Exams can be rigorous and tough for students, as we all know this experience. Since somewhere in our early lives we all went for high school or college exams and that is too much pressure. Many people must have experienced entrance exams also to pursue postgraduation and graduation studies. Every exam has its unique and different level of difficulty just like its benefits and results.
Similar to government jobs or some private companies’ jobs, candidates have to go through a lengthy and hard process. For some jobs, the selection procedure consists of several rounds like writing, interview, etc.
Whether you are a student pursuing your studies or a graduate finding a job you have to go through exams. The journey towards success and career is always a tough one filled with levels of difficulty, hard work, and determination.
Based on the World Ranking Website’s cChinat update, the Gaokao Exam in China is meant to be the hardest exam in the world. And it tops the list of the top 10 toughest exams in the world.
On the other hand, the second and third toughest exams are from India, and they are IIT and UPSC, ranked the toughest exams in the world. Particularly, India has three most difficult exams all over the world. And every year, many Indians attempt them, the other tests are organized outside India.
Also Read:-
Top 5 Most Toughest Exams In India To Crack In 2024
List of Top 10 Toughest Exams in the World 2024:-
Here’s an overview table of the top 10 toughest exams worldwide in 2024:
| Exam | Location | Difficulty Level | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaokao | China | Very High | Two-day university entrance exam covering various subjects, crucial for higher education. |
| IIT-JEE | India | Very High | National-level engineering entrance exam for admission to Indian Institutes of Technology. |
| UPSC/CSE | India | Very High | Central government exam for Civil Services, known for its comprehensive syllabus and depth. |
| Mensa IQ Test | Worldwide | Very High | High IQ society membership test, assessing intelligence quotient (IQ) level. |
| GRE (Graduate Record Examination) | Worldwide | High | Standardized test for graduate and business school admissions in the United States. |
| CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) | Worldwide | High | Rigorous exam for finance professionals covering investment management and financial analysis. |
| CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert) | Worldwide | High | Certification exam for networking experts, testing expertise in Cisco networking solutions. |
| GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) | India | High | National-level exam for engineering and technology students seeking admission to postgraduate programs. |
| All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam | Oxford, UK | High | Highly competitive exam conducted by Oxford University, assessing critical thinking and writing skills. |
| Master Sommelier Diploma Exam | Worldwide | High | Exam for wine experts evaluating knowledge and skills in wine tasting, pairing, and service. |
1. Gaokao Exam
Many individuals generally imagine the hardest entrance exam competitions when they think of university admission exams in China. The popular “Gaokao” university entrance exam is held in June in China.
This exam takes place over two days, with students completing elective courses in addition to the required disciplines of math, Japanese language, and foreign language. Though not a national standard test, Gaokao is held by every province and generates results nearly exclusively for university entrance exams. Though just 10% of institutions utilize them, more and more are implementing their entry examinations.
Drones will be utilized to identify cheating on China’s Gaokao exam, which is well known for having a high cheating rate and being so tough that many students commit suicide. Searching for radio signals enables one to locate the fraudster.
Millions of Chinese students take exams each year to continue their studies. Test takers are known to routinely pass out in the exam hall and the test’s extreme stress levels lead to many suicides.
These 2-day exams, called “gaokao ” (gaokao), are mostly memorization tests, and the outcomes affect the students for the rest of their lives. The test results only will decide if you pass or fail.
2. IIT-JEE
IIT-JEE of India is listed as the second in the toughest exam in the world’s list. In particular, it is the first most hardest exam in India. This is a national-level test and exam. At the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) it is the only entrance exam for engineering students and programs.
The exam also provides Siemens scholarship to candidates and students who clear this exam have a chance to qualify for a scholarship. And the scholarship will help them in supporting their bachelor’s degree in engineering. The JEE exam is divided into 2 parts: JEE Main and JEE Advance.
3. UPSC/ CSE
UPSC or Union Public Service Commission is a central government service that conducts India’s Civil Services Examination (CSE) for Indian candidates and aspirants. It is among the list of top 5 toughest exams in the entire world. This exam is very hard, toughest, and competitive across India, also regarded as a century-old exam of the nation.
4. Mansa
Mensa is not considered an examination, it is rather an international organization for a group of high-level scorers or top test scorers. Mensa is a high intelligence IQ organization with its associates with an IQ of 98% or even greater.
This society doesn’t believe in discrimination among aspirants based on caste, color, religion, and race, it is a non-political society.
As we know this exam is all about IQ, and the exam offered by this society is very tough and rigorous based on IQ and intelligence.
5. GRE (Graduate Record Examination)
Organized by ETS, the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is considered the most difficult, challenging, and toughest exam in the whole world. This exam is about testing an applicant’s reliability to pursue a master’s in foreign which is mainly in America.
At first, the GRE was targeted at American universities but now it is acceptable in over 90 nations and countries.
6. CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)
The CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) exam is related to and based on financial discipline, it is the hardest and most competitive exam ever. This degree is even eligible and qualified for the toughest degree in the Guinness World Record.
More than 100,000 candidates from all over 100 countries, such as Asia, attempt and try to pass this exam CFA per year.
In investment management and finance, CFA is known as the most honorable and respected degree or designation. The purpose and aim of the CFA exam is to assess and analyze finance professionals on important and useful financial instruments and procedures. If you pass this test, you’ll be able to pursue a lot of CFA possibilities in India as well as gain a lot of opportunities.
Aspirants and applicants have to clear 3 levels, CFA Level 1, CFA Level 2, and CFA Level 3 to get awarded a Charter holder position by the CFA institute.
7. CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert)
CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetworking ECisco) is operated and managed by Cisco Systems to networking experts considered in the list of top 10 toughest exams in the world.
This exam consists of a series of tests that should be implemented by professionals to develop, manage, balance, and improve complex network infrastructures.
This toughest exam is categorized into 6 parts to evaluate collaboration, security, safety, routing, and other factors. It has 2 2-stage process and candidates who cleared successfully in the first stage can be qualified for the second stage.
8. GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, India)
Another hardest exam is from India again, GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) is an online examination that is conducted in India on a national level.
This exam is meant to test the capability of students in terms of technical and engineering concepts. The exam is very competitive and hard, with a high level of difficulty, and it is getting so tough for students to even pass the test. Lengthy study sessions and extra classes are a must to pass this test and examination.
9. All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam
This exam has been conducted in the autumn season for so many decades. It’s Oxford University’s exam and is mainly a historic test. This rigorous exam is considered the most difficult test in the world.
Each year there are 80 candidates and applicants who give this test and only 1 or 2 applicants are selected. Candidates should submit or write 4 essays on any relevant and logical topic. And the given time limit for every essay is nearly 3 hours.
10. Exam for the Master Sommelier Diploma
the Master Sommelier Diploma exam is organized by the CMS, Court of Master Sommeliers. This exam is about working on high levels of beverages and the services given by sommeliers, mostly in food matching and wine.
The goal and aim of this toughest test are to encourage increased and advanced knowledge and quality of service across the board for the hospitality sector, which involves lodging, dining, and homestays. Even after multiple attempts, tries, and retakes, the exam’s average passing or success rate for an applicant remains under 10%.
