ENEM (Exame Nacional do Ensino Medio) Requirements & Prerequisites
Everything you need to know before registering for the ENEM (Exame Nacional do Ensino Medio), eligibility, cost, format, and what to expect on exam day.
Cost
R$85 (~$17)
Provider
INEP
Validity
Annual exam
Available
Brazil
Education
Check official exam requirements
Experience
1-3 years of hands-on experience recommended
Specific Requirements
- No academic prerequisite. Anyone may sit the Enem, including candidates who only want to test their knowledge.
- A CPF and a Gov.br account at Bronze, Prata or Ouro level, used through the Login Unico to register at enem.inep.gov.br/participante.
- R$ 85,00 for the registration fee, paid by GRU Cobranca and processed by Banco do Brasil, unless you obtained the isencao.
- For the isencao: being in the final year of secondary school in a public school in the year of the edition; or having completed all of secondary school in a public school or on a full private scholarship with household income of up to one and a half minimum wages per person; or being registered in CadUnico with a single valid NIS and household income of up to half a minimum wage per person or up to three minimum wages in total.
- For certification: 18 years complete by the first exam day, the intention flagged at registration, and being neither a current final-year student nor a past graduate.
- An original, valid photo identity document from the list in section 10 of the edital, presented on both days.
- For accessibility provision: a request made during registration, with supporting documentation, within the published window. For Enem 2026 the request window was 25 May to 5 June, results came on 19 June, appeals ran 22 to 26 June and appeal results came on 3 July.
- For candidates under 18 without a Gov.br account, the platform requires documents recovering the account through a responsible adult, described on the gov.br service page.
Number of Questions
180 multiple-choice questions, 45 in each of the four areas of knowledge, plus one essay
Duration
Two days totalling 630 minutes: 5 hours 30 minutes on day one, 5 hours on day two. Both days start at 13h30 Brasilia time; day one ends at 19h and day two at 18h30. Approved extra time adds 60 minutes per day, ending at 20h and 19h30, and a further approved category ends at 21h and 20h30.
Question Format
Multiple choice with five options, marked on the Cartao-Resposta, One dissertative-argumentative essay in Portuguese, written on the Folha de Redacao, from a situacao-problema
Passing Requirement
None for university access. Institutions set their own minimums and their own per-area weights inside Sisu. The only official cut scores in the edital are for certification: at least 450 points in each of the four areas and at least 500 on the redacao, and for partial proficiency, 450 in the individual area, or 450 plus 500 on the redacao for Linguagens.
How It Is Delivered
Paper-based, in every state and the Federal District, at a location shown on the Cartao de Confirmacao da Inscricao. Answers must be transferred to the Cartao-Resposta and the essay to the Folha de Redacao using a black ballpoint pen with a transparent barrel. Marks in the question booklet and on the rascunho are not marked.
Languages Offered
Portuguese throughout, One foreign-language section, English or Spanish, chosen at registration; you answer only the questions for the language you selected
Rules specific to this exam
- Edital 64 of 21 May 2026 describes a paper application only. A separate edital covers Enem PPL, for adults serving custodial sentences and adolescents under custodial socio-educational measures.
Visit the official INEP certification page
Create an account and select your exam
Choose a test center or online proctoring option
Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
Score Scale
The redacao runs from 0 to 1000. The four objective areas are reported as Item Response Theory proficiencies rather than raw totals, and the edital does not fix a maximum for them; it points instead to the methodology document Inep publishes on its portal. The only fixed reference points in the edital are the certification thresholds of 450 per area and 500 on the redacao.
Score You Need
None for university access. Institutions set their own minimums and their own per-area weights inside Sisu. The only official cut scores in the edital are for certification: at least 450 points in each of the four areas and at least 500 on the redacao, and for partial proficiency, 450 in the individual area, or 450 plus 500 on the redacao for Linguagens.
How It Is Calculated
Objective proficiencies are computed with Teoria de Resposta ao Item from the pattern of responses, not from a raw count, so equal totals can produce unequal scores. The redacao is marked twice independently, 0 to 200 on each of five competencies. Discrepancy over 100 points in total, over 80 points on any competency, or a divergence in situation triggers an automatic third marking. Only the Cartao-Resposta and the Folha de Redacao are marked; the booklet and the rascunho are ignored. There is no negative marking.
When You Get Results
Answer keys for the objective papers by the tenth business day after day two. Individual results at enem.inep.gov.br/participante with CPF and password on a date announced by Inep, historically in January of the following year. Pedagogical view of the essay after the results, and treineiro results 60 days after the main release.
In raw terms: Inep publishes no raw-to-scale conversion table, because Item Response Theory proficiency depends on which items were answered correctly rather than how many. Any conversion chart circulating on study sites is an estimate rather than an official mapping.
- Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo)
- Appointment confirmation email
- For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet
What are the prerequisites for the ENEM (Exame Nacional do Ensino Medio)?
No academic prerequisite. Anyone may sit the Enem, including candidates who only want to test their knowledge.. A CPF and a Gov.br account at Bronze, Prata or Ouro level, used through the Login Unico to register at enem.inep.gov.br/participante.. R$ 85,00 for the registration fee, paid by GRU Cobranca and processed by Banco do Brasil, unless you obtained the isencao.. For the isencao: being in the final year of secondary school in a public school in the year of the edition; or having completed all of secondary school in a public school or on a full private scholarship with household income of up to one and a half minimum wages per person; or being registered in CadUnico with a single valid NIS and household income of up to half a minimum wage per person or up to three minimum wages in total.. For certification: 18 years complete by the first exam day, the intention flagged at registration, and being neither a current final-year student nor a past graduate.. An original, valid photo identity document from the list in section 10 of the edital, presented on both days.. For accessibility provision: a request made during registration, with supporting documentation, within the published window. For Enem 2026 the request window was 25 May to 5 June, results came on 19 June, appeals ran 22 to 26 June and appeal results came on 3 July.. For candidates under 18 without a Gov.br account, the platform requires documents recovering the account through a responsible adult, described on the gov.br service page..
How much does the ENEM (Exame Nacional do Ensino Medio) cost?
The ENEM (Exame Nacional do Ensino Medio) exam costs R$85 (~$17). This includes the exam fee only, study materials are additional.
How do I register for the ENEM (Exame Nacional do Ensino Medio)?
Visit the official INEP certification page → Create an account and select your exam → Choose a test center or online proctoring option → Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
What should I bring to the ENEM (Exame Nacional do Ensino Medio)?
Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo). Appointment confirmation email. For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet.
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