Almost every student I have ever met insists their exams are the hardest.
However, there is some true in the perceived increase in difficulty. As a mathematics qualification ages, typical attainment improves due to the quantity of available past papers. The Chief Examiner is expected to respond to this by setting more non-standard questions.
This is one of the reasons why the Awarding Bodies are so eager for qualification reform. They believe the ideal lifespan of a specification is 5 to 7 years and never more than 10.