More than 10,000 higher education candidates on the first day

More than 10,000 students submitted their applications on the first day of the national competition for access to higher education, which started on Monday with more than 56,000 places available.

The application deadline for the first phase isn't until August 4th, but the first day is usually the busiest, and on Monday, the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES) received 10,183 applications. Compared to last year, there were 1,859 fewer applications .

For the next academic year, universities and polytechnic institutes made 55,956 places available (643 more than last year) through the general access regime, which includes the national competition and local competitions, for example, for artistic courses.

For emigrant candidates, candidates of Portuguese descent or those requesting to replace entrance exams with foreign exams , the deadline for submitting applications ends earlier, on July 28.

Applications must be submitted on the DGES website , and this year, students will be able to choose from more than 1,100 options at 34 higher education institutions. Results will be announced on August 24th , and candidates placed in the first phase have until August 28th to enroll.

The second phase takes place between August 25 and September 3 , with the results being announced on September 14, followed by the third phase between September 23 and 25, with the results being announced on October 1.

To apply, students need an access password —which can be requested through the DGES website—and the ENES form, issued by the school, with their final secondary school grade and entrance exam results.

Last year, 58,641 students applied for the first phase of the national entrance exam, 723 fewer than the previous year.