Here are the Top Toughest Exams in the World

An exam is a student’s worst nightmare. It is a test of their knowledge and understanding, often determining their future prospects. They are tough, but there are some exams that are renowned for being exceptionally challenging and demanding. In this article, we have compiled a list of the top five toughest exams in the world. Some of these exams are so challenging that they have a passing rate of 1% or less. Let’s take a look. Shall we?

Top Toughest Exams in the World

1. 🇨🇳 China → Gaokao Exam
2. 🇮🇳 India → IIT JEE Exam
3. 🇮🇳 India → UPSC Exam
4. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England → Mensa
5. 🇺🇸🇨🇦 US/Canada → GRE
6. 🇺🇸🇨🇦 US/Canada → CFA
7. 🇺🇸 US → CCIE
8. 🇮🇳 India → GATE
9. 🇺🇸 US → USMLE
10. 🇺🇸 US → California Bar Exam

— The World Ranking (@worldranking_) July 30, 2023

Top 5 Toughest Exams in the World

Here is the list of the five toughest exams in the world:

1. Gaokao, China

The National College Entrance Examination (NCEE), which is also known as the Gaokao, is deemed to be the toughest exam in the whole world. This is a college entrance test taken by millions of Chinese students every year. Getting good marks in Gaokao ensures admission into Ivy League schools in China. The test takes 2-3 days to finish and has a combined duration of 9 hours.  

2. IIT-JEE, India

The Joint Entrance Exam held annually in India claims the second spot to the toughest exam in the world. It is an engineering entrance examination held in India for admission to various engineering institutes. It is made up of two separate examinations: the JEE-Main and the JEE-Advanced. According to Erudera, the passing rate of JEE is 1%. The exam is 3 hours long and around 100k candidates take the test. 

3. UPSC Exam, India

The Union Public Service Commission of India is a government agency that conducts the UPSC exam. Candidates who pass this test are recruited as Group “A” officers under the Government of India, such as IAS (Indian Administrative Services), IFS (Indian Foreign Services), and IPS (Indian Police Services). The UPSC exam follows a three-tiered structure- a preliminary examination with two objective-type papers, a main examination with essay-type papers, and a final interview. According to Erudera, the success rate of passing a UPSC examination is a mere 0.1%-0.3%.

4. Mensa

Mensa is an international organization and one of the world's biggest and oldest high-IQ societies. The members of the organization are those who have an IQ greater than 98% of the population. 

5. GRE

Many graduate programs in the US and Canada have the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) as a prerequisite for admission. It is a standardized test that measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing skills. The GRE scores are used by universities to assess the potential of applicants and determine their suitability for advanced study. The test is 3 hours and 45 minutes long with breaks in between.