Portugal's education ministry under fire after Viseu student's exam mishap

A 12th‑grade student, Martim, from Viseu received only a third of his Portuguese national exam, with the remaining two‑thirds missing. His parents, Sofia Castro and Paulo Duarte, reported that the PDF sent by the Ministry of Education contained irregularities and was not properly signed. The Tribunal Administrativo e Fiscal de Viseu ordered the Ministry to provide the complete digital exam and, if any parts remained missing, to award the maximum grade.

Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre initially told parliament that the issue was resolved, a claim the parents dispute, saying the minister does not have all the data. In response, the minister pledged that any student disadvantaged by the technical failures would be guaranteed a place in higher education, including the creation of additional university vacancies. The Bastonário of the Ordem dos Advogados, João Massano, met with the minister to confirm these guarantees and to discuss legal protections for affected candidates.

The teachers’ union Missão Escola Pública warned that completing the re‑appraisal of more than 20,000 requests from the first phase of the exams by the Friday deadline is “practically impossible,” citing missing documentation and staffing constraints. The ministry maintains that 97% of the second‑phase answers have been classified and that the process is proceeding normally.