The exam spans 9 hours, conducted over 2 to 3 days, during which students endure tremendous pressure. More than 13 million students appear in the exam for about 50,000 to 60,000 seats. It means for every seat, 260 students are competing.
The UPSC Civil Services Exam and JEE Advanced — the entrance exam for IIT — are widely regarded as some of the toughest exams globally. However, China’s the National College Entrance Exam (NCEE) or Gaokao is considered the most challenging, with a selection rate below 1%, allowing only a few fortunate students to succeed. Chinese state media has labeled the Gaokao as “the world’s toughest” college entrance exam, given its high stakes, competitiveness and intensity. Students are required to condense everything they’ve learned over 12 years into a few subject tests, each lasting less than two hours.
However, it is important to note that there’s no universal standard to compare the difficulty levels of these exams, as each has its unique purpose.
About Gaokao Exam in China
The Gaokao Exam, considered one of the world’s most challenging exams, is China’s college entrance test for high school seniors. Held annually over two days, the entire country essentially pauses as students take this high-stakes exam to qualify for undergraduate studies.
With a maximum score of 750, students need over 600 points to gain admission to top Chinese universities. Those who don’t meet the score requirement can retake the exam. Gaokao demands students perform at peak levels under intense pressure, and a high score opens doors to prestigious universities and a wide range of academic programs.
Why Gaokao Exam is the Toughest Exam in the World
Intense Competition: Over 13 million Chinese students take the Gaokao exam each year, vying for around 50,000 to 60,000 seats in China’s top national universities. This translates to about 260 students competing for each seat, with a success rate of only around 0.003% to 0.004%.
Intense Exam Pressure: The Gaokao spans 9 hours, conducted over 2 to 3 days, during which students endure tremendous pressure. After years of rigorous preparation, facing such intense stress over consecutive days is exceptionally challenging for students.
Extensive Syllabus: The exam covers a broad curriculum, including subjects like Chinese, Mathematics, a foreign language (usually English), and electives like science or humanities, demanding deep knowledge across diverse fields.
About JEE Advanced Exam
The IIT JEE Advanced is one of India’s toughest exams and ranks as the second most challenging exam globally. Students aspiring to secure admission to the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) must clear the JEE Advanced exam, a national-level test for entry into undergraduate engineering programs at IITs.
Each year, over 1 million students take the JEE Main exam, but only about 10-20% of them qualify to move on to the JEE Advanced exam. Admission to IITs involves a rigorous, multi-stage process, beginning with qualifying in the JEE Mains, followed by success in the JEE Advanced.
About UPSC exam
Known commonly as the IAS exam, it is widely considered the most challenging exam in the country. Candidates aspiring to serve in top administrative roles, such as IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, and other Central Civil Services, must pass this exam.
Conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Civil Services Exam is a national-level test with a three-stage process: Prelims, Mains, and an interview round. Its purpose is to recruit capable young individuals into key bureaucratic positions to serve the nation.