Mexico’s largest university has announced that thousands of applicants must retake their entrance exams. Specifically, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) declared that its admissions exams will be repeated after an unusually high number of strong performances raised suspicions of cheating. The measure affects approximately 58,000 prospective students.
Mexico: Repeat entrance exams to be held in person
The exceptionally high scores triggered a major scandal in Mexico, with President Sheinbaum stating that the attorney general must investigate the matter. It is worth noting that approximately 158,000 students took part in UNAM’s online entrance exams this year, of whom only around 22,000 will ultimately secure a place at the university, according to The Guardian.
The exam, which was conducted online for the first time this year with the assistance of artificial intelligence, will now be repeated in person. Until last year, UNAM’s entrance exams were held exclusively in Mexico City, meaning many applicants had to travel to the capital to sit them.
During the online exam, cameras monitored candidates’ faces and voices to rule out cheating or outside assistance. Nevertheless, the results revealed a dramatic surge in high scores compared to previous years.
A sudden “flood” of high scores
From 2021 to 2025, the proportion of high-performing candidates — those scoring above 100 out of a maximum of 120 — hovered around 3.5%. This year, that figure skyrocketed to 16%. The share of top scorers achieving 110 or above also surged, jumping from 0.9% to 5.5%.
Among candidates applying for Medicine, the percentage of applicants scoring above 100 leapt from 9% last year to 30% this year.
Before the results were officially announced, UNAM revealed it had already disqualified 2% of candidates — approximately 3,200 applicants — after detecting irregularities such as identity fraud, external assistance, and the use of artificial intelligence.
An independent expert further concluded that one in every two tests showed “some issues,” due in part to exam question leaks that occurred in May and June.
