The National Autonomous University of Mexico will re-administer entry exams following the mass cheating scandal
Candidates who earned a high enough score to be admitted will now be required to take an in-person "verification exam," said University President Eduardo Lomelí.
Mothers protest the UNAM entrance exam
The largest university in Mexico announced on Friday an additional exam for admitted applicants in order to rule out fraud following irregularities detected in the results of the original test.
The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) administered the admissions exam online for the first time and ordered an investigation into the unusually high performance rates in programs such as medicine.
Candidates who scored high enough to be admitted will now be required to take an in-person "verification exam," said Rector Eduardo Lomelí.
Unusually high performance
An analysis by a commission investigating the irregularities showed that the percentage of candidates who answered 100 or more questions correctly on the test rose from an average of 3.5% over the previous five years to 16.3% in this year's exam.
The result fueled suspicions of artificial intelligence (AI) use, although the commission did not reach a conclusion.
"They're standing up for those of us who actually studied," dental surgery candidate Dana Romero told AFP, applauding the decision.
The call also extends to candidates who may not have been selected due to irregularities.
Ensuring equitable access
Hours later, UNAM announced the appointment of dentist and academic Javier de la Fuente as its new secretary general to replace Patricia Dávila, who "submitted her resignation."
The exam was taken with a camera and microphone turned on. A proctor could ask the student to pan the camera around the room to verify that there was no cheating, according to an AFP journalist who took the exam. The university also used AI to monitor the applicants.
UNAM is Mexico's most prestigious university
UNAM is Mexico's most prestigious university.
Cybersecurity consultant Darío Vargas stated that "the platforms were not prepared" for an exam with nearly 159,000 applicants.
He pointed out, for example, that it was possible to circumvent controls by causing intermittent connection issues, generated by downloading large files, and warned of "a lack of logistical and technological preparation for such a massive challenge."
Eduardo Bárzana, chairman of the investigative commission, said that during the exam, identity theft, cell phone use and the presence of people helping the test-takers were detected.
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