Easiest Degrees to Pass in India: What You Should Know

• DATE: 17 07 25
• BY: Neel Patel

Think scoring a college degree in India is always a grind? You’d be surprised at how many people slip through with a degree without pulling all-nighters or having panic attacks about semester exams. Some degrees are widely seen as easier to pass than others, which is probably why the question keeps coming up everywhere you go on campus or student forums. But the answer? It’s less obvious than you’d think, especially once you factor in regional variations, the state you’re studying in, the university’s policies, and even the crazy ways some colleges set their question papers. Still, there are obvious trends and some pretty hilarious (and sometimes eye-opening) facts about the path of least resistance in higher education in India.

Why Some Degrees Are Considered Easier in India

Before you imagine a list of courses where you can just sleepwalk your way to a degree, let’s break down the logic. Degree ‘difficulty’ isn’t always about the subject. Sometimes, it’s how that subject gets taught, how exams are set, and what universities really expect from you. For example, certain arts degrees are packed with theory and don’t involve much math or science—think Bachelor of Arts (BA) programmes in History, Political Science, or Hindi Literature. Here, if you have basic writing skills and a fair memory, you’re halfway done. But the main reason these are seen as easy? The pass percentage is usually higher. There’s a little-known 2022 survey from the Association of Indian Universities that found BA students had a pass percentage of about 78% nationally, compared to 67% in BSc courses and 59% in BTech. That’s not just coincidence.

Of course, there are many other factors. Take exam style: objective-type questions are generally easier to pass than all-essay exams. Colleges with more lenient checking (or teachers known for giving marks generously) create legendary talk on campus. And then there’s the actual content—certain degrees don’t require advanced lab work, don’t have a practical component, and allow even average students to make study notes, memorize, and breeze through exams. Yet, let’s not kid ourselves: what’s easy for one person isn’t always easy for another. If you can’t stand mugging up facts or historical dates, even BA History can be a nightmare. Still, from a national stats perspective, arts and social sciences usually take the win for ‘simplest’ to pass.

The Most Popular Degrees with High Pass Rates

So, which degrees top the list when it comes to ease of passing? Here are names you’ll spot again and again on online threads and in casual conversation on Indian campuses:

• BA (Bachelor of Arts): Particularly in subjects like Hindi, History, Political Science, and even Philosophy. Simple curriculum, straightforward exams, loads of previous years’ question papers to work with.
• B.Com (Bachelor of Commerce): Once feared for endless ledgers and accounts, B.Com now has most papers structured around theory with basic-level sums. Practical portions are limited unless you pick specializations like honours in Accountancy.
• BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration): A favorite for those who dislike pure mathematics. Exams are usually case-study based. Many private colleges offer BBA with generous attendance and marks distribution, making it a safe bet for easy passing.
• Certificate and Diploma Courses: These are not degrees, but included for context. They’re usually short, skills-based, and designed with job-readiness in mind. Examples: Digital Marketing, Fashion Design, or Office Management.

BSc, BTech, MBBS, and other science and technical degrees? Notorious for lower pass rates. Here’s a quick comparison from the 2022-23 academic year, based on graduation data from Delhi University and a few other large universities:

Notice how easy degrees in India—mostly BA and BCom—clearly score higher on pass percentages. But while numbers tell a story, the reality in classrooms can be a bit more nuanced. Some colleges go out of their way to help the weakest students, conducting remedial classes or offering grace marks, especially in rural colleges where dropout rates are high.

What Makes a Degree Easy or Hard? It’s Not What You Think

A big myth: you pick a subject with zero math and suddenly your life is sorted. It rarely works that way. What really matters is the teaching pace, quality of notes you can get, accessibility of past question papers, and sometimes, even the strictness of the invigilators during exams. In BA Hindi or Political Science, teachers often outline ‘important’ questions ahead of the exam. If you’ve ever hung around Indian college corridors two weeks before finals, you’ve probably seen throngs of students clutching ‘guess papers’ like their lives depend on it. These strategies matter more than the actual content of the subject itself.

Peer pressure—yes, it exists. Some students purposely pick courses with reputations for easy grading, especially if they want to focus on govt job coaching or plan to prepare for exams like SSC or UPSC on the side. BA opens up time like nothing else. Compare that to a BSc where you’ve got practicals, assignments, viva-voce, and an army of attendance requirements. Even a routine like “internal assessment” can be a nightmare for science students, while for arts or commerce, it might simply mean submitting a project on time.

Another overlooked factor: university vs. autonomous college vs. open university. IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University), for example, is legendary for allowing students long intervals between assignments, easy-to-navigate syllabi, and predictable question formats. This makes their BA, BCom, and other similar degrees much less stressful, especially for students juggling work or family duties. But try that approach in a top-tier engineering school—good luck cruising by on minimum effort.

Sneaky Tips to Pass Effortlessly—But Ethically

If you’re looking for a secret recipe, the honest answer is—there is none. But, a few habits and tips do make a world of difference:

• Past question papers are gold. Don’t just save them—solve them, multiple times. Most Indian universities recycle questions heavily, especially in arts and commerce.
• Look for summary notes. The plain truth: you almost never need to read the whole book cover to cover. Seniors or coaching notes that condense essentials can save hundreds of hours.
• For the theory-heavy courses, develop a knack for writing to the point—not long stories, just clear answers that mention keywords (“social contract,” “globalization,” “Mughal architecture”—you get the picture).
• If you’re bad at memorizing, try visual memory hacks. Picture maps, flowcharts, or even attaching sticky notes all over your room with dates or important names. Your mom might complain about the mess, but it works.
• Engage in group study, but don’t let it become a gossip session. Explaining answers aloud to a friend reinforces memory like nothing else.
• Leverage internal marks. Sometimes half your final grade is in assignments or presentations. Put effort here—it’s more forgiving than the main written exam.
• Time management is underrated. Most BA and BCom courses have long write-ups, so practice mock exams for speed.

And one more thing: don’t fall for the trap of paid guides and ready-made assignments. Colleges have gotten smarter about plagiarism. Stick to trusted sources for notes and always use your own words, especially for essays.

Hidden Downsides of Picking the ‘Easy’ Degree Route

Now here’s something people rarely talk about: while passing an easy degree course is tempting, there’s another side to the coin. Easy to pass doesn’t always mean easy to get a job. Employers know which courses are light on rigor. A BA or BCom degree without extra skills or certificates—like MS Office, spoken English, or tally software—often lands CVs at the bottom of the pile, especially in crowded job markets. It’s no secret that India produces millions of arts and commerce graduates every year (as per UGC stats, over 27 lakh BA graduates in 2023 alone), but only a fraction ends up with well-paying jobs straight after college.

The competition is wild. That’s why you’ll spot a large number of BA and BCom grads prepping for competitive exams, enrolling in diploma add-ons, or jumping into side gigs (like tutoring or content writing) to pick up marketable skills. Even inside college, the more well-known institutions tend to push students to take up internships, soft skills workshops, and short-term certificate courses—just to stand out in the job market. If you want proof, visit a campus placement cell at a decent arts college. Early recruiters ask not just about marksheets, but about extra-curriculars (debates, clubs), internships, and digital skills.

A word of advice: if you’re set on an “easy” degree, pair it with certificates that actually boost your employability. Luckily, digital platforms like Coursera, Skill India, and government e-learning initiatives have made these skills a click away now. That way, the degree serves as a base, not a dead end.