Further Mathematics is widely considered the hardest A-Level due to its complex abstract concepts, but STEM subjects like Physics and Chemistry, along with Modern Foreign Languages, English Literature, and History, also rank high due to intense workload, deep analysis, and extensive content, with pass rates often reflecting this challenge.
Here we present the so-called 'respected' subjects within the student circles.
It should not be a surprise to many people that the Singaporean A Levels is the hardest exam in the world. The Singaporean A Levels is pegged at a much higher difficulty than the British version of A Levels. A Levels in Singapore is like taking university subjects at the second year.
Edexcel: Often seen as tougher at the top end, especially in Chemistry and Physics, with more complex problem-solving questions. Works well for confident students who enjoy deeper analysis and calculations. OCR: Known for data-heavy questions, especially in Biology and Physics.
Understanding Grade Boundaries for Popular A Level Subjects
For example, maths grade boundaries usually place an A grade around 70–75% of the total marks, with an A* closer to 85–90%.
The Gaokao (China's National College Entrance Examination) is often ranked as the No. 1 toughest exam in the world due to its extreme difficulty, high competition, and the immense pressure it puts on millions of students every year.
Australia ranks highly globally for education, particularly in higher education where its system is considered third strongest (after the US & UK), with many universities in top 100/50 subject rankings. For K-12, Australian students perform well in PISA tests, ranking in the top 10 for reading, science, and math in recent assessments, though system-wide proficiency varies, notes the ABC News. Overall, Australia is a top destination for international students and boasts a highly educated population, per the Australian Government DFAT and Secret Brisbane.
There isn't one single #1 hardest school, as rankings fluctuate, but Harvard University, Stanford University, MIT, and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) consistently appear at the very top of lists for lowest acceptance rates (often below 4-5%), requiring exceptional academic performance and unique qualifications from applicants. Caltech is often noted for its intense focus on STEM and tiny class sizes, while Harvard remains the most famous symbol of extreme selectivity.
Performing/Expressive Arts is currently the least popular A Level, with only 897 entries in summer 2024.
The minimum requirements for admission to a bachelor program in Australia is an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (Year 12), or the overseas equivalent: Pearson Edexcel IALs and A levels are accepted as the equivalent to the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) with minimum performance ...
Most applicants study 3 to 4 A level subjects and our offers are usually based on 3 A levels taken together in Year 13. Taking 4 A levels will not normally give you an advantage. However, strong applicants for STEM courses usually study Further Mathematics as a fourth subject.
For example, a student who scores 90% or higher may receive an A*, while a student who scores between 70% and 79% may receive a B grade.
Physics is statistically the hardest A-Level compared to other subjects. 4.59% of students failed the subject by not achieving at least a grade E. It is a step up from GCSE level and has the highest fail rate for a mainstream subject with high entry numbers, 44,957 taking the subject in 2025.
According to Ofqual Analytics, 10.4% of A-Level Psychology students achieved an A*, and 18.2% received an A. What about Maths? 22.8% of A-Level Maths students garnered an A*, and 24.3% got an A. Looking at the data above, A-Level Psychology is harder than Maths.
Maths remains the most popular A level, according to provisional Ofqual entry data, with 104,580 entries for summer 2025 - a 4.5 per cent increase on 2024 (100,052). This summer complaints were raised about Pearson Edexcel's A-level maths paper two.
The hardest Australian universities to get into are generally the University of Sydney, UNSW (University of New South Wales), and the Australian National University (ANU), often cited for having the lowest acceptance rates (around 30-35%) and requiring very high ATAR scores, especially for popular courses like Law, Medicine, and Engineering. However, competitiveness varies by course, with some specific programs at other top-tier institutions like the University of Melbourne, UQ, and Monash also demanding extremely high entry scores.
📚 The 10 Most Educated Countries in the World (2025) Based on tertiary education attainment among adults (ages 25–64) As of 2025, Canada leads the world in education, with 63% of its adult population holding a post-secondary qualification — the highest among OECD nations.
82% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education in the UK, but score higher than Australia for their reading literacy, maths and science scores of 503. If we look at universities, the UK has more in the top 10 globally, like Oxford and Cambridge, but Australia has many top-100 universities.
Here's a list of contries with the toughest education system. 1-China 2-Russia 3-Korea 4-India 5-Singapore 6-Hongkong 8-Italy 9-Poland 10-Czech Do you think this list is incomplete?
List of Easiest Exams in the World
The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition is the preeminent mathematics competition for undergraduate college… The questions in the competition require some great levels of cleverness and critical thinking. They are specific and so require optimum mathematical knowledge and logical imagination.