The 2026 National High School Examination has 5,055,818 confirmed registrants, according to the preliminary balance released by the Ministry of Education (MEC), this Friday (3), after the deadline for payment of the registration fee and resources.
The number of registrants for this year's edition represents an increase of 5.08% compared to the 2025 edition, when the MEC counted 4,811,338 participants.
The 2014 edition of Enem maintains the absolute record for registrants in the history of the exam, with 8,722,290 candidates.
This year, the exam will be administered on November 8th and 15th, in all states and the Federal District.
Specialized service
Participants who had their request refused by Inep for specialized assistance during the Enem exams can submit an appeal until this Friday (3).
Submission of documentation, in accordance with the exam's public notice, which proves the condition declared at the time of registration, must be done on the Participant's Page, on the Inep Portal.
The results of the appeals will be announced on July 10, also at the same email address.
News
Among the new policies of the Ministry of Education (MEC) for Enem is the automatic registration of students completing high school in the public network, which occurs for the first time this year.
The MEC also provides financial incentives to high school graduates and beneficiaries of the federal Nesting Egg program who take both days of the exam. The value of the completion incentive, deposited in a single installment, is R$200 per participant.
In 2026, Inep expanded the network of municipalities where the tests will be held, with the inclusion of 95 new municipalities, which allows more candidates to take the exam close to their homes and reduces the need for long journeys.
The National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (Inep) estimates that it will reach around 10,000 schools where the tests will be administered. The expectation is that approximately 80% of public high school graduates will take the tests at the school where they study.
Enem
Enem assesses the academic performance of students at the end of basic education and is considered the main way of entering higher education in Brazil, through federal programs such as the Unified Selection System (Sisu), the University for All Program (Prouni) and the Student Financing Fund (Fies).
Public and private educational institutions use test results to select students.
Since the 2025 edition, Enem has once again certified the completion of this teaching stage for candidates who are 18 years of age and who also achieve the minimum score in each area of knowledge in the tests and writing.
Individual exam results can also be used in selection processes at Portuguese institutions that have an agreement with Inep. The agreements guarantee easy access to grades for Brazilian students interested in pursuing higher education in Portugal.
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