The final stretch with revisions for the National High School Exam (Enem) was decisive for scholarship holders and for more than 100 public school students in Araçatuba, in the interior of São Paulo, who had help from volunteer teachers at a community course.
This Sunday (8), starting at 12pm, the gates of the test locations will be open to receive students in several Brazilian municipalities. The exam contains an essay and 90 questions from languages and humanities.
Maintained by volunteer teachers, the community course operates on weekends in Araçatuba and acts as a tool for social inclusion, offering free pedagogical support for young people seeking to ensure a good grade on the Enem and entrance exams at large public universities.
The coordinator of Rede Emancipa, Mateus Lemes, highlights that the focus should be on the association of data, concepts and references to contemporary themes — Photo: Reproduction/TV TEM
For those who complete the school day in the state network from Monday to Friday, the preparation period required double dedication. This is the case of João Mateus Pimentel, who structured his own schedule to cover his studies.
"I have mainly left it to study on my weekends, which are free. I come, take the course, do simulations at home and resume content. And, during the week, in addition to studying at school, I often end up doing some essays at night to work on the entire structure and have it in place in my head to perform well on the test", said the student in an interview with TV TEM.
Student from Araçatuba (SP), João Mateus Pimentel, talks about final preparation for Enem 2026 — Photo: Reproduction/TV TEM
'Endurance test'
This Sunday, candidates will have 5 hours and 30 minutes to answer 45 questions on languages, codes and their technologies, 45 on human sciences and their technologies, in addition to writing the dissertation-argumentative text of up to 30 lines. Managing the minutes between carefully reading the supporting texts, drafting and transcribing the answer sheet is usually one of the biggest obstacles for participants.
Student Letícia Terreno de Souza explains the importance of time management during the Enem — Photo: Reproduction/TV TEM
"I learned a lot, especially how to deal with time. The first time I took the test, I didn't do very well in this question and ended up messing up. This year, I started to prepare specifically for this and I understood that I need to divide my time very well to take the exam", explained student Letícia Terreno de Souza.
Writing
As the writing requires an intervention proposal for a social problem in Brazil, the educators advise that the time is no longer to change the technical structure of the text, but to guarantee good repertoires.
The network coordinator responsible for the course, Mateus Lemes, highlights the importance of students' ability to associate data, concepts and references with possible writing topics.
"In the first semester, we worked on the entire structure of the essay: introduction, development, conclusion and what an argument is. Now, in this final stretch, the focus is really on the search for repertoires. We guide students to pay attention to issues such as artificial intelligence and its impacts on education and the job market, automation, precarious employment, as well as climate change, accessibility and neurodivergence", highlighted Mateus.
In the area of human sciences, it is possible to get an idea of much of the test using questions from previous years as a basis. Geography teacher Victor Carnevali reinforces that, in his subject, young people must prioritize the integration between physical aspects and social dynamics.
Geography professor Victor Carnevali reinforces that entrance exam candidates should prioritize traditional test topics — Photo: Reproduction/TV TEM
"In front of Enem, what traditionally falls the most are topics of urban geography, agrarian geography, population geography and issues involving climate change. Although there is a division between Physical and Human Geography, we always try to link one to the other, showing how these themes are connected in everyday life", highlighted the professor.
Guidelines for test day
⌚ Opening times: gates open at 12pm and close promptly at 1pm. The tests start at 1:30 pm and end at 7:00 pm on the first Sunday.
✔ Mandatory items: black ink ballpoint pen made of transparent material and official identification document with photo (RG, CNH, passport, work permit or digital documents are accepted in the official app with biometrics).
🍔 Food: light snacks (such as cereal bars, cookies and fruit) and water in a transparent, unlabeled bottle are allowed.
📱 Cell phones and electronic devices: must be turned off and stored in the sealed storage envelope provided by inspectors before accessing the room.
First day of Enem tests takes place this Sunday, across Brazil — Photo: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil
