AI Exam System Failure Forces 58,000 Students to Retake Test

Earlier this summer, Mexico’s largest university, UNAM, faced a major problem with its entrance exam process. Nearly 160,000 students applied to the school, taking their tests from home for the first time. To prevent cheating, the university used a special browser that locks the computer and AI-powered software that watches students through their webcams. While the goal was to make the process easier and more secure, the outcome was described by many as a disaster.

According to Ars Technica, the trouble began when the exam results were released. The scores were very different from what the university had seen in the past. Between 2021 and 2025, only about 3.5 percent of students scored 100 or more on the 120-question test. This year, that number jumped to 16.3 percent. The difference was even larger for the highest scores. In previous years, less than 1 percent of students scored 110 or higher, but this year, 5.5 percent reached that level. These unusual results led to widespread accusations of cheating.

In response to the confusion, UNAM created a group of experts to investigate what went wrong. This group, which had a very long and formal name, spent time looking at the data and the testing process. After their review, they suggested that the university should hold a new, in-person test, which they called a “control exam.” A control exam is a test used to check the accuracy of previous results. The experts believe this is the only way to make sure the process is fair for all students.

This decision will affect a large number of people. According to Ars Technica, about 58,000 students will now have to take the test again in person. This includes everyone who earned a spot at the university based on the first test, as well as those who reached the minimum scores required for their specific programs since 2021. Because classes are scheduled to start on August 10, the university must move very quickly to organize these new tests. It is currently unclear if the school will choose to delay the start of the school year to give students enough time to prepare.

The university’s leadership has acknowledged the difficulty of this situation. According to Gaceta UNAM, the university’s official news publication, the rector—the head of the university—offered an apology to the students who worked hard and played by the rules. He noted that it is very unfair that these honest students must now prepare for and take the exam a second time. However, the rector explained that the control exam is necessary to provide certainty and guarantee equity, which means making sure everyone has an equal and fair chance to succeed.

This situation highlights the risks of moving traditional, high-stakes exams to remote, AI-supervised platforms. While technology can help monitor students from a distance, it can also create unexpected problems when the system does not work as planned. For the 58,000 students involved, the next few weeks will be a stressful time as they prepare to prove their knowledge once again. The university now faces the difficult task of managing this transition while trying to maintain its reputation for academic excellence. As the school works to fix the situation, many are watching to see how this will affect future entrance exams and the use of AI in education.