Enem 2026: almost 70% of registrants are exempt from the registration fee; Amazonas has the highest percentage

The first test of the National High School Exam (Enem) 2026 will be administered this Sunday (8), across the country. In total, the exam brings together 5,051,345 confirmed registrations, according to data from the National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (Inep), released by the Ministry of Education (MEC).

Of this total, 67.94% have free registration fees. The percentage corresponds to 3,432,111 free registrations.

Amazonas is the state with the highest proportion of free registrations, with 80.46% of candidates. Next come Maranhão (79.18%), Ceará (78.73%), Pará (77.88%) and Bahia (77.60%). Piauí occupies sixth place, with 76.98%.

In absolute numbers, the ranking is different. São Paulo leads, with 506,845 free registrations, followed by Bahia (339,318) and Minas Gerais (293,842).

The data is available in Inep's Enem 2026 Panel.

Considering the fee of R$85, the 3,432,111 free registrations are equivalent to R$291.2 million in amounts that would be collected. The 1,619,234 paying registrations correspond to approximately R$137.6 million.

In 2025, there were 3,049,710 free registrations and 1,761,628 paid ones. According to the same calculation, free registrations were equivalent to R$259.2 million. In 2026, the equivalent value is R$32 million higher, an increase of approximately 12.3%. The values are estimates calculated based on the number of registrations and the fee of R$85.

Free registration is a benefit that exempts the candidate from paying the exam fee. According to Inep rules for 2026, the following are entitled to exemption:

Students enrolled in the 3rd year of high school in a public school in 2026;

People who completed their entire secondary education in a public school or as full scholarship holders in private schools, as long as they have a monthly family income per person equal to or less than one and a half minimum wages;

People in situations of socioeconomic vulnerability registered in the Single Registry for Social Programs of the Federal Government (CadÚnico).

3rd year public school students do not need to prove income to be entitled to the benefit. Students participating in Nestlé who are in this condition can also request an exemption.

Approval of the free exam, however, does not guarantee automatic registration for the exam. The candidate must comply with the registration procedures set out in the notice.

Therefore, the percentage of free registrations does not directly measure the income of candidates in each state. The proportion depends on the eligibility criteria and the composition of those enrolled in each unit of the Federation.

Free registration has existed since the first edition of Enem, in 1998. That year, 83% of those enrolled benefited from the exemption. In 2001, the benefit was expanded to other groups, including high school graduates and certain students and graduates of Youth and Adult Education (EJA).

Law 12,799, of 2013, establishes criteria for the exemption of registration fees in selection processes for admission to federal higher education institutions. The legislation provides free tuition for candidates who can prove a per capita family income of up to one and a half minimum wages and have completed their entire secondary education in a public school or as full scholarship holders in the private network.

For Enem, the specific rules are defined for each edition by the Inep notice.

The objective of being free is to expand access to the exam, which is used as a way of entering higher education through programs such as the Unified Selection System (Sisu) and the University for All Program (Prouni). The note can also be used in selection processes specific to educational institutions and to participate in processes related to the Student Financing Fund (Fies), in accordance with current rules.

The Quota Law reserves at least 50% of places in federal higher education institutions for students who have completed their secondary education in public schools.

In 2026, the MEC also established the goal that at least 70% of students completing high school in the public network participate in Enem. The measure is part of the strategy to increase the participation of these students and integrate the exam into the assessment of basic education.