Portuguese student with Asperger sues over missing exam pages

Martim, a 20‑year‑old student with Asperger syndrome, sat the national Portuguese exam for external candidates on 16 June. He received only about one‑third of the answer sheets, with roughly two‑thirds of the pages missing, including the selection‑answer sheet and the cover page. The incomplete paper showed eight items scored zero and a final grade of 4.6 out of 20, preventing any request for re‑evaluation.

His parents, led by lawyer Paulo Duarte, filed a precautionary measure with the Tribunal Administrativo e Fiscal of Viseu. The court ordered the Institute of Education, Quality and Assessment (EduQA) to provide a complete digital copy of the exam within 48 hours, imposing a fine of €100 per day for non‑compliance. If the full exam is not supplied, the tribunal may assign maximum points for the missing answers, potentially raising Martim’s grade to between 14 and 15. The decision also keeps his university‑access application pending, with the deadline on Thursday. Duarte criticised the system, saying the state “crushes the most vulnerable” students with special educational needs.