Overview
Every Colombian university applicant's starting point is Saber 11, the state exit exam that ICFES runs at the end of secondary school (covered in full in its own guide — see the separate Saber 11 content). What happens after that score exists varies by institution. Some universities, including large private ones, admit directly from the Saber 11 "puntaje global," ranking applicants by that score with no extra test. Others, most notably the public Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL) and some regional public universities, layer their own entrance exam on top. A third group, including several well-known private universities, preselects applicants using Saber 11 and then adds an interview or a programme-specific test (medicine, music, and similar fields often add their own assessment regardless of which admission model the university otherwise follows). This file covers that broader landscape and the institution-specific layer; it does not repeat Saber 11's own pattern, dates or fees.
Note
Colombia has dozens of universities, each setting its own admission policy, and policies change between admission cycles. The figures and dates below were gathered from university admissions pages and reputable Colombian news coverage rather than fetched directly over a verified connection to every university site, so confirm current details on the specific university's own admissions page before applying.
Who can apply
Anyone who has completed Colombian secondary education (bachillerato) and holds a Saber 11 result, or an equivalent result from an accredited foreign secondary programme that ICFES can validate, can apply. Most universities accept Saber 11 results from several recent sittings — Universidad de los Andes, for example, accepts results from the last 10 testing periods (about five years). Applicants who finished secondary school outside Colombia generally need their school certificate validated (convalidación) by the Ministry of Education before or during the application, and may sit an accepted international test in place of Saber 11 where the university allows it.
Exam pattern
| Admission model | How it works | Example universities |
|---|---|---|
| Saber 11 score only | Applicants are ranked directly by their Saber 11 "puntaje global" (and sometimes specific area scores); no extra written test | Universidad de los Andes (for Colombian-school graduates, outside Medicine and Música) |
| Saber 11 plus the university's own exam | Saber 11 is a prerequisite to register, but admission is decided mainly or partly by a separate entrance test the university writes and marks itself | Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL), Universidad de Antioquia |
| Saber 11 plus interview or other preselection | Saber 11 results preselect a pool of applicants, who then go through an interview or additional assessment before a final offer | Several private universities (reported for institutions such as Javeriana, Externado and Bolivariana) |
| Programme-specific extra test | On top of whichever general model the university uses, certain programmes add their own assessment regardless of admission track | Medicine (psychometric test and interview reported at some universities), Music (audition and aptitude test) |
UNAL's own admission test, where it still applies, is a single paper of 120 multiple-choice questions across five components: Análisis Textual (25 questions), Matemáticas (25), Ciencias Naturales (25), Ciencias Sociales (25) and Análisis de la Imagen (20), sat in one session of up to three hours thirty minutes. For the 2027-1 admission cycle UNAL announced it would stop requiring this exam for some programmes and campuses, instead admitting those seats from Saber 11 results alone — check the specific campus and programme on admisiones.unal.edu.co, since the exam requirement can differ by seat.
Marking and results
Where a university admits on Saber 11 alone, its own ranking is simply the ordered list of applicants' Saber 11 scores (overall, specific areas, or a weighted mix the university defines) down to the number of seats available per programme. Where a university also runs its own exam, that exam produces a separate score or ranking position that is combined with, or used instead of, the Saber 11 result, according to rules each university publishes for its own admission cycle. Because each institution designs and weights its own process, there is no single national admission score — applicants should check the exact ranking formula on the university's own admissions page for the programme they want.
Important dates
Admission cycles are set independently by each university, generally following Colombia's two main academic calendars (most universities start their main intake around January–February, with a second smaller intake around July–August). As an illustration from the 2026 cycles already published:
| University | Stage | 2026 date reported |
|---|---|---|
| UNAL (2027-1 cycle, Bogotá and other campuses) | Registration window | 6 July – 19 August 2026 |
| UNAL (2027-1 cycle) | Admission exam day | 20 September 2026 |
| UNAL (2027-1 cycle) | Admission results published | 9 October 2026 |
| Universidad de los Andes | Pregrado applications | Opened twice a year (semester-based); no application fee |
Always confirm the current cycle's exact dates on the university's own admissions page — they are republished for each intake and can shift from year to year.
How to apply
The common first step is sitting Saber 11 through ICFES, since nearly every Colombian university requires a result on file before or during its own application process. From there, each university runs its own online application:
Universidad Nacional de Colombia: register and pay the application fee through admisiones.unal.edu.co, then (for programmes still requiring it) check your exam citation on the same site and sit the exam at the assigned venue and time.
Universidad de los Andes: submit a free online application through its admissions portal; Saber 11 results, submitted directly by ICFES, are used for the main ranking, so graduates in Colombia typically do not resit a separate written test unless applying to Medicine or Música.
Other universities: check each institution's own admissions page for its specific steps — some add an online form, document upload, an interview invitation, or a payment step before confirming a seat.
After the exam
Where a university runs its own exam, results and final admission decisions are published on that university's admissions portal, usually a few weeks after the exam date. Where admission is based on Saber 11 alone, the university publishes its ranked admission list once ICFES has released Saber 11 results for that cycle. Admitted applicants then complete academic registration (matrícula) by the university's own deadline, which typically involves paying tuition and formally enrolling in the chosen programme; missing this step can forfeit the offered seat.
Preparation tips
Register for Saber 11 early and treat it as the foundation of every application, since it is a near-universal prerequisite even at universities that add their own exam.
Check each target university's admissions page for its specific model (score-only, own exam, or interview) well before the application window opens, since requirements and deadlines differ by institution and even by programme.
If a target university runs its own exam (such as UNAL's), use that university's own published guidance and sample materials, since the content and format are set entirely by the institution, not by ICFES.
For programmes with an extra assessment (medicine, music, and similar fields), confirm what that assessment covers and when it is scheduled, since it can run on a different timeline from the main admission process.
FAQs
Do I still need to take Saber 11 if the university I want has its own entrance exam?
Yes. Saber 11 is a legal requirement for admission to higher education in Colombia, so universities that add their own exam still require a Saber 11 result on file; their own exam is an additional layer, not a replacement.
Which universities admit students using Saber 11 scores alone, with no extra exam?
This varies by institution and can change between cycles. Universidad de los Andes is reported to admit Colombian-school graduates mainly on their Saber 11 "puntaje global," without a separate written test, outside programmes such as Medicine and Música that add their own assessment. Check the specific university's admissions page to confirm its current policy.
What does the Universidad Nacional de Colombia admission exam cover?
As most recently described on its own admissions site, it is a single 120-question multiple-choice paper split into five components — Análisis Textual, Matemáticas, Ciencias Naturales, Ciencias Sociales and Análisis de la Imagen — sat in one session of up to three hours thirty minutes. UNAL has announced it is phasing this exam out for some programmes and campuses from the 2027-1 cycle onward, so confirm whether it still applies to the specific seat you are applying for.
If a university adds an interview or a programme-specific test, when does that happen?
It typically follows an initial preselection based on Saber 11 results: the university first narrows the applicant pool using those scores, then invites the shortlisted applicants to an interview or additional assessment (for example, a psychometric test and interview for Medicine, or an audition for Música) before making final offers. Exact timing is set by each university for its own cycle.