Portugal higher education applications beat previous year's first phase

More than 51,000 students have applied to the national higher‑education admission contest, surpassing the total 49,595 first‑phase applications recorded last year. The Direção‑Geral do Ensino Superior (DGES) reported 51,480 submissions as of Monday, with the deadline for first‑phase applications set for 6 August. A special exam period is scheduled for 3–8 September, followed by the second‑phase contest from 24 August to 22 September.

The 2026 national secondary‑school exams were evaluated digitally for the first time, but technical failures delayed the publication of results. The Ministry of Education postponed the release of first‑phase results to 17 July and notes were only posted at night, leaving many students waiting. Minister Fernando Alexandre confirmed that 97 % of the second‑phase exams have now been classified and assured that no student will be disadvantaged by the delays.