One of the largest universities in Latin America will ask thousands of applicants to retake its undergraduate entrance exam after a switch to remote testing produced far higher scores than normal.
The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has opened an investigation into the latest entry tests, held in May and June, after 16.3 per cent of candidates scored 100 points or more.
Between 2021 and 2025, an average of just 3.5 per cent of those sitting the exam achieved such a result.
Especially suspicious scores were recorded in applications for the most competitive of programmes – such as law and medicine.
This year, for the first time, candidates had been permitted to take the exam remotely, as long as they turned on their device’s microphone and camera to show that they were alone in their room. Administrators also made use of an AI detection tool, intended to protect against academic wrongdoing.
