- From country to country, the world’s toughest exams show how much determination, discipline, and creativity it takes to reach the top.
- While some exams like the Gaokao and Suneung decide your university path, others like the UPSC and California Bar open the door to national leadership or professional practice.
- The preparation often takes years, and the success rates can be as low as 0.1%, but every exam teaches the same lesson: resilience and smart preparation win in the end.
- If you’re dreaming big, start preparing smart—explore degree options and find your path forward with Mastersportal today.
Some exams decide which university you attend. Others decide your career—or even your place in society. From India's UPSC, where less than 0.1% earn the chance to run the nation, to China's Gaokao and South Korea's Suneung, where a single score can shape your entire future, these tests are far more than academic hurdles.
They are life-changing challenges that demand years of preparation, relentless focus, and extraordinary mental strength.
| Exam | Admission rate | Prep time | Exam duration | Fields linked | Number of takers | Type |
| UPSC (India) | <0.1% | 2–3 years | 1-year process (30+ hours testing) | Public service, law, government | 1 million+ | Civil service recruitment |
| Gaokao (China) | ~2–3% for top universities | 3 years | 2–3 days (up to 9 hours) | All university fields | 10–12 million | University entrance |
| Suneung (South Korea) | ~2–4% for top universities | 2–3 years | 1 day (8 hours) | All university fields | 500,000 | University entrance |
| CFA Exam (Global) | ~15% complete all levels | 4+ years | 1 day per level (3 levels) | Finance, investment, banking | 150,000+ | Professional certification |
| IIT-JEE (India) | ~1% for top IITs | 2–4 years | 2 stages, multiple days | Engineering, tech | 1 million+ | University entrance |
| All Souls Exam (UK) | ~0.05% | Degree + 6–12 months | 2 days (essays + interview) | Academia, philosophy, law | Dozens | Elite academic fellowship |
| USMLE (USA) | ~90% US grads, ~50–60% IMGs | 4–6 years | 8 hours (Step 1 & 2), 2 days (Step 3) | Medicine | Tens of thousands | Medical licensing |
| California Bar (USA) | 18% (California) | 6–12 months | 2–3 days | Law, legal practice | Tens of thousands | Legal licensing |
| GAMSAT (AUS/UK/IRE) | ~50% first attempt | 6–12 months | 5.5 hours | Medicine | Thousands | Graduate medicine entrance |
| ENS Exam (France) | <4% | 2+ years | Multiple days (written + oral) | Sciences, humanities | Hundreds | Elite university entrance |
Here are 10 of the toughest exams in the world—where success is rare, pressure is intense, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
1. UPSC – India’s Civil Services Exam
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam decides who gets to run India. It’s the gateway to elite government roles like IAS, IFS, and IPS officers—and it's brutally competitive. Each year, over 1 million people apply, but fewer than 1,000 make it through. That’s a success rate of less than 0.1%.
- Why so tough? The syllabus is enormous—covering politics, ethics, history, law, technology, current affairs, and more. The exam lasts nearly a year and demands up to 30 hours of testing, including a personal interview to judge your leadership and decision-making skills.
- Toppers often spend 2–3 years in full-time prep, sacrificing social life, hobbies, and sleep. It’s not just about what you know—it’s about how you apply it when you least expect it.
Best degrees to boost your odds: Political Science, Public Policy, Law.
2. Gaokao – China’s life-defining exam
The Gaokao decides your academic fate in China—and often, your entire future. More than 10 million students sit this marathon every year, fighting for places at elite universities like Tsinghua and Peking University.
- The pressure is extreme. One exam, stretching up to 9 hours over two or three days, tests you on Chinese literature, maths, foreign languages, sciences, politics, and more. In many rural families, Gaokao success is seen as the only ticket to a better life.
- Students often spend 12–14 hours a day for three years straight preparing—giving up summers, birthdays, and any free time. On exam days, cities literally stop: construction halts, traffic is rerouted, and ambulances stand by outside exam centres.
Top Gaokao scorers often pursue degrees in engineering, medicine, law, and economics, which are seen as pathways to leadership and influence.
3. Suneung – South Korea’s once-in-a-lifetime exam
The Suneung (College Scholastic Ability Test) decides your future in South Korea. One score can determine your university, career path, and even your social standing. Every year, about 500,000 students sit this high-stakes exam, aiming for top Korean universities like Seoul National, Korea University, and Yonsei. Many students with excellent Suneung scores also pursue a degree at top international universities.
- Preparation starts years in advance, with students often studying until late at night in special academies known as hagwons. In the final year, 12-hour study days are common. Families, schools, and even whole neighbourhoods rally around students before the big day.
- On exam day, the country literally slows down—flights are grounded, work hours delayed, police provide escorts, and even military drills are stopped to keep silence during the English listening test. The exam itself lasts around 8 hours, covering Korean language, maths, English, and optional subjects like science or social studies. A single mistake can change everything.
Top scorers often move into fields like law, medicine, business, and increasingly popular areas like computer science, information technology, and robotics.
4. CFA – The ultimate finance challenge
The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam is the gold standard for finance and investment careers—and one of the toughest certifications on the planet. To earn the title, you must pass three gruelling levels, often while working full-time, and meet strict professional experience requirements.
- Each year, over 150,000 candidates from more than 160 countries attempt the CFA journey. Yet fewer than 15% make it all the way through. You’ll need to master corporate finance, ethics, investment management, derivatives, accounting, and more—spending 900+ hours studying across 4 years on average.
- Passing Level III earns you the CFA charter, opening doors to top roles in investment banking, portfolio management, and global finance. But to get there, you’ll need mental endurance, relentless focus, and total commitment.
5. IIT-JEE – India’s elite engineering gateway
The IIT-JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) is your ticket to India’s legendary IITs—some of the best engineering institutes in the world. Every year, over 1 million students compete for about 10,000 spots, battling through one of the toughest academic challenges globally, with a success rate of just 1%.
- Most students start preparing as early as Grade 9, joining coaching academies and committing 6–10 hours a day to study. Holidays and weekends disappear in the pursuit of perfection.
- The exam has two stages: JEE Main, the first filter with tough objective questions, and JEE Advanced, where only the best face a constantly changing format packed with multi-step, concept-twisting problems.
Top IIT-JEE scorers often launch into fields like engineering, computer science, research, and tech entrepreneurship—careers that shape industries worldwide.
7. USMLE – America’s ultimate medical exam
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is the mandatory path for anyone who dreams of practising medicine in the United States.
- The USMLE is split into three gruelling steps, covering basic sciences, clinical knowledge, and patient management skills. Each step is a marathon: eight-hour exam days, endless clinical cases, and back-to-back decision-making under stress.
- Most U.S. medical graduates spend 4–6 years preparing alongside med school and hospital rotations. The challenge is even greater for international medical graduates, with first-time pass rates dropping as low as 50–60% for some steps.
8. California Bar Exam – America’s toughest law test
The California Bar Exam is one of the hardest legal licensing exams in the world—and the final gate to becoming a practising lawyer in the United States after studying a law degree.
- While Bar Exams are challenging across the country, California’s is in a league of its own. It covers more subjects, demands deeper analysis, and consistently has lower pass rates—sometimes as low as 18%, compared to 60–70% in many other states.
- Over two or three exhausting days, candidates must master everything from constitutional law to ethics, torts to criminal law. You’ll need to craft sharp legal arguments in essays, power through 200 multiple-choice questions, and complete real-world legal tasks like drafting memos or client letters under tight deadlines.
It’s not just about knowing the law—it’s about thinking fast, arguing clearly, and surviving the most demanding Bar exam conditions in America.
9. GAMSAT – Medicine’s cross-disciplinary challenge
The GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admissions Test) is one of the toughest paths into graduate-entry medicine in Australia, the UK, and Ireland. It demands a rare mix of scientific expertise, critical thinking, and humanities skills—tested together in one brutal exam.
- Thousands of candidates prepare for 6–12 months while juggling university or full-time work. Success means mastering biology, chemistry, and physics, but also literary analysis, abstract reasoning, and fast-paced essay writing—something few other exams require.
- GAMSAT stretches over 5.5 hours, pushing you through dense passages, argument essays, and complex scientific problem-solving under extreme time pressure. It’s a full mental workout, blending creativity, analysis, and endurance in ways that few academic tests dare to.
If you dream of studying Medicine in Australia, the UK, or Ireland, explore Medical degrees on Mastersportal and prepare for the challenge ahead.
10. ENS entrance exam – France’s elite academic battleground
The École Normale Supérieure (ENS) entrance exam is one of the toughest university entrance tests in Europe. It’s the gateway to joining one of France’s most elite and historic universities—a place that has trained Nobel laureates, Fields Medal winners, philosophers, and national leaders.
- Candidates first spend two gruelling years in intensive preparatory classes (classes préparatoires), mastering advanced maths, sciences, literature, philosophy, or social sciences. Then comes the concours: multiple days of written and oral exams designed to push your thinking to its absolute limits.
- Pass rates are brutal—often below 4%—and only the very best earn a place. Winning a spot at ENS means entering a small, prestigious institution that prepares the country’s future intellectuals and researchers—and even offers successful students a salary while they study.
Bonus – Other insanely tough exams you might not know about
The 10 exams in the main list cover the most famous and academically demanding challenges worldwide. But if you love extreme tests of skill, here are a few more niche exams that are just as brutal—and even more specialised:
- Master Sommelier Diploma Exam – Imagine having to identify wines by taste, smell, and geography under a ticking clock. With a pass rate under 8%, it’s one of the hardest non-academic exams in the world.
- Mensa IQ Test – Only the top 2% of the population can pass this pure logic and pattern-recognition challenge. It’s less about career paths, more about testing the limits of raw cognitive ability.
- Actuarial Exams (SOA, IFoA) – It can take up to a decade to pass all 10–12 exams needed to become a fully qualified actuary. Maths, statistics, and risk management under relentless pressure.
- Certified Management Consultant (CMC) Exam – A high-stakes, real-world business test for top consultants. Known for intense ethics questions and real-time case scenario analysis.
- GRE Physics / MIT PhD Entrance – Scoring in the top percentiles on the GRE Physics Subject Test is essential if you want a shot at elite PhD programmes like those at MIT, Caltech, or ETH Zurich.
These exams might not make headlines like Gaokao or UPSC, but when it comes to focus, endurance, and pressure, they’re just as legendary.
Push your limits, choose your path
Facing any major exam demands more than study hours. It asks for belief in your goals, the courage to keep going when it gets tough, and the vision to see beyond the immediate struggle. These exams are hard—but they prove just how much you are capable of when you commit fully to your dreams.
If you're ready to take the next step toward your future, explore the best degrees and universities on Mastersportal—and prepare to shape your own extraordinary journey.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions):
What is the hardest exam in the world?
According to most rankings, the Gaokao and UPSC are often called the most difficult due to their scale, intensity, and low success rates.
Is the CFA harder than an MBA?
Yes, many professionals find the CFA more technically demanding and less flexible than an MBA.
How long should I study for the USMLE?
Most students take 6–12 months per step, depending on prior knowledge and clinical exposure.
Can international students take the California Bar Exam?
Yes, if they meet education requirements or take a US-based LLM.
Which exam is tougher: UPSC or IIT-JEE?
UPSC has a lower pass rate and broader subject range, while IIT-JEE is extremely competitive in maths and logic. Both are among India’s most difficult exams.
What is the best degree to pass the CFA exam?
A finance or economics degree with quantitative modules is ideal.
