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63 Exams Indexed

Competitive Exams in United States

Verified intelligence on civil service tests, university entrance exams, and professional certifications available in United States.

Exams
63
Categories
9
Avg Pass Rate
65%
Civil Service & Public Adminintermediate

USAJobs Federal Employment Assessments

U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

The official job portal for United States federal government employment. Uses category rating, veterans' preference, and USA Hire online assessments for competitive service positions.

1-3 months 15% pass rate
Civil Service & Public Adminadvanced

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

EU Institutions

Recruitment for EU institutions (Commission, Parliament, Council, Court of Justice). Highly competitive multilingual assessment with under 3% success rate.

6-12 months 2.5% pass rate
Engineering & Technologyintermediate

Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam

NCEES (National Council of Examiners)

First step toward becoming a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in the United States. Computer-based test administered at Pearson VUE testing centers year-round.

3-6 months 70% pass rate
Engineering & Technologyexpert

Professional Engineering (PE) Exam

NCEES

Licensing examination required to become a Professional Engineer in the United States. Requires 4 years of engineering work experience after passing the FE exam.

4-6 months 60% pass rate
Medical & Health Sciencesexpert

USMLE Step 1

Federation of State Medical Boards & NBME

First step of the United States Medical Licensing Examination. Pass/fail exam since 2022, assessing understanding of foundational medical science. Required for US medical licensure and residency matching.

6-9 months 91% pass rate
Medical & Health Sciencesexpert

USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge

Federation of State Medical Boards & NBME

Second step of USMLE assessing clinical knowledge required for supervised practice. Score is critical for residency matching (ERAS). Now the primary scored USMLE exam since Step 1 became pass/fail.

3-6 months 96% pass rate
Medical & Health Sciencesexpert

USMLE Step 3

Federation of State Medical Boards

Final USMLE step required for unsupervised practice as a physician. Two-day exam covering foundations of independent practice and advanced clinical medicine with computer-based case simulations.

2-4 months 97% pass rate
Medical & Health Sciencesadvanced

Medical College Admission Test

Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)

Standardized entrance test for medical schools in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Caribbean. Assesses problem-solving, critical thinking, and knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social sciences.

3-6 months (300-500 study hours) 45% pass rate
Medical & Health Sciencesadvanced

ECFMG Certification Pathway

Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates

Certification required for International Medical Graduates to enter US Graduate Medical Education (residency). Requires USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and OET Medicine.

18-24 months 55% pass rate
Medical & Health Sciencesadvanced

NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination)

National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)

Standardized examination for registered nurse licensure in United States, Canada, and Australia. Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT) format ranges from 75 to 145 questions.

2-3 months post-graduation 87% pass rate
Law & Legal Studiesadvanced

Law School Admission Test

Law School Admission Council (LSAC)

Standardized test required for admission to law schools in the United States, Canada, and some other jurisdictions. Assesses reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and analytical reasoning.

3-6 months (200-300 hours) 50% pass rate
Law & Legal Studiesexpert

Uniform Bar Examination (UBE)

National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)

Standardized bar examination adopted by 41+ US jurisdictions. Portable score allows applicants to seek admission in multiple UBE jurisdictions.

10 weeks intensive (400+ hours) 78% pass rate
Law & Legal Studiesexpert

California Bar Examination

State Bar of California

One of the most difficult bar exams in the United States. California does not use the UBE. Two-day exam includes MBE, essays on California-specific law, and Performance Test.

10-12 weeks 52% pass rate
Finance & Accountingadvanced

Chartered Financial Analyst Level I

CFA Institute

First of three levels toward the world's most prestigious investment credential. Computer-based test at Prometric centers globally. Focus on foundational tools and concepts of investment valuation.

6 months (300+ study hours) 37% pass rate
Finance & Accountingexpert

Chartered Financial Analyst Level II

CFA Institute

Second level focusing on asset valuation and application of tools. Item set format (mini case studies) that tests deeper analytical skills.

6 months (350+ study hours) 44% pass rate
Finance & Accountingexpert

Chartered Financial Analyst Level III

CFA Institute

Final CFA level with focus on portfolio management and wealth planning. Includes essay-format constructed response questions plus item sets.

6-9 months (350+ study hours) 48% pass rate
Finance & Accountingexpert

Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination (US)

American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) & NASBA

Licensing exam for Certified Public Accountants in United States. Now transitioning to CPA Evolution model (2024): 3 Core sections + 1 Discipline section chosen by candidate.

12-18 months (400+ hours) 55% pass rate
Finance & Accountingexpert

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

ACCA (UK-based, global)

Global accounting qualification with 240,000+ members and 542,000+ students in 178 countries. Progressive path from Applied Knowledge to Strategic Professional level.

3-4 years 45% pass rate
Finance & Accountingadvanced

Certified Management Accountant (US)

Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)

Globally-recognized certification for management accountants and financial professionals. Two-part exam focusing on financial planning, analysis, control, and strategy.

12-18 months 45% pass rate
Finance & Accountingexpert

Financial Risk Manager

Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP)

Premier certification for financial risk managers. Two-part exam covering foundations of risk management and advanced risk topics. Highly regarded in banking, asset management, and consulting.

6 months per part 50% pass rate
Finance & Accountingexpert

Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst

CAIA Association

Global specialization for alternative investments (hedge funds, private equity, real estate, commodities, structured products). Two-level program complementary to CFA.

4-6 months per level 65% pass rate
Finance & Accountingadvanced

Certified Financial Planner (US)

CFP Board

Premier certification for personal financial planning professionals in the United States. Six-hour computer-based exam covering comprehensive financial planning.

18-24 months (including coursework) 63% pass rate
Banking & Insuranceadvanced

Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist

Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists

Gold standard certification for AML professionals worldwide. Required for compliance officers, KYC analysts, and financial crime prevention specialists across banking and fintech.

3-6 months 70% pass rate
Banking & Insuranceadvanced

FINRA Series 7 (General Securities Representative)

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)

Mandatory US license for stockbrokers and financial advisors to sell general securities products. Sponsored by FINRA-member firm. Prerequisite: Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam.

3-4 months 65% pass rate
Language Proficiencyintermediate

International English Language Testing System (Academic)

British Council, IDP, Cambridge Assessment English

Most widely accepted English proficiency test globally. Required for university admissions, professional registration, and immigration in UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and increasingly USA.

1-3 months 70% pass rate
Language Proficiencyintermediate

IELTS General Training

British Council, IDP, Cambridge Assessment English

Non-academic version of IELTS for immigration, work visas, and secondary education applications in English-speaking countries. Simpler texts and everyday language focus.

1-2 months 75% pass rate
Language Proficiencyintermediate

Test of English as a Foreign Language (Internet-Based)

Educational Testing Service (ETS)

Widely accepted for US university admissions and English-taught programs globally. Accepted by 12,000+ institutions in 160+ countries.

2-3 months 70% pass rate
Language Proficiencyintermediate

Pearson Test of English Academic

Pearson Language Tests

AI-scored English proficiency test with fastest results (typically within 2 days). Widely accepted for Australian visas, UK universities, and Canadian immigration.

1-2 months 75% pass rate
Language Proficiencyintermediate

Duolingo English Test

Duolingo, Inc.

Modern online English test that can be taken from home in 1 hour. Rapidly gaining acceptance at 5,000+ institutions including Yale, MIT, Duke, and UCLA.

2-4 weeks 80% pass rate
Language Proficiencyintermediate

Japanese Language Proficiency Test

Japan Foundation & Japan Educational Exchanges and Services

Standard test for evaluating Japanese language proficiency for non-native speakers. Five levels (N5 easiest to N1 hardest). Required for Japan work visas and university admissions.

N5: 3 months | N1: 2-3 years 40% pass rate
Language Proficiencyintermediate

Test of Proficiency in Korean

National Institute for International Education, Korea

Official Korean language proficiency test administered by the Korean government. Required for Korean university admissions, work visas, and citizenship applications.

Level 1: 3-6 months | Level 6: 3-5 years 55% pass rate
Language Proficiencyintermediate

Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (Chinese Proficiency Test)

Hanban / Confucius Institute Headquarters

Official Mandarin Chinese language proficiency test. Nine levels in new HSK 3.0 standard. Required for Chinese universities and Chinese government scholarships (CSC).

HSK 1: 2-3 months | HSK 6: 2-3 years 60% pass rate
Language Proficiencyintermediate

Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera

Instituto Cervantes (Spanish Ministry of Education)

Official Spanish language qualification recognized worldwide. Six CEFR-aligned levels (A1 to C2). Required for Spanish citizenship and university admission in Spanish-speaking countries.

A1: 3 months | C2: 3-5 years 70% pass rate
Language Proficiencyintermediate

Goethe-Zertifikat (German Language Certificate)

Goethe-Institut

Official German language qualification recognized worldwide. Six levels (A1 to C2) aligned with CEFR. Required for German university admissions and work visas (varies by level).

A1: 3 months | C2: 3-5 years 65% pass rate
Language Proficiencyintermediate

Diplôme d'Études en Langue Française / Diplôme Approfondi

French Ministry of Education (CIEP)

Official French language qualifications for non-native speakers. DELF covers A1-B2, DALF covers C1-C2. Required for French universities and immigration.

A1: 3 months | C2: 3-5 years 70% pass rate
Graduate Admissionsadvanced

Graduate Record Examinations (General Test)

Educational Testing Service (ETS)

Standardized test for graduate school admissions in the United States and increasingly worldwide. Redesigned in 2023 to be shorter (1 hour 58 minutes total).

3-6 months (200-300 hours) 60% pass rate
Graduate Admissionsexpert

Graduate Management Admission Test (Focus Edition)

Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)

Standardized test for MBA and business school admissions. New GMAT Focus Edition (2024) is 2h 15min with three sections. Accepted at 7,700+ programs worldwide.

3-6 months (150-250 hours) 50% pass rate
Graduate Admissionsintermediate

Scholastic Assessment Test

College Board

Standardized undergraduate admissions test primarily for US colleges. Now fully digital (2024) with adaptive testing. Also accepted internationally.

2-6 months 60% pass rate
Graduate Admissionsintermediate

American College Testing

ACT Inc.

Alternative to SAT for US college admissions. Includes Science section (unique) and optional Writing test. All US universities accept both SAT and ACT.

2-6 months 65% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsadvanced

Project Management Professional

Project Management Institute (PMI)

The world's most recognized project management certification. Increases salary by average 25% globally and required or preferred for senior project management roles in 190+ countries.

3-6 months (150-200 hours) 60% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsadvanced

AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate

Amazon Web Services

AWS's most popular certification. Validates ability to design and deploy scalable cloud architectures on AWS. Consistently ranked #1 highest-paying IT certification with average salary $155,000+.

2-4 months (80-120 hours) 72% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsentry

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

Amazon Web Services

Entry-level AWS certification perfect for non-technical roles (sales, marketing, project managers) and IT professionals starting their cloud journey. No prior experience required.

3-6 weeks (30-50 hours) 85% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsentry

Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

Microsoft

Entry-level Azure certification demonstrating foundational cloud knowledge. Perfect starting point before specialized Azure roles (Administrator, Developer, Solutions Architect).

3-4 weeks (25-40 hours) 80% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsintermediate

Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer

Google Cloud

Foundational Google Cloud certification for deploying, monitoring, and managing GCP solutions. Highly sought after in AI/ML and analytics roles due to Google's leadership in these areas.

2-3 months 65% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsexpert

Certified Information Systems Security Professional

(ISC)² International Information System Security Certification Consortium

The gold standard for cybersecurity professionals. Required for senior security roles including CISO, Security Director, and Security Architect. Consistently ranked in top 3 highest-paying IT certifications ($130,000-$220,000).

4-6 months (200-300 hours) 62% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsadvanced

Certified Ethical Hacker

EC-Council

Popular ethical hacking certification recognized by US Department of Defense (DoD 8570 compliant). Validates skills in penetration testing, network security, and cyber threat intelligence.

3-4 months 65% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsintermediate

CompTIA Security+

CompTIA

Entry-level cybersecurity certification approved by US DoD 8570 for baseline IAT Level II. Perfect first cybersecurity credential covering broad security concepts.

2-3 months (80-100 hours) 75% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsintermediate

Cisco Certified Network Associate

Cisco

Foundational networking certification from Cisco - the world's largest networking company. Consolidated multiple older CCNAs into one comprehensive credential covering routing, switching, security, wireless, automation.

3-6 months (150-200 hours) 60% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsintermediate

Certified ScrumMaster

Scrum Alliance

Most recognized Scrum Master certification globally. Required for coaching agile teams and facilitating Scrum ceremonies. Perfect for career transitions from waterfall to agile PM.

1-2 weeks after training 85% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsintermediate

Salesforce Certified Administrator

Salesforce

Foundational Salesforce certification for administrators. High demand career with average salary $85,000-$120,000 in the US. Gateway to Salesforce ecosystem with 20+ additional certifications.

2-4 months 65% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsentry

ITIL 4 Foundation

AXELOS / PeopleCert

Global standard for IT Service Management best practices. Updated to ITIL 4 framework covering digital transformation, agile, and DevOps. Common requirement for IT operations roles.

3-4 weeks (20-40 hours) 85% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsintermediate

PRINCE2 Foundation

AXELOS / PeopleCert

UK government project management standard used across Europe, Australia, and Middle East. Complementary to PMP - often preferred over PMP in UK/EU markets.

2-4 weeks 97% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsadvanced

Certified Kubernetes Administrator

Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) / Linux Foundation

Hands-on Kubernetes administration certification. Highly technical performance-based exam (not multiple choice). Required for senior DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering roles.

2-4 months hands-on lab practice 55% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsintermediate

HashiCorp Terraform Associate

HashiCorp

Validates Infrastructure as Code (IaC) skills using Terraform - the industry standard for multi-cloud provisioning. Rapidly growing demand in DevOps and cloud engineering roles.

1-2 months 78% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsentry

Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate

Google / Coursera

Career-focused certificate program (not traditional exam). 8-course specialization on Coursera. Recognized by 150+ US employers including Google, Deloitte, Verizon, and Bank of America.

3-6 months (10 hrs/week) 80% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsentry

Google UX Design Professional Certificate

Google / Coursera

7-course UX design specialization by Google. Builds portfolio-ready projects. Recognized by Fortune 500 companies. Perfect for career changers into UX/UI design.

6 months (10 hrs/week) 80% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsentry

Meta Front-End Developer Certificate

Meta / Coursera

9-course specialization by Meta (Facebook parent company). Focuses on React ecosystem. Includes real-world project portfolio and interview preparation resources.

6-8 months (7-10 hrs/week) 78% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsintermediate

IBM Data Science Professional Certificate

IBM / Coursera

12-course data science specialization by IBM. Includes Python, machine learning, and SQL. Certificate recognized by 100+ US employers with strong industry credibility.

6-11 months (8-10 hrs/week) 72% pass rate
IT & Professional Certsexpert

Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Microsoft

Advanced Azure certification requiring AZ-104 prerequisite. Highest-paying Microsoft cert with average salary $153,000+. Required for Azure architect and technical lead roles.

4-6 months 60% pass rate
Graduate Admissionsadvanced

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

International Baccalaureate Organization

Prestigious 2-year pre-university program taught in 5,700+ schools across 160 countries. Highly valued by universities globally, especially for admissions to Ivy League, Oxbridge, and elite Asian universities.

2 years (Grade 11-12) 78% pass rate
Graduate Admissionsadvanced

Cambridge International AS & A Levels

Cambridge Assessment International Education

Widely accepted qualification for university admissions in UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Middle East, and increasingly USA. Taught in 10,000+ schools across 130 countries.

2 years 90% pass rate
Graduate Admissionsintermediate

Advanced Placement (AP) Exams

College Board

College-level exams taken by high school students. Recognized for university credit at 3,000+ US colleges and 600+ universities globally. 38 subjects available.

1 year per subject 65% pass rate
Graduate Admissionsintermediate

SAT & ACT International Alternatives

College Board & ACT Inc.

International administration of US-based college entrance exams. Popular among international students applying to US universities or those in international schools with US curriculum.

3-6 months 65% pass rate