President Claudia Sheinbaum said the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) must investigate potential fraud and irregularities in its online entrance exams.
The situation threatens the integrity of one of Mexico's most prestigious academic institutions. If the results are compromised by cheating or artificial intelligence, the university faces a crisis of legitimacy regarding its student selection process.
Sheinbaum said UNAM must determine whether the tests should be maintained, annulled, or repeated. The irregularities in question concern the entrance exams conducted online during May and June 2026 [1].
Suspicion has grown regarding the use of artificial intelligence and other forms of cheating that may have altered the final scores. Sheinbaum said the university needs to provide a solution to these irregularities to ensure the fairness of the admission process.
Regarding legal repercussions, the president said that UNAM will decide if the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), the federal prosecutor's office, should launch a formal investigation into the matter. This puts the decision to involve federal law enforcement in the hands of the university administration.
"The UNAM must resolve the irregularities of the entrance exam and decide if it maintains, annuls or repeats," Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum said the institution has the primary responsibility to address the discrepancies. "We have to give a solution to the irregularities of the exam," she said.
Because the exams were administered remotely, the university is now scrutinizing the digital footprints and submission patterns to identify fraudulent activity. The administration's decision will affect thousands of applicants waiting for final admission results.
“The UNAM must resolve the irregularities of the entrance exam and decide if it maintains, annuls or repeats.”
This intervention by the presidency underscores the growing tension between traditional academic assessment and the rapid adoption of generative AI. By leaving the decision to the UNAM, Sheinbaum avoids a direct clash with university autonomy while placing public pressure on the institution to modernize its anti-cheating protocols for digital testing.
