List of Top 10 Toughest Exams in India
List of Top 10 Toughest Exams in India
The following is the list of the top 10 toughest exams in India to crack in 2024-
1. UPSC- Civil Services Exam
2. IIT - JEE
3. GATE Exam
4. National Defense Academy (NDA)
5. UGC-NET
6. Indian Engineering Services (IES)
7. Common-Law Admission Test (CLAT)
8. Chartered Accountant (CA)
9. Common Admission Test (CAT)
10. National Eligibility Entrance Test(NEET)
1. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination
UPSC CSE is undoubtedly one of the most India's toughest exam. It serves as the gateway to prestigious positions like the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS).
UPSC exam is conducted in a three-stage process: Preliminary Examination (Objective Type), Main Examination (Descriptive Type), and Personality Test (Interview). The Preliminary Examination has two papers-General Studies (GS) and Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), which have to be cleared to reach stages two and three.
Eligibility Criteria: The candidate must be a graduate of a recognised university and a citizen of India, Nepal, or a subject of Bhutan.
2. Indian Institute of Technology- Joint Entrance Exam (IIT-JEE):
The national-level competitive exam is conducted for admission to prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
The IIT-JEE exam conducts two main papers: JEE Main and JEE Advanced. Main is the initial stage. One who completes JEE main is eligible for the JEE Advance. After clearing both exams, candidates get admission into IITs.
The exam is held twice a year in office mode. The first exam is held in January and the second in April.
Eligibility Criteria: Candidates in the general category need to receive at least 75% of the in their class 12th exam. The minimum aggregate criteria for candidates who belong to SC/ST is 65%.
3. Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE):
GATE is conducted for admission to Master's programmes and direct Doctoral programmes in Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Science and Humanities; and Doctoral programmes in relevant branches of Engineering, Science, and Humanities.
The GATE score is valid for three years after the announcement of the result. It is calculated by the marks obtained in the exam. This GATE score can be accepted by various academic institutions, research organisations, and public sector undertakings (PSUs) for admission, recruitment or internship.
Eligibility Criteria: Any undergraduate (UG) student enrolled in the third year or above of a government-approved degree program in engineering, technology, architecture, arts, commerce, or science is eligible to take the GATE exam.
4. National Defense Academy (NDA)
The National Defence Academy (NDA) Entrance Exam is a gateway to a distinguished career in the Indian Armed Forces, comprising the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The exam pattern includes questions from the mathematics and general ability sections, which cover topics from English and general awareness. The general ability test syllabus has 600 questions, and the mathematics paper is worth 300 marks. In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that women are allowed to take the NDA exam, opening up new opportunities for them to serve the nation after getting selected in this exam.
Eligibility Criteria: Candidates must be unmarried, fulfil physical and medical requirements, have passed the 10+2 or equivalent test, and be between the ages of 16.5 and 19.5.
5. UGC National Eligibility Test (UGC NET)
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is responsible for conducting the UGC NET exam for the University Grants Commission (UGC). The exam is conducted to become assistant professors or seek junior research fellowships. It is conducted twice a year.
Eligibility Criteria: Candidate must have a master's degree or its equivalent with at least 55% of the possible points (or 50% for candidates who identify as SC, ST, PWD, or transgender) and less than thirty years of age for a junior research fellowship. Age is not a barrier to assistant professorships.
6. Indian Engineering Services (IES)
Engineers who have been recruited by the Indian Government and are classified as Class-I officers constitute the Indian Engineering Services (IES) or Engineering Services Examination (ESE).
The Indian Engineering Services exam is a Three-stage, combined competitive exam held in India, conducted by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission). IES are the civil services for mechanical and managerial occupations of the Government of India.
The three stages of the IES selection process comprise of a General Aptitude Test, an Objective Technical paper, a Technical paper, and an Interview. This is one of the most sought-after exams to be cleared, as the jobs offered are extremely lucrative. This makes it one of the toughest exams in India in 2016.
Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must possess either a degree or diploma in engineering from an accredited university.
7. Common-Law Admission Test (CLAT)
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a national level entrance exam for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes at 22 National Law Universities across India. The exam is conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities, which represents these universities at the national level.
Eligibility Criteria: The applicant must have scored at least 45% (40% for SC/ST applicants) on their 10+2 or equivalent exam from a recognised board.
The exam consists of 5 sections: Section 1 (English), 28-32 questions; Section 2 (Current Affairs including GK), 35-39 questions; Section 3 (Logical Reasoning), 28-32 questions; Section 4 (Legal Reasoning), 35-39 questions; Section 5 (Quantitative Techniques), 13-17 questions
8. Chartered Accountant (CA)
ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) conducts CA or Chartered Accountant three-level exams. The first level is the CPT or Common Proficiency Test, proceeded by the IPCC (Integrated Professional Competence Course). The latter requires studying a total of 7 subjects divided into groups of four and three.
The final examination is called the CA Final exam, which requires extreme hard work as it is one of the toughest exams in India having a success rate of just 8-16% which generally varies depending on the demand of CAs in the nation.
Eligibility Criteria: You must have at least 45% overall in your Class 12 exams or an equivalent qualification from a recognized board or institution. However, the minimum required percentage for candidates in the SC/ST category is 40%.
9. Common Admission Test (CAT)
For all the students looking to make it big in the management world, the CAT PG entrance exam is the right path for you. It is known to be India’s most esteemed national level entrance exam, which gives aspirants a medium to get admission into top-most management institutes.
The exam pattern includes MCQs and Non-MCQ. The exam consists of three sections, namely quantitative aptitude, logical reasoning and data interpretation, verbal ability, and reading comprehension. The questions in the exam will be in the form of multiple-choice and non-multiple-choice questions.
Eligibility Criteria: The candidate must be having a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or educational institution with at least 50% of the possible points or an equivalent CGPA (45% for SC/ST/PwD categories).
10. National Eligibility Entrance Test(NEET)
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) stands as the linchpin of the medical education landscape in India, serving as the preeminent gateway for aspiring students seeking admission to undergraduate medical courses. NEET is not merely an examination but a critical juncture that shapes the future of aspiring healthcare professionals, steering them toward a transformative journey in medicine.
Eligibility Criteria: The applicant must be at least 17 years old by December 31 of the year they are applying and must have scored 50% overall grade in class 12 Maths, physics, chemistry, biology/biotechnology, and English.
