An AI-supervised remote exam went so badly that 58,000 students must retake it
Mexico's UNAM university has ordered 58,000 students to retake an entrance exam after AI-powered proctoring software failed to prevent widespread cheating. The decision follows an investigation that revealed a suspicious surge in top-tier scores compared to previous years.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the significant risks and reliability issues associated with relying on AI-supervised remote testing for high-stakes academic admissions.
retake! An AI-supervised remote exam went so badly that 58,000 students must retake it Top scores increased by 5x.
71 Credit: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Earlier this summer, nearly 160,000 applicants took the entrance exam for UNAM, Mexico’s largest university. For the first time, they did it completely remotely, using a “lockdown” browser and AI-powered webcam proctoring software, over several weeks from late May through early June.
When exam results came in, they bore little resemblance to past results, especially at the top. Between 2021 and 2025, 3.5 percent of test takers scored 100 or more on the 120-question UNAM test. This year, 16.3 percent did so.
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