1st day of Enem: 85% of public school students will take the exam at their own school

This Sunday is the first day of the Enem exams. Five million candidates are registered.

One of the new features of this edition is the increase in the number of test locations: there are around 10,000 more than last year.

According to the Ministry of Education, 85% of public school students must take the Enem at the same school where they study.

This is the case of Ana, who dreams of gaining a place in Law and is going to take the test just a few steps from home.

"I think that doing it close to home helps people to calm down in terms of not having to wake up early. Sometimes people don't have a good sleep. And sleep helps when taking the test", says student Ana Clara Leão.

This Sunday, candidates will take tests in Languages, Codes and their Technologies, Human Sciences and writing.

On Sunday next week, there are the Natural Sciences and Mathematics tests.

In addition to access to public universities, Enem scores can be used to access programs such as Sisu, Prouni and the Student Financing Fund, Fies.

On the day of the test, candidates must bring an official document with a photo and a black ballpoint pen, made of transparent material.

Snacks are allowed, but may be inspected by the room manager. And it is recommended to bring water in a transparent bottle without a label.

The test follows Brasília time. Gates open at 12pm and close at 1pm.

To get a good grade on Enem, it is not enough to master the content. The teachers are unanimous: it is essential to follow current issues, such as climate change, social inequality and the importance of democracy.

"This is of fundamental importance. The Enem is based on skills, competencies, so having this social context and what is happening today on a daily basis, not disconnecting the content from reality, is a fundamental focus of the Enem. Yes, you have to pay attention to what is happening lately", says Luiz Fernando da Costa, Mathematics teacher.

A preparatory course in Brasília included a class with theater, music and chat with already approved students.

Thalissa dreams of being a doctor and wants to erase her last exam from her memory because she got stuck in the essay.

"When you're there at the decisive moment, which is those 5 and a half hours of your life, you get nervous when you see that there's little time left and then it ends up that I got completely confused, I went blank and it didn't work", says Thalissa Back.

And for Isadora, who is in her ninth Enem, giving up is not an option.

"If you have a dream you have to fight for it, right. You can't give up, you can't give up because this is something you want and you will achieve it."