Prospective students of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) protested in Mexico City against a new required admission control exam.
The demonstration highlights a growing tension between university administration and applicants over the transparency of the selection process. Because the university has not published the specific criteria, dates, or format for this secondary test, students fear their original passing results may be unfairly disregarded.
Demonstrators gathered in front of the Rectoría tower on Insurgentes Avenue on the UNAM campus. The university said the control exam is necessary to verify the integrity of the original admission test [1]. However, the requirement affects approximately 58,000 applicants [2].
This new requirement follows technical failures during the initial testing phase. In May, the university blocked 498 applicants from the system during the online undergraduate admission exam [3]. Other reports said that more than 400 applicants were blocked during that first online session [4].
Reports on the impact of the protest vary. Some sources said the mobilization was peaceful and did not affect nearby roads [5]. Other reports said the applicants blocked Insurgentes Avenue during the demonstration [6].
The protesters are demanding that the university respect the results of the 2026 admission exam, and provide clear guidelines for any further verification steps [6]. The university has not yet released a detailed schedule or a rubric for how the control exam will be graded or how it will influence final admission decisions [1].
“The university said the control exam is necessary to verify the integrity of the original admission test.”
The conflict reflects a systemic struggle to modernize high-stakes testing at one of Latin America's largest universities. By implementing a 'control exam' without transparent criteria after a technical failure that blocked hundreds of users, UNAM has created a credibility gap. This situation suggests that the university's shift toward online testing has outpaced its ability to ensure both technical stability and administrative transparency.
