Higher education candidates will have more options to take the national exams they can choose as entrance tests, according to the decision, which determines that universities will be able to offer six more pairs of subjects in 2025.
The decision was taken by the National Commission on Access to Higher Education (CNAES), which expanded the range of subjects that future candidates can choose to pursue degrees at universities and polytechnics.
The “exceptional measure” does not apply to students applying for higher education this summer, but to those applying for the 2025/2026 academic year and beyond.
The discussion, which Lusa had access to, determined that “a maximum of six alternative lists of entrance examinations will be allowed,” meaning that higher education institutions (HEIs) will be able to designate six new pairs of subjects.
For new courses starting in the next academic year 2024/2025, CNAES has decided that universities should require a maximum of two entrance tests and may have up to three alternatives.
Currently, many courses require only one test: for example, the course “Management” at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Novaya Lisbon requires only the national examination in mathematics as an entrance test.
The discussion focuses specifically on medicine courses, requiring tests to “requiredly include areas of biology, physics, mathematics, and chemistry,” acknowledging that students may take three tests if “necessary.”
CNAES sets a period of five working days from the date of registration of new cycles of study for universities to submit a list of entrance tests.
In the next academic year (2025/2026), universities will be able to choose between two or three compulsory entrance tests, with a maximum of three “alternative test lists to be established for each institution/course pair.”
Also this year, the rule will remain that entrance exams to the Faculty of Medicine must include the areas of biology, physics, mathematics and chemistry.
In the case of existing courses, institutions will also be able to submit proposals for changes to the CNAES, but these will only come into force in the 2027/2028 academic year.
CNAES gives institutions a period of ten working days from the date of publication of the discussion to submit changes they intend to make, and also determines that “having taken into account the legitimate expectations of candidates for higher education, it may, upon a reasonable proposal from the head of the educational institution, approve as an exception, changes to the list of entrance tests established in accordance with the terms of this article, subject to entry into force in the academic year until 2027/2028.”
In this case, the proposals can only lead to an increase in the opportunities of candidates, that is, to “adding to the lists of alternative entrance tests to those already established” or to “deploying pairs of entrance tests included in the already created lists.” maintaining in full, at least on an individual basis, fixed entrance examinations.”
Changing the rules of access to higher education has been a long-standing demand of those responsible for education. The topic gained new momentum due to the Covid-19 pandemic, when it became necessary to make exceptional changes to the existing rules.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.