Summary:
- Which Is the Toughest Exam in India?
- How to Crack the Toughest Entrance Exam in India?
Top difficult exams in India are made to assess several qualities like IQ, aptitude, technical proficiency, physical fitness and other aspects therefore providing a platform to recognise brilliance and intelligence. The importance of competitive exams in the current system of education is extensive.
Top hardest exams in India are administered in a variety of ways, including oral, online, written, subjective, objective, performative etc. Candidates must diligently prepare for these exams and display specific skills in order to pass them with top grades.
There are many levels of difficulty, required abilities, and thresholds for cracking the most toughest exams in India.
While most of the exams can be cracked after several attempts with relentless effort and hard work, most difficult exams in India require absolute conviction and are considered significantly more difficult than the rest.
Each year, thousands of students appear for these examinations in the hopes of being accepted into the colleges of their dreams, but only a small number of them actually succeed.
Although clearing competitive exams is challenging it is not unattainable.
Most difficult Exams in India
Here is a list of India’s most toughest exams according to their level of difficulty, the toughest being placed first, followed by the rest in decreasing order.
1. UPSC-Civil Services Exams
The UPSC Civil Service Exam, arguably the most difficult exam in India, is held to select applicants for top administrative jobs in the Central Government of India. This exam involves a number of services, including IAS, IPS, IFS and others. An extremely high degree of seriousness, hard work and devotion is required for the three-tier exam, which consists of the Preliminary Exam, the Main Exam, and the Interview or personality test. The Union Public Service Commission exam is one of the hardest exams in India because of the incredibly broad syllabus it includes.
Every year, on an average, approximately 8 lakh students register for the IAS exams. Unfortunately, between 0.1% and 0.3% of applicants crack it. These variables combine to make UPSC one of the toughest exams in India.
The UPSC civil service exam is divided into two stages. Preliminary examination consists of two papers (General Studies and Aptitude Test). The Main examination consists of nine subjective papers, followed by the Personality Test (Interview) after that.
The UPSC official website https://www.upsc.gov.in/ publishes the criteria for eligibility for the UPSC Exam. The exam is conducted by the Union Public Service commission, India. The exam duration is 5 hours total, 2 hours for prelims and 3 hours for mains. UPSC civil service exam is a post graduate level exam. The entire UPSC examination process, from the Preliminary examination to the final round, takes approximately one year.
2. IIT JEE Entrance Examination
IIT-JEE entrance exam helps students to enrol in India’s top engineering colleges. It is regarded as the second toughest exam in India. The two fundamental IIT-JEE levels: JEE Main and JEE Advanced, are used to shortlist applicants for technical colleges with central funding. In order to take the JEE Advanced exam, students must pass JEE Main. JEE scores are accepted by a number of engineering institutes, including IITs. Apart from engineering, students who qualify can also enrol in the available science or architectural programs.
This exam has an infinite syllabus, and the application-based questions are designed to test the candidate’s skill in the primary areas. Only 2.50 lakh students among 6.35 lakh candidates who take the exam each year qualify for JEE Advanced. These factors make JEE one of the most difficult exams in India.
The examinations in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main) focuses on admissions to undergraduate engineering programmes, such as B.E. or B.Tech.
This all-India engineering entrance test has been conducted by the NTA (National Testing Agency) since 2019. The information regarding JEE exams will be updated on the official website jeemain.nta.nic.in. Students may take the JEE Main for three consecutive years. The JEE Main examination is offered four times each in February, March, April, and May.
The JEE (Advanced) examination consists of three parts – Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
Estimated passing marks for JEE Mains 2023 is around 90 for the general category, 78 for EWS, 75 for OBC-NCL, 55 for SC, and 44 for ST. The cut-off is determined by the National Testing Agency (NTA), and it may change every year.
3. CA – Chartered Accountancy Exam
CA is a professional course. It is moreover recognised as one of India’s most toughest exams. If you want to become a CA you should register under the ICAI official website https://www.icai.org/ (The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India). There are three levels to the Chartered Accountant competitive exam: Exams for CA Foundation, CA Intermediate, and CA Final.
level 1 in the CA examination is the Common Proficiency Test (CPT), and level 2 is the Integrated Professional Competence Course (IPCC), which comprises seven subjects divided into groups of three and four. Whether the candidate is eligible to be registered as a Chartered Accountant or not is determined by Level 3 or the CA Final Examination, which must be taken after a 3-year articleship period.
While preparing for each of these levels, candidates need to cover a comprehensive syllabus, which takes a lot of preparation and effort.
The Chartered Accountancy Exam is regarded as one of the toughest exams in India due to its success rate, which is typically 8–16% and is determined by the demand for Chartered Accountants in India.
Despite being ranked No. 2 worldwide, in the Chartered Accountancy Exam conducted by the ICAI, barely 3-8% of those who attempt, pass the intermediate and final levels.
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4. AIIMS Entrance Exam
The AIIMS exam, which is administered by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, is conducted to choose candidates for UG and PG medical programs across the nine AIIMS campuses in India.
Every year, a large number of applications are submitted to AIIMS because it is the most prestigious and exclusive medical institution in the nation and is the dream institution of every medical aspirant.
AIIMS exam is regarded as one of the toughest exams in India because there are many candidates who apply each year but only few seats are available at the institute.
The AIIMS exam is an entrance exam conducted twice a year. It is the highly anticipated national entrance exam for those aspiring to become Doctors.
Every year, more than 7000 – 8,000 candidates appear for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences exams for nine institutions that only have about 800 seats.
Students who seek to enrol in one of the esteemed AIIMS institutions for MBBS must now attend the NEET UG exam.
Candidates must have studied English, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in class 10 and +2 and they must pass with the required percentage of marks in order to apply for the qualifying entrance examination.
Students can browse through the office website mbbs.aiimsexams.org for information regarding AIIMS entrance exam.
5. NEET
The NEET, or National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test, is another exam that ranks among India’s most toughest exams. Candidates must pass NEET in order to be admitted to medical courses in both public and private colleges of India.
It is regarded as one of the top difficult exams in India as it is much more competitive. More than 17 lakh people are anticipated to appear for the exam, while about 15 lakh candidates submit online applications for NEET-UG.
Only after a substantial learning of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology can one expect to achieve a high pass percentage in the NEET. Since the NEET exam is held soon after the Plus-two or equivalent exams, NEET preparation must be completed in a shorter period of time.
The extensive syllabus makes the NEET medical entrance test one of the hardest exams in India, and students must study hard to crack it. NEET is challenging to pass because it comprises candidates for Institutes of National Importance (INI), such AIIMS and AFMC.
Every year, the National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the NEET exam to choose the applicants for the medical courses.
NEET is the only exam that is thought to cover roughly 1 lakh medical seats nationwide.
The All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), which was the norm till 2012, has been replaced by NEET. However, the NEET question paper pattern is comparable to the AIPMT question paper pattern.
6. NDA
The National Defense Academy (NDA) is the Joint Services institute of the Indian Armed Forces, where cadets of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force are trained jointly before they are assigned roles in the defence services.
The National Defense Academy Examination, one of the hardest exams in India, is conducted by the UPSC for admission into the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the NDA.
Various National Defense Wings have different requirements for eligibility criterias. However, in general, any student who has finished or written their class 12 exam is eligible to prepare for and show up for the NDA exam. The National Defense Academy entrance examination is conducted twice a year, i.e., NDA (I) in April and NDA (II) in September.
This exam requires participants to be both physically and mentally fit. The candidates are chosen based on their results from the entrance exam and Service Selection Board (SSB) interview, which also includes tests of psychological aptitude, personality, and IQ.
Additionally, it is difficult for individuals to pass the exam due to the extensive syllabus of the NDA. The NDA exam must be regarded as India’s most toughest exam due to the meticulous selection process and enormous applications compared to few seats.
Over 1,000 female candidates out of the 8,000 total candidates passed the National Defense Academy (NDA) exam conducted on November 14, 2021. It was the first-ever NDA exam held by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in which women participated.
7. GATE
The GATE exam is conducted to simplify the process for students to enrol in IITs postgraduate engineering programs. The Indian Institute of Science is in charge of administering the exam. The GATE syllabus includes the chapters covered over the course of the undergraduate engineering and science degree and is regarded as one of the hardest exams in India. It is conducted as an online exam that assesses candidates on their knowledge of Technical and Engineering Mathematics as well as their General Aptitude.
According to statistics in the year 2022, only 1.26 lakh of approximately 7.11 lakh applicants who appeared for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering exam were selected.
The GATE exam is conducted by the GATE Committee, faculty members from IISc, and seven other IITs on behalf of the National Coordinating Board, Ministry of Human Resources Development and Department of Education.
The eligibility criteria and important notice regarding the GATE exam will be uploaded on the official website gate.iitkgp.ac.in.
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, which was established in 1983, is conducted once a year. The results of this entrance examination is taken into account for determining admission to different post-graduate degree programmes such as Master of Engineering, Master of Technology, and Doctor of Philosophy at Indian higher education institutions.
Candidates who pass the GATE exam will be eligible to pursue their Masters in Singapore (NUS) for two years. A GATE score certainly gives the candidate an advantage to get into renowned firms and get hired off-campus.
Many companies express their eagerness to hire GATE-qualified students during the placement process. The possibility of job placement for GATE-qualified candidates is 200% across their academic years.
8. CAT
CAT (Common Entrance Test) is an entry-level exam for getting into prestigious management and business institutions in India. English, math, and logical reasoning skills are taken into account while evaluating applicants. All IIMs and other equivalent institutions and colleges that offer MBA programmes accept CAT entrance scores.
CAT is one of the most difficult exams in India. Many CAT aspirants attempt the exam multiple times to be admitted into prestigious IIMs (Indian Institute of Management). Moreover, there are numerous phases of assessment in the top Business schools admissions process in India.
The CAT (Common Admission Test) was initiated for the admission process of business organization programs in Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).
Out of 2 lakh applicants, only 1,500 students get accepted into IIMs each year.
Each year, the CAT exam is undertaken by one of the IIMs on a rotational basis. It is a computer-based test that assesses a candidate’s aptitude and language skills consisting of a comprehensive syllabus that considers three sections: QA – Quantitative Ability, DILR – Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and VARC – Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension.
The exam lasts for three hours, with one hour allotted per section. Information with regard to the CAT exam will be updated on the official website Iimcat.ac.in.
The Joint Management Entrance Test (JMET), which was conducted previously, is no longer taken into consideration by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institute of Science (IIS).
9. CLAT
CLAT is one of India’s most toughest exams. It is conducted by National Law Universities for those who desire to study law. This national level exam is registered with the Consortium of National Law Universities, for the purpose of granting admission to legal courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels of top law colleges.
CLAT entrance exam acts as a doorway to a rewarding legal career and offers courses at a number of top law colleges throughout the nation in addition to the 23 participating national law colleges.
CLAT, one of the most prominent law college entrance examinations, recently updated its exam format. It now asks questions about current events rather than testing students’ capacity to cram.
Applicants are admitted to 23 National Law Universities in India through this entrance exam.
CLAT is a two-hour exam that consists of multiple-choice questions in elementary mathematics, English, general knowledge, legal aptitude, and logical reasoning. Many private law colleges in India also recognise the CLAT scores.
After clearing CLAT entrance exam, candidates can enrol in programmes like BA LLB (Hons), BSc LLB (Hons), and BA LLB (Hons) for 5 years in popular institutions.
Only 3,000 students out of 60,000 to 100,000 applicants who take the CLAT exam each year are accepted into National Law Universities (NLUs), according to the estimates.
This entrance exam must be taken after Class 12, for admission to law undergraduate programmes and taken after degree in law for Masters of Law (LL.M) programs, accordingly.
Skills like Legal Reasoning, Legal General Knowledge, Logical Reasoning, English Comprehension, General Knowledge, Quantitative Techniques, Mathematics, and Current Affairs are all evaluated in the CLAT entrance exam.
Scores of the CLAT PG (Post Graduate) exam are one factor evaluated when hiring candidates for legal positions.
The examination is conducted once in a year. Only 3-4% of the more than 60 000 applicants who take the National Level Law Exam each year are able to appear in the top list.
The official website of NUC consortiumofnlus.ac.in updates important notices regarding CLAT entrance exam.
10. IES (Indian Engineering Services)
Indian Engineering Services Exam is one of the hardest exams in India for students who desire to pursue their career in engineering. The IES exam is administered by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to recruit civil, mechanical, electronic and telecommunication engineers with the aim to shortlist candidates for various positions and vacancies under the different occupations of the Government of India.
Every year, more than two lakh candidates apply for the IES exam, which includes three levels of recruitment: IES Preliminary, IES Main, and a Personality Test.
The IES exam is considered as one of the most difficult exams in the nation due to its high level of competency.
The Indian Engineering Services examination levels comprise a General Aptitude Test, a technical paper, Objective Technical paper and an Interview.
Indian Engineering Services are in charge of a significant portion of the public sector economy, which includes, Indian Railways, Central Water Engineering, Telecommunications, Power and the Engineers Service for the Defense.
The IES exam is conducted once a year. The official website of UPSC www.upsc.gov.in will update all the information on the IES exam.
Due to the lucrative nature of the jobs offered, the Indian Engineering Services examination is one of the most difficult exams in India.
The age limit to attempt this test ranges from 21-30 years. The first position offered to the Class I officers would be that of Assistant Executive Engineer, and one can also be promoted to the highest rank of Chairman or Managing Director.
11. UGC-NET
The Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professor positions at Indian universities and colleges are filled by candidates who have passed the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) or NTA UGC NET, a national level exam.
The University Grants Commission – National Eligibility Test can only be attempted by candidates who have completed their post graduation.
Only 6% of the thousands of applicants who attempt the NET exam each year are eligible to clear the exam. If candidates actually want to pass this exam, they must put in a lot of effort and cover the entire syllabus.This makes UGC – NET, one of the top difficult exams in India.
It is one of the hardest exams in India, and it is organised over 83 subjects and 81 centres around the nation. It has been carried out under the direction of the National Testing Agency (NTA) as of 2018.
In 2013, the University Grants Commission (UGC) declared that candidates who clear the National Eligibility Test (NET) would be eligible to be qualified for lucrative employment offers in PSU’s.
PSU’s can consider the UGC-NET scores for enrolment to the posts of administrators in their associations in verticals like science (R&D), administration, corporate interchanges, HR, accounts department, and so on.
The UGC-NET examination has 2 cycles. Cycle I is in the month of June, and cycle II will be in the month of December. Regular Updates will be available on the official website https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in/.
12. National Institute of Design Entrance Exam
NID entrance exam is an aptitude-based design assessment exam. This is also included in the list of the top difficult exams in India. The NID Admission Committee conducts the National Institute of Design Entrance Examination, often known as the NID Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT). It aims to evaluate the applicants’ level of design inventiveness. Based on the merit acquired through the entrance exam, the NID ranks are given.
National Institute of Design Entrance Exam is a national entrance examination,for candidates seeking admission to undergraduate and graduate design programmes. Minimum age requirement to apply for the exam is 19 years.
Students who clear this entrance exam are admitted to the Graduate Diploma Program in Design (GDPD), the Bachelor of Design (BDes), and the Master of Design (MDes).
During the initial round of this entrance exam, candidates are evaluated in a number of design-related areas, including perception, attitude, aptitude, achievement, and motivation.
Aspirants are shortlisted for admission to the National Institutes of Design, all over the nation, through a two-stage procedure called NID Prelims and NID Mains.
Because of its high level of competition, difficulty in general question papers, and the subjective creative part, NID is regarded as one of the hardest exams in India. It can be difficult and time-consuming to answer the questions in the creative part.
13. SSC CGL
SSC CGL is one of the most difficult exams in India for graduate students. You must meet the requirements for eligibility that the Staff Selection Commission established in order to submit an application for the exam.
The SSC CGL is responsible for recruiting individuals for a variety of positions across several departments, ministries and other subordinate offices of the government.
To find qualified applicants for Grade B and Grade C category employment in a variety of government agencies, the Staff Selection Commission (ssc) holds the CGL exam every year.
The SSC CGL test is divided into four phases. The first two tests are entirely online, while the following two are offline tests. The entire application and interaction process takes place in the SSC’s online website ssc.nic.in.
There are 20,000 estimated open positions in the Staff Selection Commission. The SSC CGL Exam Pattern and Selection Process has also been revised by the staff selection commission.
The fact that the selected applicants are recruited for a variety of positions throughout the departments of the Central Government makes it one of India’s most toughest exams.
While 30 lakh applicants submit their applications, only about 15 lakh applicants appear for the SSC CGL exam each year.
14. UPSC CAPF
Every year, the CAPF exam is given for the position of Assistant Commandant (AC). Many young people attempt this exam because it is prestigious and ensures a respectable career in the armed forces.
These are the special forces to recruit applicants using the CAPF exam: Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
It is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) once a year.
Thousands of applicants appear each year in the Central Armed Police Forces exams with the hopes of being recruited as Assistant Commandants. Hence it is regraded as one of the most difficult exams in India.
The exam is conducted for the post of Assistant Commandant, which is highly reputed and offers a number of benefits. For consideration in the CAPF recruiting 2023, interested candidates must submit their applications by May 16, 2023. Candidates should be vigilant about the dates and properly follow the deadlines that will be announced.
All the detailed information is provided across the UPSC official page https://www.upsc.gov.in/ .
15. XAT
Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI) conducts the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) throughout India to choose the best candidates for management education. More than 160 institutions use the XAT score to determine admission.
Even though it is not a government recruiting exam, the exam is very significant for those who want to enrol in reputable universities around the nation to study management and is one of the top difficult exams in India.
The institution is now known as Xavier School of Management.
Candidates who pass the exam are admitted to the MBA/PGDM programmes at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, which is administered by XLRI of Jamshedpur (XLRI).
XAT cutoffs for PGDM – BM program at XLRI, for male candidates is 95 percentile, and for female candidates, it is 92 percentile.
Each year, around 90,000 students take the exam to be considered for admission to the XLRI Institute. Linguistic ability, logical reasoning, data interpretation, decision-making, quantitative aptitude, and general knowledge are all tested in the XAT entrance exam.
Conclusion
The exams mentioned above are known for being the most difficult exams in India.
Every year a lot of aspirants register for India’s most difficult exams. And only a few clear them with utmost hard work, sheer dedication, and most of all, excellent performance.
Although attending the toughest exams in India can be challenging, there are certain techniques to crack them. It is vital to familiarise yourself with the exam’s syllabus if you are prepared for a difficult exam. This can be accomplished by reading up on important subjects that you should be aware of.
However, just because an exam is difficult doesn’t imply that you should avoid taking it. To pass these tests with flying colours, one must really study hard.
If you are one of the many aspirants for these examinations, be prepared to put in your best efforts to prove yourself and stand out from the rest!
