Secondary education exam periods in Spain and Portugal

In August 2026, Portugal’s Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) released results for the second phase of national exams and reassessment requests. Reassessment requests saw a significant surge, exceeding 20,000, which was more than triple the previous year’s volume. While some schools in major cities experienced administrative delays, the government assured that no student would be prevented from applying to higher education. Additionally, the government began evaluating a transition to digital exam evaluation, with an independent assessment of the digital model expected by the end of the year.

By early September 2026, special exam periods for secondary education were underway in both Spain and Portugal. In Spain, over 9,000 students participated in the selectividad exams, with the Department of Research and Universities providing exam papers and solution guides in PDF format immediately following tests to allow for answer verification.

In Portugal, more than 43,000 students enrolled in a special exam period intended to mitigate previous technical difficulties with electronic grading. This period allows students to compete for 6,639 vacancies in the second phase of higher education access, with students permitted to use the highest grade obtained between the July exams and this special period.

However, the start of the Portuguese special period saw high absenteeism. Data from the Ministry of Education indicated that out of 11,693 registered students on the first day, only 4,920 appeared. In the subject with the highest registration (9,492), only 40.4% of students attended. The special period is scheduled to conclude on the following Tuesday, with applications for the second phase of the National Access Contest to Higher Education closing on September 20.