Top 20 Toughest Exams in the World [With Tips and Strategies for Success]

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Are you interested to know about the toughest exams in the world? Exams are an essential part of being a student. Whether you are finishing high school, getting ready to graduate, or hoping to go to college, you have all taken exams at some point.

As part of the selection process (exam) for jobs that get a lot of applications, many government and private sector jobs require people to show up for more than one selection round (written test, interview, or both).

So, if you are a student who wants to finish or a graduate who wants to get a job, you will have to take exams. In this piece, we’ll talk about the tests that are the hardest in the world. So, while all exams have different difficulty levels, here we will only talk about the toughest exams in the world.

Top 20 Toughest Exams in the World

The following is a list of the 20 toughest exams in the world:

Gaokao Exam – China
IIT-JEE (Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination)
UPSC (Union Public Services Commission)
Mensa International
GRE (Graduate Record Examination)
CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)
CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert)
GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, India)
All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam
Master Sommelier Diploma Exam
LNAT (Law National Aptitude Test)
UMSLE (The United States Medical Licensing Examination)
CA (Chartered Accountant)
California Bar Exam
IES (Indian Engineering Services)
College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT)
Putnam Exam
Law School Admissions Test (LSAT)
SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test)
Common Admission Test(CAT)

Let us know about the toughest exams in the world in detail below:

1. Gaokao Exam in China

This is one of the most complex tests in the world, and you have to take it if you want to attend college in China as a student. Students take the Gaokao () in their third and last year of high school. Most dates are between June 7 and June 8 or 9. Based on the province, it takes two to three days and about nine hours.

Less than 0.25 per cent of kids get the score they need to get into some of China’s best schools. Due to how hard the test is, some colleges in Europe and the United States have started to accept Gaokao scores.

The test is also a big deal on the internet. “Gaokao exam” is looked up 14,000 times monthly on the internet.

But what is it about the Gaokao test that makes it so hard? This question has been answered perfectly by a student from China. Because it’s the only way to get into China’s Ivy League, the test is called something that “promises a bright future” to kids from low-income families.

“Imagine you’re a kid from China’s working class who wants to move up to the upper class on your own. This test is your best chance. And you know that 20 million students take this test, but only 150,000 of them get into China’s Ivy League, which means those kids from poor homes will have a good life.

So everyone is taking this test very seriously because if you don’t do well, you’ll get bad grades and waste a year,” the Quora answer said.

When this happens, it’s especially hard for high schoolers who “need” to get a good Gaokao score to do well on the test. But the fact that the test is hard doesn’t keep kids from doing well on it.

2. IIT-JEE (Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination)

Is the IIT the most challenging exam in the world? The JEE is the entrance exam for engineering studies at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). It is a very tough exam that embodies the word “tough.” In 2023, about 8.6 million people signed up for JEE, but there were only 13376 places at the IITs.

The acceptance rate is only about 1%. In addition, the JEE has a massive list of topics to cover and the questions are never the same. This makes it one of the most complex tests in India and the world. Those who do well on the test can also get the Siemens Scholarship, which can pay for their Engineering bachelor’s degree.

Read More: How to Study for Exams

3. Civil Services Exam (CSE)

The Civil Services Exam, also called the IAS exam, is one of the most challenging exams in the world. It is taken by Indians who want to work in executive jobs for their country. The Civil Services Exam is a national test given by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in three parts: Prelims, Mains, and an interview round.

It is used to hire people for the Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Police Services (IPS), and Central Civil Services. To give you an idea of how important the exam is, IAS officers run all of the ministries and departments in the union and state governments. This makes the IAS test the most prestigious and most complex exam.

4. Mensa International

Mensa is not an exam. It is a group of people who have scored in the top 2% of the general population on an accepted intelligence test. It was started in England in 1946. Society is not political, and there are no differences between people based on race or religion. Over 145,000 Mensans live in about 100 countries all over the world.

The group’s only goal is to find and improve human intelligence for the good of all people. It also wants to promote study into the nature, traits, and uses of intelligence and give its members a stimulating intellectual and social environment.

5. GRE (Graduate Record Examination)

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE), run by ETS, is a standardized, multiple-choice, computer-based test. It is an important requirement for graduate or business schools worldwide. The GRE Test is one of the most famous tests for getting into graduate school for people who want to study MS or MBA abroad.

Graduate Record Examination is the full name of the GRE. The ETS GRE is given several times a year, and candidates can take it at a marked GRE test centre or from the comfort of their homes by choosing the “GRE at Home” option.

6. CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)

People say that the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam is the hardest and toughest exam in the world in the field of finance. Every year, over 100,000 people from over 100 countries try to pass the CFA.

It has three levels and is meant to test finance professionals on the tools and methods they need to know. Each level has a challenging test that takes six hours and has 240 questions. A candidate must pass all three levels and have 48 months of work experience to get the CFA license. These are CFA Level 1, CFA Level 2, and CFA Level 3.

Read Also: Life Hacks for Students

7. CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert)

The Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert test is one of the most challenging tests in the world. It is given to networking experts by Cisco Systems. The test is divided into six parts and given in two parts. Applicants can move on to the second step if they pass the first. Only about 1% of all students pass the second stage test, which takes 8 hours.

Because the test is so hard, people who want to take it should have 7 to 10 years of experience in the field and a deep understanding of networking tools. People often think of the CCIE certification as the most important award in the networking business, but it’s not easy to pass this test.

Cisco made some changes in 2020, and one of them was that the CCIE written test, which can be done online, became the written test for the CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) title.

8. GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, India)

Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, or GATE, is a national-level online test for admission to Master of Engineering (ME), Master of Technology (MTech), and direct PhD programs at Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and other institutes/universities in India.

GATE is also used by companies in the Public Sector to find new employees. GATE 2023 is the most important test for people who want to get into graduate programs at IITs, NITs, IIITs, and other well-known schools nationwide. Again, GATE is seen as one of the most complex tests in the world.

9. All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam

The All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam has been given at Oxford University for decades. It is a test with a long history. It is one of the top choices for our list of the world’s most challenging tests. Only one or two out of eighty applicants are chosen each year for a seven-year position at the school.

Each candidate must send in four essays, two on general topics and two on specific ones. Usually, each article is given up to three hours, and the questions come from many different areas of the Humanities.

Because the questions are so vague, it is very hard to study. The questions are especially hard to answer because they are subjective and don’t have clear right or wrong answers. For example, is vegetarianism the way of the future? It tries to find students who are very good at discussion and analysis so that they can help the college choose new exams or prize fellows.

Also needed are a wide range of information, the ability to think and judge on your own, the ability to explain things clearly and carefully, and an awareness of problems that still need to be solved.

Every fall (September or early October), between 80 and 100 people take the test. Usually, only two or one person passes. Two of the four subjects are experts in at least one of the areas or topics below:

Economics
Classical Studies
English Literature
Law
Politics
History
Philosophy

The two technical papers candidates must write can be about any of the above areas. Those who do well on the test are asked to give a viva, which is a spoken explanation of their results.

10. Master Sommelier Diploma Exam

The Master Sommelier Diploma Examination has three parts: a theory test (which is given orally and not in writing), a blind tasting of six wines, and a test of how to serve wine. 75% is the minimum score you need to pass each of the three parts. During the test, candidates must show that they have both strong technical and social skills and the manners and charm of a Master Sommelier.

It is also crucial for the candidate to be a good salesperson. About 25% to 30% of students who take the Advanced Sommelier Exam pass, meaning they can apply for the Master Sommelier Diploma Exam. About 10% of people who take the Master Sommelier Diploma Examination (THEORY) pass.

Also Read: Importance of Student-Friendly Technology

11. LNAT (Law National Aptitude Test)

The LNAT is a test that some UK universities use to judge people who want to get into law school. This hard test doesn’t directly measure how well someone has learned but focuses on their skills, especially their essential verbal thinking skills.

The yearly test is tough to pass, with many ways to measure aptitude. The LNAT has two parts and takes almost three hours to finish. Section A has 42 multiple-choice questions that you have to answer in 95 minutes. In Section B, there are three writing questions. The candidate has 40 minutes to choose and answer one of them.

12. USMLE Exam (United States Medical Licensing Examination)

USMLE stands for the United States Medical Licensing Examination. It is a three-step test that doctors in the US must take to get their licenses. The Federation of State Medical Boards and the National Board of Medical Examiners are responsible for putting on the test.

The first part of the test takes eight hours, the second part takes nine hours, and the third part takes two days, with the first day taking seven hours and the second day taking nine hours.

The test looks at how well the candidate can use the skills, ideas, and concepts they’ve learned. It also tests the doctor’s ability to show skills related to the claim.

It can take a long time to get ready for the test. The Step 1 test generally takes 6–12 months to prepare for, and the Step 2 (Clinical Knowledge) exam takes 4–7 months.

As of 2021 performance statistics, 95% of Examinees from US and Canadian Schools pass Step 1, 98% pass Step 2 (CK), and 97% pass Step 3. Examinees from schools outside of the US and Canada have a lower passing rate, which ranges from 77% to 88%.

13. CA (Chartered Accountant)

The CA test is put on by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). It has three levels: CA Foundation, Intermediate (IPCC), and Final. Most students start looking for CA after graduation to get a jump on getting ready. The first stage may seem manageable to applicants, but the last step, CA Final, is the hardest to pass. The previous paper is one of the most complex tests, so most students can’t pass it in one try.

14. California Bar Exam

The California Bar Exam is given over two days. It has five writing questions that take an hour each, one performance test that takes 90 minutes, and The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), which usually has 200 multiple-choice questions.

Over 52% of people who took the California Bar Exam in July 2022 passed it. The pass rate on the test in July 2022 was a little lower than the 53% pass rate the year before. 7,164 people took the July 2022 General Bar Exam. Of those, 77.8% were first-time entrants. 62% of people who took the test for the first time passed, while only 17% of people who took the test more than once passed.

The fact that 9,600 people look for the “California Bar Exam” online every month shows that it is one of the most difficult bar exams in the country. People are usually told to study for the bar test for about 400 to 600 hours.

To Know More: Online Examination Tests

15. IES (Indian Engineering Services)

Indian Engineering Services is one of the most important exams given by the UPSC to hire engineers for different government offices. Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and Civil Engineering students in India like to take the IES test. The strict way that candidates are tested to see if they can do the job right makes IES a good choice for the list of the toughest exams in the world.

16. College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT)

The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) is also called Suneung in South Korea. This is one of the more thorough graded tests out there. The exam is held every year on the second Thursday of November. To show how important it is, all South Korean government workers are told to come to work late on test day to avoid traffic jams that could cause a candidate’s application to be delayed.

As the country with the highest number of suicides in the OCED region, South Korea has the highest suicide rate. A large number of these deaths are caused by depression and hopelessness caused by the country’s poor performance on the CSAT. Students start studying so hard for the test as early as grade school because it is so real. Since more people in this country have college degrees than in any other, the amount of pressure is unmatched.

17. Putnam Exam

The Putnam Exam is a math game for college students. It takes place over the course of one day, with two 3-hour sessions. During each session, students work on six difficult math questions requiring them to think outside the box. The problems don’t need math skills beyond Algebra 2, but even the best math majors will find them challenging.

You can see examples of Putnam exams from years past here. Cash prizes are up for grabs for the top math students and math schools in the country. Some math departments give gifts only to their students.

18. Law School Admissions Test (LSAT)

Canada, the United States, and Australia all use the LSAT to decide who can go to law school. This test will take longer than six hours. It is meant to test the applicant’s ability to understand what they read, to think logically, and to reason verbally.

A candidate for law school must pass the test given by the Law School Admission Council. Even though it has been there since 1948, the version that is there now is from 1991. A candidate has only three chances to pass the test over two years.

In 1947, people from Harvard and Yale Law Schools got together with Columbia Law School Admissions Director Frank Bowels to make the test pattern for the LSAT, which was given for the first time in 1948.

The test has two parts: a multiple-choice section and an ability test. Both are used to judge the candidate. The LSAT is just as hard as the SAT and the GMAT.

19. SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test)

The SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test), required to get into many US schools, is considered one of the most complex tests. The educational testing service (ETS) runs it for the College Board. Millions of high school graduates around the world take this test with 1600 total points. In 2021, only 7% of students were able to score above 1400, and only 1% were in the 99th percentile.

The SAT is made up of multiple-choice questions and has two parts: a reading and writing section and a math section. The scores for each section can be anywhere from 200 to 800. During the reading phase, students have to figure out how to understand sentences and find the meanings of new words. A lot of math topics are also taught, like geometry, algebra, and data analysis.

The writing test has essay questions about making sentences and paragraphs, grammar, and how to use words. The SAT can be hard and hard to pass because it is timed, the math ideas are new, the reading passages are tricky, and there is a lot of stress.

20. Common Admission Test (CAT)

The Indian Institute of Management, or IIM, is the best business school in India and one of the most challenging tests in the world. The Planning Commission of India made it. An MBA from this school is the same as a PhD in the same field, and the same is true for a diploma from this school.

Thirteen colleges and universities use the Common Admission Test (CAT) to choose students for their business administration programs. This test checks the candidate’s math, data analysis, verbal skills, and logical thinking ability.

Negative marks and cutoffs for each section make it more challenging! The exam is only given for three weeks during the months of October and November. This is because the number of people who want to take the exam is growing every year, so the test is only given for three weeks. People taking a computer-based test have 150 minutes to finish it.

You can Read: 5 Steps to Help You Pass Exams

How to Pass a Tough Exam?

No matter what school you’re taking, you have to take tests. Some tests may be more challenging for you to pass than others.

The experts at Exam-Labs provide key techniques to help you organize your study plan, retain information more easily, calm nerves so you can focus, read questions carefully, effectively manage time during your exam, and more. With hard work, dedication, and Exam-Labs’ exam success game plan, you can walk into your certification test confident and ready to pass on the first try.

There are, however, ways to pass even the toughest exams in the world. So, we thought we’d give you some tips on how to pass a stern test.

1. Create a Study Schedule

Use the date of the test to make this plan. Before you make a study schedule, you should also think about how many subjects you need to cover. Don’t wait a week or two to make a plan; make one as soon as you can.

2. Make Sure Your Study Environment is Comfortable

If you don’t have a table and chair, get them. Don’t read on the bed! It’s easy to fall asleep while learning. Move the chair and table to a place with a lot of natural light or set up artificial lighting. So you can read, you will need enough light.

Make sure everything you need to study is on the table so you don’t have to keep going back and forth. Also, make sure there is no noise where you study. Don’t let anything else get in the way.

3. Develop Good Study Habits

First of all, you should STOP CRAMMING. This may have helped you in the past, but it’s not an excellent way to study. You can easily forget everything you’ve studied in the exam room, which we’re sure you don’t want.

Instead, try the way of seeing. It has been proven that things that are easy to see are easy to remember. Use graphs or charts to show what your notes mean. You could also use abbreviations. Make acronyms for that word or rule that you tend to forget. You’ll never forget what ROYGBIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet) stands for.

4. Organize your Study Place

Get rid of any extra things that are on your table. Make sure you have enough light, a comfortable chair, and fresh air. Find what works for you and make your study area comfortable before you start. Some people work better in total silence, while others like to have some music playing in the background.

Also important is the furniture you choose. If your chair isn’t comfortable, it’s hard to learn what you need to know to pass a test. Choose the better choice, and you’ll be able to focus better. Most ways to study, like taking notes or making flashcards, require a particular place to do them. So, having a big desk and a whiteboard is great to keep everything in order and make the most of your time.

5. Teach Others

If you have trouble remembering things, you might want to try describing your notes or textbooks to friends or family. This could help you remember things better.

6. Study with Your Friends

It can be so boring to study by yourself. When you learn with your friends, this is not the case. You will share thoughts, push each other, and work together to solve challenging problems.

7. Get a Tutor

If you want to study for the top 20 hardest tests, you might need help from pros. There are many online prep classes for different tests. Check them out and buy the one that works best for you. But you should hire a physical tutor to work with a teacher in person.

Know More: Online Exams Changed Our Lives

8. Take Practice Tests

Take practice tests regularly, like once a week or every two weeks. This will help figure out what needs to be fixed. If the test you are studying for has one, you can also take a practice test. This will give you an idea of what the test will be like.

9. Read and Study Past Questions

Most of the tests you still have to take have already been taken by other people. You can find old questions online and download them, or you can ask people who have written to you to give you their question papers so you can look at them.

Reading the answers to past questions will help you figure out how a particular school test is set up and what you can do to get good grades.

10. Take Regular Breaks

Get some rest. It’s important. Jack is a dull boy because he never gets to play. Don’t try to read all day long; you should always stop and do something else. Get out of your study place, walk to stretch your body, eat healthy foods, and drink a lot of water.

11. Take Good Care of Yourself

It’s not the best way to study to fill up junk food to save time. Instead, eat a balanced diet of “brain foods” like fresh fruits and veggies, as well as protein and healthy fats, to fuel your mind. In the same way, plan to get a good night’s sleep the night before the test.

12. Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking water while studying for tests and even while taking them is best. Staying hydrated is essential and makes you feel better generally.

13. Take Your Time in the Exam Room

We know that each test takes a certain amount of time. But don’t pick up or write your replies too quickly. Don’t waste time on hard questions; move on to the next one and come back to it later.

Also, if you still have time after you’ve answered all the questions, check your answers before you send them in.

14. Sleep is Necessary

Motivational movies can be exciting, but if you watch too many, you’ll fall asleep when you should be reading.

Again, ensure you get at least 8 hours of sleep daily. This is true whether you want to read all night or not; you can sleep during the day and read at night. Or, read during the day and get a good night’s sleep at night.

Final Words

These tests can be complex, and only a small number of people pass them. Don’t be afraid; you can do anything, even pass the most complex tests in the world.

Use the suggestions in this post, If you work hard, you’ll pass these tests with flying colours. It’s not easy to pass these tests, and you might have to take them more than once to get the score you want.

We hope you do well on your tests as you study. If you have any questions, the Comment Section is an excellent place to ask.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Toughest Exams in the World

Let’s have a look at some commonly asked questions about the toughest exam in the world:

Which exam is the toughest in the world?

Several research studies have led to the same conclusion: the gaokao exam, which is given in China, is the toughest exam in the world. If we look at the above three ways to classify, it’s clear that this test has a very long list of topics and needs years of practice and study.

The questions are also meant to test your technical understanding, how well you generally know things, and how well you can think critically. The statistics for this test show that the competition is fierce and takes about 10 hours to finish (spread out over two days).

How do I crack the toughest exam in the world?

One of the best ways to pass the gaokao is to divide the curriculum into a number of parts and work on each one at a time.

We also suggest you make a good study plan and stick to it for at least six months to a year before the test. This doesn’t count the years of learning you’d have to do before you could sign up for this test.

Which country has the hardest education system?

How complex a system of education is to deal with relies on the person and what they have been through. Several countries are known for having strict education systems that push their students to do well in school.

Finland is often held up as an example of how to teach in a new and complete way. It focuses on critical thought and solving problems, which may be hard for some people. South Korea’s education system is also known for high-stakes standardized tests and tough exams to get into college, which put a lot of pressure on students.

Also, the Japanese educational system emphasizes long hours of learning, a strong work ethic, and strict discipline, making it hard for students to balance their work and personal lives. On the other hand, the Chinese education system is known for having strict rules and teaching by rote. It puts a lot of emphasis on memorization and preparing for college entrance tests.

Even though these countries are known for having complex education systems, it’s important to remember that the level of difficulty depends on the student, the teacher, and social and cultural factors.

Which is the toughest subject in the world?

Engineering is considered one of the most challenging classes in the world because it has more math and science than most students want to learn. Problem-solving using tactical and analytical skills and critical thought are part of the course.

Who has the best school system in the world?

With a reading rate of 99 per cent, Denmark is one of the first places people think of when they want to find the best education system in the world. From school to college, education is free in Denmark.

Is UPSC the toughest exam in the world?

Most people agree that the Gaokao exam is the most challenging test in the world. It is even more complicated than India’s UPSC exam. It gives test-takers unique problems to solve, like rigid course material and a demanding testing setting that makes it hard to get a passing score. Those who do well on this tough test can be sure that they did so because they worked hard and didn’t give up.