(; ), shortened as Enem (), is a non-mandatory, standardized Brazilian national exam, which evaluates high school students in Brazil. The ENEM is the most important exam of this kind in Brazil, with more than 8.6 million registered candidates in 2016. It is the second largest in the world after China's National Higher Education Entrance Examination.
Initially conceived as a diagnostic test, ENEM began to be used as a means of access to public universities in 2004, following the enactment of the University for All Program (Programa Universidade para Todos, or ProUni) under Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration. In January 2010, the Unified Selection System (Sistema de Seleção Unificada, or SISU) was launched by MEC, allowing students to apply for admission to federal and state institutions using their ENEM scores.
By 2014, ENEM had become the largest university entrance examination in Brazil, with approximately eight million registered candidates, and the second-largest in the world, surpassed only by China's Gaokao. The test is often compared to other national qualification systems, such as France's Baccalauréat, Germany's Abitur, the United Kingdom's A Levels (and Highers in Scotland), Spain's Selectividad, Portugal's IAVE exams, Japan's Daigaku Nyūshi Center Shiken, South Korea's Suneung, and the SAT and ACT in the United States.
ENEM is also used by applicants seeking scholarships at private universities through ProUni or student loans via the Student Financing Fund (Fundo de Financiamento Estudantil, FIES). Between 2009 and 2016, the exam served as an alternative route to obtain a high school diploma for those enrolled in adult education programs, replacing the National Examination for the Certification of Youth and Adult Competencies (Exame Nacional para Certificação de Competências de Jovens e Adultos, Encceja), which was reinstated in 2017. In several universities, the exam has gradually replaced the traditional vestibular as the main form of admission.
Despite its role in expanding access to higher education, ENEM has faced several controversies. The 2009 edition was canceled following a leak of the test. In 2010, a printing error affected thousands of candidates. In 2019, technical inconsistencies led to errors in score calculation, while in 2021, mass resignations of INEP staff occurred amid accusations of ideological interference and prior censorship in test questions.
History
The ENEM was created in 1998 during the tenure of Education Minister Paulo Renato Souza, under the administration of Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Its initial purpose was to annually assess the learning outcomes of high school students across Brazil, providing data to the Ministry of Education for the formulation of public policies aimed at improving the quality of national education. The exam was designed in alignment with the National Curriculum Parameters (Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais, or PCNs) for both elementary and secondary education, allowing adjustments based on data collected from ENEM results. It was the first large-scale assessment initiative of the Brazilian education system. Another goal of ENEM was to encourage changes in secondary school curricula. To achieve this, its importance was gradually expanded: by its second edition, the test was already being used as an alternative form of admission by 93 higher education institutions.
The original version of the exam, used between 1998 and 2008, consisted of 63 questions administered over a single day. Starting in 2004, ENEM scores began to be accepted by private colleges and universities participating in the University for All Program (Programa Universidade para Todos, or ProUni), allowing students to compete for scholarships at private institutions.
In 2009, during the tenure of Education Minister Fernando Haddad under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a new version of the exam was introduced with the objective of unifying the entrance process for Brazil's federal universities. The new format extended the test to two days and expanded it to 180 multiple-choice questions and one essay prompt. Additionally, the Item response theory (IRT) was adopted to calculate scores, allowing comparison of results from different editions and enabling their use for university admission. The implementation of the new model was led by Professor Dr. Heliton Tavares, Director of the National Institute for Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (INEP) and one of Brazil's leading experts in Educational Assessment and IRT.
Plans for ENEM's expansion also included offering the exam at least twice a year beginning in 2012 and establishing regional testing centers across the country, particularly within federal institutions, where candidates could schedule their exams. This proposal required a large pool of pre-calibrated test items, adjusted according to the IRT scale, to ensure the comparability of results.
The second version of ENEM faced criticism regarding the grading of the essay component. In response, in 2012 the Ministry of Education revised the essay evaluation criteria, reducing the score discrepancy required between the two initial evaluators for a third grader to be called in for review.
Editions Year Number of candidates(confirmed) 2025 4,811,338 2024 4,325,960 2023 3,933,970 2022 3,409,682 2021 4,004,764 2020 5,783,357 2019 5,095,308 2018 5,513,662 2017 6,731,186 2016 8,627,371 2015 7,792,025 2014 8,722,290 2013 7,173,574 2012 5,791,332 2011 5,380,857 2010 4,626,094 2009 4,148,721 2008 4,018,070 2007 3,568,592 2006 3,742,827 2005 3,004,491 2004 1,552,316 2003 1,882,393 2002 1,829,170 2001 1,624,131 2000 390,180 1999 346,819 1998 157,221
2009 Due to strong suspicions of a test leak, in which exam booklets were stolen from one of the printing companies responsible for producing them, the test — originally scheduled to be held in October 2009 — was postponed. With new dates set for December 5 and 6, 2009, of the total 4.1 million registered candidates, 37.7% failed to attend the first day of testing. Since becoming the main exam for admission to higher education institutions, Enem has faced several problems that have generated distrust and concern among students. The first issue was the theft of test materials in 2009, which led to the postponement of the exam. Later, the official answer key was released with errors.
2010 In 2010, confidential and personal information from Enem applicants was leaked online. Immediately after the 2010 Enem took place, a series of errors in one of the test booklets led the Federal Court of Ceará to suspend the exam nationwide. The Ministry of Education intended to reapply the test for all affected students, but the court argued that holding new exams only for those who received the incorrect booklets could harm all other participants. Due to this entire controversy, some educational institutions decided to withdraw from using Enem scores as part of their admission process.
The Minister of Education, Fernando Haddad, announced that a second round of tests would be given to students affected by printing errors found in 0.3% of the 10 million printed exams—errors that were acknowledged by the printing company RR Donnelley, the largest printing company in the world. Of the 33,000 flawed booklets, 21,000 were actually distributed. RR Donnelley stated that this failure rate was within the acceptable margin of error for that type of industrial process.Video: . Globo.com. Bom Dia Brasil. 9 November 2010. The new Enem exams were scheduled to take place during the first half of December, according to the Ministry of Education.
2011 In 2011, the Enem once again faced controversy due to the leak of test questions prior to the exam. According to reports, one of the mock tests used by a private school in Fortaleza contained questions identical to those on the official Enem test, leading the Ministry of Education to acknowledge that part of the exam had been compromised.
The Federal Court in Ceará later decided that all students from the school involved should have their Enem scores annulled and be offered a new version of the test, as they had gained prior access to restricted content.
This incident reignited public criticism and debates about the security and reliability of the exam, as similar problems had already occurred in previous years. Despite the controversies, Enem continued to expand its role as the main standardized test for admission to higher education in Brazil.
2012 In the 2012 edition of the exam, a record number of 5,790,989 candidates had their registration confirmed to take part in the test. It was the largest edition up to that point. The exams were held on November 3 and 4, with the answer keys released on November 7 and the final results on December 28. The new security and correction procedures to prevent possible fraud cost the federal government R$ 266 million, with a per-student cost of R$ 46, according to Inep. Electronic seals were used to close the suitcases containing the test materials.
It is estimated that the exam was applied in 15,076 testing locations across 1,615 municipalities in all regions of Brazil. In January 2013, the Federal Court in Rio Grande do Sul temporarily suspended the Sisu system.
Several inconsistencies in essay grading generated distrust among candidates regarding the evaluation process. A case that drew public attention involved a candidate who included a ramen noodle recipe in his essay and still received 560 points, causing widespread disbelief among students who claimed to have written better essays for equal or lower scores.
2013 The Ministry of Education recorded another milestone with 7,173,574 registered candidates. That same year, a court injunction temporarily guaranteed students access to copies of their essay grading sheets. Soon after, the injunction was overturned, as the responsible prosecutor stated that it would be logistically impossible to provide essay copies to all candidates in that edition. Regarding security, as in the previous year, the exam envelopes used electronic seals and were stored in a Brazilian Army facility in São Paulo.
On the exam days, no major incidents were reported, but the Ministry of Education identified several cases of students posting photos and comments on social networks from inside the test locations — an action strictly prohibited. As a result, 36 candidates were immediately disqualified from the exam, according to MEC, which monitored social media in real time during the tests. In total, 1,522 candidates were disqualified from the exam.
2014 According to data from the Ministry of Education, the year 2014 set a new record for the number of Enem registrations, reaching 9,519,827 students, representing an increase of 21.8% compared to the previous year. However, of this total, 8,721,946 registrations were confirmed, and 6,193,565 candidates took the exams — about 71% of all registered participants. After the results were published, this edition was marked by low average performance, with only 2.1 million candidates scoring above 4.5, and 529,374 candidates receiving a zero score on the essay (8.5% of total participants). A total of 1,519 candidates were eliminated from the exam.
2015 In 2015, there were 7,746,436 registered candidates, with an absence rate of 25.5%. A total of 743 people were eliminated from the test — most due to the use of unauthorized devices, 63 detected by metal detectors, and only three for posting photos from inside the test room. Compared to previous years, the number of eliminated candidates dropped significantly, which, according to Education Minister Mercadante, indicated a growing “culture of respect for the rules.” Participants who were unable to take the test due to medical incidents, power outages, or errors by the exam team were allowed to retake the test. Approximately 529,000 candidates scored zero on the essay.