After passing the 12th class, students often do not get clarity on what they should do next. Most students start preparing for competitive exams just because they have heard about these exams from others. If you are preparing for any big exam, knowing everything about that exam in advance is imperative. So here we are sharing all the crucial details about the top 10 toughest Exams in India. Stay tuned and collect as much possible information.
Top 10 Toughest Exams In India
Here we will give you an account of the top 10 toughest exams in India you can fight for the best college and for the best career. All the hardest exams in India mentioned ahead are from different categories but the most popular exams in India. Every year lots of candidates appear in these exams but a little number get success. So before preparing for any exam, make sure to learn each and every aspect of that exam. So, candidates, let’s get started.
UPSC Civil Services Exam
Civil Services Examinations are conducted by the Indias Premiere Central Recruitment Agency UPSC (Union Public Service Commission). The Civil Services Exams are commonly known as the UPSC Exam in India. UPSC 2023 Exam is conducted for the appointment of Central Government bodies.
Exam Pattern
UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023 includes three phases – The preliminary Exam, Mains Exam, and the final phase Interview.
Preliminary Exam – In this phase candidates are given objective types-questions. This exam is taken with two question papers called General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II also popularly known as Civil Service Aptitude Test or CSAT. Each paper possesses 200 marks, which means the UPSC prelims exam total marks are 400. If we talk about time duration then, you will get 2 hours for each paper, and blind students get 20 minutes extra. UPSC Preliminary exam 2023 will be conducted on 28 May 2023.
Mains Exam – Candidates who qualify UPSC prelims exam are allowed to sit in the UPSC Mains exam. In the Mains Exam, candidates are given nine papers of essay writing out of which two are qualifying and only marks of seven papers are counted for the next phase, the interview. Candidates get three hours to write the Mains exam and each paper contains 250 marks (7 papers – 1750). UPSC Mains Exam 2023 will be conducted on 15 Sept 2023.
Interview – The interview or personality test is the final round. The interview generally consists of 20 minutes.
Criteria For UPSC
UPSC 2023 exam is considered the toughest exam in India and can be placed number 1 on the list of the top 10 toughest exams in India. There are some criteria set for the candidates who are willing to appear in the exam.
- A candidate with a minimum age of 21 years and a maximum age of 32 years is eligible to appear in the exam.
- Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized University.
- And the candidate must have Indian citizenship to appear in the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
- The number of attempts for General Category – 6 attempts till 32 years of age, OBC – 9 attempts till 35 years of age, and SC/ST – unlimited attempts till 37 years of age.
IIT- JEE
The IIT-JEE exam is conducted by NTA or National Testing Agency for students who are willing to pursue their career in Engineering at IIT colleges. JEE or Joint Entrance Examination is the only way to admission to IIT colleges for engineering. JEE is conducted in two stages mainly – JEE Mains & JEE Advanced. IIT-JEE is one of the toughest exams in India.
JEE Mains – Candidates who clear JEE Mains exam are eligible to take admitted to NITs, IIITs, and other State/Central funded engineering colleges. JEE Mains 2023 exam consists of 3 sections, each section will include 25 questions for 4 marks. Thus the total marks of JEE Mains become 300 (25*4 = 100*3 = 300). And there will be a negative marking of 1 mark for every wrong answer of MCQs.
Students can appear in JEE Mains only 3 times in consecutive years after passing 12th grade. JEE Mains 2023 exam dates are – Session 1 – 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31 January 2023 & Session 2 – 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11 and 12 April 2023.
JEE Advanced – JEE Advanced is conducted for admissions in IITs only. Students who clear JEE Mains are eligible to appear in JEE Advanced. JEE Advanced exam includes 2 papers and candidates have to attempt both papers. Each paper is comprised of 3 sections like JEE Mains. All the 3 sections contain 18 questions and the total marks of the JEE Advanced become 306. Candidates are given 3 hours to solve each MCQ-based paper of JEE Advanced.
Candidates can attempt JEE Advanced exam only 2 times in two consecutive years. JEE Advanced 2023 exam date is set for 4 Jun 2023.
Chartered Accountant (CA)
Chartered Accountant or CA Exam is conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and is considered one of the hardest exams in India.
Exam Pattern
Chartered Accountant Exam 2023 is also conducted in three levels – Foundation, Intermediate, and Final.
CA Foundation – CA Foundation also known as Common Proficiency Test (CPT) is the first stage exam in the journey to becoming a CA. You will face four papers in the CA Foundation exam, each paper contains 100 marks. You will be given 3 hours for the first two papers which are subjective based question-papers while there will be only 2 hours for the rest two papers which are objective-based question papers. And in the objective-based question papers, there will be a negative marking of 1/4th mark.
CA Intermediate – CA Intermediate exam is the second phase of the journey to becoming a CA. When you qualify for the CA Intermediate exam, you will be given a period of 9 months to study the material for the second phase exam, CA Intermediate. CA Inter contains 8 papers in the exam and each subject possesses 100 marks. So the time gap between CA Foundation and CA Intermediate is around 9 months to one year. Apart from that, CA Inter exam question papers include both patterns, Subjective-based and Objective-based, but the good news is, there is no negative marking in the CA Intermediate exam.
CA Final – Candidates who successfully qualify CA Intermediate exam are eligible to appear in the CA Final but candidates have to complete a three-year internship/training/articleship. When the candidate successfully completes his training for three years they become eligible to appear in the CA Final Exam. CA Final exam also includes 8 papers, each of 100 marks and there is no negative in the CA Final exam for the incorrect answers. After clearing the CA Final Exam, the candidate becomes a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) automatically.
Criteria For CA
Candidates who are willing to appear in the Chartered Accountant Exam are expected to fulfill some criteria set by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Some of them are given below.
- Candidate must have completed at least 12th class, but their subject stream does not matter. Commerce students get benefits while preparing for the CA.
- There is no age limit set for the candidates, which means candidate of any age is eligible to appear in the CA exam.
- There is no limit to the number of attempts for the students to clear the exam.
Chartered Accountant is also considered one of the toughest exams in India.
NEET UG
NEET (National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test for Undergraduation) is conducted by the National Testing Agency for the selection of students to continue their careers in Medical Science.
Read this to understand everything about the NEET UG and NEET PG
AIIMS UG
AIIMS UG is conducted by the AIIMS Institute (All India Institute of Medical Sciences). There are a total of 9 AIIMS colleges in India – New Delhi, Patna, Bhopal, Jodhpur, Rishikesh, Guntur, Raipur, Nagpur, and Bhubaneswar.
AIIMS UG also known as AIIMS MBBS is conducted at the national level to select the students for their undergraduate program. Candidates appear in the AIIMS exam to continue their career in Medical Science with AIIMS.
Exam Pattern
AIIMS UG was conducted as a single computer-based (online) entrance exam. Candidates were given 200 Multiple Choice Questions and each question possesses 1 mark but there is a negative marking of 1/3rd mark on each wrong answer.
By this year Candidates are allowed admission to AIIMS colleges on the basis of their marks of NEET UG which means, if you want to continue your medical career at AIIMS then NEET is the only option left for you. And we have mentioned all the details regarding NEET UG 2023 above.
National Defence Academy (NDA)
National Defence Academy or NDA Exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission twice a year. The main objective behind this exam is to recruit candidates who are willing to work as a defense officer for the country including Army, Air Force, and Navy. NDA Exam 2023 will be conducted on 16 April.
Exam Pattern
As per the notifications, NDA Exam 2023 will be conducted in offline mode. Candidates will be given 2 question papers, the first paper on Mathematics and General Ability. Mathematics papers of 120 questions will possess 300 marks whereas the General Ability Test of 150 questions will possess 600 marks. Candidates have 2 and half hours to solve each question paper which is Multiple Choice Questions. There will be a negative marking of 1/3rd for each wrong attempt. NDA is one of the toughest exams in India.
Criteria for NDA
NDA Exam 2023 is set to conduct on 16 April and is considered one of the hardest exams in India and this is why we have listed this exam in the list of the top 10 toughest exams in India. But candidates who are willing to appear in the next NDA exam must have to fulfill certain criteria listed released by UPSC. Some of them are given below.
- Candidates with a minimum age of 16.6 years are eligible to appear in the NDA exam 2023 whereas the maximum age is set to 19.5 years and there is no age relaxation provided by the conductors for the candidates.
- Married males or females are not allowed to appear in the NDA Exam.
- Candidates who have passed 12th grade or are in running are eligible to sit in the exam.
- There is no limit to the number of attempts for the students to clear the exam.
Common-Law Admission Test (CLAT)
Common-Law Admission Test or CLAT is conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities for the selection of students who are willing to pursue their career in Law. CLAT 2023 will be conducted on 18 December 2023.
Exam Pattern
CLAT 2023 Exam will be conducted on 18 December 2023. The exam pattern of the CLAT UG 2023 exam includes 5 subjects – English, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Current Affairs, and Quantitative Techniques. The exam is taken in the pen-paper (offline) mode and candidates are given 150 questions and possess 150 marks. There will be a negative marking of 1/4th mark which means -0.25 marks will be deducted for each wrong attempt.
Whereas the CLAT PG exam includes only one section of 120 MCQs with the same negative marking pattern as the CLAT UG exam. CLAT also holds a position in our list of the top 10 toughest exams in India.
Also Read: A Complete Guide – How To Become A Judge In India After 12th
CLAT Criteria
CLAT is also considered one of the most difficult exams in India. There are some criteria set for the candidates who want to appear in the CLAT 2023 exam. Some of them are given below.
- There is no upper age limit set by the Consortium of National Law Universities for candidates but the minimum age is 20 years required.
- Candidate must have completed their 12th grade before applying for the CLAT UG 2023 exam.
- There is no limit to the number of attempts for the students to clear the exam.
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE)
GATE or Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering Exam is conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore and seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). The main objective behind this exam is the admission of candidates for the Master’s Program and Jobs in Public Sector Companies. GATE 2023 exam date is scheduled to be conducted on the following dates – 4, 5, 11, and 12 February 2023.
Exam Pattern
GATE 2023 exam will consist of two parts, Part A & Part B. Part A will be compulsory for all the candidates whereas Part B will be divided into two parts, Part B1 and Part B2. Candidates either can choose Part B1 (Architecture) or Part B2 (Planning) at the time of examination. GATE also holds a position in our list of the top 10 toughest exams in India.
GATE Criteria
GATE 2023 exam is also considered one of the most difficult exams in India and is also listed in the list of the top 10 toughest exams in India. There are some criteria set for the students who want to sit in the GATE 2023 exam. Some of them are mentioned below.
- Candidate must have studied in the 3rd year or higher years of any Graduation program approved by the Government.
- There is no GATE 2023 exam age limit considered for the candidates.
- There is no limit to the number of attempts for the students to clear the exam.
UGC NET
On the behalf of UGC or the Univesity Grant Commission, the UGC-NET exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency of India. National Eligibility Test is conducted for the recruitment of Assistant professors and/or Junior Research Fellowship awards in Indian universities and colleges. UGC-NET is one of the toughest exams in India.
Exam Pattern
UGC-NET 2023 exam will be conducted from 21 February to 10 March 2023. The UGC-NET exam pattern consists of two papers. Candidates are given 3 hours for both papers combined and the mode of exam is a Computer based test or online. The total number of questions are 150 MCQs. In paper 1, all the candidates get the same paper whereas Paper 2 consists of the subject the applicant chooses at the time of application form filling.
UGC-NET Criteria
UGC-NET 2023 exam is considered one of the hardest exams in India and thus we have involved this exam in the list of the top 10 toughest exams in India. There are some criteria set by the Commission for the candidates, some of them are mentioned below.
- Candidates must have completed their Masters’s Degree with a minimum score of 55%.
- The minimum age to appear in the UGC-NET exam is 23 years. There is no upper age limit is set for the Assistant Professor but candidates with a maximum age of only 31 years are eligible for the Junior Research Fellowship program.
- There is also no limit to the number of attempts for UGC-NET.
Common Admission Test (CAT)
Common Admission Test (CAT) is conducted by the Indian Institute of Management as an entrance exam for Management and business administration courses like MBA. CAT 2023 exam is expected to be conducted on 26 November 2023.
Exam Pattern
CAT Exam date 2023 will be confirmed soon but as of now, it may be conducted on 26 November 2023. CAT 2023 exam pattern will include three sections – Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).
The first section comprises 24 questions, the second is 20, and the third is 22. Candidates are allotted 40 minutes for each section and the mode of examination is online. As the exam includes MCQs and Non-MCQs, there will be a negative marking of 1 mark for every wrong answer in MCQs but no minus marking for Non-MCQs. Each question will possess 3 marks.
CAT also holds a position in our list of the top 10 toughest exams in India.
CAT Criteria
The last exam listed in our list of the top 10 toughest exams in India is CAT. One of the hardest exams in India conducted by the IIMs has also its own criteria for the candidates who are willing to complete their management course from the IIM. Some of them are mentioned below.
- Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from any recognized University.
- When a candidate has a bachelor’s degree there is no upper or lower age limit considered for the candidates who are willing to appear in the CAT 2023 exam.
- There is no limit to the number of attempts for the students to clear the exam.
Conclusion
Students work very hard in preparing for the exams. But sometimes success is not achieved, in such a situation, instead of being disappointed, students should find a new way to fulfill their dreams.
In this write-up, we have shared an account of the top 10 toughest exams in India, if you are too preparing for one of these hardest exams in India then so start preparing for the exam with all your heart, but never doubt yourself if you do not get successful because one exam cannot decide your future. Thanks for reading, hope the content was useful for you.