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UNAM to hold in‑person control exam for 2026 admission after cheating scandal
The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) detected multiple irregularities – including cellphone use, external assistance, identity substitution and possible AI‑assisted cheating – during its first fully online admission exam for the 2026 cycle. About 2 % of the roughly 158,727 exams (around 3,000) were cancelled.
The Technical Commission for the Review of the 2026 Admission Process, chaired by Dr. Eduardo Bárzana García, recommended a mandatory in‑person control exam for all applicants who were selected and for those whose scores meet or exceed the historic minimums recorded between 2021 and 2025. Rector Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas said the measure is not a new exam but a verification step to guarantee that admitted students earned their results honestly.
The control exam will be administered promptly, using separate versions, biometric verification and will affect more than 20,000 candidates. It aims to restore equity, transparency and confidence in the admission process. Meanwhile, the Fiscalía General de Justicia de la Ciudad de México opened an investigation into fraud schemes that offered identity‑substitution services for the exam, charging between 10,000 and 26,000 pesos per candidate.
Entities
CENEVAL · Claudia Sheinbaum · Dr. Eduardo Bárzana García · Eduardo Bárzana García · Fiscalía General de Justicia de la Ciudad de México · Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas · National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) · Reginaldo Sandoval · Technical Commission for the Review of the 2026 Admission Process · Technical Commission for the Review of the Admission Process · UNESCO · Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro (UAAAN)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 4 SOURCES] UNAM detected irregularities and suspected use of artificial intelligence in the 2026 admission exam. diario-puntual.com.mx · periodicocorreo.com.mx
- [● 2 SOURCES] UNAM filed a criminal complaint on 3 July alleging fraud and possible AI‑assisted cheating in the exam. diario-puntual.com.mx · periodicocorreo.com.mx
- [● 2 SOURCES] UNAM cancelled 3,174 exams, about two percent of the total, after detecting irregularities in the 2026 online admission exam. diario-puntual.com.mx · periodicocorreo.com.mx
- [● 2 SOURCES] Approximately 158,713 candidates took the exam, with about 22,000 receiving passing scores that are under review. diario-puntual.com.mx · periodicocorreo.com.mx
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Mexico City Attorney General’s Office opened a criminal investigation into persons and companies offering cheating services for the exam. diario-puntual.com.mx · periodicocorreo.com.mx
- [● 2 SOURCES] The College of Directors of UNAM publicly supported Rector Leonardo Lomelí and the technical commission.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] UNESCO warned that rapid development of generative AI outpaces institutions' ability to adapt assessment systems. udgtv.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] A 16‑member technical commission was created to review the 2026 admission exam process. udgtv.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] About 3,000 of the 191,000 UNAM applicants were suspected of cheating in the online exam. impacto.mx
- [● 2 SOURCES] UNAM suspended registrations for the 2026‑2027 cycle and created a technical commission to review the admission process. canal44.com · www.excelsior.com.mx
- [● 2 SOURCES] UNAM conducted its first fully online admission exam for licenciatura in May‑June 2026 using AI webcam monitoring. impacto.mx · www.excelsior.com.mx
- [○ 1 SOURCE] UNAM admission data: 158,712 applicants; 21,962 places (43.8 %) via selection exam; 28,151 places (56.2 %) via regulated pass; overall acceptance rate about 13.8 %. www.excelsior.com.mx