The gate pass to some of the best career paths in India comes with unimaginable hard work, determination and an unwavering focus. Tested by a series of questions even teachers find hard to solve, quizzed by an interview panel that can scan through your strengths and weaknesses within minutes and timed by a clock that waits for none, these exams are India’s toughest exams to crack. Let’s look at why they are so tough and how they really test the candidates on various parameters.

The 5 extremely difficult exams people take

UPSC

Many of us dream to become IAS officers and know the challenge is real when it comes to preparing for it. Civil Services Exam conducted by Union Public Service Commission carries the repute of being one of the hardest entrance exams in India. The success rate is just 1%.

What career path can you take after clearing it?

Students preparing for it aspire to become a top level government official such as IAS, IPS, IFS, IFoS, etc.

What does it test you for?

Essentially, UPSC tests you for your administrative and leadership skills.

The exam is designed to test you on various parameters like analytical ability, comprehension and speed, focus and learning ability, character and people handling skills etc.

What is the exam pattern?

The exam is conducted in 3 stages. Preliminary selection test SCAT, followed by Main Test and a Personal Interview.

JEE

Joint Entrance Exam is the hardest entrance exam for engineers in India. It is taken by lakhs of students aspiring to begin their technical education at IITs and other top regional engineering colleges.

What career path can you take after clearing it?

One can begin an illustrious career in engineering, technology, IT, design and architecture. IIT pass outs also take the road to entrepreneurship.

What does it test you for?

JEE primarily tests a candidate for conceptual understanding and unconventional thinking. It also gauges a candidate on memory and comprehension.

What is the exam pattern?

JEE constitutes of two different examinations – JEE Main for admission in NITs and JEE Advanced for admission in IITs. The exams are of the objective pattern and carry negative marking for wrong answers.

CAT

Common Admission Test also tops the list of toughest exams in India for management studies and entrance to the famed IIMs.

What career path can you take after clearing it?

One can carve a career as business analyst, consultant, managers in BFSI and FMCG sector etc. IIMs also train students for entrepreneurship.

What does it test you for?

CAT tests a student’s ability to think fast using logical and analytical reasoning. Speed is a critical factor for cracking CAT exam.

What is the exam pattern?

The exam is conducted online and comprises of quantitative, verbal/reading, data interpretation and reasoning skills. Selected candidates are called for personal interview.

GATE

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is an engineering entrance test for undergraduates in science and engineering. One can take this test to get admission in reputed engineering, technology & philosophy post-graduate programs.

What career path can you take after clearing it?

One can get a PG in M Tech/MS and begin his career as a Project Associate in technical institutes. One can also land a lucrative PSU job as GATE offers direct government jobs.

What does it test you for?

GATE exam tests a candidate primarily for sound understanding of undergraduate subjects and core technical concepts.

What is the exam pattern?

There are total 65 questions carrying 100 marks. The duration of GATE exam is 3 hours. The question paper consist of both multiple choice and numerical type answers.

UGC-NET

UGC-NET is the benchmark for starting a lucrative career in teaching. One can take this test to earn eligibility to teach in college and university level and earn Junior Research Fellowship (JRF).

What career path can you take after clearing it?

Get career opportunities in teaching and educational field as well as opt for research and higher study with national level organizations.

What does it test you for?

The NET exam essentially tests a candidate’s reasoning, comprehension and communication skills. The exam also tests the ability to teach and impart knowledge.

What is the exam pattern?

It is a computer-based exam pattern consisting of two papers, Paper I and Paper II. Both papers contain objective type questions with a time limit.

Taking exam preparation to the next level

With each of the above examinations, it is not only crucial to know your strengths and weaknesses but also if the entailing career-path is suitable to yourself. AceTrac is a proven and effective tool to provide students with comprehensive assessments that help them pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses while also giving them insights on diverse job roles that fit well with their personality.