Every second person today wants to acquire a reputed job or profession in their lives. But, good things never come easy. And, in India, things are extra difficult. Wonder why?
This is because of strenuous competition, and an increased number of eligible, yet deserving candidates. Then, how do authorization bodies decide which candidate to choose for which post?
All this gets decided by competitive exams. These are tough and need rigorous preparation for years, dedication, and determination along with an ability to crack them up with a good range of marks. Today, we will discuss the top toughest exams in India! Let’s begin!
List of Toughest Exams In India
1. UPSC Exam
2. NEET
3. SSC-CGL
4. CLAT
4. IIT-JEE
5. NDA
6. GATE
7. CA
8. UGC-NET
9. CAT
10. NID
Now, let’s hop on, and discuss India’s toughest exam list in sheer detail!
1. UPSC (Civil Services Exam)
The discussion of the toughest exams in India has to start from UPSC. UPSC stands for Union Public Service Commission; the conducting body for the exam. It is a national-level exam for recruiting candidates for the post of IAS, IFS, IPS, and other services. It is considered to be one of the most toughest exams in India.
It comprises three steps: The preliminary exam, and the Mains exam followed by a personal Interview. The candidate that passes one level proceeds on to the next round. Upon completion of all three levels, candidates are also given training for the posts they are being selected for.
As far as exams are concerned, the Preliminary and mains exams are pen, and paper-based written exams, while PI is face-to-face interaction with a panel where the candidate is being assessed on personality, answers given, and other behavioural traits.
Every year, the Preliminary exam of UPSC happens during the first week of June, and mains somewhere around September. The syllabus is vast, and therefore students invest a lot of time preparing for this exam. Sometimes years and years of preparation do not guarantee success for students. Some experts also believe that UPSC is the world’s toughest exam in India!
Want to apply for UPSC? Check for eligibility!
The eligible candidates should have the following: Age 21-32 at the time of applying for the exam, graduation degree, and Indian citizenship! To get complete details of this exam, here is its official website: https://www.upsc.gov.in/
2. NEET
NEET or National Eligibility cum entrance test is an exam conducted by NTA. Every year, this national-level exam is conducted during the first week of May to recruit candidates in MBBS, and BDS courses; a path to being a practitioner Doctor. Recently, due to a pandemic, the debates were going on to conduct this exam twice a year, but no firm decision has yet been circulated on this!
The candidates who are of age 17, or above and have studied 11th, and 12th classes with Biology, Physics, and chemistry as subjects can write this exam. Earlier, this used to be a pen-paper-based exam, but it is now online! The aspirants are advised to practice right with last year’s exam papers, mock papers, and section-wise questions to crack NEET in the first attempt. Which is gruelling!
Official website: www.nta.ac.in
3. SSC-CGL
SSC-CGL, or Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate level exam is the next toughest exam on our list. The exam selects candidates for various government-regulated subordinate offices, departments, and ministries. It is one of the largest graduate-level exams. Conducted by SSC once every year, this exam is now conducted in an online mode.
Selecting candidates for multiple positions, this exam only takes applications from the graduated candidates of age 18-32. The tier-1 exam is scheduled for April. This national-level exam is also on many students’ aspiration lists to crack in their first attempt!
Furthermore, as it lands them a job in reputed professions in government organizations, and authorities, this toughest exam in India surely is worth preparing for!
For complete details, visit the official website: https://ssc.nic.in/
4. CLAT
The common Law Admission Test is an exam to enrol students in Law courses. This national-level exam is conducted by the Consortium of NLUs and receives over 50,000 applications every year. Out of these, only 3% of candidates get the seats in Law universities. Imagine the competition!
The exam is only open for candidates with ages over 20. Though it has some specific requirements, one can appear for this exam even if they don’t have a degree. All they need is to meet the mentioned requirements on the official website; https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in/
Every year, it is conducted in June and is a pen-paper-based exam. Want to get into the black-collar business? Consider preparing for CLAT from today!
5. IIT-JEE
Every list of the top 20 toughest exams in India has IIT-JEE’s mention! IIT-JEE is an abbreviation for Indian Institute of Technology- Joint Entrance examination. It is organised to hire candidates for IITs of India, and other institutes for Engineering courses, and degrees. The exam is now conducted by NTA, and is a national-level exam conducted in online mode!
The candidates who had studied Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics in standard 11th, and 12th are eligible for this exam. The exam is conducted in two steps; preliminary exam, and advanced! The candidates who pass the first stage are eligible for the advanced exam. It is conducted nationwide in, or around April, and May!
Official Website: https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/
6. NDA
This exam is conducted to hire candidates for the nation’s most reputed professions; Army, Military, and Navy. NDA or National defence Academy exam is one of those rare toughest exams which is conducted twice a year; in April, and in September.
This exam is on the list of India’s most toughest exams because it has various levels. Written tests, personality tests, intelligence tests, face-to-face interviews, and fitness tests as well! This makes it extra difficult to crack, and win over. The exam is conducted by UPSC and is conducted on a national level. As the exam has various levels, the mode of exam is said to be offline.
The eligibility for this exam is the toughest. This also has guidelines for body measurements, health parameters, and other characteristics of the candidate that makes clearing the NDA exam a real drill. To get detailed eligibility, refer to conducting body’s official website: https://upsc.gov.in/
7. GATE
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering GATE is conducted for admission in engineering, technology, and architecture masters and Ph.D. programs. Conducted by the Indian Institute of Sciences, the score of this exam is valid for three years from the date of the result declared.
The candidates who wish to appear for GATE have to have a master’s degree, or equivalent, bachelor’s degree, or equivalent in science or technology fields. The syllabus of GATE is vast and covers almost all topics, and subjects taught in engineering graduate courses.
This is one of the reasons students fail to clear GATE on the first attempt! But, as the exam is conducted once a year, it is advised to get ready before you appear for it. It is conducted in February every year. For complete details, refer official notification at: https://gate.iitkgp.ac.in/
8. CA
The ones who appear for CA are the real heroes! This is a famous saying because the CA exam no doubt demands your blood and sweat. Conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, the CA exam has three steps- CA Foundation (Common Proficiency Test (CPT)), CA Intermediate (Integrated Professional Aptitude Course (IPCC)), and CA Final. And, all these are equally tough and bear strenuous competition.
It is an undergraduate-level exam and is conducted via online mode. The candidates having maths, science, or commerce in 12th class with passing marks over 60% are eligible to write the exam of CA foundation. And, as the candidate passes one level, they can write the exam for the next level.
For complete details: https://icaiexam.icai.org/
9. UGC-NET
UGC-NET stands for University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test. It is a special exam for recruiting assistant professors, and candidates for the post of JRF (junior research fellowship) in various universities, and institutes in India. This is also conducted by NTA. NET-JRF is a national-level exam, and considers candidates who have passed postgraduate degrees with 55% or over!
One can get complete information here: https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in/
10. CAT
CAT or Common Admission Test is an exam for admission to business schools or management programs in India. It is conducted every year at the end of November by IIM, or the Indian Institute of Management. It is one of India’s toughest exams with negative marking and strenuous competition.
Additionally, irrespective of clearing the cut-off, only students with a percentile over 99.8 get into reputed institutes like IIMs. This makes this exam extra intimidating and challenging. The exam is conducted online in the month of November!
For the right details, refer to its official notification page: https://iimcat.ac.in/
11. NID
NID or National Institute of design is an exam for admission in design courses in India. As this course demands a lot of creativity from learners, the screening test is also very difficult to crack. The conducting body; the NID Admission committee also ensures every learner they enroll in the course bears the required skill set.
The test consists of two stages; Prelims, and Mains. The exam is also known as NID-DAT; NID Design Aptitude Test. It tests students on creative thinking, basic aptitude, and minimal mathematical principles.
The exam is taken in pen, and paper mode. Once the students have passed prelims, the mains test has two parts; a studio test, and a Personal Interview. Upon testing students for visualization, creative, and subject knowledge skills, the eligible candidates can get admission in Bachelor of design, or Master of design courses.
It also makes them eligible to get enrolled in GDPS, or the Graduate Diploma program in Design! Here is the official website: https://admissions.nid.edu/NIDA2022/Default.aspx
India’s toughest exam list doesn’t end here. There are some other exams that require a mention-
- AIIMS UG: All India Institute of MEdical Sciences-Undergraduate exam
- XAT: Xavier Aptitude Test
- CDS: Combined Defense services
- AFCAT: Air Force Common Admission Test
And many more!
How Can You Prepare for These Tough Exams?
Preparing for the entrance exams can be daunting, intimidating, and challenging at times. Additionally, as these are extremely difficult, and challenging exams with the whole nation’s candidates competing at one stage, it’s advised to get trained for these exams properly before appearing. For the same, one can join coaching and training from trained institutes.
But, what is that one thing that makes students ready for competing in such exams? That’s an academic foundation, and believe it or not, the robust foundation gets ready during school time. So, it is of utmost importance to get the right schooling. These can be the best international Noida schools or an affiliated CBSE academy.
Additionally, if one needs to prepare for these exams, some of the tips are doing mock tests, using reliable resources for practice, and getting habitual exam patterns before appearing for one. Also, practice with timers, as time becomes a real challenge during real exams. Get comfortable with negative marking, and drive your practice in the right direction!
