service examination and the most important nationwide university entrance examination in the People’s Republic of China. It has become mandatory at entry into nearly every higher institution of learning at the university level.
Gaokao lasts approximately nine hours spread out over two to three days, depending on the province in which it is held. Standard Chinese and mathematics are included in all tests while candidates are free to select either English, French, Japanese, Russian, German, or Spanish as their foreign language choice. Examinees must be third-year high school students with an average age of 18, although preparation usually requires 12 full years of study. The exam consists of difficult questions spanning subjects such as arithmetic, chemistry, biology, physics, Chinese literature, geography, and political science among many others. The overall marks obtained by a student generally take into account their individual subject marks in a weighted sum.
| Country of exam | China |
| Purpose | College Entrance exam for high school students |
| Duration of exam | 9 hours |
| Number of candidates | 12 million/year |
| Pass percentage | Not available |
The Joint Entrance Examination - Advanced (JEE-Advanced) is an annual academic examination held in India that grants successful candidates eligibility for the Bachelor's Degree Programs in engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology. The exam is renowned for its challenging nature, with a success rate of only 26.17% this year. In addition, the students who pass this examination may be awarded the Siemens Scholarship to continue with their education. Furthermore, JEE-Advanced scores are also taken for some admission to foreign universities, especially at the University of Cambridge, the National University of Singapore, etc. JEE is divided into two tiers:
| Country | India |
| Purpose | UG admission to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) |
| Duration of exam | 3 hours |
| Number of candidates | 1,55,538 (2022) |
| Pass percentage | 26.17 per cent in 2022 |
The Union Public Service Commission, or UPSC, is India's premier central recruitment agency for the recruitment of all Group 'A' officers under the government of India. The UPSC exam is conducted in three phases: a preliminary examination consisting of two objective-type papers (General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II), and a main examination consisting of nine papers of essay type, in which two papers are qualifying, and only marks of seven are counted followed by an interview. The former is held in March yearly, whereas the latter is held in December. The total duration for the completion of this test is approximately 32 hours. The examinees who clear the exam are assigned to the positions of Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and others, depending upon the scores.
| Country | India |
| Purpose | Recruitment to administrative posts such as IAS, IPS and IFS |
| Duration of exam | 2-3 hours |
| Number of candidates | 10,93,948 applied for UPSC in 2021 |
| Selected for service | 685 candidates were selected in 2021 |
| Pass percentage | 0.2% |
Mensa is the largest and oldest international society of this kind, which can invite people in on the basis of their passing a standardized intelligence test of 35 questions to be solved in 25 minutes. The items include sequences of figures that get progressively more complex and thus have no scientific or mathematical background. Each correct answer gives one point, and all items are treated equally. Mensa membership is open to any individual who obtains a score within the upper two percentile of the general population on an approved intelligence test administered in a proper and supervised manner. All ages from 3 to 105 can participate in the evaluation. Since its inception, Mensa has grown to include over 145,000 members across more than 100 countries.
GRE stands for Graduate Record Examination, and these examinations are obligatory for some programs in graduate schools in the United States and Canada. The examination, administered by Educational Testing Service, assesses verbal reasoning, quantitative ability and analytical writing. This computer-based assessment spans three hours and forty-five minutes, including minute-long breaks following each section and a ten-minute break after the third section. The GRE can be taken five times annually, with scores remaining valid for five years. No prerequisites are necessary to take this exam.
| Country | Accepted worldwide |
| Purpose | Admission to MBA MS courses |
| Duration of exam | 3 hours 45 minutes |
| GRE Exam Fee | INR 22,550 |
The CFA charter is a professional credential given to individuals who pass the CFA examination and meet the required working experience. The CFA program has three tiers of tests; the tests try to evaluate the candidates on the basics of investment tools, securities appraisal, portfolio evaluation, and wealth management. All exams are held at the same time on the same day once a year. To be eligible for the program, candidates must have a bachelor's degree, be in the final year of a Bachelor's degree at the time of registration, or have four years of professional work experience. The questions on the first two levels of the exam are objective, while the exam questions on the third level are subjective.
The Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert is the most highly regarded networking certification globally.
These tests are divided into categories of routing and switching, service provider, security, collaboration, data centre and wireless. There are two test sets required for certification qualification. Passing both exams will grant an individual the right to become a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert.
To achieve this status, candidates must successfully complete a written exam and a hands-on lab exam.
Considering the exam's difficulty, the examinees must have at least 7 to 10 years of industrial experience, including an in-depth understanding of networking Technologies.
| Country | USA |
| Purpose | Technical certifications for senior networking professionals |
| Duration of exam | 2hrs |
| Number of candidates | 8,000/year |
| Pass percentage | 26% |
| Official website | https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/training-events/training-certifications/certifications/expert.html |
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) assesses a comprehensive understanding of various undergraduate topics related to Engineering and Science for admission into the Master’s program and job opportunities within public sector companies. Qualified applicants may take the exam, which lasts approximately three hours, with a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture, or a Master’s degree in Science and Computer Applications. GATE examinations are also held in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Europe, and the United Arab Emirates to evaluate concepts in Engineering, Mathematics, Science, and General Aptitude for admission into master's degree courses. The results of the examination are valid for three years.
| Country | India |
| Purpose | Admission to Post Graduate studies recruitment |
| Duration of exam | 3 hours |
| Number of candidates registered | 8,45,432 registered for the GATE 2022 |
| Selected | 1,12,678 |
Every autumn, all souls college seeks to elect examination fellows, also known as Prize fellows. The college normally elects two from a field of 100 or more candidates. The fellowships last seven years and cannot be renewed. It has no undergraduate members but recently graduated post-graduate students each year are eligible to apply for a small number of examination fellowships through a competitive examination. Each applicant must submit essays on broad issues and two particular topics. The maximum time for each essay is 3 hours, with questions drawn from various humanities areas.
For two of the four subjects, a specialist in one or more of the following topics or areas
The passed candidates are then called to give a viva, an oral explanation of their answers.
The exam for the master Sommelier diploma is conducted by the court of Master Sommeliers, an educational organisation. It was established to improve the quality standards for beverage services in hotels and restaurants. It is also known as a wine tasting test for expert winemakers. It consists of three parts: a theory examination (oral), a deductive tasting of 6 wines, and a practical wine Service exam minimum passing score for each of the three sections is 75% instead of 60%.
Although the above mentioned exams are all the toughest, they are not impossible to crack. If you are hardworking, consistent, patient and can persevere through failures, it is very easy for you to crack these exams. However, you must be clear about the topics and subjects which require more concentration than the rest.
| Country | USA |
| Purpose | To become a certified Sommelier |
| Duration of exam |
Part 1 – 50 mins Part 2 - n/a Part 3 – 25 mins |
| Pass percentage | 10% (theory) |
| Official website | https://www.mastersommeliers.org/courses/master-sommelier-diploma-examination |
If you are unclear about anything and are studying unconsciously just for studying, then it will not help you at all. So, you must have a guide by your side who can help you at every level of your exam preparations. You can have your guide on Brainwonders. The trained specialists at Brainwonders will help you with every doubt and present solutions that match your requirements. They will make the toughest exams look like chickpeas, which can be crushed easily.
Q.1 Which is the toughest exam in the world?
Ans: Gaokao is widely considered to be the toughest exam in the world. Every year, millions of students from across China take this gruelling examination that tests their academic knowledge and skills. Gaokao is a comprehensive assessment that covers multiple subject areas, including mathematics, language, history, and science. It typically lasts 2-3 days with a combined total of 9 hours of testing. Unlike other examinations, before attending Gaokao, it is possible to take it only once, and only those who pass the examination can move to the next level. Due to the high difficulty level, many students spend months preparing for it, and they do not go to school, work, or socialize to prepare adequately.
Q.2 Is UPSC the toughest exam in the world?
Ans: The Gaokao examination is once more considered one of the toughest examinations globally for university admission, with little difference from the Indian UPSC exam. Its main advantage is a set of certain difficulties arising for a student to pass tests and exams, as well as course materials and intensive testing conditions which are severe and very hard to pass. Even those who pass this extremely challenging exam can be confident that they have got their reward well deserved.
Q.3 Is CAT the toughest exam in India?
Ans: Though the Common Admission Test (CAT) has a tough competition and is quite challenging, India’s toughest exam is though widely believed to be the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination. As per the UPSC’s promise, it selects only the cream of society for civil services; the UPSC Civil Services Examination spans all disciplines and requires each and every aspirant to be disciplined, hardworking and dedicated.
Your Brainwonders result to will help you identify the right exams you need to be ready for!
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