Is UPSC Toughest Exam in the World? Truth About the Exam

PWOnlyIAS May 30, 2024 06:15 2085 0

Is UPSC the Toughest Exam in the World? Explore insights, comparisons, and factors that make the UPSC one of the most challenging exams globally.

Is UPSC Toughest Exam in the World? Truth About the Exam

Is UPSC toughest exam in the world?” is a question that is asked by many educationists in India and abroad. Let us find more about the UPSC exam here!

Is UPSC toughest exam in the world? It is a question that is difficult to answer. This is because the challenges associated with every exam are different. There is no universal standard to gauge the toughness of the exams.

However, one thing we can say for sure is that, if not the toughest, UPSC is one of the toughest exams in the world. There is much evidence that supports this argument. This includes the vastness of syllabus, number of applicants, the long exam cycle etc.

In this article, we will try to answer “Is UPSC toughest exam in the world”? Read on to know more about this!

Is UPSC Toughest Exam in the World? An Overview

UPSC Exam is conducted every year to select candidates for prestigious civil service positions such as IAS, IFS, IPS, etc. Around 12-15 lakh candidates apply each year for 1000-1100 openings. In order to select candidates with the right intellect and aptitude, UPSC maintains a certain toughness standard. A majority of candidates get eliminated in the first stage itself.

Besides the vast syllabus, the low success rate and rigorous selection process have made this exam even more difficult. The challenging nature of the UPSC CSE exam compels many candidates to spend years preparing for it

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Due to this process, UPSC CSE has become one of the toughest exams in the world. Cracking one of the toughest exams in the world is a demonstration of one’s intellect. This is another reason candidates are attempting this exam.

An overview of the UPSC Exam, one of the toughest exam in the world, is given below.

Exam Name UPSC Civil Service Examination
Stages of Exam Three stages: prelims, mains and interview
Number of Applicants 12-15 lakh every year
Number of Successful Candidates About 1000
Type of Examination Prelims: MCQ

Mains: Descriptive

Interview: Oral test

Number of Attempts 6 for General Category (varies for others)

Also Read: UPSC Exam 2024 Eligibility

Why is UPSC Toughest Exam in the World? 

UPSC exam is conducted to select civil servants, such as IAS, IPS, etc. Due to the prestigious nature of the job, lakhs of candidates apply every year. This is a major reason for it being considered one of the toughest exam in the world. The other reasons for the tough nature are given below.

  • Vast Syllabus: The UPSC exam has one of the most extensive syllabuses among other contemporary exams. This is one of the reasons for its perceived toughness.
  • Mental and Physical Exhaustion: The candidates have to perform very well within a short duration. They put a lot of strain on their physical and mental capacities.
  • Lengthy Exam Cycle: The complete UPSC exam cycle lasts for about 1 whole year. This involves multiple stages, each with its own challenges.
  • High Level of Competition: The number of candidates applying for the exam is between 11-15 lakh annually. This is the biggest reason for its toughness.
  • Unpredictable Question Papers: UPSC is notorious for its unpredictability. The pattern and nature of questions change every year, making it difficult to predict.
  • Subjective Marking Scheme: The valuation in mains exam is subjective in nature. This makes it very challenging for students to answer the questions.
  • Negative Marking: The prelims stage of exam carries negative marks. There is no guarantee of qualifying for the exam even after performing relatively well.

List of Other Toughest Exam in the World

There are many exams that are considered tough. UPSC finds a place in the list of toughest exam in the world, along with other Indian exams such as GATE, IIT JEE etc.

Exam Name Country Duration Goal of the Exam
Gaokao Exam China 2 days College entrance exam for high school students
UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) India 1-day Prelims, 

5 days Mains, 1-day of interviews

Selection for Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and other central services
IIT JEE Advanced India 3 hours Undergraduate admission to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)
Mensa Admission Test International Varies Admission to Mensa, an international high-IQ society
GRE (Graduate Record Examination) International 3 hours 45 minutes Graduate school admission in the United States
CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) International 6 hours per level, 3 levels Professional certification for finance and investment professionals
CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) International 8 hours Professional certification for network engineers
GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) India 3 hours Admission to postgraduate programs and jobs at Public Sector Undertakings
USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) United States Varies Medical licensing exam for physicians in the United States
California Bar Exam United States 3 days Licensing exam for attorneys in California

Also Read: UPSC Exam 2024

 

Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes

Increase your chances of cracking the UPSC exam. Join UPSC online coaching batches by Physics Wallah to boost your chances. Register now!

Must Read
NCERT Notes For UPSC UPSC Daily Current Affairs
UPSC Blogs UPSC Daily Editorials
Daily Current Affairs Quiz Daily Main Answer Writing
UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers UPSC Test Series 2024

 

UPSC Toughest Exam in the World FAQs

Factors such as number of applicants, vast syllabus, the long exam cycle etc make UPSC one of the toughest exam in the world.

Apart from UPSC CSE, IIT JEE and GATE are the other toughest exams from India.

Among India, UPSC CSE is toughest compared to JEE. In the world, Gaokao is the toughest exam.

No. Based on expert opinion, the Gaokao of China is the toughest exam in the world.

Based on the sheer number of applicants, a candidates’ chances of clearing UPSC is less than 1%.
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