Results released today by the National Examination Jury (JNE) indicate that students maintained similar averages to last year in the first year that tests were conducted on computers. Mathematics scores averaged 52 on a scale of 0 to 100, compared to 51 in 2024, and Portuguese scores averaged 58, down from 59 in 2024.
As was the case last year, around half of the students failed to achieve a passing grade in Mathematics, with only 49.2% surpassing 50%. Meanwhile, the percentage of failures in Portuguese increased slightly, with only 69% reaching a passing grade compared to 76% last year.
These statistics solely include data from general student tests in Portuguese and Mathematics, excluding students with special educational needs or those for whom Portuguese is not a native language.
The final exams for the 9th grade of basic education, conducted digitally for the first time, took place in 1,227 schools across Portugal and abroad (following the Portuguese curriculum).
The exams, which constitute 30% of the final grade, were also digitally graded by a team of evaluators from the Educational Evaluation Institute (IAVE).
Approximately 203,924 exams involved around 10,200 supervising teachers and school examination secretaries, whose performance was critical for ensuring the first phase proceeded smoothly, according to a JNE statement.
The final grade lists for 9th-grade students were expected on Tuesday, but after a day of schools waiting for test results, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation (MECI) confirmed they would be sent the following day.
The ministry attributed the delay to “technical difficulties” in the grading process, without specifying, and schools only started receiving the Portuguese and Mathematics scores this afternoon.
The MECI further announced an “internal investigation into the procedural and technical failures that led to the delay in posting the final exam results” and stated that responsibilities would be determined among those involved in the JNE and IAVE services.
The ministry’s statement mentioned that one of the technical failures identified by IAVE on Monday was related to the non-submission of digitized sheets for Mathematics exams, preventing timely grading.
“To minimize the constraints caused by the delay in posting results and expedite the registration process for the second phase of exams, the JNE informed schools that all students who failed after the first phase will be automatically registered for the second phase of the basic education exams,” the statement added.
The Portuguese exam is scheduled for Friday, and the Mathematics exam will take place on the following Tuesday, July 22nd.
