UPSC Civil Service Exam, IIT JEE Entrance Exam, GATE are among the top 10 toughest exams in India. Read the article to know more.
Toughest exam in India are designed and framed to measure aptitude, mental stability, technical skills, physical fitness, and other aspects. These exams are conducted either online, or via pen-and-paper or in a setup that requires the test taker to perform the exam with a particular set of skills. Thousands of exams are conducted in India every year; most of them are easy to crack, but few are considered the toughest. The top 10 toughest exams in India are as follows.
- UPSC
- IIT JEE Entrance Examination
- GATE
- CAT
- NDA
- National Institute of Design Entrance Examination
- NEET
- UGC-NET
- CLAT
- Chartered Accountant Exam
Top 10 Toughest Exams in India
The respective sections are provided so that one can learn about a specific exam in detail. So, without further ado, let us proceed with discussing the most challenging exams in India.
UPSC
UPSC Civil Service Entrance Examination IAS exam is one of the most difficult and competitive exams in India to exist today. Aspirants must cover a large syllabus; Indian History, Indian Polity, Indian Geography, and Laws on Human Rights are considered crucial subjects. Here are a few points that make the exam tough:
- A median of over 8 lakh candidates appears for the IAS exams every year.
- Unfortunately, the pass rate among candidates is between 0.1% and 0.3%.
- Moreover, the exam has a vast syllabus and a rigorous selection process with various levels, including prelims, mains, and interview processes. All these factors make UPSC one of the most challenging exams in India.
Here is a quick overview of the UPSC exam:
| Particulars | Details |
| Full-Form | Union Public Service Commission Civil Service Examination |
| Conducting Authority | Union Public Service Commission, Government of India |
| Frequency | Once a Year |
| Mode of Exam | Offline |
| Medium of Exam | English & Hindi |
| Exam Duration | Preliminary: 2 Hours and Mains: 3 Hours |
| Type of Questions | Prelims- Objective type Mains- Descriptive type |
| Official Website | www.upsc.gov.in |
IIT JEE Entrance Examination
IIT-JEE is an engineering entrance exam that allows students to gain admission into the top engineering institutes in India. It is considered to be the second toughest exam in India. Students seeking admissions at centrally-funded technical institutions are shortlisted based on two core levels of IIT-JEE: JEE Main and JEE Advanced. Students must clear JEE Main in order to write JEE Advanced. Factors contributing to the make JEE one of the toughest exam in India:
- IIT JEE is regarded as one of the most difficult exams due to its endless syllabus, application-based questions, and competition levels.
- You will be surprised to know that over 6.35 lakh candidates take the JEE Main exam every year, and only the top 2.50 lakh make it to the JEE Advanced.
The table below presents the key highlights of IIT JEE:
| Particulars | Details |
| Full-Form | Joint Entrance Examination Main |
| Conducting Authority | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Category | Undergraduate |
| Frequency | Twice a year |
| Mode of Application | Online |
| Exam Duration | 3 Hours |
| Official Website | jeemain.nta.nic.in |
GATE
The GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) exam is conducted to admit students into Master's and Doctoral courses in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, and Science. And is a solid admission criterion to various government engineering colleges, including IITs and NITs.
The GATE score, once obtained, is valid for up to 3 years, starting from the announcement date. It's also accepted by selected government PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings). However, before enrolling for the exam, some eligibility criteria need to be met.
- There is high competition among the candidates appearing for the GATE exam.
- As an example, in 2022, 8.45 lakh candidates sat for the GATE exam and out of them, only 1.26 lakh candidates passed the exam. Additionally, the number of seats available for GATE aspirants is limited.
Check out the table below for some quick insights on GATE:
| Particulars | Details |
| Full-Form | Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering |
| Conducting Body | IIT Kanpur |
| Exam Mode | Online (CBT) |
| Language | English |
| Duration | 3 Hours |
| Official Website | gate.iitkgp.ac.in |
CAT
CAT (Common Entrance Test) is an entry-level exam that is a great gateway for admissions to premium management and business schools in India. Candidates are evaluated based on skills in English, Mathematics, and Logical Reasoning. CAT entrance scores are accepted in all IIMs and other similar institutes and universities that offer MBA programs. The following points make CAT even tougher:
- Only a staggering 1,500 candidates out of 2 lakhs succeed in obtaining admissions to IIMs annually.
- If we had to calculate the success rate in percentages, then we'd conclude that the success rate is close to 2% only.
- Further, the admission process of top B-schools in India is quite complex, with multiple rounds of assessment.
The following table provides a brief overview of the CAT exam:
| Particulars | Details |
| Full-Form | Common Admission Test |
| Conducting Authority | Indian Institute Of Management |
| Category | Postgraduate |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Medium of the Exam | English |
| Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
NDA
NDA (National Defense Academy) exams are conducted to push candidates into the Army, Air Force, or Navy. The candidates for NDA are picked based on a written examination, psychological aptitude test, intelligence test, personality test, and interview.
There are different eligibility criteria for different National Defense Wings. But generally speaking, any student who has completed or written their class 12 exam can prepare and appear for the NDA Test. The interview is carried out by the SSB, i.e., the Services Selection Board of the Ministry of Defense.
- NDA is a difficult exam because the candidate needs to go through a strenuous admission process.
- Moreover, NDA's wide syllabus makes it quite challenging for candidates to qualify for the exam.
- Additionally, a physical fitness requirement must be met before a candidate is considered for admission.
You can find out the major details related to the NDA exam below:
| Particulars | Details |
| Full-Form | Union Public Service Commission National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Exam |
| Category | Undergraduate |
| Conducting Body | UPSC |
| Mode of the Exam | Offline |
| Frequency | Twice a year |
| Required Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Official Website | www.upsc.gov.in |
National Institute of Design Entrance Examination
The National Institute of Design Entrance Examination or the NID Design Aptitude Test is a design assessment test focusing on aptitude, which the NID Admission Committee conducts. It intends to check the students' creativity levels in the design. The NID ranks are awarded based on the merit obtained through the test.
Further, if you are wondering, 'What makes NID one of the toughest exams in India?' the answer is NID is extremely competitive in nature which is why candidates find it difficult to qualify for the exam. Moreover, the paper consists of tricky questions and the creative section involve highly subjective questions that are time-consuming.
NID entrance is conducted to offer design course admissions to the following:
- Bachelor of Design (B.Des)
- Master of Design (M.Des)
- Graduate Diploma Programme in Design (GDPD)
Here are some important details about NID that you must know:
| Particulars | Details |
| Full-Form | NIT Design Aptitude Test |
| Conducting Body | National Institute of Design |
| Language | English |
| Exam Mode | Pen and Paper Based |
| Stages | Stage 1- DAT Prelims Stage 2- DAT Mains |
| Exam Duration | 180 Minutes |
| Official Website | admissions.nid.edu |
NEET
Next on our list of the toughest exams in India is NEET. NEET is the exam students need to clear to get admission to MBBS and BDS courses in government or private medical colleges across India. Interestingly, NEET itself replaces a previous exam system called the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), which was the standard until 2012. However, the pattern that NEET follows is similar to that of AIPMT.
- Owing to factors like the huge syllabus and cut-throat competition, NEET is a difficult nut to crack.
- As per the statistics, 18 lakh+ students registered in 2022 for the NEET exam. Hence, in order to crack NEET, students must start their preparation from class 12th itself.
Let us take a look at the main highlights of NEET:
| Particulars | Details |
| Full-Form | National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test |
| Conducting Authority | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Frequency | Once a Year |
| Category | Undergraduate |
| Languages | English, Hindi, Bengali, Telegu, Kannada, Assamese, Marathi, Odia, Tamil, and Urdu |
| Official Website | neet.nta.nic.in |
UGC-NET
The University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) is a national-level hiring exam conducted to select Assistant Professors and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) candidates in Indian universities and colleges. UGC NET qualified candidates are permitted to teach at school and college levels in various Indian universities and colleges.
- The exam is tough enough for candidates to fail on their 4th or 5th attempts.
- As a result, only 6% of them account for success in these exams. On top of that, a category-wise reservation policy is applied to these successful candidates, which means depending on the category, candidates would be chosen by colleges respectively.
Find below the key highlights of UGC-NET:
| Particulars | Details |
| Full-Form | University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test |
| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Exam Mode | Online (CBT) |
| Languages | English, Hindi |
| Exam Duration | Paper 1: 90 Minutes Paper 2: 90 Minutes |
| Courses Offered | Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) & Lectureship (LS) |
| Official Website | ugcnet.nta.nic.in |
CLAT
Now, the CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) exam is conducted to determine which candidates are eligible to take admission to five-year programs, such as Bachelor of Arts (Integrated with Law), Bachelor of Law, or Master of Law (LLM). 16 National Law Universities accept the scores a candidate obtains from CLAT exams in India.
- Sixty thousand students appear for CLAT annually. Out of that number, only 5% (3,000 candidates) make it to the National Law University.
- Therefore, a large number of aspirants and limited availability of seats makes CLAT one of the most difficult exams to crack.
Get a quick overview of the CLAT exam through the table below:
| Particulars | Details |
| Full-Form | Common Law Admission Test |
| Conducting Authority | National Law University Odisha (NLUO), Cuttack |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Exam Mode | Offline |
| Language | English |
| Duration of the Exam | 2 Hours |
| Official Website | www.consortiumofnlus.ac.in |
Chartered Accountant Exam
The Chartered Accountant Exam is undoubtedly one of the toughest exams in India. The CA Foundation Exam is a preliminary exam conducted by the ICAI, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, which was established in July 1949 to regulate the chartered accountancy profession in India.
- CA aspirants have to clear a number of levels, such as CPT, IPCC, and CA Final Examination, to become Chartered Accountants.
- They require to cover an extensive syllabus while preparing for each of these stages, which demands a lot of planning and hard work.
The table below summarizes the key information related to the CA exam:
| Particulars | Details |
| Conducting Authority | Institute of Chartered Accountancy |
| Exam Mode | Offline |
| Languages | English or Hindi |
| Levels | CA Foundation, Intermediate, and Final |
| Frequency | Multiple times in a year |
| Category | Undergraduate |
| Official Website | www.icai.org |
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