UNAM orders 58,000 to retake AI-proctored exam

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By NewSunSEO August 4, 2026

Mexico’s largest university is requiring roughly 58,000 applicants to retake its entrance examination in person after this year’s first fully remote, AI-proctored version produced a fivefold surge in top scores, fueling accusations of widespread cheating. UNAM’s administration has apologized to honest applicants and will administer a new “control exam” in official rooms under human supervision before classes begin on August 10.

What happened with the 2026 UNAM entrance exam?

Nearly 160,000 applicants sat for the UNAM undergraduate selection exam from late May through early June 2026, the first time the test was administered entirely online. Students installed a lockdown browser from Respondus and were monitored by Territorium’s AI webcam proctoring, with one human supervisor assigned per 150 test-takers.

Results showed a distribution that looked nothing like previous years. Between 2021 and 2025, 3.5 percent of test takers scored 100 or more on the 120-question exam; in 2026, 16.3 percent did. At the very top, the gap widened further: 0.9 percent had scored 110 or more in 2021-2025, compared with 5.5 percent in 2026.

Why is UNAM ordering a retest?

An expert commission convened by the university concluded that the anomalies were severe enough to warrant a fresh in-person test for everyone whose admission could have hinged on the disputed results. The commission’s recommendations, reported by Gaceta UNAM, affect not only applicants who gained a spot in 2026 but also anyone who would have been admitted based on minimum successful scores in their program since 2021.

The university’s rector has publicly apologized to applicants who followed the rules and now face a second exam. The retest is “necessary to give certainty and guarantee equity in access,” the rector said.

What security measures failed?

The exam used two main safeguards. Respondus LockDown Browser blocks printing, copying, switching to other web addresses, accessing other applications, web searches, instant messaging, and minimizing the browser during the test.

Territorium’s AI proctoring ran in the background, watching each webcam for signs of impersonation, phone or earphone use, or the applicant leaving the frame. Supervisors could step in when the system flagged irregularities.

UNAM canceled nearly 2 percent of total exams for unspecified conduct issues, indicating the software caught some cases. Beyond that, the safeguards did not hold. UNAM itself acknowledged “the probability that a significant number of applicants may have received help” on the test. AI expert Raúl Rojas told NPR that statistical modeling suggested “almost half of the students were cheating when taking the exam online.”

What kinds of cheating are suspected?

The exam was multiple choice, so the usual red flags of AI-generated cheating, such as polished essays appearing instantly in text boxes, were not available. Investigators have pointed to more traditional methods, including leaked questions, cheat sheets, hidden earphones, and proxy test-takers sitting off-camera.

Online accounts circulated tips before the tests went live, advising students to position monitors outside the webcam frame where they could access ChatGPT or other AI models, hide earphones under their hair, or hire someone else to take the exam out of view of the camera.

What happens next for UNAM applicants?

About 58,000 applicants will retake the exam in person, watched by human proctors, before the scheduled August 10 start of classes. Details of the control exam, including dates and logistics, are expected to be released soon. The university retains the option of delaying the start of the semester if the schedule proves unworkable.

Placements at UNAM for the 2026-2027 cycle will now depend on the results of the new test.

FAQ

How many UNAM applicants have to retake the exam?

About 58,000 people could be affected, including not only those admitted based on this year’s test but also anyone who would have been admitted based on minimum successful scores in their program since 2021.

Why did the UNAM entrance exam results look so different in 2026?

The share of test takers scoring 100 or more jumped from a 2021-2025 average of 3.5 percent to 16.3 percent, and the share scoring 110 or more rose from 0.9 percent to 5.5 percent. UNAM acknowledged the probability that a significant number of applicants received help, and an AI expert told NPR that statistical modeling suggested almost half of the students cheated.

Will the retest be in person?

Yes. UNAM’s expert commission recommended an in-person “control exam” to restore certainty and equity in the admissions process, with human proctors supervising the new test.