Dreaming of graduating is the first step towards transforming your career, but before that, it's essential to understand what the vestibular exam is. This widely known term refers to the selection process that determines admission to higher education.
A graduation é um ensino especializado que exige conhecimentos básicos para acompanhar as aulas e atividades. Por meio do vestibular, as instituições de ensino avaliam se os candidatos possuem o preparo necessário para ingressar nesse nível de formação.
There's no need to worry: the content covered in any type of college entrance exam is limited to the high school curriculum. Although each college has its own assessments, there are operational and structural standards that apply to most of them.
To simplify your journey, we've compiled all the essential information about the university entrance exam in this comprehensive guide. Learn all the details and prepare to take the next step towards your academic journey.
So, what exactly is a vestibular exam and what is it for?
The entrance exam is the selection process responsible for determining which students are prepared to enter higher education, through assessments of general knowledge. These exams may vary in format and approach, depending on the educational institution.
In public universities, for example, it is common for the entrance exam to be divided into two phases: a general multiple-choice test and, subsequently, essay questions followed by a writing assignment. These methods aim to assess the candidate's academic preparedness for the challenges of higher education.
The reason behind the entrance exam is simple: to ensure that the student has an adequate command of the mandatory subjects of high school, such as Portuguese, Mathematics, Physics, and Biology, among others. This knowledge is fundamental to keeping up with the more specialized and in-depth content of undergraduate studies.
Furthermore, since the number of places available in higher education does not meet the demand of all candidates, the entrance exam serves as a way to select those with the best academic performance. In some cases, subjects such as Philosophy and Sociology may be assessed in an interdisciplinary manner, while English presents a more basic approach.
In Brazil, both public and private universities hold entrance exams. However, there is a growing trend of using ENEM scores as a complement to, or even a substitute for, traditional selection processes, making access to higher education more dynamic and accessible.
How does the entrance exam work?
Now that you know what a vestibular exam is, let's understand how it actually works. Unlike the ENEM, which is unified nationwide, each educational institution creates its own exam. This means that the style of questions, the number of questions, and even the number of tests can vary considerably between universities.
Although these differences exist, the entrance exam maintains common characteristics:
- EliminationGenerally, there is a minimum cut-off score set by the university entrance exam committee. Candidates who do not reach this score are automatically eliminated.
- ClassificationThose who pass the cutoff score are ranked according to their overall performance, in descending order. For example, in a Business Administration course with 30 places, the 30 highest-ranked candidates will be selected.
Furthermore, all university entrance exams follow very similar steps, including:
Publication of the notice
The official announcement is the document for the selection process and serves as a candidate's handbook. It contains all the information you need to know to participate in the entrance exam, such as:
- Registration period and method;
- Exam structure: number of questions, style (multiple choice or essay), exam phases, and topics covered;
- Time required to complete the exam;
- Classification methodology: cut-off scores, weights assigned to subjects, and tie-breaking criteria;
- Courses and number of open positions;
- Procedures for enrollment of successful candidates;
- Guidelines for remaining vacancies, among others.
With this information, the candidate has the necessary foundation to prepare effectively and increase their chances of success in the university entrance exam.
Enrollment
After the announcement of the program, candidates interested in starting their undergraduate studies must register for the college's selection process. This process is quite simple and accessible, and can be done directly on the institution's website, by phone, or in person on campus.
Registration involves filling out basic information and paying a fee, which covers operational costs such as printing exams and paying proctors. Some institutions offer the possibility of requesting a full or partial fee waiver, especially for candidates who can prove low income.
Once registered, the candidate receives all the necessary instructions, such as the location and time of the exam, permitted materials, required documents, and any restrictions, such as prohibited attire. These guidelines ensure that all participants are prepared for the day of the exam.
Application
The entrance exam can be administered in person or digitally, although the in-person format is still predominant due to the credibility it offers. On the day of the exam, candidates must show up at the location, identify themselves to the proctors, and follow the rules stipulated by the institution.
During the exam, leaving the room is restricted, being permitted only for basic needs such as going to the bathroom or drinking water, always accompanied by the supervision of proctors. This control ensures that all candidates have equal conditions, preventing practices such as cheating or any other unethical conduct.
In some universities, there is a minimum time limit for remaining in the exam room, and candidates may or may not take the question booklet home, depending on the institution's rules. After the answer key is released, it is possible to check the answers and evaluate performance on the entrance exam.
Announcement of results
After taking the exam, the next step is to wait for the results to be released by the university. This process can vary from a few hours to several weeks, depending on the type of entrance exam (traditional or scheduled) and the volume of exams to be graded.
If approved, the candidate receives all the detailed instructions to complete their enrollment and begin their academic journey. It is important to highlight that, even with different evaluation methods, the colleges ensure that the information is always clear and accessible, guaranteeing peace of mind for students at all stages.
When can we take the college entrance exam?
The only prerequisite for taking the university entrance exam is having completed high school at the time of enrollment. This means that teenagers in their final year of high school can already participate in the selection process, as long as they finish their studies before entering university.
There is no age limit or time restriction since completing high school. Even those who left their studies many years ago can apply, as long as they maintain or recover the general knowledge from that stage of schooling, ensuring good chances of entering a higher education course.
What do I need to take the college entrance exam?
As mentioned, the main requirement is completion of high school. In addition, the candidate must register correctly and pay the registration fee.
To increase your chances of success in the university entrance exam, the advice is to review the mandatory content from high school, which is standardized throughout the country. Many exam announcements specify the topics covered in each subject, helping to guide your studies.
If the candidate needs to review concepts or reinforce any content, it is worthwhile to create a study plan based on the Brazilian National Curriculum Base (BNCC) of the Ministry of Education. This document establishes the mandatory curriculum and the expected competencies for each stage of Basic Education.
Furthermore, organizing a study environment, gathering learning materials, or accessing online content are good practices for efficient preparation. If necessary, taking a preparatory course can be a useful alternative to maintain focus and reinforce learning.
What is the difference between a traditional entrance exam and a scheduled one?
Traditional entrance exams and scheduled entrance exams have significant differences in their structure and operation. Traditional entrance exams follow pre-set dates, encompassing the registration period, exam administration, and results announcement. This model is common in public universities, with the announcement published in advance and greater competition among candidates, generally once a year.
Scheduled entrance exams, predominant in private higher education, offer greater flexibility to the candidate. In this modality, the student can choose the date and time of the exam from the options provided by the college, ensuring convenience and suitability to their schedule. This format generally has only one phase, with application to smaller groups, which makes the correction process more agile and speeds up enrollment.
Although the structure of the exams is similar, the scheduled entrance exam usually has a more dynamic flow, ideal for those seeking practicality and speed. In both modalities, the content covered is based on the high school curriculum, ensuring that candidates are equally prepared.
Does the university entrance exam use the ENEM score?
The National High School Exam (ENEM) has been gaining increasing prominence as an alternative to the traditional university entrance exam, facilitating entry into undergraduate courses. See the main ways to utilize your ENEM score:
- Direct entrySome institutions accept the ENEM score as a means of admission without requiring an entrance exam. Public universities may limit the number of places available and only accept the most recent edition of the exam, while private universities offer greater flexibility, considering scores from previous editions, even from 2010 onwards.
- Common criteriaRegardless of the institution, it is common to require that the candidate has achieved at least 450 points on the exam and has not received a zero on the essay.
- Additional benefitsIn addition to facilitating enrollment, ENEM performance can lead to partial scholarships at various private colleges, depending on the course and specific criteria.
This integration between the vestibular exam and the ENEM (National High School Exam) expands the possibilities of access to higher education, making the process more inclusive and accessible to candidates.
Supplement to the college entrance exam
Even when the ENEM score is not used as a substitute for the entrance exam, it can be used to supplement the candidate's score. In this case, the percentage established by the university, based on the student's performance in the MEC Exam, is added to the result obtained in the test, improving the overall ranking in the selection process.
Sisu
In public institutions, the Unified Selection System (Sisu) offers an alternative to the traditional entrance exam, allowing students to use their ENEM (National High School Exam) score to directly enroll in undergraduate courses. To participate, candidates must have taken the ENEM in the previous year and register during the stipulated period, usually at the beginning of each semester, through the official Sisu website.
The system is based on cut-off scores, which vary according to the course, shift, and faculty. More competitive degrees, such as Law, have higher cut-off scores. In addition, SISU includes affirmative action policies, reserving places for specific groups, such as students from public schools, Afro-descendants, and indigenous people.
ProUni
The University for All Program (ProUni) also uses the ENEM score as a criterion for admission to private colleges, offering full (100%) and partial (50%) scholarships. Aimed at low-income individuals, ProUni seeks to democratize access to higher education, providing opportunities for students who completed high school in public schools or as full scholarship recipients in private institutions.
The criteria for scholarships include:
- Full scholarshipFamily income per capita of up to 1.5 minimum wages;
- Partial scholarshipFamily income per capita of up to 3 minimum wages.
Public school teachers can also apply to the program, regardless of whether they studied at private schools.
FIES
The Student Financing Fund (FIES) is another government program that uses the ENEM score, but it does not replace the entrance exam. It offers student financing with facilitated conditions, helping students who cannot afford tuition fees during their undergraduate studies.
Loan repayment begins after course completion, once the professional is already in the job market. During the studies, symbolic quarterly installments are charged, with a maximum value of R$150, and interest rates vary from 6.5% to 0%, depending on the student's socioeconomic conditions.
What are the different types of college entrance exams?
In university entrance exams, you may encounter different types of assessments, including multiple choice, essay questions, and written compositions. These formats are used to test the candidate's general and specific knowledge, and may even appear combined in the same selection process. Check out the difference between them:
Multiple choice
Also called an objective test, multiple choice presents a limited number of alternative answers. The candidate must read the question and select the option they consider correct. This format is direct and aims to assess the student's ability to analyze and make decisions when faced with limited information.
Essay
Essay questions require candidates to develop open-ended answers, in the form of short texts or calculations. They are ideal for assessing the clarity, organization, and depth of the student's knowledge, as well as their ability to structure ideas coherently and objectively.
Essay
Essay writing is one of the most valued stages in many selection processes, including the ENEM (Brazilian National High School Exam). Commonly focused on argumentative essays, it can also include other text genres, depending on the prompt. This type of exam tests not only writing skills, but also critical reasoning and logical argumentation.
What subjects are covered in the college entrance exam?
To prepare effectively, it's essential to know which subjects and topics are most frequently tested in the university entrance exam. Below, we highlight the main subjects and topics that deserve attention:
Portuguese Language
- Literary schools (Baroque, Romanticism, Realism, Modernism).
- Figures of speech.
- Morphology and syntactic functions.
- Textual genres.
- Reading and interpreting texts.
Mathematics
- Functions (1st degree, 2nd degree, exponential and logarithmic).
- Percentage and calculations of area, volume, and perimeter.
- Trigonometry (sine, cosine, tangent).
- Arithmetic and geometric progressions.
- Basic probability and statistics.
History
- Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Ages.
- Industrial Revolution and Enlightenment.
- First and Second World Wars.
- Cold War.
- History of Brazil: Colonial Period, Slavery, Vargas Era, Military Dictatorship and social movements.
Geography
- Environmental issues and water resources.
- Geopolitics and economic blocs.
- Urbanization, population, and agriculture.
- Climatic elements and geomorphology (soils, relief).
Chemical
- Stoichiometry and solutions.
- Electrochemistry and thermochemistry.
- Organic compounds and radioactivity.
- Chemical bonds, polarity, and intermolecular forces.
Physical
- Mechanics, geometric optics, and calorimetry.
- Electricity, magnetism, and acoustics.
- Energy, work, and power.
- Gases and resistors.
Biology
- Ecology and sustainability.
- Genetics, mutations, and cytology.
- Biogeochemical cycles (carbon, water, nitrogen).
- Classification of living things and botany.
English
- Reading and interpreting texts.
- Word classes and verb tenses.
- Sentenças condicionais (“If Clauses”) e voz passiva.
- Basic and contextualized vocabulary.
Is the entrance exam the same for public and private universities?
Although the content covered in the university entrance exam follows the high school curriculum, there are important differences between the selection processes for public and private universities.
Public universities generally use the traditional model, held once or twice a year. These entrance exams are highly competitive, as the number of places available in government institutions (federal, state, or municipal) is limited. Furthermore, they usually include several phases, requiring greater dedication from the candidate, which can be challenging for those who work or have full-time commitments.
Já nas faculdades privadas, o scheduled entrance exam é mais comum. Este formato oferece flexibilidade ao candidato, que pode escolher o dia e horário mais convenientes para realizar a prova. Normalmente, há apenas uma fase, o que torna o processo mais acessível e prático, sem perder sua relevância.
Regardless of the format, the style of questions may vary depending on the institution, consisting of multiple-choice tests, essay questions, and written compositions, always based on the unified high school curriculum.
What is the entrance exam like at ESEG College?
In ESEG College, The entrance exam is scheduled, providing candidates with greater convenience. The exams follow updated guidelines every semester and are structured as follows:
- Multiple choice: 76 questions in total, with 10 questions per subject (Portuguese, Mathematics, History, Geography, Physics, Chemistry and Biology) and 6 questions in English.
- Essays: 4 questions, divided between Portuguese and Mathematics (2 of each).
- EssayA current topic, to assess critical thinking and writing skills.
Candidates have 4 hours to complete the exam, with a minimum stay of 1 hour. The passing scores require:
- 27 correct multiple-choice questions (35% of correct answers).
- An arithmetic mean of at least 3.5, considering the tests and the essay, with a minimum of 20 correct answers on the tests.
In case of a tie, the scores in Portuguese and Mathematics are used as the tiebreaker. The result is released within 7 days after the exam.
ESEG College also offers the option of direct admission through the ENEM exam, with a thorough analysis of the score. To be accepted, the candidate must have achieved at least 450 points on the objective test and not have received a zero on the essay.
Now that you know how the ESEG College entrance exam works, take the opportunity to put this theory into practice! Contact us and schedule your test.. This is the first step towards a successful journey.
