Toughest Exams in India: Check the List of Hardest Exams

Toughest Exams in India: Every year, lakhs of students attend several competitive exams. Some of them are wanting to be a part of the defence, whilst others are looking to study abroad. Students around the globe put their blood and sweat to crack some of the hardest entrance exams in the world. India too has its share of tough exams and there are a few exams, which can be deemed as the toughest exams in India.

These entrance exams check more than one competency capability like time management, subject-matter knowledge, intellectual aptitude, and bodily fitness, amongst lots of others, to select the pinnacle candidates. Competitive tests demand an excessive degree of dedication and preparation. Read the article to know more about the hardest exam in India.

List of Top 10 Toughest Exams in India

For some students, passing competitive tests is vital since it is their dream profession, while for others, qualifying for the most difficult entrance exams is their entire future. Exam authorities also intend to conduct a fair assessment of skills before selecting any candidate.

Listed below is the list of the hardest exams in India:

Now let us know more about these toughest exams in India that have gripped the passion and dedication of students all over the country.

UPSC Civil Services Exam

The UPSC Civil Services exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to recruit for various Central Government posts such as IAS (Indian Administrative Service) and the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). It is perhaps one of the toughest government exam in India and is believed to be the most lucrative job in this country.

It is said to be so tough that candidates do not appear for the exam even after having applied for it. However, owing to the lucrative career options that this exam provides, it is also one of the most sought after exams by candidates who are brilliant students and are well-determined.

The exam has three levels, namely:

• Preliminary exam (Civil Services Aptitude Test, also known as SCAT)
• Main exam
• Interview or personality test

Around 9 lakh candidates appear for this exam every year, but only a very few crack all the levels. The pass percentage for this exam is approximately about 0.1 to 0.3 per cent.

Reason for being one of the toughest entrance exams in India: The vast syllabus of the UPSC exam and stringent selection procedure make this exam difficult to clear. It is complicated to get selected even after clearing the written examination.

JEE Advanced

The Joint Entrance examination, also known as the JEE Advanced is one of the toughest entrance exams in India. The JEE Advanced is conducted to screen students for admission to engineering courses in the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and some other institutes.

The exam is conducted in two stages – candidates need to clear JEE Main first to be eligible to appear for JEE Advanced. Around 12 to 14 lakh students appear for JEE Main, and only about 2.2 lakh students are selected to appear for JEE Advanced. Ultimately, approximately 11,000 students make it to the top engineering colleges in India.

Reason for being one of the toughest entrance exams in India: Very few can crack the exam because of the high level of competition and challenging papers that are set. Only candidates who are well familiar with the subjects and JEE Advanced syllabus can clear this examination.

Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE)

GATE is conducted to facilitate admission into postgraduate courses like ME/MTech offered by the IITs, IIITs, NITs, and other top colleges. GATE score is also accepted by selected PSU companies of the Indian Government.

The Indian Institute of Science conducts this exam and one of the seven old Indian Institutes of Technology (Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, and Roorkee).

Reason for being one of the toughest exams in India: Almost the whole syllabus of the UG engineering course of 4 years duration are included in GATE, making it extremely difficult for candidates to cover the GATE syllabus efficiently.

Common Admission Test (CAT)

CAT is conducted to facilitate admission to the premier management colleges or B-Schools in India – the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other institutes. Students appearing for CAT are tested on Interpretation, Logical Reasoning and Verbal ability skills.

Reason for being one of India’s toughest exams: Passing this exam requires long hours of study and analysis of the preparation levels regarding business and language skills. That makes it one of the toughest entrance exams in India and a reason that only 1500 candidates out of 2 lakh people get into the IIMs every year. One needs to be thorough with the syllabus for the CAT.

AIIMS UG

Cracking the AIIMS exam is every medical aspirant’s dream. AIIMS is conducted by the prestigious All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, to select candidates for admission to the seven campuses of AIIMS.

Since AIIMS is the top medical college in India, every medical aspirant dreams of pursuing their MBBS from AIIMS. NEET UG has now replaced this exam, which is the short form for National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test – Under Graduation.

Reason for being one of India’s toughest exams: Limited seats and challenging question papers make it one of India’s toughest exams.

NEET UG

NEET is a premedical test conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) to screen candidates for admission to MBBS/BDS courses in India’s medical/ dental colleges, except AIIMS and JIPMER.

The difficulty level of NEET is slightly lower than AIIMS, yet the selection rate is very low. This exam earned the reputation of being one of the toughest exams in India soon after being introduced.

The reason why it is one of the toughest entrance exams in India: Around 10 lakh candidates appear for the exam and compete for around 1 lakh seats. Students need to refer to the important preparation tips for NEET, in order to boost their chances of securing a good score.

National Institute of Design Entrance Exam

NID Design Aptitude Test, which is also called the NID DAT exam is a design aptitude entrance exam conducted to test the design skills of the candidates and select them for admission to the premier National Institutes of Design (NIDs).

During the first round of this entrance exam, candidates are tested in various areas of design, such as perception, attitude, aptitude, achievement, and motivation. Shortlisted candidates from the first round will move onto the second round, a personal interview to enter best the designing colleges in India.

The reason why it is one of the toughest exams in India: Students need to be extremely creative to get selected, making it one of the hardest exams in India to crack.

Common-law Admission Test (CLAT)

Common-Law Admission Test (CLAT), as the name suggests, is an entrance exam conducted for admission to Undergraduate and Postgraduate programs like LLB and LLM.

The scores from this test are accepted in the top 16 law universities of India. A few courses that you can take admission to by taking CLAT are:

• BA LLB (Hons)
• BSc LLB (Hons)
• BA LLB (Hons)
• BSW LLB (Hons)
• BCom LLB (Hons)
• L.M.

The reason why it is one of the hardest exams in India: It is a national level exam, and the level of competition is very high. Only candidates with deep knowledge of the law can crack this test.

National Defence Academy (NDA)

National Defence Academy, commonly known as NDA, is considered to be one of the toughest exams in
India to crack. The exam is a gateway to National Defence Services, such as Army, Airforce, and Navy. The candidates are selected based on the following tests:

• Written examination
• SSB Interview includes a psychological aptitude test, intelligence, and personality test

The reason why it is one of the toughest exams in India: This test requires the candidates to be physically and mentally fit. Candidates who clear this test have a bright professional future in the Indian Armed Forces ahead. Students should be familiar with some of the preparation tips for the NDA exam.

Chartered Accountancy (CA)

The Chartered Accountancy exam is conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). This exam is conducted on three levels, namely:

• Common Proficiency Test (CPT)
• Integrated Professional Competence Course (IPCC)
• CA Final examination

The reason why it is one of the toughest entrance exams in India: Being certified as a Chartered Accountant is the toughest certification in India. The success rate for this exam varies between 8-16 per cent.

Please be sure to check the related links given below, which people are also searching for:

FAQs on Toughest Exams in India

Below are the frequently asked questions on the difficult exams in India:

Q.1: Which is the toughest exam in India?
Ans: The Civil Service examination organized by the Union Public Service Commission is one of the most challenging and difficult exams to crack.

Q.2: Is CA the toughest exam in India?
Ans: CA is considered one of the toughest exams in India as it includes three levels that are conducted by ICAI. This is a set of 20 exams throughout the complete courses of CA.

Q.3: Is the CA exam tougher than NEET?
Ans: Yes, if you compare the two exams, the CA exam is tougher than NEET.

Q.4: Which is tough among NEET or JEE?
Ans: JEE advanced is considered the toughest entrance exam in India among these two. The difficulty level of the exam is high as compared to the NEET exam.

Q.5: Is UPSC tougher than IIT?
Ans: UPSC is more challenging than the IIT entrance exam. While for the Civil Services exam, the seats for the General category are just 500, so the difficulty level is much higher.

Q.6: How can candidates prepare for the toughest entrance exam in India?
Ans: Candidates who wish to crack any of the competitive exams in India must prepare accordingly. The candidate must prepare for the same with a well-planned strategic plan.

Q.7: Which is tough IES or IAS?
Ans: Both these exams of UPSC are difficult and require a lot of preparation, mental strength, and physical fitness. However, students with engineering backgrounds are more likely to crack the exam.

Q.8: Which is tougher between UPSC and NEET?
Ans: UPSC is a tougher exam compared to NEET.

Q.9: Can a doctor become an IAS?
Ans: Yes, a doctor who successfully clears the UPSC exam can become an IAS officer.

All of these tests may have terrified you a little, in fact, these exams are known to be one of the top 10 toughest exams in India to clear since age-old times. The toughness of the exam increases at each level. However, you can crack them with the right motivation and practice.

Staying focused on your aim and planning a schedule for preparation will help you prepare for these exams. Engineering and medical aspirants can solve JEE practice questions and NEET practice questions on Embibe. Even JEE mock tests and NEET mock tests are also available.

We hope this detailed article on the top 10 toughest exams in India helps you.

Stay tuned to Embibe for the latest news and updates on the toughest exams in India.