UNAM suspends admissions after online exam irregularities

UNAM online admission exam technical commission alleged cheating student protests

The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) held its first fully online admission exam for the 2026‑2027 cycle, with roughly 159,000 candidates taking the 120‑question test. An artificial‑intelligence monitoring system flagged atypical behavior, leading the university to cancel about 2 % of the exams and to report unusually high average scores, suggesting possible cheating. In response, UNAM temporarily halted all first‑semester registrations and document‑delivery procedures while a technical commission of 15‑16 experts was installed to audit the platform, the test items and the AI monitoring. President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized that the issue is the university’s responsibility and the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) is maintaining communication with UNAM rector Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas and will provide accompaniment during the review. The Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico criticized the scandal as a “culture of success over truth.” Students, parents and faculty have staged protests at Ciudad Universitaria demanding transparency and a return to in‑person exams. The commission is expected to issue its findings in the coming days, after which UNAM will decide whether to validate the current results, repeat the exam or adopt new safeguards.

Entities: Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico · Claudia Sheinbaum · Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas · Mario Delgado · Ricardo Villanueva · Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) · UNAM · Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[○ 1 SOURCE] The 2024 entrance exam was the first time UNAM administered the admission test online. (UNAM announcement)
[● 2 SOURCES] The technical committee will review both the digital platform and the exam questions (reactivos). (UNAM technical committee announcement)
[DISPUTED] Approximately 2 % of the 158,712 online exams were cancelled due to detected irregularities. (belongs_true)
[● 5 SOURCES] The Secretariat of Public Education has maintained communication with UNAM rector Leonardo Lomelí and will provide accompaniment during the review. (belongs_true)
[● 4 SOURCES] President Claudia Sheinbaum said the resolution of the exam issue is the responsibility of UNAM and offered support from the Secretariat of Public Education. (belongs_true)
[● 8 SOURCES] UNAM suspended the undergraduate admission process and temporarily halted registrations while a technical committee reviews the exam irregularities. (belongs_true)
[● 3 SOURCES] The online admission exam showed an abnormal increase in the average number of correct answers, suggesting possible cheating. (broad)
[● 2 SOURCES] UNAM allocated about 101.7 million pesos to Territorium Life to implement AI monitoring for exam integrity. (belongs_true)
[● 6 SOURCES] A technical commission was created to audit the exam process and platform. (belongs_true)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum urged UNAM to resolve the issue promptly. (Sheinbaum was reported speaking to UNAM leadership about the matter.)
[● 4 SOURCES] Students and parents organized peaceful protests at Ciudad Universitaria demanding transparency and a return to in‑person exams. (belongs_true)
[DISPUTED] The university’s AI monitoring flagged irregularities, leading to cancellation of about 2 % of exams. (UNAM said AI‑based supervision detected anomalies and resulted in exam cancellations.)