More than 5 million candidates have already had their registrations confirmed for the Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (Enem) in 2026, making this year’s sitting the largest by participant numbers in recent years. In 2025, there were 4.8 million students, according to figures from the Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (Inep).
As the country’s biggest examination, Enem remains the main route into higher education in Brazil. That is why a planned, strategic approach to revision matters. In that context, reading literary works continues to play an important role for anyone aiming to perform well-especially as papers increasingly prioritise interpretation and demand cultural repertoire, critical thinking and the ability to argue a point.
Thiago Braga, a Portuguese Language author for the pH Teaching System, says literature is far more than the compulsory reading lists often associated with university entrance exams. “Exams are becoming more and more interpretative, and preparing through literature is precisely the training needed to handle dense, ambiguous and figurative texts. It’s not about dressing up answers; it’s about developing the skill the exam actually measures: reading well,” he says.
To help students get more out of literary works while preparing for Enem and Brazil’s main university entrance exams, the specialist shares a set of practical guidelines. See below.
1. Recognise that literature is interpretation training for Enem
For Thiago Braga, reading literary works equips students for challenges that are now common in today’s assessments. “Fuvest, for example, often asks for the work to be read in dialogue with a philosophical text or another art form, so the candidate needs to move between different languages. A literary reader reaches that demand better prepared,” he explains.
2. Broaden your repertoire to understand texts more fully
The specialist stresses that well-grounded interpretation goes beyond grasping individual words. “Repertoire is the web of references that enables the student to recognise what is in front of their eyes. Someone who knows Romanticism reads an idealised landscape differently; someone who knows Machado notices irony where another person sees only description,” he says.
3. Use reading to strengthen your essay writing
A consistent reading habit has a direct effect on writing. “Reading nourishes two things at the same time: the repertoire that underpins argumentation and the internalised sense of how a good text is built, with cohesion, progression and precision,” Thiago Braga points out. In his view, useful references do not come only from literature, but can also come from music, the arts, the humanities and pop culture.
4. Don’t replace the book with a summary
One of the most frequent mistakes among students is assuming that summaries are enough. “A summary gives you the plot, but exams almost never test plot. They test tone, narrative voice, ambiguity, the relationship between form and meaning-exactly what a summary erases,” Thiago Braga warns.
5. Build critical thinking through reading
Literature encourages reflection and the construction of arguments. “Literature presents ambiguity without resolving it and requires the reader to take a position. This exercise of defending a reading based on the text itself and weighing up competing interpretations is critical thinking in action,” he says.
6. Link the classics to current debates
Many issues explored in classic works still reappear in exam questions and essays. “The classics anticipated debates that are still current. Romanticism discusses national identity; Realism dissects social hypocrisy and class relationships; the modernists question who has the right to define Brazil,” the specialist explains.
7. Avoid the most common preparation mistakes
Among the pitfalls he most often sees, Thiago Braga mentions leaving reading until the last minute, relying only on ready-made analyses, and reading passively. “There is also a fourth mistake: choosing a book that doesn’t match your reading maturity, which leads to frustration and pushes the student away,” he adds.
8. Establish a reading routine
For those preparing for Enem and university entrance exams, regular immersion in literature matters more than the sheer amount read. “Consistency matters more than volume. It’s better to read a little every day than to try to swallow a book in a weekend,” he emphasises. He suggests setting realistic targets, taking notes as you read, and revisiting those notes close to the exam.
9. Remember the benefits go beyond the entrance exam
While it is a valuable tool for academic performance, reading classics also supports personal development. “Literature shapes people, not just candidates. It develops empathy, because it places the reader inside experiences and consciousnesses that are not their own. The entrance exam is a circumstance; the reader the student becomes is permanent,” he concludes.
By Patrícia Martins Buzaid
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