Gradebook
Mexican Examen Extraordinario — University Reattempt Policy
Mexico's SEP-supervised higher education uses a two-tier recovery system. Students who pass with nota 6.0–6.9 may voluntarily take a Regularización exam to improve their grade. Students who fail (nota below 6.0) must sit an Extraordinario exam — a mandatory recovery examination with a pass threshold of 6.0. Most institutions allow two Extraordinario attempts per subject. A successful Extraordinario nota replaces the fail on the academic record. Sitting an Extraordinario disqualifies a student from Mención Honorífica at graduation at most institutions.
Regularización vs Extraordinario — Key Differences
Two distinct mechanisms for grade improvement and recovery in the Mexican system.
Regularización Exam (voluntary improvement)
- Who qualifies
- Students who passed with nota 6.0–6.9 (Aprobado mínimo). Voluntary — no obligation to take this exam.
- Grade replacement
- If the Regularización result is higher than the original nota, the higher nota replaces the original on the Kardex. If the Regularización result is lower, the original passing nota is retained.
- Maximum grade / cap
- No grade cap — the student can achieve any nota from 0 to 10. The higher of the two results is kept.
- Maximum attempts
- Typically one Regularización opportunity per subject per ordinary exam period. Consult your institution's reglamento for specific limits.
Extraordinario Exam (mandatory recovery)
- Who qualifies
- Students who failed with nota below 6.0 (Reprobado). Mandatory — the student must sit the Extraordinario to clear the subject.
- Grade replacement
- If the Extraordinario result is ≥6.0, the subject is cleared and the Extraordinario nota replaces the fail on the academic record. If the Extraordinario result is also below 6.0, the subject is flagged for year-repeat consideration.
- Maximum grade / cap
- No grade cap on the Extraordinario itself — the student can achieve 0-10. Pass threshold remains 6.0.
- Maximum attempts
- Two Extraordinario opportunities per subject at most institutions (Primer Extraordinario and Segundo Extraordinario). After two failed Extraordinarios, the student must repeat the subject or, at some levels, the academic year.
Policies vary by institution. Always consult your institution's Reglamento General de Estudios for subject-specific rules and Extraordinario attempt limits.
The Mexican Exam Recovery Process
From the ordinary exam through Regularización, Primer Extraordinario, and Segundo Extraordinario to subject repeat — the full recovery sequence.
1. Ordinary Exam Period (Ordinario)
The main examination at the end of the semester or bimestre. A nota ≥6.0 is a pass. A nota <6.0 triggers Extraordinario status. A nota 6.0–6.9 permits optional Regularización.
2. Regularización Window (optional)
Students with 6.0–6.9 may register for the Regularización exam in the window provided by the institution (usually 2–4 weeks after Ordinario results). The higher of the two results is retained.
3. Primer Extraordinario (First Extraordinary Exam)
Students who failed the Ordinario must sit the Primer Extraordinario, typically held 4–8 weeks after the ordinary exam period. A nota ≥6.0 clears the subject.
4. Segundo Extraordinario (Second Extraordinary Exam)
Students who fail the Primer Extraordinario sit the Segundo Extraordinario, usually in the following semester's first exam window. This is the final opportunity in most institutions.
5. Subject Repeat or Year Repeat
Students who fail both Extraordinario attempts must formally re-enrol in the subject in a future semester (at Licenciatura level) or, in secondary and preparatory systems, may need to repeat the academic year.
How OpenEduCat Automates the Extraordinario Workflow
When the Ordinario nota is published, OpenEduCat automatically applies the configured thresholds: students with 6.0–6.9 are flagged as Regularización-eligible (with the mx_regularizacion_eligible flag); students below 6.0 are flagged as requiring an Extraordinario. The Extraordinario result is stored in a separate field. If the student passes (≥6.0), the subject is marked cleared and the Extraordinario nota is used on the official Kardex. If the student fails the Primer Extraordinario, the system flags the subject for the Segundo Extraordinario round. Two failed Extraordinarios flag the subject for year-repeat review. All flags and results are visible on the student record in real time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the Mexican Extraordinario and Regularización exam policies.
Automate Extraordinario workflows with OpenEduCat
Automatic Regularización/Extraordinario flagging, multi-attempt tracking, grade replacement, and Mención Honorífica disqualification — all automated for SEP policy.