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The Ministry of National Education presented the results of a technical cross-referencing of information between the graduate reports submitted by Higher Education Institutions to the National Higher Education Information System (SNIES) and the databases of students who took the Saber Pro and Saber TyT tests provided by ICFES. The analysis, covering the period 2019-2024, consolidated 2,410,921 undergraduate graduate records and 4,068,553 Saber Pro and Saber TyT test records, cross-referenced using a key constructed with document type and number.
As a result, 78,756 graduates (3.27%) were identified as having no record of taking the exam, and 5,239 took it after their graduation date. The results varied by level: 40,940 cases (2.67%) were reported at the university level, and 37,816 (4.31%) at the technical and technological level.
This cross-referencing allowed us to identify that 269 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), equivalent to 97.4% of those that reported graduates in this period, registered at least one case of graduates without evidence of presenting the State test, according to the methodology used.
Possible causes and review of the process
The Minister of Education, Daniel Rojas Medellín, indicated that there may be several factors that explain these inconsistencies, including:
Failures in the reporting of information from the Institutions in the SNIES.
Quality problems in the ICFES database.
Errors in data loading or updating.
Situations associated with administrative processes within higher education institutions or exam registration.
Possible misinformation or gaps in the registration chain.
"Something may be failing in the information chain and we must rigorously evaluate it to correct these types of situations," said Minister Rojas.
Regarding potential sanctions, the minister clarified that the law provides mechanisms for such measures when warranted. However, he emphasized that the primary objective of this exercise is not punitive, but rather preventative and corrective.
"The purpose is to prevent, correct, and improve. This process should be understood as an opportunity to strengthen the system," said Minister Daniel Rojas Medellín.
The measures include:
Management of non-cross-recorded data and strengthening of communication with higher education institutions.
Setting up working groups with the 269 institutions to review the quality of the report.
Technical debugging of inconsistencies to identify causes and solutions.
Evaluation of adjustments in the processes and information systems between IES, ICFES and SNIES.
The minister also presented this exercise as part of the system's inspection, oversight, and control functions, and a key step toward a comprehensive reform of higher education. It is not simply about expanding coverage and access, but about ensuring that this expansion is accompanied by the highest quality standards.
Regarding the case of the San José University Foundation, Minister Rojas clarified that the administrative and sanctioning measures are not related to the technical cross-check on the presentation of the State exams, but are part of an inspection and monitoring process being carried out due to alleged irregularities in agreements, inconsistencies in the reporting of information to the SNIES and alleged complaints about graduates without taking courses.
Finally, the invitation is extended to all public and private institutions to jointly build a "pact" for the quality of higher education, which will strengthen transparency, institutional coordination, and trust in the Colombian education system.