UNAM's Replacement Entrance Exam and the Race to Publish Results

Mexico's National Autonomous University (UNAM) is in the middle of a replacement entrance-exam process for the 2026-2027 academic year after the university concluded that the original online assessment had been compromised by artificial-intelligence tools and other cheating methods. The new control exam is being taken in person on offline computers under permanent supervision, with 120 questions and a three-hour limit.

The first sitting closed in León, Guanajuato, on the evening of 12 August with 501 candidates, according to UNAM figures. Applicants from Aguascalientes, Durango, Nayarit, Guanajuato, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Michoacán, Colima, Jalisco and Zacatecas attended that site. Further sessions are scheduled in León on 13 August, Oaxaca on 13 August, and Tijuana, Baja California, on 16 August, with morning, afternoon and evening shifts.

UNAM has not formally announced the results date, but the delayed start of classes for incoming bachelor's students makes a late-August release almost certain. Sources at the university told El Financiero that results should be published "at the end of this month"; the 2026-2027/1 term is expected to begin on 31 August.

The university's General Directorate of Educational Guidance and Attention has confirmed that places will be assigned as in previous years: from the highest score downward, until each course and study mode's available places are filled.

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What the Retake Process Means for UNAM and Its Applicants

Why UNAM Replaced the Exam

The retake is not a routine revision. UNAM said a committee found that cheating occurred in the first online process through AI tools and other methods. That forced the university to abandon the original results and create an in-person, offline test. The stakes are institutional: if UNAM cannot convince students and families that admission is earned, it risks damaging the credibility of Mexico's most important public university.

How Score-Based Allocation Raises the Stakes

Because places are assigned from the highest score down, a single retake replaces the prior selection entirely. That means candidates who may have succeeded in the first process have no guarantee of the same outcome, and candidates who performed poorly get a fresh chance. It also makes the timing pressure heavier: UNAM must process scores, allocate places and notify students in time for a term that starts around 31 August.

The Geography Problem

The new exam imposes real travel burdens. Applicants have been sent to centralized sites such as León, Oaxaca and Tijuana, drawing complaints from students who must travel far from home or sit the exam again. UNAM has tried to manage this with multiple shifts and continued online booking through its "Tu Sitio" portal, but the logistics add cost and stress for families during a compressed calendar.

What Students and Families Should Do Before Results Arrive

  • If you have not yet booked, reserve your session on UNAM's "Tu Sitio" portal before the day prior to your city's test date; UNAM keeps the portal open until then.
  • Arrive at least one hour before your assigned shift. UNAM runs registration in strict blocks, such as 09:00-12:00, 13:00-16:00 and 17:00-20:00 in León, and late candidates risk missing their session.
  • Bring only your official identification and a copy of your appointment; UNAM enforces the convocatoria's list of prohibited items under in-person supervision.
  • Send any questions to [email protected], the address UNAM has designated for doubts about the control exam.
  • Keep the final week of August free. UNAM has not fixed a release date, but classes are due to start on 31 August, so results and seat assignments must be announced before then.