National secondary education exam averages for 2026 presented mixed results, with declines in Portuguese and Biology and a rise in Mathematics A. The Portuguese exam, the most taken, averaged 11.4 points, down from 12.6 last year. Biology and Geology dropped from 12.4 to 11.1 points, and Philosophy saw a slight fall to 10 points. Portuguese Literature recorded the lowest average at 9.6 points.
Conversely, Mathematics A, a key exam for higher education access, rose from 10.5 to 11.4 points. Mathematics Applied to Social Sciences (MACS) also improved, going from 9.2 to 10.5 points. The subjects with the highest averages were Mandarin (introduction) with 16.8 and English with 15.3 points.
This academic year was marked by the first-time implementation of fully digital exam correction, a process that suffered from technical failures, delays, and grading errors. The Ministry of Education acknowledged the problems but assured that no student would be disadvantaged, with a special exam session planned for September for affected students.
