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10 Most Difficult Exams In The World In 2025

Published

8 months ago

February 1, 2025

Exams asses what we know and how hard we work. But some exams are much harder than others. These tough tests need not just knowledge but also a lot of effort and mental strength. Passing them often takes years of study, determination, and sometimes many tries.

The country with the hardest exam is China, as it is home to the world’s No. 1 toughest exam, Gaokao, while India has 3 of the world’s top 10 toughest exams.

In this article, we’ll explore the 10 hardest exams in the world that only the toughest can pass.

10. Master Sommelier Diploma Exam

The Master Sommelier Diploma Exam is run by the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS). It focuses on improving beverage services, especially wine and food pairing. The exam is very difficult, with a pass rate of only 10%, even after multiple attempts.

There are three levels in the exam: theory, service, and blind tasting. In the final level, candidates must identify the year, region, and type of wine. This makes it the hardest wine exam in the world. Most candidates need at least three tries, and some take five or six attempts. Candidates must pass the theory level first and then complete the other two levels within three years. If they fail, they must retake it within two years. If they don’t pass all levels within three years, they must retake the entire exam. Since 1969, only 269 people have passed.

The exam lasts 50 minutes. Around 70 candidates take the exam each year, with a 5-10% pass rate. The exam is held once a year in the UK and twice a year in the US.

9. All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam

The All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam is held every year by Oxford University. The exam offers a 7-year fellowship, with only one or two people chosen from about 80 each year. Applicants must write four essays on topics from humanities subjects, with 3 hours for each essay. The questions are abstract and hard to prepare for. Only people with a strong background in humanities can apply.

The questions are subjective and have no clear right or wrong answers, like “Is Edward Snowden a hero or a villain?”. The exam looks for students with strong debate, analysis, and judgement skills. Candidates must also show clear thinking, independence, and broad knowledge. Those who pass the written exam are invited for a viva, where they explain their answers orally.

The exam lasts 3 hours for each of the 4 papers. About 80 people take the test each year, with a pass rate of only 2.5%. The competition is tough. The exam covers subjects like English literature, philosophy, politics, and economics. Candidates can choose any topic for their specialised papers.

8. GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, India)

The GATE exam is an online test in India that checks students’ knowledge of engineering and technical skills. It is very competitive and tough, so long study hours are needed to pass. Many students take GATE every year to get into master’s and Ph.D. programs at top institutes like IITs, NITs, IIITs, IISc, and IIMs. Public sector companies like Indian Oil and GAIL also use GATE scores to hire people. Some universities in Germany and Singapore give scholarships based on GATE scores.

The exam has 65 questions: 10 on general aptitude and 55 on the candidate’s chosen subject. It lasts 3 hours and includes both multiple-choice and numerical questions. The questions are not too hard, but the large syllabus makes the exam tough. The pass rate is 18%, and the competition is high. The exam is recognised in India, Singapore, and Germany and covers subjects like aerospace engineering, IT, chemical engineering, and computer science.

7. CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert)

The CCIE exam, run by Cisco, is for networking professionals who need to prove their skills in building, maintaining, and troubleshooting complex networks. Only Cisco engineers can take the test, and the low success rate makes it very hard to pass.

The exam has six sections, covering topics like routing, collaboration, and security. It has two stages. Candidates who pass the first stage can move on to the second, which lasts 8 hours with a 1% pass rate. To succeed, candidates need deep knowledge of networking and 7 to 10 years of experience.

The exam includes a 2-hour written test and six other tests. Around 63,000 people take it each year, with a pass rate of 30%. The exam covers topics like Network Infrastructure, Software Defined Infrastructure, and Infrastructure Services.

6. CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)

The CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) exam is one of the hardest exams in finance. Every year, over 100,000 people from about 100 countries take the CFA exam. The CFA designation is one of the most respected in finance and investment management. The exam tests candidates on important finance tools and practices. To get the CFA Charter, candidates must pass three levels: CFA Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. Each level has a tough 6-hour exam with 240 questions. Candidates also need 48 months of work experience. The first two levels have multiple-choice questions, and the third level has essay-style questions. On average, it takes four attempts to pass all three levels. After passing the exams, candidates need four years of work experience to become a CFA Charterholder.

5. GRE (Graduate Record Examination)

The GRE (Graduate Record Examination), run by ETS, is one of the hardest exams in the world. It tests if someone is ready to pursue a master’s degree abroad, mainly in the USA. For example, a good GRE score is necessary to get into top universities like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The GRE is for those who want to study abroad, especially for master’s, MBA, and PhD programs.

Although the GRE was first created for US universities, it is now accepted in more than 90 countries. It is more complex than other exams because of its detailed syllabus. The test measures skills in verbal reasoning, logical reasoning, quantitative ability, critical thinking, and analytical writing. Many people prepare hard for this test for different reasons, like studying or moving abroad, making it tough to pass. Therefore, strong preparation is needed.

The GRE General Test can be taken once every 21 days, up to five times a year. The test lasts 3 hours and 45 minutes, and the pass rate is 43%.

4. Mensa

Mensa International (MI) is a global group for people with very high IQs. It is one of the oldest and most respected high-IQ societies. To join, a person must score in the top 2% on an approved IQ test. This means their IQ is higher than 98% of people. Mensa is non-political and does not discriminate based on race or religion. The IQ test for Mensa is very hard. It tests logical thinking, problem-solving, and intelligence.

People of all ages, from 2 to 100 years old, can take the test. If they pass, they can join a community of highly intelligent people worldwide. Mensa has 145,000 members in nearly 100 countries. Some IQ tests for Mensa membership include Stanford-Binet (132 and above) and Cattell (148 and above). The test takes 25 minutes and has 35 hard problems.

The pass rate is only 0.02%, making it one of the hardest IQ tests. Mensa tests are held in about 90 countries, including the US, UK, Ireland, and Germany. Passing the test is a big achievement, as it gives membership to one of the most exclusive high-IQ societies.

3. UPSC CSE

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE). It is one of the top five hardest exams in the world. This exam has been held for over 100 years and is highly competitive. Many students prepare for years to pass it. There is a limit on the number of attempts. General category candidates can try six times, while OBC candidates can try nine times. To take this exam, candidates must be between 21 and 32 years old.

The UPSC CSE selects top candidates for civil service jobs like the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS). Every year, about 500,000 people apply, but only 1,000 get selected.

The exam has three stages: Prelims, Mains, and an Interview. The prelims is held in March and has two objective-type papers. The Mains, held in December, has seven descriptive papers. Candidates who pass these two stages are invited for an interview, where a panel tests their knowledge, personality, and logical thinking. This exam is extremely difficult, with a pass rate of just 0.2%. In 2023, about 1.3 million candidates applied, but only 14,624 moved to the next round.

The exam lasts three hours and includes multiple-choice and descriptive papers on General Studies (Paper 1 & 2—CSAT). The UPSC CSE is held once a year across India. Passing this exam gives candidates the chance to work in top government positions in India.

2. IIT-JEE

The IIT-JEE (Joint Entrance Examination Advanced) is the second toughest exam in the world and the most difficult exam in India. It is a national-level test and the only way to enter the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

Students who pass this exam may get the Siemens Scholarship, which helps them pay for their engineering degree. The JEE exam has two levels: JEE Main and JEE Advanced. Students must first pass JEE Main before they can take JEE Advanced. The JEE Main exam happens twice a year, in January and April, while the JEE Advanced exam happens once a year and is conducted by seven IITs.

This exam is very competitive, as many students try for a few available seats. In 2023, 251,673 students took the exam, but only 26.17% passed. The test lasts for three hours and has 90 questions, each worth four marks. It includes Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology.

1. Gaokao Exam

The Gaokao, or National College Entrance Exam (NCEE), is a very difficult test in China. It was introduced in 1952 and is the main exam for students who want to enter Chinese universities. The exam has tough questions in subjects like math, chemistry, biology, physics, geography, Chinese literature, and political science. It takes place once a year, usually in early June, and lasts about nine hours over two days. The schedule may be different in each province.

Most students take the Gaokao in their last year of high school, around age 18. However, preparation for this test starts early and often takes 12 years of hard work. The exam is very competitive, with a low passing rate of less than 0.25%. Each province has its own scoring system, so the passing score is different in each region and year. The pressure to do well is very high. Many students experience stress, anxiety, and other mental health problems because of this exam.
(VANGUARD)

Headline

Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Clashes Escalate After Alleged Air Strikes

Published

1 day ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

Afghanistan’s Taliban forces launched armed reprisals against Pakistani soldiers along the shared border on Saturday, accusing Islamabad of carrying out air strikes on its soil, senior officials from several provinces said Saturday.

On Thursday, two explosions were heard in the Afghan capital and another in the southeast of the country. The following day, the Taliban-run defence ministry blamed the attacks on Pakistan, accusing its neighbor of violating its sovereignty.

“In retaliation for air strikes carried out by the Pakistani army on Kabul,” Taliban forces are engaged “in heavy clashes against Pakistani security forces in various areas” along the border, the Afghan military said in a statement.

Islamabad did not confirm that it was behind Thursday’s attacks, but called on Kabul “to stop harbouring the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) on its soil.”

The TTP, trained in combat in Afghanistan and claiming to share the same ideology as the Afghan Taliban, is accused by Islamabad of having killed hundreds of its soldiers since 2021.

Taliban officials from Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktia, Khost, and Helmand provinces — all located on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan — confirmed that clashes were ongoing.

“This evening, Taliban forces began using weapons. We fired first light and then heavy artillery at four points along the border,” a senior official in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan, told AFP.

“Pakistani forces responded with heavy fire and shot down three Afghan quadcopters suspected of carrying explosives. Intense fighting continues, but so far, no casualties have been reported,” he continued.

– Uptick in violence –

In recent months, TTP militants have intensified their campaign of violence against Pakistani security forces in the mountainous areas bordering Afghanistan.

Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to expel militants who use Afghan territory to launch attacks on Pakistan, an accusation denied by authorities in Kabul.

The TTP and its affiliates are behind most of the violence — largely directed at security forces.

Earlier this year, a UN report said the TTP “receive substantial logistical and operational support from the de facto authorities”, referring to the Taliban government in Kabul.

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told parliament on Thursday that several efforts to convince the Afghan Taliban to stop backing the TTP had failed.

“We will not tolerate this any longer,” Asif said. “United, we must respond to those facilitating them, whether the hideouts are on our soil or Afghan soil.”

Earlier Saturday, the TTP claimed responsibility for deadly attacks in several districts in northwest Pakistan that killed 20 security officials and three civilians.

AFP

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Taliban Attacks Kill 23 In Northwestern Pakistan

Published

1 day ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

The Pakistani Taliban on Saturday claimed responsibility for deadly attacks in several northwestern districts that killed 20 security officials and three civilians.

The attacks, which included a suicide bombing on a police training school, were carried out on Friday in several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan.

Militancy has surged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the withdrawal of US-led troops from neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021 and the return of the Taliban government in Kabul.

Eleven paramilitary troops were killed in the border Khyber district, while seven policemen were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into the gate of a police training school, which was followed by a gun attack.

Five people, including three civilians, were killed in a separate clash in Bajaur district, security officials told AFP on Saturday.

The Pakistani Taliban, the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attacks in messages on social media. The group is separate from but closely linked with the Afghan Taliban.

The attacks came hours after Afghanistan’s Taliban government accused Pakistan of “violating Kabul’s sovereign territory”, a day after two explosions were heard in the capital.

Pakistan did not say if it was behind the blasts in Kabul, but said it had the right to defend itself against surging border militancy.

Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to expel militants using Afghan territory to launch attacks on Pakistan, an accusation that authorities in Kabul deny.

The TTP and its affiliates are behind most of the violence — largely directed at security forces.

Including Friday’s attacks, at least 32 Pakistani troops and three civilians have been killed this week alone in the border regions.

AFP

Headline

US Threatens To Sanction Countries That Vote For Shipping Carbon Tax

Published

1 day ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

The United States on Friday threatened to impose sanctions and take other punitive action against any country that votes in favor of a carbon tax on maritime transportation to be implemented through a UN agency.

“We will fight hard to protect our economic interests by imposing costs on countries if they support” the Net Zero Framework, said a joint statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his counterparts at the departments of energy and transportation.

Members of the London-based International Maritime Organization (IMO) are set to vote next week on the adoption of the Net Zero Framework (NZF) agreement aimed at reducing global carbon emissions from the shipping sector.

Washington, however, described the proposal as imposing “a global carbon tax on the world.”

Since returning to power in January, US President Donald Trump has reversed Washington’s course on climate change, denouncing it as a “scam” and encouraging fossil fuel use by deregulation.

In the statement, Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Trump administration “unequivocally rejects” the NZF proposal.

They threatened a range of punishing actions against countries that vote in favor of the framework, including: visa restrictions; blocking vessels registered in those countries from US ports; imposing commercial penalties; and considering sanctions on officials.

“The United States will be moving to levy these remedies against nations that sponsor this European-led neocolonial export of global climate regulations,” the statement said.