The 2013 average score for students who took the ENES (National Exam for Post-secondary Education) is up: 715 points out of 1,000.

Last year was the first time the exam was a requirement for students hoping to access the public post-secondary education system. Last year’s average was 667 points.

This year, the exam took place across the country on April 20. Only 98,144 people took it, although 147,000 people were registered.

Three percent of the students who took the exam scored less than 550 points.

René Ramírez, a spokesperson for the Senescyt, the secretariat in charge of education, says that having an example test on the governments website helped raise the average this year.

He said that 325 students who scored higher than 947 points on the exam will be considered members of the high performance group, and will be able to access full scholarships to complete their studies at international universities.

“The Senescyt is committed that the high performing students will recieve a robust education at the world’s best universities. One of these scholarships can be worth up to $120,000.”

Once they are notified of their score, students can register for a spot in one of the 1,800 majors offered by post-secondary institutions. Which majors students have access to will depend on their scores in the different categories of the exam.

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