Enem 2026: Over 5 million students registered for Brazilian national exams

The 2026 National High School Exam (Enem) in Brazil is approaching, with over 5 million students registered nationwide. The exams are scheduled for November 8 and 15. Of the total participants, approximately 3.4 million received fee waivers, while 1.6 million paid the registration fee.

Regional data shows significant participation across the country. In the Northeast and Southeast, registration numbers are tied at 1.7 million each. Specific state figures include over 218,000 in Maranhão, 140,700 in Paraíba, and nearly 114,000 in Rio Grande do Norte. In Acre, 26,500 students registered, with 74% receiving waivers.

To support students in the final weeks of preparation, the Ministry of Education is updating the MEC Enem app with additional practice questions, exams, and AI-assisted tools. Educators are advising students to focus on active recall, text interpretation, and specific subjects like climate crisis and geopolitics rather than attempting to review all high school content.

Students automatically enrolled through public school data must select their foreign language preference (English or Spanish) by October 18 to avoid being assigned English by default. Exam results can be used for entry into public and private universities via SiSU and ProUni, or for seeking undergraduate financing.