Unicamp began the second phase of the 2026 Entrance Exam this morning (30). The overall absenteeism rate was 7,9% (12.018 present and 1.028 absent), which, according to the director of the Permanent Commission for Entrance Exams at Unicamp (Comvest), José Alves de Freitas Neto, represents stability compared to last year (7,5%). The lowest absenteeism rates were identified in Jundiaí and Limeira, with 5,1% each. Candidates are competing for 2.530 places in 69 undergraduate courses. The second phase, consisting of essay questions, is held over two days – Sunday and Monday (December 1st) – starting at 9 am.
“Two cities pulled this rate down, namely Recife [22,9% abstention] and Curitiba [25%], which today also have entrance exams for local universities. So, this is probably a decision that candidates had to make even when there was no scheduling conflict, as is the case with the Federal University of Paraná [UFPA],” commented the director of Comvest, José Alves de Freitas Neto. In the municipality of Campinas, the abstention rate was 5,4%, compared to 5,6% last year.
The second phase is being implemented in cities in São Paulo (Bauru, Campinas, Guarulhos, Jundiaí, Limeira, Mogi Guaçu, Osasco, Piracicaba, Presidente Prudente, Ribeirão Preto, Santo André, Santos, São Carlos, São José do Rio Preto, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Sorocaba), as well as six state capitals: Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Recife, and Salvador.
The exams
On the first day, the content It is common to all candidates, containing a Writing Test (with two text proposals for the candidate to choose from), Portuguese Language and Literatures of the Portuguese Language (six questions) and an Interdisciplinary Test (two questions in English Language and two in Natural Sciences). The answer key will be released on Monday (December 8th).
In the essay portion of the exam, candidates could choose between writing a personal statement about social media communities known as the "machosphere," which incite hate speech and violence against women, or a note explaining what the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) is and its historical importance, considering the recent pejorative meaning attributed to "being CLT."
According to Freitas, the themes are engaging and contemporary, requiring students to be able to articulate readings and content, reflect, and demonstrate how they think and develop knowledge. "Unicamp seeks students who are attentive to the problems of the contemporary world and who defend certain principles that the University has never abandoned, regarding human rights and social rights."
According to the director, keeping the questions open-ended in the second phase of the Unicamp entrance exam, as is the case in other universities in São Paulo, "is fundamental and is part of the secret to the excellence of our universities." Furthermore, this format "preserves the spirit of when the entrance exam was created," he said.
A critical view of reality on the part of the candidates is one of the points evaluated by the exam, reiterated the academic coordinator of Comvest, Márcia Mendonça. “That's why, from the essay topics to the other texts, everything is selected as a pretext, as guiding axes for the discussion that can take place. All this without neglecting reading and writing skills and school knowledge.”
Mendonça highlighted that the questions are deeply connected to current events. For example, the expression "corre" (referring to the daily lives of Brazilians) and its use in a text were the subject of a question, as was the impact of artificial intelligence on society and technochauvinism (the belief that technological solutions are superior to others), in addition to a physical problem associated with the travelogue of Brazilian Tamara Klink. In another example, the contamination of water by clobazam (an anxiolytic drug) was related to the behavior and migration of salmon from Sweden to the Baltic Sea. "We don't work on the topic for the sake of the topic, but in relation to existing knowledge, which will also be demanded of these students within the University," Freitas pointed out.
Anxiety and expectation
Candidate Maria Luísa dos Santos, 19, arrived at the Barão Geraldo campus shortly after 7 a.m., accompanied by her mother, Sílvia Rosa. “In the first phase, we got stuck in traffic and arrived at PUC [Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas] around 9 a.m. This time, we decided to arrive earlier,” her mother explained.
The young woman, who is interested in drawing, painting, and sculpture, plans to study Visual Arts. "I'm not too worried about this first day [of exams] because I'm good at text interpretation and writing."
The group of friends Ana Carolyna M. de Nogueira, Beatriz Domingos, Isabelle Mariana Leite, Júlia Santos, and Mariana Verítico chatted excitedly before the start of the exam. This is the second time that Santos, 19, has participated in the second phase of the Unicamp entrance exam, vying for a place in the Environmental Engineering undergraduate program. "If I get into Unicamp, I'll be the first person in my family to attend university and be part of a public university," she said.
Both Santos and Nogueira took preparatory courses to help with their studies. "That already gave me some relief, because I know how the exam works," said Nogueira, 17, who wants to study Business Administration.
Beginnings and restarts
Víctor Hugo Barreiro de Souza, 19, is trying for the second time to get into Media Studies, combining his interests in football and content production. The young man is confident of a positive result after a year of preparation. “I had some weaknesses in chemistry and physics, and in the first semester I tried to improve [in those subjects]. In the second semester, inevitably, I focused more on the humanities, already thinking about the second phase [of the entrance exam].”
“I know how much he studied and prepared. Last year he came close, and this year he will succeed,” said his father, Edson Souza.
Orion Gomide, 22 years old, is from São José do Rio Preto (SP) and is already studying Physics at Unicamp, but is looking to switch to a degree in Social Sciences. "I can't see myself at any other university than Unicamp, I think I've really found myself here, it's become a home for me."
Tatiana Keller, 28, is from São Paulo and graduated in Economics from Unicamp about a year ago. Now, she is trying to return for a second degree in Biology. Keller recalled that there were changes It's in the format of the second phase of the entrance exam, but the content remains the same, prioritizing contextualization and interdisciplinarity. "I prefer this [current format] because I have more time to analyze [the questions] and do a more in-depth resolution."
Literature
Mariana Mestriner, 17, is trying for the first time to get into a Physical Education course, accompanied by her parents, Luciana and Alexandre, and her girlfriend Júlia Dari. The candidate emphasized that having taken the entrance exam as a practice test last year made a difference in her preparation. "It was important to familiarize myself with the structure of the exam."
About list of works Regarding reading, Mestriner says that "Life Is Not Useful," by Ailton Krenak, is his favorite book. "I've read it three times. I think it's very good because, in addition to the literary aspect, it has a lot of philosophy in it."
Meanwhile, the book “Morangos mofados” (Moldy Strawberries), by Caio Fernando Abreu, was the favorite of friends Isabela Laís Silva and Otávio Ferrari, both 17 years old, and Bruno Gibim, 18 years old. According to the young people, students at the Culto à Ciência State School, the book was the focus of a school project. “I also really like Olhos d'água [by Conceição Evaristo],” Silva pointed out.
Second day
The second day includes a common section and a specific section, according to the chosen course area. All candidates take a Mathematics Exam (with 6 questions for courses in the Exact/Technological Sciences area and 4 questions for the others) and an Interdisciplinary Humanities Exam, with 2 questions.
The subject-specific knowledge tests are divided as follows:
- Candidates for Biological/Health Sciences take: Biology (7 questions) and Chemistry (5 questions);
- Candidates for Exact/Technological Sciences take: Physics (5 questions) and Chemistry (5 questions);
- Candidates in Humanities/Arts will take the following exams: Geography (5 questions), History (5 questions), Philosophy (1 question), and Sociology (1 question).
next dates
The Specific Skills tests for the Performing Arts, Visual Arts, and Dance courses will be held between December 3rd and 5th, 2025, only in Campinas. The first call will be released on January 23rd, and those called must complete their online registration (non-attendance) on January 26th and 27th, 2026, through the Comvest website. Other dates are listed in the Unicamp 2026 Entrance Exam calendar, available at [website address - please insert here]. Commission website.
This year, for the first time, the Architecture and Urban Planning course has chosen not to require the specific skills tests, which are administered after the second phase of the entrance exam. Therefore, candidates will only take the first and second phase exams.
The first list of successful candidates for the Unicamp entrance exam will be released on January 23, 2026.
