IPN-UNAM Comprehensive Higher Secondary Education Admission Guide

Institutional Governance and Publication Data

This guide for the assignment exam for the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) is overseen by a comprehensive team of academic authorities. The current leadership at UNAM includes Rector Dr. Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas, General Secretary Dra. Patricia Dolores Dávila Aranda, General Attorney Mtro. Hugo Concha Cantú, and Administrative Secretary Mtro. Tomás Humberto Rubio Pérez. Institutional development is led by Dra. Diana Tamara Martínez Ruiz, with student services under M.I. Fernando Macedo Chagolla. Security and mobility are managed by Dr. Manuel Palma Rangel. Scientific research is coordinated by Dra. María Soledad Funes Argüello, while humanities are under Dr. Miguel Armando López Leyva. Gender equality is led by Dra. Norma Blazquez Graf and cultural dissemination by Dra. Rosa Beltrán Álvarez.

The specific Coordination for Evaluation, Innovation, and Educational Development (CEIDE) is led by Dr. Melchor Sánchez Mendiola, with the Direction of Educational Evaluation under Lic. Enrique R. Buzo Casanova. Contributors to this specific 2025 guide include Elibidú Ortega Sánchez, María Abigail Valenzuela González, Adriana Durán Luna, and Luz María García Cruz, with cover design by Julián Cruz Cruz. The first edition was published on November 3, 2025, with rights held by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Introduction to the Educational Assignment Process

Admission to higher secondary education (bachillerato) at IPN and UNAM is strictly determined by individual performance on an online examination. The possibility of a favorable outcome depends entirely on the candidate's knowledge and rigorous preparation. This guide serves as a multifaceted preparation tool divided into six key areas: aspects to consider, fundamental themes, study strategies, multiple-choice resolution tactics, a practice exam, and technical recommendations.

Crucially, both institutions declare that they have no agreements with private organizations or individuals offering preparation courses. Any claims in advertisements or social media suggesting a "guaranteed entry" or external support are categorically false. Admission is only possible through the official assignment process based on merit and exam scoring.

Technical Parameters of the Online Examination

The online examination is a high-stakes assessment that must be completed under specific conditions:

Schedule and Duration: The exam must be taken exactly at the date and time specified on the Exam Appointment (Cita de Examen / Documento B). Candidates have a maximum of $3$ effective hours to answer the test.
Structure: The exam consists of exactly $128$ multiple-choice questions. These questions are distributed across various academic subjects including languages, mathematics, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Results: The "Electronic Results Gazette" (Gaceta Electrónica de Resultados) is the only official source of information regarding assignment status. Results are published at the portal https://miderechomilugar.gob.mx/.
Informational Diagnostic: Following the official results, candidates can access a diagnostic report on the IPN-UNAM portal using their folio number and date of birth, though this report has no official validity for the admission process.

Fundamental Themes: Languages and Verbal Ability

The evaluation covers comprehensive skills in the Spanish language and verbal reasoning. Candidates must master information retrieval, including the characteristics of bibliographic cards. Text organization is evaluated through graphic components like titles, subtitles, indices, tables, graphs, and formatting such as underlining and sidebars.

Cohesion and Coherence: Candidates must demonstrate precision in Subject-Predicate agreement and the use of connectors:

Introductory Connectors: "además" (furthermore), "por ejemplo" (for example), "en primer lugar" (firstly), "finalmente" (finally).
Temporal Connectors: "luego" (then), "después" (after), "primero" (first), "antes" (before).
Argumentative Connectors: "pero" (but), "aunque" (although), "sin embargo" (however), "a pesar de" (despite).
Hierarchy Connectors: "la razón más importante" (the most important reason), "otra razón por la que" (another reason for).

Verbal Ability: This goes beyond grammar to include reading comprehension, which requires:

Recognizing explicit information and inferring implicit facts.
Identifying main ideas and distinguishing between facts and opinions.
Establishing analogies between words and distinguishing synonyms and antonyms according to semantic fields.

Fundamental Themes: Mathematics and Mathematical Ability

Mathematics is a core component covering numerical systems, algebra, geometry, and statistics.

Number Systems and Algebra:

Basic operations with integers, fractions, and decimals, including percentages, powers, and roots.
Algebraic expressions and the use of literals.
Linear equations of the first degree and systems of two equations with two unknowns.
Quadratic equations, factoring, and products like notable products.
Direct proportionality and its representation on the Cartesian plane.

Geometry and Statistics:

Calculating perimeters, areas, and volumes for various geometric bodies.
Application of the Pythagorean Theorem and trigonometric ratios.
Statistical analysis involving indices, absolute and relative frequency tables, measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode), and probability sampling notions.

Mathematical Ability: This assesses non-routine sequences such as numerical successions, spatial series (visual rotations and patterns), spatial imagination, and abstract reasoning problems.

Fundamental Themes: Natural Sciences (Biology, Physics, Chemistry)

Biology:

Evolutionary biology based on Darwin's contributions, specifically adaptation and natural selection.
Cellular biology focusing on cellular respiration (aerobic/anaerobic) and photosynthesis as the basis of the food chain.
Human health: balanced diets, disease prevention, and reproductive health (mitosis/meiosis and contraception).
Genetics: phenotype, genotype, chromosomes, and the ethics of genetic manipulation.

Physics:

Description of motion: speed, velocity, acceleration, and position-time graphs.
Forces and Newton's Laws of motion, including the Universal Law of Gravitation.
Energy: conservation of mechanical energy, heat versus temperature, and Kinetic Molecular Theory.
Electromagnetism: electrical charges, magnetism, and wave movement (refraction, wavelength, and frequency).

Chemistry:

Material properties (physical and chemical changes) and separation methods.
Atomic structure: protons, electrons, neutrons, atomic number, and mass number.
Chemical bonding and Lewis structures.
Chemical reactions: balancing equations, the mole concept ( $mol$ ), acids and bases, and redox (reduction-oxidation) reactions.

Fundamental Themes: Ethics, Nature, and Society

History:

Global history from the 16th century to modern times, including the Enlightenment, French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, and both World Wars.
National History: Pre-Hispanic cultures, Colonial New Spain, Independence (1810-1821), the Reform period, the Porfiriato, the Mexican Revolution (1910), and the transition into a globalized Mexico under Neoliberalism and NAFTA (TLC).

Geography:

Mapping: coordinates (latitude, longitude, altitude), time zones (husos horarios), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Physical Geography: plate tectonics, climate classification, biodiversity, and sustainable development.
Human Geography: population growth, urban vs. rural migration, and global/local economic regions (central vs. peripheral countries based on the Human Development Index).

Civics and Ethics:

Human nature, moral autonomy, and individual conscience.
Human Rights: dignity, autonomy, and social justice as outlined in the Mexican Constitution.
Democratic principles: division of powers, citizen responsibilities, and the social function of media.

Effective Study Methodologies and Strategies

Studying is defined not merely as memorizing but as analyzing and understanding. Effective strategies include:

Planning: Creating a calendar that accounts for the remaining days before the exam, the specific hours available per day, and allocating more time to weaker subjects identified in self-diagnostics.
Active Reading: Searching for unknown words in dictionaries, underlining key points, and verifying comprehension after every paragraph.
Graphic Organizers: * Synoptic Charts: These use "keys" (llaves) to organize concepts from general to specific. For example, in "Cellular Nutrition," one would branch from "Endocytosis" into "Phagocytosis" and "Pinocytosis." * Cause-Consequence Charts: Useful for history (e.g., how excess spending in the French court led to the French Revolution and subsequent mass political power for the bourgeoisie). * Comparative Tables: Analyzing differences, such as comparing the Sierra Madre Occidental (volcanic rock, mining resources) with the Sierra Madre Oriental (sedimentary rock, limestone caves). * Summaries and Timelines: Synthesizing complex texts on subjects like "Personhood" or chronological events in World Wars.

Note-Taking: Writing personal interpretations in the margins of study materials to link concepts.

Quantitative Problem-Solving Methodology

A rigorous approach for Math, Physics, and Chemistry involves:

Careful Reading: Reviewing the problem at least twice to identify variables and the target question.
Schematic Representation: Drawing diagrams or representing values with letters (e.g., $x, y$ ).
Procedure Selection: Identifying the specific mathematical method required.
Verification: Checking the result against the original problem constraints.

Example Case (Substitution Method): Given a system: $x + y = 15$ (Equation 1) $2x - y = 9$ (Equation 2) From Equation 1, isolate $y$ : $y = 15 - x$ (Equation 3). Substitute into Equation 2: $2x - (15 - x) = 9$ $3x = 24$ $x = 8$ Substitute back to find $y = 7$ . Verification: $8 + 7 = 15$ and $double(8) - 9 = 7$ .

Tactics for Multiple Choice Examinations

The guide identifies specific item types that require unique strategies:

Reading Comprehension: Answering based strictly on the text provided (e.g., Analyzing José Ortega y Gasset’s "El alpe y la sierra" to understand how the Sierra forms a luminous sculpture unlike the unyielding Mass of the Alps).
Analogies: Identifying relationships of degree or category (e.g., DOG - PACK is analogous to PERSON - PEOPLE).
Sentence Completion: Filling in historical or scientific facts (e.g., Mexico made trade deals with England and the USA post-Independence).
Hierarchization: Ordering events (e.g., following the logical progression of "La Oveja Negra" story).
Column Matching: Linking types of mixtures (Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous) with examples (Air vs. Granite).
Sequences: Identifying patterns in numbers (3, 5, 9, 17, 33, 65, and the next number is 129) or spatial movements (rotations and additions of features).

Technical Protocol for the Online Exam Day

To ensure a valid application, candidates must fulfill strict environmental and hardware requirements:

Essential Software: Candidates must download and install the Lockdown Browser (safe browser) on their computer ahead of time as instructed in Document B.
Mandatory Simulation: Candidates must participate in a practice simulation to test the webcam, microphone, and internet connectivity.
Prohibited Devices: Tablets, cell phones, calculators, and smartwatches are strictly forbidden. Only a PC or laptop with Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is permitted.
Proctored Environment: The room must be quiet, isolated, and free of secondary images (pictures of people or dolls) as the Artificial Intelligence will flag these as potential companions. Lighting should be in front of the face to prevent backlighting (contraluz).
Permitted Materials: Candidates may have two blank white sheets, a pencil, an eraser, and a sharpener.
Identity Checks: During the exam, the platform will randomly require the candidate to perform a visual scan of the room surroundings using the webcam.
Test Strategy: Questions are scored by correct answers only; there is no penalty for guessing. All questions have equal value, so it is recommended to answer easier questions first to secure points and then address difficult items.