From UPSC to gaokao: Top 10 most difficult exams to crack globally
#10 Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert
Networking heavyweight Cisco conducts this test to recruit network engineers. The examination assesses a candidate’s ability to plan, operate, and troubleshoot converged network infrastructures on different Cisco equipment.
The exam is divided into six parts within two phases. The practical phase lasts eight long hours. Cisco claims less than 1 per cent network engineers around the world manage to receive this certification.
#9 Indian Engineering Services
It’s a four-stage competitive exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in India. The UPSC recruits IES to look after the managerial and technical services of the Indian government.
It consists of six tests. Every year, hundreds of thousands of engineers appear for this exam but only a few of them are able to crack it.
#8 Mensa
There is no age limit to take this test. The criteria to become a member of the Mensa Society is to score at least 98th percentile in this exam. It is the oldest high IQ society in the world. Each country has its own Mensa Society.
#7 Chartered Financial Analyst
According to the Wall Street Journal, it is one of the toughest exams in the world. Less than 20 per cent applicants manage to clear it, most of them after repeated attempts. An average candidate takes four attempts to clear the exam.
#6 Chartered Account
CA is a three-level examination conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
While most give up after repeated attempts, only about 10 per cent candidates manage to pass the exam.
#5 All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam
This Fellowship exam is conducted by the Oxford University. The exam includes four papers, each of which has a duration of three hours.
Only two members are selected every year. Until 2010, in one of the papers, the candidates were required to write a long essay based on the given one word.
#4 JEE advanced
JEE advanced (previously known as IIT-JEE) is an engineering college entrance examination conducted in India. It has to be cleared by the candidates who wish to be admitted to IIT which is the best engineering institute in the country.
The exam is divided into two papers of three hours each, both of which are objective type papers. Out of lakhs of students appearing for the exam, only thousands get selected every year.
#3 Gaokao
The Gaokao examination is a compulsory exam which is to be given by every high school student in China who wishes to pursue higher education.
The exam is conducted over 9 hours across two days.
Only about 0.2 per cent candidates score enough to get into the top colleges.
For representative use
The Union Public Service Commission conducts this exam every year to recruit for various government jobs. The exam has three phases, at first where candidates answer the objective questions and then the main phase where they appear for a subjective one and then an interview.
Out of lakhs of candidate only 0.1 per cent to 0.4 per cent succeed in clearing the exam.
#1 Master Sommelier Diploma Exam
This exam is considered the world’s toughest examination. It is an exam of expert winemakers and is divided into three sections which include theory, service, and blind tasting.
In the blind tasting stage, the students are supposed to identify the year and region of the wine and most of the candidates fail in this stage.
Over the last 40 years, only 229 people have been able to crack this exam.
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