Full Breakdown
UNAM Suspends Enrollment After Online Entrance Exam Marred by AI Cheating Allegations
8/3/2026, 11:08:24 AM
Core Event: Massive Test Invalidations and Enrollment Freeze
In May-June 2026 UNAM held its undergraduate admissions exam online for the first time. The university then suspended enrollment for the semester beginning August 10 while it investigates suspected cheating and prepares a control, in-person exam for all applicants who had passed this year or in the prior five years (about 58,000 candidates).
Background & Context
UNAM, founded in the 16th century and granted autonomy in 1929, is Mexico’s largest public university. Each year more than 100,000 applicants compete for roughly 21,962 spots, especially in medicine and law. The online format was promoted to reduce travel costs and broaden access.
Timeline
- May–June 2026: Online entrance exam administered nationwide.
- July 2026: UNAM announces ~3,000 tests are invalidated.
- July 28 2026: Mothers of applicants protest at the UNAM Rectory in Mexico City.
- August 10 2026: Scheduled start of the new semester; enrollment remains suspended.
- Friday (date not specified): UNAM receives the technical commission’s findings and orders a control exam for ~58,000 applicants; dates and locations are pending.
Data & Statistics
- Candidates: Reports vary between 150,000, 158,000, and an expected 40,000 for the re-exam.
- Spots: 21,962 undergraduate places.
- Invalidated tests: About 2 % (?3,000 exams).
- Perfect scores: Tripled compared with previous years, according to the technical commission.
- Control exam pool: Roughly 58,000 applicants who met the passing threshold.
Official Statements & Responses
President Claudia Sheinbaum, a UNAM physics graduate, urged involvement of the attorney general. UNAM Rector Leonardo Lomelí called for “ethical behavior” and announced the forthcoming in-person control exam, emphasizing support for students who prepared honestly. The technical commission, represented by Alma Maldonado, noted the surge in perfect scores and simultaneous rise in zero-score results, saying it “raises a lot of suspicion.” Territorium Life, the platform provider, said it “operated as planned” and that integrity depends on both technological and academic security.
Criticism & Opposition
Applicants complained that AI-driven surveillance relied too heavily on automated monitoring with limited human oversight. Viral TikTok videos claimed to show ways to bypass the system, and Daniel Flores Miranda said an acquaintance offered a program to solve the exam for 2,500 pesos (?US$150), which he declined.
On-the-Ground Reports
On July 28 mothers gathered outside the UNAM Rectory with protest signs, demanding transparency after the university disclosed irregularities in the online process.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on total candidates: CNN cites “more than 150,000,” Vietnam reports “over 158,000,” while Gazette mentions “at least 40,000” expected for the re-exam. The university has not released specific dates or locations for the control exam, and it remains unclear how many invalidated tests involved AI tools versus other misconduct.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It’s really shocking because of the number of students who got a perfect score on the exam, something we hadn’t seen before; the number has tripled compared to previous years,” — Alma Maldonado
- “The university must stand with those who studied, who prepared and who sought the entrance exams to access higher education,” — Leonardo Lomelí
What’s Next
UNAM plans to hold an in-person control exam for the roughly 58,000 applicants who met the passing threshold, with the technical commission recommending it be administered “as soon as possible” to minimize disruption to the August semester. No specific dates or venues have been announced.
