Nearly one in three registered students skipped the first day of Brazil’s national university entrance exam on Sunday 8 November 2026. Education Minister Leonardo Barchini, head of the Education Ministry (MEC), said 32% of candidates did not sit the Enem in preliminary figures, up from about 27% a year earlier.
The Enem (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio) is the high-school exam that many Brazilian universities use to pick students, and more than 5 million people registered this year. The ministry says the jump follows a change in who it signs up automatically.
Key Facts
- No-shows. 32% of registered candidates missed day one on Sunday 8 November 2026 (preliminary), against about 27% in 2025.
- Registered. More than 5 million people signed up for the two-day exam.
- Why. Public-school final-year students were enrolled automatically, which the minister says raised absences.
- Venues. Power problems hit 39 exam venues, 36 of them in Rio de Janeiro; a reapplication round is planned.
- Next. Day two is Sunday 15 November, with natural sciences and mathematics.
- Power Index. Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 74.2 points (November 2026 edition).
Brazil’s biggest school exam started with a sharp rise in no-shows. The Education Ministry points to automatic sign-ups.
In Plain English
Enem: Brazil’s national high-school exam, taken over two Sundays.
Inep: the federal education research institute that runs the exam.
Absenteeism: the share of registered candidates who do not show up.
Why the No-Show Rate Jumped
Barchini said final-year students at public schools were signed up automatically this year. In total, 1,969,372 of them registered, about 39% of everyone signed up.
More sign-ups, he said, bring a higher share of absences, which the ministry had expected. The 1.97 million registered public-school students are a record for that group.
Inep, the federal education institute that runs the exam, put first-day absenteeism at about 27% in 2025. The 32% reported for 2026 is therefore five points higher.
Power Problems at Exam Venues
Power problems hit 39 exam venues, according to the ministry, and 36 of them were in Rio de Janeiro. The ministry has said a reapplication round is planned for those venues.
Students affected on the day should watch for notices from Inep, the exam body. A reapplication round is planned for those venues.
What Comes Next
The second day is Sunday 15 November, with natural sciences and mathematics, five hours long. It is due to end at 18:30 Brasília time, which is UTC minus three hours.
When the figure was announced, absence rates by state and by student group had not yet been counted. The 32% is preliminary and may change when final attendance data come out.
What It Means for You
Anyone applying to Brazilian universities, or advising a Brazilian student abroad, should watch the reapplication notice from Inep. Treat the 32% as an early figure, since it may change in the final data.
Read more in our guides to Brazil’s education and healthcare systems and to how Brazilian universities rank worldwide. See also Brazil’s place in Latin American rankings and the Brazil section.
What Is Not Known
Absence rates by state and by student group are not yet published. It is not known how many of the 32% were kept away by problems on the day and how many simply did not turn up.
Sources
Ministry of Education (MEC) briefing by Minister Leonardo Barchini on 8 November 2026 (preliminary figures). Inep exam calendar and enrolment data: https://www.gov.br/inep/pt-br/assuntos/noticias. Read 9 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Enem?
It is Brazil’s national high-school exam, held over two Sundays. Many universities use the scores to select students.
Can students who missed the exam retake it?
The ministry says a reapplication round is planned for affected venues. Students should follow Inep notices for details.
When is the second day of the Enem?
Sunday 15 November 2026, with natural sciences and mathematics. It is due to end at 18:30 Brasília time, which is UTC minus three hours.