USP, Unesp and Unicamp, three of the main public universities in São Paulo, expressed "deep concern" with recent reports of misuse of Artificial Intelligence, leaks and failures in supervision during the application of Provão Paulista 2026.
In a joint note released this Friday (13), the universities mention reports about the use of cell phones and the leaking of question papers on social media and reinforce that "equality among students is essential to legitimize entry into public higher education". See details of the document in the report below.
🔎 What is Provão Paulista? It is a serial entrance exam aimed at students enrolled in the public education network. Students take the exam every year throughout high school. This means that a student who is in the first year in 2026 will need to take the test in 2027 and 2028. Only then will their final grade, based on their performance in the three editions, be calculated to compete for a place in the undergraduate course.
In Piracicaba, in the interior of São Paulo, the application of Provão Paulista at the Professor Elias de Mello Ayres State School, carried out on the 4th and 5th of November, was canceled by the São Paulo State Department of Education (Seduc-SP). Employees of the teaching unit were dismissed and a test inspector was fired.
Joint note from Unesp, Unicamp and Usp
In the joint note, public higher education institutions in São Paulo declared that they seek dialogue with the holder of Seduc-SP to improve monitoring and security protocols. Read the document in full below.
"The Undergraduate Dean's Offices of the University of São Paulo (USP), the Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) and the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) express deep concern about the complaints and records published by the press and social networks about possible irregularities during the application of the Provão Paulista Serial of 2026, especially regarding the improper use of cell phones, the dissemination of images of question books and oversight failures in school units. The preservation of isonomy and Equality of conditions between candidates is an indispensable requirement for the legitimacy of any selection process for admission to public higher education.
The three universities reaffirm the importance of the partnership with Seduc-SP, recognizing in Provão Paulista a relevant public policy to democratize access for public school students to higher education. Precisely because of its social reach and the commitment of the institutions involved with equity in admission, it is essential that the selection process observes rigorous standards of security, supervision and transparency, ensuring that all participants are evaluated under equivalent conditions.
In this sense, the Undergraduate Deans of the three universities are already seeking an official agenda with the Secretary of Education of the State of São Paulo to deal with the reported incidents and discuss effective measures to improve test application, inspection and security protocols. The objective is to contribute, in a collaborative and institutional way, to the strengthening of Provão Paulista, the preservation of its credibility and the guarantee of a fair, transparent and reliable selection process", he concluded.
Piracicaba
After the cancellation of the application of Provão Paulista in Piracicaba, Seduc-SP informed EPTV, a TV Globo affiliate, this Friday (13), that the director and vice-director were removed from their duties at the school unit.
Furthermore, an inspector from Fundação Vunesp, responsible for organizing the tests, was permanently inactivated by the institution.
According to the Ministry, the measure was taken after images from the security system recorded students photographing the tests and using artificial intelligence tools.
The report asked Vunesp for a position this Friday (13) and Saturday (14), but had not received a response until the last update of this report and is awaiting a response.
What Seduc-SP says
Asked about the content of the joint note, Seduc informed g1, this Saturday (14), that it is aware of the document and remains in direct contact with the deans. "The relationship with higher education institutions has always been one of close dialogue and exchange", he declared.
In the document, Seduc also states that it "constantly works on improving application and inspection procedures to ensure the integrity of the exam", he added.
Regarding the complaints regarding irregularities during the application of the Provão Paulista Serial, the department clarified that specific cases were recorded.
"The exam follows strict security protocols to ensure the fairness of the assessment. The use of electronic devices during the tests is prohibited, and cell phones must remain turned off and sealed in storage containers throughout the entire application period.
All occurrences are rigorously investigated, and appropriate measures are adopted in relation to everyone involved in the application process, including teachers, inspectors, principals and vice-principals. When the infraction is confirmed and the student is identified, measures are adopted that include canceling the test, when applicable", he reinforced.
Investigation in Piracicaba
Regarding the Piracicaba school case, according to the secretariat, the Piracicaba Regional Education Unit launched a preliminary investigation to identify the responsibilities of the professionals involved.
Students identified using cell phones irregularly will have their tests definitively cancelled. Students who did not participate in the irregularities will be able to take the assessment on another date.
See the full note from the State Department of Education below:
"The Department of Education of the State of São Paulo (Seduc-SP) works constantly to ensure the smoothness and safety of the Provão Paulista Sériedo, following the procedures established in the notice.
The application of Provão Paulista Sedo in the mentioned unit, on the 4th and 5th of November, was invalidated after the identification of failures in complying with the procedures set out in the notice. Among the irregularities found are problems in access control protocols and storage of students' cell phones, as well as failures in inspection. Images from the security system also recorded students photographing the tests and using artificial intelligence tools.
Students identified using cell phones irregularly will have their tests cancelled. Students who did not give rise to irregularities will be able to carry out the assessment in an extra application, as a way of ensuring that they are not harmed by the identified flaws.
The director and deputy director were removed from their duties at the school unit, and the Piracicaba Regional Education Unit launched a preliminary investigation to identify the responsibilities of the professionals involved. Measures were also taken in relation to Vunesp's inspectors, who presented flaws in the inspection procedures. One of the professionals was permanently inactivated by the institution.
Seduc-SP continually works to improve application and inspection procedures to ensure the integrity of the exam, which has already guaranteed more than 46 thousand places in public universities in São Paulo for students from the state network."
