UNAM Orders a Second Entrance Exam
On August 6, Mexico's National Autonomous University (UNAM) told about 58,000 prospective students that they must take the admissions test again. The move follows a flawed monitoring system powered by artificial intelligence that failed to stop cheating during the remote exam. This was the first year the university held the entrance test online, drawing nearly 160,000 applicants competing for only about 22,000 places.
Remote Testing Under Fire
To deter fraud, UNAM relied on the LockDown browser and a webcam-based tool called Territorium. Yet the scores raised red flags: over the previous five years, just 0.9% of test-takers had reached 110 points or higher, while this year 5.5% did. A special committee therefore urged a verification test for everyone admitted through the online exam, as well as for candidates whose scores matched the passing mark in any year between 2021 and 2025.
- Around 58,000 applicants—roughly a third of all participants—will now have to retake the test in person.
- Students have protested, demanding fairness instead of reliance on artificial intelligence.
This time, the retest will be conducted offline.
Source: Gizmodo.
The incident highlights how difficult it is for universities to maintain academic integrity when shifting to online learning and remote exams, particularly during a pandemic. It also raises doubts about whether AI-driven proctoring can truly prevent cheating. Institutions may need to rethink their assessment strategies to keep admissions fair and transparent.