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Key Facts: EXANI-I Exam
160
Total multiple-choice items administered on the official EXANI-I (130 scored operational items + 30 diagnostic English)
Ceneval, Guía para el sustentante EXANI-I
4.5 hours
Maximum time allowed in a single testing session
Ceneval, Guía para el sustentante EXANI-I
3 options
Answer choices per question on the official Spanish-language Ceneval instrument (A, B, C)
Ceneval, Guía para el sustentante EXANI-I
No pass/fail
Ceneval reports only the score; each contracting institution sets its own admission criteria
Ceneval, EXANI-I official page
40 items
Pensamiento matemático items, representing the largest operational section of the exam
Ceneval, Guía para el sustentante EXANI-I
0 penalty
Penalty for incorrect answers; score is determined strictly by correct responses
Ceneval, Guía para el sustentante EXANI-I
Ceneval's EXANI-I is Mexico's upper-secondary entrance exam for contracting institutions, with 130 scored items on mathematical thinking, scientific thinking, reading comprehension and indirect writing plus 30 diagnostic English items in up to 4.5 hours.
Sample EXANI-I Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to review concepts for the EXANI-I exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Evaluate the numerical expression following the standard order of operations: 18 - 3 × (4 + 2) + 16 ÷ 4.
2What is the simplified result of the fractional operation: (2/3) + (5/6) - (1/4)?
3A backpack originally priced at $650 MXN is offered with a 20% promotional discount. If an additional 5% discount is applied to the discounted price for paying in cash, what is the final price paid?
4To prepare a concrete mixture, a builder combines cement, sand, and gravel in a ratio of 1 : 2 : 3 by weight. If 180 kg of concrete mixture is required in total, how many kilograms of sand are needed?
5Simplify the algebraic expression by combining like terms: 4x^2 - 3x + 7 - (2x^2 + 5x - 4).
6Solve for x in the linear equation: 3(2x - 5) + 4 = 5(x - 1) - 2.
7At a local cinema, 2 adult tickets and 3 child tickets cost $310 MXN in total. If 3 adult tickets and 1 child ticket cost $290 MXN, what is the price of an adult ticket?
8What are the solutions to the quadratic equation 3x² - x - 2 = 0?
9A rectangular garden has a length that is 5 meters longer than its width. If the total area of the garden is 84 square meters, what is the perimeter of the garden?
10In a right-angled triangle, one of the acute angles measures 34°. What is the measure of the other acute angle?
About the EXANI-I Exam
Independent EXANI-I practice by OpenExamPrep. The EXANI-I (Examen Nacional de Ingreso a la Educación Media Superior) is Mexico's standardized entrance examination for admission into upper-secondary education (bachillerato, preparatoria, CECyTE, and technical high schools), developed and administered by Ceneval. The official instrument consists of 160 multiple-choice items completed in a single session of up to 4.5 hours: 130 operational items across Pensamiento matemático (40), Pensamiento científico (30), Comprensión lectora (30), and Redacción indirecta (30), alongside a 30-item diagnostic English section. Official items use three answer options; Ceneval reports each applicant's score to the contracting institution without a pass/fail result, and each institution sets its own admission criteria. The official exam is administered in Spanish. This study bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation designed for independent review, featuring four options per question; Redacción indirecta questions preserve Spanish sentences to accurately assess Spanish syntax and orthography.
Exam sponsor: Ceneval (Centro Nacional de Evaluación para la Educación Superior, A.C.). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.
Assessment
160 total items: 130 operational scored items across four areas (Pensamiento matemático 40, Pensamiento científico 30, Comprensión lectora 30, Redacción indirecta 30) plus 30 diagnostic English items. Official items feature three options. Approximately 10% uncredited pilot items and two control items are added for test calibration.
Time Limit
Up to 4.5 hours in a single session
Passing Score
No pass/fail result: Ceneval reports each applicant's score (puntaje) to the contracting institution, which sets its own admission criteria
Exam / Certification Fees
Set by the contracting institution or education authority; Ceneval does not offer individual EXANI-I registration
Exam sponsor websiteFees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.
Official sources
- Ceneval — Portal Oficial EXANI-I · Source checked 2026-09-27Official EXANI-I page: 4.5-hour single session, three-option items, 130 scored items plus 30 diagnostic English items, institutional registration only, no calculators, and results reported as a score without pass/fail
- Ceneval — Guía para el sustentante EXANI-I · Source checked 2026-09-27Official candidate guide detailing subareas, content topics, item distribution, sample questions, and administrative guidelines.
- Ceneval — Guía interactiva EXANI-I · Source checked 2026-09-27Official interactive guide with example items for each area
Our practice resources: topics covered
We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.
Pensamiento matemático
40 items: arithmetic operations, algebraic expressions, linear equations, systems of equations, geometry, perimeter, area, volume, and probability and statistics
Pensamiento científico
30 items: physics concepts (kinematics, forces, energy), chemistry (matter, atomic structure, reactions), biology (cells, genetics, ecosystems), and scientific methodology
Comprensión lectora
30 items: reading comprehension across informative, argumentative, and literary texts, focusing on main ideas, inferences, author purpose, and text structure
Redacción indirecta
30 items: Spanish grammatical agreement, syntax, orthography (accentuation, spelling, punctuation), textual cohesion, and register in study and social contexts
Preparing for the EXANI-I Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: No pass/fail result: Ceneval reports each applicant's score (puntaje) to the contracting institution, which sets its own admission criteria
- Assessment: 160 total items: 130 operational scored items across four areas (Pensamiento matemático 40, Pensamiento científico 30, Comprensión lectora 30, Redacción indirecta 30) plus 30 diagnostic English items. Official items feature three options. Approximately 10% uncredited pilot items and two control items are added for test calibration.
- Time limit: Up to 4.5 hours in a single session
- Exam / certification fees: Set by the contracting institution or education authority; Ceneval does not offer individual EXANI-I registration Official sources
Using Our Practice Resources
- Work through all 100 available questions
- Review every answer and explanation
- Track weak areas and revisit them
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
EXANI-I: Suggested Study Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the EXANI-I and who takes it?
The EXANI-I (Examen Nacional de Ingreso a la Educación Media Superior) is a standardized admission exam developed by Ceneval. It is administered to students completing lower-secondary education (secundaria) who are seeking admission into upper-secondary schools (bachilleratos, preparatorias, and technical high schools) across Mexico.
How many questions are on the official EXANI-I and how long is the test?
The official EXANI-I features 160 multiple-choice items administered in a single session lasting up to 4 hours and 30 minutes. Of these, 130 operational items contribute to the global score across four core areas (Pensamiento matemático 40, Pensamiento científico 30, Comprensión lectora 30, Redacción indirecta 30), while 30 English items serve a purely diagnostic role. Ceneval also includes uncredited pilot and control items for calibration.
How is the EXANI-I scored and what is the passing mark?
Each correct answer earns 1 point and wrong or blank answers earn 0; the 30 English items are diagnostic and do not count toward the global score. Ceneval reports the applicant's score to the contracting institution and issues no pass or fail result, so each high school or education authority sets its own admission cutoff.
Are calculators allowed during the EXANI-I?
No. Ceneval's official EXANI-I guide prohibits support materials, calculators, and electronic devices during the examination.
In what formats is the EXANI-I administered?
The exam can be administered in three official modalities depending on the contracting institution: printed paper-and-pencil booklet with an optical answer sheet, computer-based exam in an institutional lab, or remotely through Ceneval's secure 'Examen desde casa' platform.
Is the official exam in Spanish, and why is this practice bank in English?
The official Ceneval EXANI-I is written and administered in Spanish with three answer choices per question. OpenExamPrep publishes this independent practice bank as an English-language MCQ study adaptation for bilingual candidates and learners preparing in English, using four answer options. Questions in the Redacción indirecta section preserve Spanish-language sentences because the underlying skill assessed is Spanish orthography and grammatical syntax.