Education in Mexico: school levels, EXANI and the way into university

In short

Mexico has one of the largest education systems in Latin America, directed at national level by the Secretaria de Educacion Publica, called SEP. Basic education and upper secondary education are compulsory. Entry to universities is decided in several ways: some institutions run their own selection exams, and many use a standardised test called EXANI-II.

School levels

Basic education covers three years of preescolar, six years of primaria and three years of secundaria. Upper secondary, called educacion media superior or bachillerato, normally lasts three years and became compulsory by constitutional reform. It includes the general bachillerato, technological bachillerato and professional technical programmes, and it is offered by public subsystems such as those of UNAM, the Instituto Politecnico Nacional and state colleges as well as by private schools. Higher education includes licenciatura degrees, usually of four years, followed by postgraduate programmes. The school year in public schools begins in late August and finishes in July.

Entering upper secondary and university

In large metropolitan areas, places in public upper secondary schools have been distributed through shared selection processes, and their names and rules have changed over the years, so families should check the call for the current year.

For university, the main routes are:

• UNAM: the National Autonomous University of Mexico selects through a competitive exam called the concurso de seleccion. Students who completed the UNAM bachillerato may enter by the pase reglamentado under conditions of marks and time.
• Instituto Politecnico Nacional: it has its own admission exam, mainly for engineering and sciences.
• EXANI-II: the Examen Nacional de Ingreso a la Educacion Superior, produced by CENEVAL, the national centre for evaluation of higher education. It measures reading, mathematics and other skills, and many public and private universities use it.
• Private universities: many use their own tests, or their own versions of aptitude exams, with interviews.

Applicants usually register online, pay a fee and receive an exam date and venue. Results are published by list.

National professional exams

• ENARM: the Examen Nacional de Aspirantes a Residencias Medicas, taken by doctors who want a place in a medical specialty in the public sector.
• EGEL: general exit exams of CENEVAL for graduates in many degrees, which some universities treat as an option for titulacion.
• EXANI-III: the postgraduate admission test of CENEVAL.

Because rules and formats are updated, read the current guide of each organiser before registering.

Studying in Mexico

Spanish is the language of instruction, and the country recognises many indigenous languages, including Nahuatl and Maya, with bilingual schools in some regions. Mexican universities are concentrated in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, though state universities exist in all of the federal entities. Foreign students need documents validated by SEP and a student visa when they come from abroad.

A study plan that suits the Mexican route:

1. Find out which exam your target institution uses, because a student for UNAM and a student for a private university prepare differently.
2. Order your practice by area: verbal comprehension, mathematical thinking and the subject modules of the guide.
3. Solve a timed reading set every week, since long passages are a typical source of lost time.
4. Revise algebra, functions and geometry in the order of the published guide, and keep a notebook of formulas.
5. Reserve the last fortnight for complete simulations, resting on the day before the exam.

Practice in English helps for programmes that teach part of the curriculum in English, and for exchange programmes with universities abroad.

Preparing with GetMyMockTest

GetMyMockTest offers free practice for the exams below. Check the official format with each organiser.

• EXANI-II and UNAM: practice questions in Spanish on mathematical thinking, analytical thinking, language structure and reading comprehension.
• IPN admission exam: practice questions in Spanish on mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and the history of Mexico, with five timed tests and flashcards.
• Mexican general knowledge: questions on the history, geography, culture and nature of Mexico.
• IELTS, TOEFL, SAT and GRE: free English-language practice for students who plan to study abroad or follow an international curriculum.

Every question, explanation, mock test and flashcard deck is free.