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Key Facts: EXANI-III Exam

The EXANI-III is Ceneval's national graduate admission exam: 150 three-option items in Spanish over one 4.5-hour session, of which 120 count toward a global score on the 700-1300 Índice Ceneval scale covering research methodology, reading comprehension, Spanish indirect writing and mathematical thinking.

Sample EXANI-III Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your EXANI-III exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In a quantitative study examining the impact of sleep duration on cognitive performance among graduate students, researchers measure sleep in hours and cognitive performance using a standardized memory test. What type of variable is sleep duration in this study design?
A.Independent variable
B.Dependent variable
C.Confounding variable
D.Moderating variable
Explanation: Sleep duration is the independent variable because it is the antecedent condition or predictor manipulated or observed by researchers to measure its presumed causal effect on cognitive performance.
2A researcher wishes to study academic burnout across five distinct faculties (Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities, Business, and Law) within a university. To ensure proportional representation from each faculty, which sampling method should be used?
A.Stratified random sampling
B.Simple random sampling
C.Cluster sampling
D.Snowball sampling
Explanation: Stratified random sampling divides the target population into homogenous subgroups (strata, such as faculties) and randomly selects participants from each stratum proportionally, ensuring subgroups are adequately represented.
3When assessing a newly designed Likert-scale instrument for measuring research self-efficacy, researchers calculate Cronbach's alpha and obtain a value of 0.88. How should this metric be interpreted?
A.High internal consistency reliability
B.High construct validity
C.Low test-retest stability
D.Absence of measurement error
Explanation: Cronbach's alpha measures internal consistency reliability (how closely related a set of items are as a group). A coefficient of 0.88 is well above the standard threshold of 0.70, indicating strong internal consistency.
4Which of the following research questions is best addressed using a qualitative phenomenological approach?
A.What are the lived experiences of first-generation doctoral students adapting to academic writing requirements?
B.Is there a significant statistical correlation between GRE scores and first-year graduate GPA?
C.What proportion of master's students complete their thesis within two years?
D.Which instructional intervention produces higher test scores in graduate biostatistics?
Explanation: Phenomenology is a qualitative methodology focused on exploring and understanding the essence of human lived experiences regarding a specific phenomenon from the participants' subjective perspectives.
5A study measures student stress levels before and after a mindfulness workshop using a pre-test/post-test design with no control group. Which internal validity threat is most prominent in this design?
A.History threat
B.Selection bias
C.Attrition bias
D.Construct contamination
Explanation: Without a control group, a history threat occurs because external events happening between the pre-test and post-test (e.g., end of exam week) could account for the observed change in stress rather than the mindfulness workshop.
6In hypothesis testing, a researcher rejects the null hypothesis (H0) when it is in fact true. What type of decision error has been committed?
A.Type I error (Alpha error)
B.Type II error (Beta error)
C.Measurement bias error
D.Sampling distribution error
Explanation: A Type I error (false positive) occurs when the researcher incorrectly rejects a true null hypothesis. The probability of committing a Type I error is denoted by alpha, typically set at 0.05.
7A clinical research protocol involves vulnerable participants. According to international bioethical standards (such as the Declaration of Helsinki), which safeguard is mandatory prior to initiating data collection?
A.Written informed consent approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB/CEI)
B.Guaranteed financial compensation for all participants
C.Publication of baseline participant identities in a public database
D.Exemption from data privacy regulations for academic research
Explanation: Ethical research guidelines dictate that research involving human subjects must receive prior review and approval from an Institutional Ethics/Review Board (IRB or CEI in Mexico) and obtain voluntary, informed consent from participants.
8A study tracks the health outcomes of 500 cohort members over a 20-year period, recording measurements every 4 years. How is this temporal research design classified?
A.Longitudinal prospective cohort study
B.Cross-sectional study
C.Retrospective case-control study
D.Sequential experimental trial
Explanation: A longitudinal prospective cohort study follows a group of individuals over time, collecting data at multiple sequential time points into the future to investigate changes and long-term outcomes.
9In qualitative data analysis using grounded theory, what is the initial phase of coding where raw data (transcripts) are broken down into discrete parts, closely examined, and labeled?
A.Open coding
B.Axial coding
C.Selective coding
D.Theoretical saturation
Explanation: In grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin), open coding is the foundational analytical process of identifying, naming, categorizing, and describing phenomena found in the text data line by line.
10A research team conducts a mixed-methods study where quantitative survey data collection is followed by qualitative interviews to explain and elaborate upon the quantitative findings. Which mixed-methods design is being implemented?
A.Explanatory sequential design
B.Exploratory sequential design
C.Convergent parallel design
D.Embedded experimental design
Explanation: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design consists of two distinct phases: quantitative data collection and analysis first, followed by qualitative data collection to help explain or contextualize the initial quantitative results.

About the EXANI-III Exam

The EXANI-III (Examen Nacional de Ingreso al Posgrado) is Mexico's standardized graduate admission examination, developed by Ceneval for applicants to specialty, master's and doctoral programs. The official instrument is written in Spanish and contains 150 three-option multiple-choice items answered in a single 4.5-hour session, with calculators and other support materials prohibited. The global score comes from 120 items divided equally among Metodología de la investigación, Comprensión lectora, Redacción indirecta and Pensamiento matemático (30 each); a further 30 English items are diagnostic only. Results are reported on the Índice Ceneval scale of 700 to 1300 and no pass/fail verdict is issued. This free 100-question bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation, not an official Ceneval translation or format simulation: instructions and explanations are in English and our items use four options rather than the official three, while the Redacción indirecta questions keep their Spanish sentences because Spanish grammar and orthography are the skill that area actually tests.

Questions

150 scored questions

Time Limit

One continuous session of 4 hours 30 minutes

Passing Score

No aprobatorio/reprobatorio result is issued; scores are reported on the Índice Ceneval (ICNE) scale of 700 to 1300 and each graduate program sets its own cutoff

Exam Fee

MXN 535–850 on Ceneval's 2026 price list, depending on application type and price band; contracting universities set the amount candidates pay (Ceneval (Centro Nacional de Evaluación para la Educación Superior, A.C.))

EXANI-III Exam Content Outline

25%

Metodología de la investigación

Research paradigms, construction of scientific knowledge, problem statement, method, sampling, instruments, analysis and reporting of results

25%

Comprensión lectora

Identification, interpretation and evaluation of academic, literary and social-participation texts, including main ideas, inference, tone and structure

25%

Redacción indirecta

Spanish grammar, semantics, orthography, accentuation, punctuation, cohesion and register in study and social-participation writing situations

25%

Pensamiento matemático

Number sense, estimation, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, probability and statistics applied to modelling and decision-making problems

How to Pass the EXANI-III Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: No aprobatorio/reprobatorio result is issued; scores are reported on the Índice Ceneval (ICNE) scale of 700 to 1300 and each graduate program sets its own cutoff
  • Exam length: 150 questions
  • Time limit: One continuous session of 4 hours 30 minutes
  • Exam fee: MXN 535–850 on Ceneval's 2026 price list, depending on application type and price band; contracting universities set the amount candidates pay

Keys to Passing

  • 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-III Study Tips from Top Performers

1Work through Metodología de la investigación along the official subareas: research paradigms and the construction of scientific knowledge, then problem statement, method and results.
2Review core statistics for Pensamiento matemático — mean, median, dispersion, probability, correlation and chart reading — and practise them without a calculator, since none is allowed.
3Cover the geometry and arithmetic the official bibliography points to (Baldor, Alexander and Koeberlein, Swokowski): Pythagoras, areas, midpoints, ratios, LCM and GCD, and quick estimation.
4Practise analysing dense academic texts and literary passages alike — the reading area draws 12 items from academic texts, 12 from literary texts and 6 from social-participation texts.
5Drill Spanish accentuation and punctuation for Redacción indirecta using the Real Academia Española's Ortografía and Nueva gramática: agudas, llanas and esdrújulas, diacritical accents, hiatus, and comma versus semicolon use.
6Pace yourself across the 4.5-hour session — roughly 1.8 minutes per item for all 150 questions — and answer every item, because there is no penalty for wrong answers.
7If your sitting uses the Examen desde casa modality, confirm Ceneval's technical requirements for your computer and connection well before the date.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the EXANI-III and who takes it?

The EXANI-III (Examen Nacional de Ingreso al Posgrado) is the admission instrument Ceneval provides to Mexican universities and research centres that select applicants for postgraduate specialty, master's or doctoral programs.

How many questions are on the official EXANI-III and how long is the test?

The official EXANI-III has 150 multiple-choice items answered in one continuous session of 4 hours 30 minutes. Only 120 items across four areas count toward the global score; 30 English items are diagnostic. Ceneval also adds 10% pilot items and two control items that are not scored.

What subject areas are tested on the EXANI-III?

Metodología de la investigación, Comprensión lectora, Redacción indirecta and Pensamiento matemático, with 30 items each. A separate 30-item English section assesses reading and indirect writing at CEFR level B2 for diagnostic purposes only.

How is the EXANI-III scored?

A correct item scores 1 point and an incorrect or unanswered item scores 0, with no penalty for wrong answers. Ceneval converts the raw score to the Índice Ceneval (ICNE), a scale running from 700 to 1300 points, and reports a global score plus a score for each area.

What is a passing score on the EXANI-III?

There is none. Ceneval does not issue aprobatorio or reprobatorio results for the EXANI-III — it only reports the score obtained. Each university or graduate department sets its own minimum ICNE threshold based on program capacity and applicant competitiveness.

Is a calculator allowed during the EXANI-III?

No. The official Guía para el sustentante states that support materials, calculators and electronic devices are prohibited during the EXANI-III, so quantitative items are designed to be solved by hand. This differs from the EXANI-II, where a basic calculator is permitted.

Is this practice bank in the same language and format as the real exam?

No. The official EXANI-III is written in Spanish and uses three answer options per item. This free bank is an English-language study adaptation with four options per item; it keeps Spanish sentences in the Redacción indirecta questions because that area tests Spanish grammar and orthography, and it is not an official Ceneval translation or a simulation of the exam format.