UNAM expects 37% no-show rate for rescheduled entrance exam

Mexico's National Autonomous University (UNAM) anticipates a significant no-show rate for its rescheduled in-person entrance exam, with an estimated 37% of nearly 59,000 invited students expected to be absent. Rector Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas reported that approximately 30,463 students had taken the exam across four national sites by the eighth of nine scheduled shifts in Mexico City. He projected the final attendance to exceed 36,000, possibly reaching 37,000.

If these projections hold true, around 22,000 invited applicants would have skipped the in-person test, resulting in an attendance rate of about 63% and an absenteeism rate of roughly 37%. This repeat examination was implemented after irregularities were detected in the initial online application, aiming to verify that the scores accurately reflected students' knowledge.

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We would be above 36,000, maybe 37,000 students.

UNAM plans to analyze the control exam results in the coming days and aims to publish the final placement of students before the end of August. Meanwhile, the university is exploring options to expand its higher education admission sites and increase its student enrollment. However, a major obstacle remains: its budget has not seen real growth in over eight years, according to Rector Lomelí Vanegas. Despite nominal increases that match inflation, the university's actual purchasing power has diminished as observed inflation often outpaces predictions.

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The University has made an austerity effort in recent years, important. We have more than eight years in which the budget has not grown in real terms.