India, among all the countries, has one of the biggest competitive examination systems in the world. There are many students and candidates who are preparing for the exams which help to get into the best institutions and secure the best jobs in various fields such as civil services, engineering, medical, management, defence, banking, etc.
- Below is a list of top 10 competitive exams that can get you to your dream career
- UPSC Civil Services Examination – Civil Services and Public Administration
- JEE Advanced – Engineering and Technology
- NEET – Medical Science and Allied Health Sciences
- GATE – Engineering, Technology, Science, Architecture, Research and more
- CAT – Management, Commerce, IT and more
- CLAT – Law Degree
- CA Examination – Accounting and Financial Advisory Services
- NDA Exam – Defence Services
- Exam pattern
- UGC NET – Teaching Profession, Research and more
- IBPS PO/SBI PO – Banking Services
- Choosing the Best Competitive Exam for You
- How to Prepare for Competitive Exams in India?
- Why are competitive exams important?
- Key Takeaways
- Frequently Asked Questions
There is no best competitive exam for all; it varies from candidate to candidate depending upon their field of interest and eligibilit
Below is a list of top 10 competitive exams that can get you to your dream career
| Exam | Major Field | Main Career/Education Gateway | Basic Level |
| UPSC CSE | Civil Services | IAS, IPS, IFS and other services | Graduate |
| JEE Advanced | Engineering | IIT undergraduate programmes | Class 12 |
| NEET-UG | Medicine | MBBS, BDS and other medical courses | Class 12 |
| GATE | Engineering & Technology | M.Tech, research, selected PSU opportunities | Graduate |
| CAT | Management | IIMs and leading B-schools | Graduate |
| CLAT | Law | National Law Universities | Class 12/Graduate |
| CA Examination | Finance & Accounting | Chartered Accountant qualification | Multiple stages |
| NDA | Defence | Officer training for Army, Navy and Air Force | Class 12 |
| UGC NET | Teaching & Research | JRF and Assistant Professor eligibility | Postgraduate |
| IBPS PO/SBI PO | Banking | Probationary Officer roles | Graduate |
Important points about competitive exams:
• Eligibility, age criteria, number of attempts, syllabus, pattern, reservation and other guidelines are subject to change.
• Always refer to the latest notification issued by the exam conducting body for accurate information.
UPSC Civil Services Examination – Civil Services and Public Administration
UPSC Civil Services Examination is conducted by Union Public Service Commission. This examination is the most prestigious exam for getting recruited to various civil services in India, such as the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Revenue Service, Indian Foreign Service, etc.
Who can join?
• Graduate students in the final year of the exam are also eligible.
What are the benefits / opportunities for clearing it?
• Recruitment to various central civil services like IAS, IFS, IRS and more.
Exam Pattern
• Preliminary, Mains and Personality Tests conducted on a national level.
Ideal students for this exam
• Those wishing to build a career in public administration, politics, international relations, civil services and more.
JEE Advanced – Engineering and Technology
Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is conducted to get admitted to the undergraduate engineering courses in various IITs. It is one of the most competitive exams in the country.
Who can join?
• Students who have appeared or will appear for the Class XII board exam and fulfill the eligibility criteria set by JEE.
What are the benefits / opportunities for clearing it?
• The exam provides admission to various undergraduate engineering courses in IITs.
Exam Pattern
• Computer-based test comprising of multiple choice questions and numerical value questions to test concepts in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
Eligibility for appearing in the exam
• Students need to clear JEE Main and fulfill the eligibility criteria for JEE Advanced.
NEET – Medical Science and Allied Health Sciences
This exam is the entrance examination for graduate medical courses in medical colleges and universities in India. NEET is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) to shortlist the candidates for Ayush, MBBS, BDS, BUMS and other medical courses.
Who can join?
• Students from the science stream who have appeared or will appear for the Class XII board exam and fulfill the eligibility criteria can apply.
What are the benefits / opportunities for clearing it?
• Admission to various medical courses including MBBS, BDS, BUMS, etc.
Exam Pattern
• Computer-based test comprising of multiple choice questions with questions from Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
• It is one of the most competitive exams in India, and aspirants need to prepare thoroughly.
GATE – Engineering, Technology, Science, Architecture, Research and more
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering is conducted to get admitted to postgraduate engineering courses in IITs, NITs, IIIT-H and more. It has a different syllabus and pattern for various specializations in engineering, science, and architecture.
Who can join?
• Graduates in engineering, architecture, science or any other stream are eligible for GATE. Candidates who have appeared or will appear for the final year of the examination can also apply.
What are the benefits / opportunities for clearing it?
• A good GATE score can help you get into IITs and NITs for postgraduate engineering courses.
• Also, GATE can get you jobs in various public sector undertakings.
Exam Pattern
• Computer-based test comprising mostly of multiple choice questions and numerical answer type questions.
Conducting Body
• IITs and IISc on behalf of National Coordination Board.
CAT – Management, Commerce, IT and more
Common Admission Test is conducted by IIMs for securing admission in management institutes across the country.
Who can join?
• Graduates in any discipline are eligible to apply for CAT.
What are the benefits / opportunities for clearing it?
• Get admission in top management institutes such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and more.
Exam Pattern
• Computer-based test comprising questions from Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability.
CLAT – Law Degree
Common Law Admission Test is conducted for getting admitted to undergraduate and postgraduate law programs offered by various NLUs.
Who can join?
• Students from the humanities stream who have appeared or will appear for the Class XII board exam and fulfill the eligibility criteria can apply.
What are the benefits / opportunities for clearing it?
• The test enables you to secure admission to NLUs to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate law courses.
Exam Pattern
• It is a computer-based legal entrance exam comprising questions from Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, English, Current Affairs, General Knowledge and more.
CA Examination – Accounting and Financial Advisory Services
This exam is conducted by ICAI. The course comprises of 3 levels: CA Foundation, CA Intermediate and CA Final.
Who can join?
Anyone can register for CA Foundation.
What are the benefits / opportunities for clearing it?
• The course opens doors to a career in Accounting and Finance, Auditing, Taxation, Corporate Laws and more.
NDA Exam – Defence Services
National Defence Academy exam is conducted by UPSC for recruiting candidates for training in the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.
Who can join?
• Students who have appeared or will appear for the Class XII board exam and fulfill the eligibility criteria can apply to this exam.
What are the benefits / opportunities for clearing it?
• It gives you the opportunity to become an officer in the Defence Forces.
Exam pattern
• This written exam comprises of Mathematics and General Ability Test.
UGC NET – Teaching Profession, Research and more
UGC NET is conducted by the UGC to find eligible candidates for Assistant Professor and/or Junior Research Fellowship Position in Indian universities and colleges.
Who can join?
• Postgraduate students in any discipline are eligible for this exam to pursue a career in teaching, research and more.
What are the benefits / opportunities for clearing it?
• Helps you get employment in the teaching profession and get research funding.
Exam pattern
• It is a computer-based exam comprising of General Aptitude for Teaching and Research and a subject-specific test. The candidate needs to score well in both the tests.
IBPS PO/SBI PO – Banking Services
Institute of Banking Personnel Selection conducts this exam for recruitment to the post of Probationary Officer in various public sector banks. SBI has its own exam for the post of Probationary Officer.
Who can join?
• This exam is for graduates who are interested in banking careers.
What are the benefits / opportunities for clearing it?
• Get recruited as a Probationary Officer in various public sector banks.
Exam pattern
• Preliminary and Main exams followed by Interview rounds.
Choosing the Best Competitive Exam for You
The best competitive exam for you is the one that fits your eligibility, field of interest and long-term career goals.
To pick the best exam for you, ask yourself these three questions:
What do you want to become?
Depending upon your answer, you can choose from:
• Public administration: UPSC CSE
• Engineering: JEE Advanced or GATE, based on your eligibility
• Medicine: NEET-UG
• Management: CAT
• Defence officer: NDA exam
• Legal advisor: CLAT
What are your strong areas?
Your areas of interest and strong areas can help you choose from a variety of competitive exams.
For example:
• If you are good at Physics and Mathematics, you can go for JEE Advanced.
• If you are interested in Biology, you can prepare for NEET-UG.
• If you have strong verbal abilities, you can aim for CAT and CLAT.
• For cracking the UPSC CSAT, you need good command over English, Maths, Reasoning, Essay writing and other general topics.
What is your educational qualification?
Depending upon your qualification, you can choose from a number of competitive exams.
For instance:
• If you are studying in Class XII, you can appear for JEE Advanced, NEET-UG, NDA and CLAT.
• If you are a graduate, you can appear for UPSC CSE, CAT, GATE, IBPS PO/SBI PO and other government job exams.
• If you are a postgraduate, you can appear for UGC NET and other postgraduate-level competitive exams.
How to Prepare for Competitive Exams in India?
The best way to prepare for competitive exams is to practice and test yourself regularly, instead of cramming for a few days before the exams. Here is how you can do it:
1. Understand the syllabus: You should go through the latest syllabus available online or in the official brochure before starting your preparation.
2. Make a timetable: Make a realistic timetable and divide your preparation for various chapters/topics along with time for revision and practice tests.
3. Previous years’ question papers: Solve the previous years’ question papers to get an idea of the pattern and difficulty level of the exam.
4. Take mock tests: Mock tests are a great way to improve your speed, accuracy, time management and overall temperament for the exams.
5. Revise: It is of utmost importance to revise what you have studied. It helps in retaining the information for a long time and builds your confidence for the exams.
6. Keep track of your mistakes: Maintain a separate notebook to note down the mistakes committed while solving various sample papers and question papers
.
Why are competitive exams important?
India’s competitive examination system helps decide which students get admitted to prestigious institutions and which ones get recruited by government agencies and public sector undertakings.
These exams serve as an important gateway to the best jobs and courses that India has to offer, such as:
• UPSC CSE: Civil Services Examination
• JEE Advanced: IITs
• NEET: Medical Colleges
• CAT: IIMs
• CLAT: National Law Universities
• NDA: Defence Forces
• GATE: Higher education and PSU jobs
• UGC NET: Lectureship and research fellowships
• CA: Chartered Accountancy courses
• IBPS/SBI PO: Banking sector jobs
Key Takeaways
• There are no best competitive exams since every exam has its own benefits and eligibility criteria.
• While choosing an exam, keep in mind your preferred career option.
• Before applying for any exam, make sure that you fulfill the eligibility criteria, such as age, education, number of attempts and so on.
• Always refer to the latest notification regarding the exam pattern, syllabus, reservation policy, selection procedure and so on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the toughest competitive exam in India?
There is no specific answer for this question. The difficulty level of competitive exams is subjective and varies from person to person. However, UPSC CSE, JEE Advanced, CA Exams, NEET, GATE, CAT and many others are a few of the toughest competitive exams in India.
Which competitive exam is best after class 12?
It depends on an individual’s career choices. Some of the best competitive exams after class 12 are:
• JEE Advanced: For getting admitted to IITs for Engineering courses.
• NEET: For getting admitted to Government Medical Colleges for MBBS/BDS courses.
• NDA: For getting admission to National Defence Academy for Defence Services.
• CLAT: For getting admitted to National Law Universities for Law courses.
Which competitive exams can graduates appear for?
Graduates can appear for various competitive exams depending on their fields of interest. Some of the major competitive exams for graduates are:
• UPSC CSE: For Civil Services Examination.
• GATE: For postgraduate technical courses and recruitment in Public Sector Undertakings.
• CAT: For Management courses.
• IBPS/SBI PO: For Banking Sector Jobs.
• Various exams conducted for recruitment in Defence Services, Railways, Staff Selection Commission, Other State Public Service Commission exams, etc.
Is UPSC tougher than JEE Advanced?
Yes, UPSC is tougher than JEE Advanced. JEE Advanced is an engineering examination that primarily tests a candidate’s knowledge in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. However, UPSC Civil Services Examination is a comprehensive examination that tests general knowledge, writing skills, mental ability, reasoning, personality, and more.
Which exam is best for a government job?
UPSC CSE is the best competitive exam for government jobs. Along with UPSC exams, there are many other exams conducted by Staff Selection Commission, Railways Recruitment Board, Other State Public Service Commission, etc., offering various government jobs.
