Toughest Courses in India

Every student must choose the right education after school or graduation. They seek clear and proper guidance in selecting the right education programme.

Knowing the most challenging courses is essential while searching for the right ones. This helps students find the programme that fits their abilities and career aspirations.

Okay! Are you curious to know more? We can help. This blog sheds light on the toughest courses in India. It will help you understand the crucial course information in detail and choose the education that aligns with your passion and competency.

Table of Content

• Toughest Courses in India in 2024:
  • Medicine
  • Chartered Accountant
  • Architecture
  • Engineering
  • Civil Services
  • Law
  • Management
  • Quantum Mechanics
  • Master of Science (MS) in Engineering Management
  • Emergency Medicine Master's Degree
  • Psychology
• Why is learning the toughest courses crucial?
• Tips to easily learn the toughest courses in India
• FAQS

Toughest Courses in India in 2024:

This section details the various toughest courses in India. It briefly explains why these courses are crucial, discusses learning challenges, describes their duration, discusses career prospects, and lists the colleges that offer them.

#1. Medicine (MBBS)

Studying for an MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) in India is a big dream for many students, regardless of their background. As only a limited number of seats are available across government and private medical colleges, there is neck-to-neck competition among aspirants to get MBBS seats.

A Business Standard report states that over a million students apply yearly for over one lakh MBBS seats. The demand is so high, no matter how challenging the course is. The Medical Council of India (MCI) manages medical education in India and actively sets standards for the programme.

After completing MBBS, you can pursue higher education in Master of Surgery (MS) or Master of Medicine (MD).

Level of the Programme – Undergraduate

Eligibility Criteria:

• Pass in higher secondary exam
• Need to clear the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam

Duration: 5.5 years

Core Subjects: 

• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Microbiology
• Pathology
• Biochemistry

Challenges:

• Vast curriculum and tedious internships
• Must go through a lot of practical and training
• Need sound analytical thinking and attention to detail
• Need to memorise many drug names

Average Salary: 7.5 LPA 

Top Colleges/Universities provide Medicine:

• AIIMS, Delhi
• AIIMS, Jodhpur
• Armed Forces Medical College, Pune
• Madras Medical College, Chennai
• Bangalore Medical College And Research Institute

Job Roles:

• Physician
• General Practitioners
• Medical Professor
• Neuroscientist
• Healthcare Administrator
• Medical Researcher

#2. Chartered Accountant (CA):

Every organisation seeks accounting professionals who are experts in financial laws and regulations. The professionals protect organisations from potential legal notices and penalties.

A Chartered Accountant (CA) is a qualified expert who manages various duties in the accountancy domain. Because of their technical proficiency, CAs are highly sought after in India and worldwide.

Below are the essential pointers that you should keep in mind regarding CA:

• There is no age or appearance limit for CA exams, which is a crucial advantage.
• There is no entrance exam required to learn CA.
• There are three levels in the chartered exam. They are the foundation, intermediate and final exams.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Pass in 12th-grade education or bachelor’s degree

Duration: 3 - 4 years

Core Subjects:

• Cost Management Accounting (CMA)
• Financial Management and Auditing
• Strategic Financial Management
• Fiscal Laws
• Taxation

Challenges:

• Vast and complex syllabus
• Tedious Articleship and training
• Time management 
• Balancing mental and physical health
• Tough exams. Meager pass percentage.

Average Salary: 7.5 LPA (Glassdoor)

Top Colleges/Universities provide CA:

• Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Delhi
• Institute of Chartered Accountants, Noida
• Institute of Cost Accountants of India
• Indian Institute of Finance and Accounts, Pune
• Christ University, Bangalore

Job Roles:

• Chief Financial Officer
• Internal Auditor
• Finance Director         
• Financial Controller
• Taxation Expert

#3. Architecture (B.Arch):

A brilliant architect imagines every physical structure first and then transforms that simple idea into a smartly built structure. From the initial concept to the actual building’s construction, the architect is involved in every stage of the design process. Studying architecture is the best option if you have a talent for design and an eye for detail.

An architect plans, designs, and supervises the construction of various buildings, including homes, malls, offices, etc. They ensure that buildings meet many standards for public safety, quality, and environmental preservation. That’s why they must have strong innovation abilities and creativity.

Level of the programme – Undergraduate 

Eligibility Criteria:

• Pass the senior secondary examination
• Good scores in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), AAT, NATA, etc., for admissions to the Indian Institute of Technologies and NITs.

Duration: 5 years

Core Subjects:

• Building Design
• Interior Architecture
• Graphics
• Structural Engineering
• Architectural Drawing

Challenges:

• Need creative and critical thinking
• Understanding the complex architectural concepts and designs
• Need to be familiar with modelling tools like BIM, CAD, etc

Average salary: 25 LPA (AmbitionBox)

Top Universities provide Architecture:

• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT ), Roorkee
• National Institute of Technology (NIT), Calicut
• Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
• Parul University, Vadodara
• National Institute of Technology (NIT), Trichy

Job Roles:

• Architectural Engineer/Manager
• Principal Architect
• Project Architect
• Architectural Technologist
• Interior Designer
• Landscape Architect

 

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#4. Engineering (BE/B.Tech)

Modern engineering courses prepare students to stay on the edge of evolving technological advancements. Engineering education includes multiple streams, from computer science to robotics to nanotechnology. The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) controls engineering education throughout India.

In parallel, there has been a steady increase in the number of students pursuing engineering education, although it is tough to learn. According to a study by Manipal University, job opportunities in engineering sectors will grow by 7% by 2026.

Level of the Programme – Undergraduate 

Eligibility Criteria:

• Pass in plus two examination
• Clear JEE mains, BITSAT, JEE Advanced, and VITEEE exams for admissions in top institutes.

Duration: 4 years

Core Subjects:  

• Aerospace
• Computer science engineering
• Electrical
• Electronics
• Mechanical

Challenges:

• The vast curriculum is a real challenge for students
• Sound problem-solving skills and a mathematical background are highly required
• limited industry-academia collaboration in many institutions
• Severe effort and hard work are needed to learn engineering design subjects

Average Salary: 7 LPA (Glassdoor)

Top Colleges/Universities provide engg:

• Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
• Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
• Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
• Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
• BITS, Pilani
• Anna University

Job Roles:

• Chemical Engineer
• Software/Computer Engineer
• Electrical/Electronic/Mechanical/Civil Engineer
• Petroleum Engineer
• Environmental Engineer

#5. Civil Services

Graduates still try their luck in the civil services exam even though it is one of India's most challenging. This job offers lucrative employment, a high salary, a promising future, government incentives, and more.

The civil service exam includes three parts: the preliminary, major exams, and the interview process. You need to read many books on research, newspapers, journals, and other information sources to crack the exam. In short, you must put in all your effort to reach this milestone. 

A candidate must appear for two objective-type question papers in the preliminary exam. You will be required to write essay-type answers in the main exam. After you pass these two rounds, the interview procedure begins.

Eligibility Criteria:

• A graduate degree in any stream
• Minimum of 21 years of age

Core Subjects:

• Politics and Governance
• Geography
• History
• Culture
• Social Issues
• Environment

Challenges:

• Vast and comprehensive syllabus
• Balancing work, life, and study is a challenge
• Solid analytical and logical thinking skills are expected
• Identifying the relevant and credible sources for learning is tricky
• Staying updated with current affairs through reliable sources

Average salary: 12 LPA (Glassdoor)

Job Roles:

• Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
• Indian Police Service (IPS)
• Indian Corporate Law Service (ICLS)
• Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
• Indian Defense Accounts Service (IDAS)
• Indian Audits And Accounts Services (IAAS)

#6. Law (LLB)

If you are competent enough to defend yourself in any matter, then you are fit to become a lawyer.

A lawyer should have capabilities such as attention to detail, overcoming obstacles, and conducting strong arguments. Learning law equips a student with a solid knowledge of the Constitution.

Many graduates with a law degree choose to work in litigation or for corporate businesses. Some graduates prefer to pass the Public Service Commission tests and become judges. Additionally, government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) offer lawyers various opportunities to participate in policy development and regulation.

Level of the programme – Undergraduate

Eligibility criteria:

• Pass the graduation exam
• Pass the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) exam (for selected colleges) 

Duration: 3-5 years

Core Subjects:

• Constitutional Law
• Criminal Law
• Property Law
• Contract Law
• Family Law

Challenges:

• Complex and comprehensive syllabus
• Need to manage ethical issues and dilemmas
• Need strong analytical and argumentative thinking
• Learning to counsel clients and writing legal documents is tricky
  

Average Salary: 3-12 LPA (Glassdoor)

Top Colleges/Universities provide law:

• Indian Institute of Technology,  Kharagpur
• National Law Schools of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore
• National Law University (NLU), Delhi (5-year integrated program)
• Symbiosis Law School
• NALSAR University Of Law
• SASTRA University

Job Roles

• Corporate /Contract Lawyer
• Constitutional Lawyer
• Employment and Labor Lawyer
• Intellectual Property Lawyer
• Attorney
• Tax Lawyer
• Immigration Lawyer

#7. Management:

The MBA is one of the most popular postgraduate degrees in India. It provides remarkable worldwide business exposure. With its projects and curriculum, the MBA programme allows you to handle real-world business problems cleverly.

Holding an MBA degree allows you to work as a CEO or in other top management positions in prestigious companies across the globe. The demand for MBA experts is always very high in the job market.

Level of the programme – Master’s Programme

Eligibility Criteria:

• Passing the undergraduate programme
• Clearing CMAT, CAT, etc., for the Indian Institute of Management (IIM)s

Duration: 2 years

Core Subjects:

• Human Resource Management
• Business Marketing
• Business Analytics
• Financial Management

Challenges:

• Need to improve networking and social skills
• Need to develop teamwork and collaboration skills
• Must be involved in more discussions, gathering feedback, and critical thinking

Average Salary: 3- 10 LPA (Indeed)

Top Colleges/Universities provide MBA:

• IIM, Ahmedabad
• IIM, Bangalore
• IIM, Delhi
• IIM, Lucknow
• IIM, Kozhikode
• XLRI, Jamshedpur

Job Roles:

• Logistics Manager
• Marketing Manager
• HR Manager
• Business Operations Manager
• Purchasing Manager
• Product Manager

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#8. Quantum Mechanics

Quantum mechanics is one of the most challenging courses in the world. It allows students to explore the composition of tiny particles known as atoms and sub-atoms. Physics majors and graduate students can learn this cutting-edge technology.

By taking this course, students can gain a comprehensive knowledge of Integral calculus, fundamental profitability, complex number manipulation, functional integration and analysis, and other related concepts.

Level of the programme – Undergraduate

Eligibility Criteria:

• Pass in senior secondary school

Duration: 2- 4 years

Core Subjects:

• Mathematics
• Composite Systems
• Conservation Laws
• Wave-Particle Duality

Challenges:

• Understanding quantum concepts requires deep attention and curiosity
• Understanding the nuances of wave-particle duality
• Reconciling quantum concepts with quantum concepts

Average Salary:  6 LPA (Glassdoor)

Top Universities:

• Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
• IISER, Pune
• Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
• Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore

Job Roles:

• Quantum Microwave Engineers
• Quantum Algorithms Researcher
• Quantum ML Scientist
• Quantum Software Engineer
• Quantum Control Researcher

#9. Master of Science (MS) in Engineering Management

After graduation, every engineer must decide between gaining more practical expertise and continuing their education. Earning a master's degree in your field that aligns with your interests and professional goals is crucial.

An MS in Engineering Management is the best choice for aspiring graduates. It is a master's degree programme for engineering graduates to bridge the gap between technology, management, and engineering domains.

The main focus of the course is to employ enterprise management technologies to manage and optimise the outcomes of engineering operations. Engineering graduates who desire to advance in their company's management structure interestingly pursue this degree.

Level of the programme – Post-graduation

Eligibility Criteria:

• Pass in engineering graduation

Duration: 1-2 years

Core Subjects:

• Systems Engineering
• Product Management
• Operations Management
• Project Management

Challenges:

• Must have a solid background in differential equations, calculus, and statistics
• Balancing engineering and management concepts
• Need to foster leadership skills along with 3D printing, IoT, digital twins, etc.

Average Salary: 36 LPA (AmbitionBox)

Top Universities:

• Manipal University
• JSS Science And Technology University
• Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

Job Roles:

• Engineering Project Manager
• Product Manager/Engineer
• Operations Manager
• Quality Assurance Manager
• Architectural Project Manager
• Technical Manager/Consultant

#10. Emergency Medicine:

As the name suggests, emergency medicine is a specialised area of medical education that equips medical professionals to handle urgent situations. Although many Medical Science courses are available, a degree in emergency medicine is an excellent choice for medical professionals.

Accidents, heart attacks, fractures, shortness of breath, and epileptic seizures are instances where swift medical attention is highly required. These health issues demand accurate diagnosis through blood tests, CT scans, ultrasounds, MRIs, etc.

Level of the Programme – Under/Post-graduation

Eligibility Criteria:

• Pass in senior secondary education for the UG programme
• Pass in under graduation  for PG Programmes
• Pass the NEET Exam for high-profile colleges
• ALS and BLS certifications

Duration: 2-3 years

Core Subjects:

• Trauma
• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Anatomy
• Pharmacology

Challenges:

• Understanding the difference between theoretical knowledge and practical set-up
• The vast curriculum is challenging
• Lack of clinical education environment
• Ready to adapt to new environments and manage emergencies

Average Salary: 15 LPA (Indeed)

Top Universities

• Christian Medical College
• AIIMS, Delhi
• MGMCH
• JIPMER

Job Roles:

• Emergency Medicine Physician
• Emergency Care Technician
• Emergency Medicine Specialist/Consultant
• Paramedic

#11. Psychology

At its core, psychology comprehends people's typical behaviours and cognitive processes in diverse contexts. It probes the depths of the human mind, studying feelings, ideas, and other conscious and unconscious aspects of the human mind.

A job in psychology enables one to influence people's lives by assisting them in self-discovery, self-understanding, and mental health improvement.

Level of the programme – Undergraduate

Eligibility criteria:

• Pass the plus-two examination for the UG programme
• Graduation in psychology for the PG programme

Duration: 2-3 years

Core Subjects:

• Social Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychological Statistics
• Behavioral Neuroscience

Challenges:

• Cognitive workload and situational anxiety
• The research process is complex
• Managing their own feelings and emotions is a challenge in a stressful environment.
• Heavy workload and excessive coursework 

Average Salary: 10 LPA (AmbitionBox)

Top Colleges/Universities

• Indira Gandhi National Open University
• Banaras Hindu university (BHU)
• Christ University, Bangalore
• University of Delhi (DU)

Job roles:

• Consumer Psychologist
• Counsellor
• School Psychologist
• Criminal Psychologist
• Sports Psychologist

Well! Feel excited? You have learned critical information about the toughest courses in India so far.

Why is learning the toughest courses crucial?

• Learning tongues courses help to unleash your hidden potential and boost confidence by breaking hard things into simple ones.
• It provides a lot of exposure to critical subjects and experiences 
• It offers a promising career with more job opportunities for lucrative salaries across the world
• It empowers you with exceptional skills, reputation, rewards, value, and unmatched societal respect.
• You will get the chance to be with brilliant and bright students. The more you interact with intelligent people, the more you improve your skills and knowledge.     

Tips to easily learn the toughest courses in India:

Let's outline the methods and strategies to ride through the most challenging courses and complete them successfully.

• Staying disciplined: You need to perfectly plan your time, studies, assignment submissions, and exam preparations. This will help you execute them properly. 
• Caring for health: Spend significant time caring for your physical and mental health. Take regular exercise and practice yoga and meditation to improve your mental health.
• Make slow and steady progress. Break down your complex course materials into simple segments. Then, learn the segments one by one. It will make your learning a breeze and perfect.
• Join communities and expand your network: You must join various study communities to get external help. You must also keep close ties with your professors and senior students to clear your doubts and progress your studies.
• Adopt active learning methods: You can embrace active learning methods, including mindmaps, comprehension, and retention. Discuss subjects with your friends, which will strengthen your understanding of the subjects.
• Perform more self-practices: Regularly take self-tests on the learned subjects instead of continuous reading. This will help you remember the concepts and improve long-term retention.

Sounds great? We hope these tips will help you breeze through and complete your toughest course. Let’s summarise the key pointers in the following.

Summary:

• Understanding the most challenging courses helps you to find the right programme based on your competency and abilities.
• Medicine is one of the most preferred programmes among the toughest courses in India. Millions of students aspire to become doctors in India.
• CA is another challenging exam but provides many opportunities for accounting professionals.
• Architecture is an aesthetic course requiring loads of creativity and design skills.
• Engineering is an ever-green and promising course for all Indian students since it provides plenty of job opportunities.
• The civil services exam is another of the toughest exams to crack. It has three stages: preliminary, mains, and interview.

Frequemtly Asked Questions

1. Which countries have the most challenging education system?

The following nations are highly known for having the world's toughest educational systems:

• Hong Kong
• Finland
• South Korea
• Singapore
• Japan.

2. What are the Benefits of pursuing the most challenging courses?

A few benefits you will achieve by learning the most challenging courses are jotted down.

• The job opportunities are so high for the most challenging courses
• You will land in your top companies for top salaries
• You will foster your analytical and problem-solving skills
• The chances of gaining exceptional skills are plenty
• It will improve your confidence and sense of achievement

3. How do you crack the toughest courses?

The pointers below will help you crack the most challenging courses, no matter how hard they are.

• Improve your level of focus and commitment
• Foster your soft and hard skills, pushing boundaries
• Deliver a strong learning ethics and resilience
• Expand your network with motivated students and encouraging faculties
• Enrol in professional online training providers like MindMajix to enhance your skills.

4. What are the different criteria for defining the most challenging courses?

The following factors decide the complexity of the toughest courses.

• Complexity of the subject matter and concepts
• The high density of practical assignments and projects
• Much dependence on complex mathematical subjects
• Tight assessment methods and grading
• High standards of performance expected from students

Conclusion

Let's wrap up! You have learned about the most challenging courses from this blog. Remember to evaluate your abilities and talents before selecting the best course. If you have a passion for and drive to study the subject, you will excel in your field and lead a successful career.

In addition to achieving graduation, it is essential to improve your skills to shine in your career. If you go through professional training, it will help to sharpen your skills in the best way. You can choose MindMajix as your skill partner. It provides numerous courses in engineering and other domains. Step into MindMajix and advance your career to the next level.

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