ECOEMS

Overview

ECOEMS (Espacio de Coordinación de la Educación Media Superior) is the group of institutions that run one joint placement process for upper secondary school (bachillerato) in the Mexico City metropolitan area. The area covers the 16 boroughs of Mexico City and 22 neighbouring municipalities of the State of Mexico. The process is called "Mi derecho, mi lugar". In 2026 the participating institutions were COLBACH, CONALEP, IEMS, DGB, DGETAyCM, DGETI, IPN, SECTI of the State of Mexico, UAEMéx and UNAM.

Who can apply

The 2026 call is open to four kinds of applicant:

• Students in third year of secundaria at a school inside the metropolitan area.

• Graduates who already hold the secundaria certificate.

• Students in third year of secundaria at a school outside the metropolitan area.

• Adults completing secundaria through INEA.

To be assigned a place you need a Certificado de Educación Básica or Educación Secundaria and must meet each institution's own requirements, which are listed in the "Requisitos e información de las instituciones" document on the portal. The call applies only to public upper secondary schools in the metropolitan area.

Exam pattern

There is no single common exam. How you are placed depends on the type of institution you choose.

There are three ways to take part:

• Modality 1: choose only direct-access options (5 to 10 options).

• Modality 2: choose only IPN and/or UNAM options (up to 5 of each).

• Modality 3: a mixed list, with 5 to 10 direct-access options plus up to 5 IPN and up to 5 UNAM options, so up to 20 choices in total.

Marking and results

For IPN and UNAM, places are assigned to applicants who sit the exam and have at least a 7.0 average in secundaria. The assignment uses the number of correct answers, the order of your preferences and the places available. For direct-access institutions, assignment depends on your order of preference and the places in each option. If you took Modality 3 and did not get an IPN or UNAM place, you are assigned to one of your direct-access options. If you took Modality 2 and got no place, you can register in the late period and choose a direct-access option that still has space.

The Gaceta Electronica de Resultados is the only official publication of results. The individual result report on the portal is informational only.

Important dates

For the 2026 process:

• The call was published on 13 February 2026.

• Online registration started on 17 March 2026 and closed on 17 April 2026.

• Applicants for IPN or UNAM exams completed their registration from 18 to 22 May 2026, including photo capture and exam procedures.

• The results gazette was published on 18 August 2026.

• Late applicants for direct-access places and applicants without a certificate had processes in late August 2026, ending on 28 August 2026.

The exam dates for IPN and UNAM are set by those institutions and communicated on the portal. Dates change each year.

How to apply

Register on the Mi derecho, mi lugar portal. You need a Llave MX account, a valid CURP, the school code (CCT) of your secundaria, an email address and your certificate if you have one. During registration you validate personal data, answer a general survey, choose your modality and rank your options, then download your registration receipt (comprobante de registro). Your ranking is used as the assignment criterion.

After the exam

Results show where you were placed and how to enrol. You must present the original secundaria certificate to enrol, and you cannot enrol if you lack the certificate or the institution's requirements. Institutions with places left after 26 August 2026 offer them through their own procedures.

Preparation tips

• Rank your options in the order you truly prefer; the ranking is used in assignment.

• If you want IPN or UNAM, prepare for their own entrance exams and keep at least a 7.0 secundaria average.

• Add direct-access options as a safety net by using Modality 3.