Hardest exam in the world.. four cards / defeated many geniuses

Perhaps the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the phrase “the hardest exam in the world” is the flood of complex questions and difficult issues that universities and faculty are crafting to formulate to test their students and assess their intelligence and educational attainment.

But hey! What if that university doesn’t have any students or faculty? You can imagine that you will not be tested in subjects that you have previously studied.

What we are going to talk about is not a fantasy or madness, but rather the official entrance exam to obtain a fellowship at All Souls College. Well, you will gradually understand how strange and ambiguous the content of this test and its great purpose is.

In this article, you will learn all the questions related to the most difficult exam in the world and we will give you answers that are closer to the spectrum of fantasy than reality.

Hardest exam in the world.. four cards / defeated many geniuses

All Souls College

Founded by Henry Chichele, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1438 in England, it is part of the University of Oxford. Surprisingly, there are no members or university students. Instead, attention is directed to graduates who wish to conduct academic research, inviting them to participate in the competition to pass the college entrance examination to obtain the honor of membership.

What is this exam?

The All Souls College Entrance Exam at the University of Oxford is known as the world’s most difficult and even near impossible test. It was introduced in 1878 and has been open to women since 1979.

This test ranks as the best and most difficult post-graduation exam from the University of Oxford, and certainly the university is open to every academic student and no one should procrastinate in applying to it, because it will be a challenge and proof of proficiency in deserving that precious award.

What is the purpose of this test?

The winner will be waiting for a valuable prize, a 7-year Oxford fellowship, which normally goes to two students each year, plus a stipend of around £15,000 per year if they undertake academic work, or a scholarship allowance if they qualify for it. , as well as free individual accommodation in the college, and encouragement to participate in university teaching, so there is an opportunity to secure a prestigious academic job, and a lot of other miscellaneous benefits.

Eligible to take the exam

The examination is open to Oxford undergraduates who have graduated from the university within the last three years as well as current graduate students. The College welcomes applications from men and women from diverse backgrounds, and academic merit in the examination remains the only criterion for evaluating candidates.

Usually, 80 candidates compete for the exam, two are elected to win the fellowship, sometimes only one candidate is elected.

Exam procedures and how to evaluate candidates

The college sets a written exam consisting of four papers, each lasting three hours, two papers in the subject of the major chosen by the applicant, such as classical studies, law, history, English literature, economics, politics, or philosophy. The remaining two papers contain general questions on a wide range of topics.

For assessment, 12 hours after the exam, successful candidates are invited to VIVA (a spoken explanation of their answers) where they are discussed in their written answers by a panel of up to 50 members of educational bodies.

Topics it raises

The topics covered by this exam are in the field of humanities and social sciences. In the past, candidates were given three hours to write a six-page essay on a one-word topic, as previous essays were on topics such as “miracles,” “water,” and “innocence,” but now this part of the exam has been canceled for ineffectiveness.

Privacy of the questions asked

The questions will be abstract as there are no right or wrong answers, and you cannot be sure of a “no” or “yes”, so it is difficult to know where failure or success comes from, so that time will catch up with you while you are still pondering and turning the question on different faces so it is almost impossible To review your answers.

The texts that appear are usually striking, in other words in the form of flashes of shrewdness and wit, require a lot of focus and attention to the accuracy of details, with the loss and dispersion between questions of an argumentative nature, the great challenge is to balance playing on the strengths of your thinking and your mental judgment And get out of your comfort zone.

Examples of previously asked questions:

• What is the relationship between knowing something and being certain of it?
• Should airlines be allowed to charge passengers based on their weight?
• Is there a trade-off between economic growth and inequality?
• Should prisoners be allowed to watch TV?
• Can we be forced to be free?
• Did the left or the right triumph in the twentieth century?
• Should countries monitor their borders?
• Should all citizens receive a basic income from the state?
• Can emotions be a reason for making decisions?
• Can there be fundamental disagreement in the absence of truth?

What is the application deadline?

The exact deadline varies from year to year, but it often falls at the beginning of September.
You must complete the online application form by the announced deadline.

The most famous people who passed this exam

Among the famous personalities who received the fellowship at the University of All Souls, philosopher Sir Isaiah Berlin and Judge Richard Wilberforce. British Prime Minister Harold Wilson did not pass the exam.

In the end, All Souls fellows will not only have to educate students but will have a greater role and influence on new and prospective academics who, in turn, will pass on their ideas and knowledge to a wider audience, rather than spending their time teaching 20 years to people who just want to be bankers. Or investment managers or whatever.

Hardest exam in the world.. four cards / defeated many geniuses