Secundário exams for homeschooled pupils

Home education can continue into secundário, but only in the general academic courses (cursos científico-humanísticos): Ciências e Tecnologias, Ciências Socioeconómicas, Línguas e Humanidades and Artes Visuais. Vocational courses are not covered 22. Decreto-Lei n.º 70/2021, de 3 de agostoDiário da República. This guide covers how subjects are completed. For choosing a course and university entry in more depth, see Secundário and university.

One test per subject, in its terminal year

As self-entered candidates (autopropostos), homeschooled pupils sit a test in the terminal year of each subject. Where a national exam exists, it replaces the equivalence test 11. Despacho Normativo n.º 3/2026, de 23 de fevereiro (Regulamento das Provas de Avaliação Externa e das Provas de Equivalência à Frequência)Diário da República / Júri Nacional de Exames33. Guia Geral de Exames 2026Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior. Approval follows the normal transition and approval rules of the cursos científico-humanísticos 3.

Most two-year subjects end in 11.º ano; Português and the three-year specific subjects end in 12.º 44. Despacho n.º 14616-A/2025, de 9 de dezembro (calendar of provas and exames 2025-2026)Diário da República. So a homeschooled pupil usually has a heavy exam year in 11.º and another in 12.º.

National exams (exames finais nacionais)

Source: DN 3/2026, Quadro VI 1. Most exams last 120 minutes; Matemática A, Matemática B, MACS, Desenho A and Geometria Descritiva A last 150 minutes.

Past national exams with marking criteria are published after each phase, which makes them the best practice material 88. Exames nacionais 2026, enunciados e critérios (1.ª fase)EduQA.

Equivalence tests in secundário

Subjects with no national exam, such as Educação Física and the 12.º ano annual options, are completed through an equivalence test set by the school 1. In secundário they work differently from ensino básico 1:

• They are marked from 0 to 200.
• With written and oral parts, the written part weighs 70% and the oral 30%. With written and practical parts, it is 70% written and 30% practical, except Educação Física, which is 30% written and 70% practical.
• Missing either component means no grade and failing the subject.

As in ensino básico, the school publishes an Informação-Prova for each test. Ask for it early.

Non-native speakers

A homeschooled pupil may take the Português Língua Não Materna exam (839) after a language proficiency diagnosis by the school of enrolment 1. Note that exam 839 does not count as an entrance exam for higher education 1. See Families from abroad.

Registration and fees

Source: DN 3/2026, Quadro II 1. Registration is free within compulsory schooling if done on time; late registration costs EUR 25 1. When registering, homeschooled pupils select their school of enrolment 3.

University entry, briefly

To apply to a Portuguese university you need the secundário diploma and the national exams that your chosen degree lists as entrance exams (provas de ingresso). The exam grades feed into the application score 3. Choose the course and subjects in 10.º ano with the likely entrance exams in mind. Details are in Secundário and university.

What happened in 2026

The 2026/27 exam calendar has not been published yet. Expect it around December 2026, as the previous one appeared on 9 December 2025 4.

If a subject is not passed

A failed subject can be retaken in the 2.ª fase or the following year. However, two consecutive years of non-approval in the 11.º ano terminal subjects, or at the end of secundário, lead the director to cancel home education 2. See If things go wrong.

Related guides

• Exams overview
• 9.º ano tests
• What the curriculum requires