Portugal exam reappraisal delays spark higher education access concerns

Delays in the distribution of national secondary school exam reappraisal results in Portugal have raised concerns regarding equity in higher education access. While the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) stated that only a 'residual number' of results remained to be sent, school directors reported that some institutions only received grades over the weekend or as late as Monday morning.

Filinto Lima, president of ANDAEP, warned that students who receive their updated grades late may be disadvantaged. Under the National Access to Higher Education (CNAES) regulations, students with changed grades have three days to adjust their applications. However, with the online application platform scheduled to close at the end of the day, there is uncertainty regarding whether this deadline will be extended for those affected by the delays.

The Ministry has assured that 'no student will be prevented from applying to the first phase of CNAES due to a delay in the disclosure of reappraisal results or the issuance of the ENES sheet.'

Reports from student support groups and movements like Missão Escola Pública suggest that hundreds of students may still be waiting for results. Issues cited include errors in grade summation, incorrect scoring, and technical failures related to the new digital evaluation format used this year.