Top 10 Toughest Exams in India?

As per UNESCO’s report, JEE Main and JEE Advanced are the toughest exams in the world. 

No! This is not true. This is just another Whatsapp forward that I received from my parents because they hate the fact that I took Commerce instead of Science.

I know all of us hate Henry A. Fischel for the invention of exams. But he did have his reasoning around it. Exams are important to test your subject knowledge, time management skills, discipline, patience, and hard work. Although our education system has its flaws we can’t deny that, yes, exams are important. 

Many of us struggle with exam anxiety because of the cut-throat competition and extensive syllabus. However, we cannot deny the fact that the exam is the only way to secure admission to top universities and programs.

You must be wondering what are the toughest exams in India? Don’t worry we got you covered. In this article, we will give you detailed information about the toughest exams in India.

1. UPSC Civil Services Exam

UPSC Civil Services Exams is one of the competitive exams in India conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. UPSC exam is conducted to recruit the candidates for administrative positions in the Central Government of India, including IAS, IPS, and IFS. The exam is conducted in three phases i.e. preliminary exam, main exam, and an interview or personality test. Over 10 lakh candidates take the UPSC prelims exam every year, making it one of the toughest exams in India. In addition, the UPSC exam has extensive study material and a cut-throat selection process.

2. NEET UG

No, you can not get into a medical college as Munna did in Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. NEET is the mandatory exam one has to take to get admitted to a top medical college in India. NTA (National Testing Agency) conducts the NEET exam every year to select the candidates for MBBS, BDS, and other courses in top medical schools in India except for AIIMS which conducts its exams for admissions. NEET UG is one of the most challenging exams in India because around 15 lakh people register for the NEET-UG exam every year and only 50% of them pass the exam. 

So, if someone asks is NEET easy? Just say:

3. AIIMS Paramedical Exam

AIIMS paramedical exam is conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) every year for admission to nursing and paramedical courses. It is considered one of the toughest exams because of its’ competitive nature, extensive syllabus, and seat-to-student ratio. Around 20,000 students register for AIIMS paramedical exam every year to get admission in 170 seats (approx). 

4. JEE Main

If you’ve seen the web series Kota-Factory then you must have an idea of how tough it is to get into IIT. Joint Entrance Exam or JEE is the getaway exam for admission to top engineering colleges including IITs. It is conducted for admission to top undergraduate programs in engineering and architecture. The exam comprises two phases i.e. JEE Main and JEE Advanced. JEE Main is regarded as one of the most difficult exams because of its extensive syllabus and application-based exam questions that are designed to test candidates' proficiency in primary subjects. Every year, more than 6.35 lakh students appear for the exam and only around 2.5 lakh students qualify for JEE Advanced.

5. Chartered Accountant (CA)

ICAI CA exam, commonly known as the CA exam is conducted by the ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India). It is the qualifying exam for the CA course. The exam consists of 3 stages which include the Common Proficiency Test (CPT), Integrated Professional Competence Course (IPCC), and CA Final Examination. CA exam is considered challenging because it requires in-depth subject knowledge, excellent time management skills and a good strategy to attempt each question in limited time.

6. National Defence Academy (NDA)

The NDA exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for admission to Army, Navy, and Airforce services. The reason why the NDA exam is considered one of the most difficult exams is that it consists of a written examination, an interview, and a set of physical exercises to assess whether the candidate is capable enough for defense services.

7. Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE)

GATE exam is conducted jointly by IISc Bangalore and seven IITs on a rotational basis for admission in master’s programs, mainly MTech. GATE is also one of the competitive exams because of limited seats but high student registrations every year. Almost 7 - 8 lakh students appear for GATE every year, but only 40 - 50% of them qualify for the admission rounds.

8. Common-Law Admission Test (CLAT)

Jagdish Tyagi from Jolly L.L.B. must have also thought why am I putting myself through this when he was preparing for the CLAT exam. The Common-Law Admission Test (CLAT) exam offers admissions in LLB and LLM, but some law schools also consider LSAT exam scores. A large number of applicants take the exam because of its extensive curriculum and high demand for admission to the best law schools which makes the exam extremely competitive.

9. Common Aptitude Test (CAT)

CAT is conducted to shortlist the candidates seeking admission to the premier management colleges or B-Schools in India like IIMs. The students appearing for CAT are tested on their quantitative aptitude, data interpretation, logical reasoning, and verbal ability. Cracking this exam requires long hours of study and tedious preparation as around 2,30,000 students appear for this exam every year fighting for the 1500 seats offered by the IIMs. Although there are other top colleges apart from IIMs still the competition is very tough which makes CAT one of the toughest exams in India.

10. UGC NET

UGC NET is a national-level exam that aims to shortlist the candidates for the post of Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) at Indian universities and colleges. It is conducted in 81 centers across the nation and has 83 different subjects. It is often undertaken by those who are studying for or have finished their master's degree, and as of 2018, it is conducted under the supervision of the National Testing Agency (NTA). Over 6,80,000 candidates appear for the UGC NET exams every year and only 44,000 thousand candidates are able to qualify for the exam. The reason for this is that Paper 1, which is the common paper for all subjects, is both difficult and intensely competitive.

With this, we conclude our list of the top 10 toughest exams in India. You can also check out our list of Toughest Courses in India.