MEC says a contract to make Enem digital has not yet finalized; see what is known about the race | Jan 2020

A little less than 60 days before the race, the contract is still being finalized, according to the National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (Inep), the MEC autarky in charge of carrying out the Enem.

The tests are scheduled to January 31 and February 7, after the printed version, which will take place on January 17 and 24.

More than 96 thousand people (1.7% of the total of 5.8 million candidates) are registered in Enem digital, which will be done for the first time, in a pilot project, in this edition. The MEC’s ​​idea is to make the test fully digital by 2026.

However, for the pilot project to be carried out, it is still necessary to change the contract for the printed exam, closed with the Cesgranrio Foundation, and include details about the digital version.

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When the digital pilot project Enem was announced, Inep reported that it estimated to invest around R $ 20 million, and that it did not intend to buy new computers, but to use equipment from educational institutions located in the participating cities.

For the doctor in education Ocimar Alavarse, of the Study and Research Group in Educational Evaluation (Gepave), of the University of São Paulo (USP), delay may compromise the security of the test.

“The problem involves all the logistics of the race: site preparation, devices, data transmission, information processing. This requires testing, and in two months this may be compromised. In theory, the company can only do all this when you have signed the amendment, ”he says.

What is known and what remains a question about Enem digital:

• Is the digital proof equivalent to the printed proof?

The Inep did not reveal studies or research on how to equate the tests, so the level of difficulty is the same in both the printed and digital tests.

According to Alavarse, this could be done by “calibrating” the questions before the official Enem application, in pre-tests, which would guarantee the fluidity of the process.

“It cannot be assumed that they are equivalent, there is evidence to show it,” he explains.

• How will digital proof get to computers?

The digital Enem test will be “uploaded” to the computer via the Internet. So, says Inep, that connection will be severed.

Inep affirms that the digital Enem will be encrypted, which will prevent the data from being decoded in time to affect the application of the tests.

The institute did not say how the system will be transported and stored. According to Inep, the secret is to preserve the safety of the process.

• How many sites will apply the test?

According to the Inep, about 4 thousand computer labs will be used in schools, universities and other institutions accredited by the National Network of Applicants (RNPA).

The public announcement of this accreditation was opened in July.

• How many computers will there be per Enem digital application room?

Institutions registered with RNPA must have at least two rooms, with at least ten computers each.

Determining this number can make a difference in the distance between candidates and in security so that one candidate does not see the evidence of the other.

• Will the computers be connected to the Internet?

No. During the exam, computers will not have access to the Internet.

According to Inep, the computers will receive a program that will block existing tools in the machine, such as calculators.

• What will writing in digital Enem be like?

The writing will be manual, on paper, as in the traditional Enem.

• How will the test data be transmitted?

It is not yet known whether, once the student completes the test, the exam will be transmitted through the Internet and how the process will be carried out to ensure that all results reach the Inep.

Alavarse warns of the risk of piracy attacks, such as that registered in the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE) system during this year’s elections.

Some online entrance exams have computers equipped with cameras that detect possible signs of glue as the candidate’s body moves.

In the case of Enem digital, this security was not detailed.

• What will the training of applicators of the digital version be like?

The Inep did not clarify how the training will be, but affirmed that it will begin this Saturday (5).

In total, 30 thousand applicators are being trained for the Enem tests. There are no details on how many will be for the printed Enem and how many will be for the digital Enem.

• Printed proof: January 17 and 24
• Digital proof: January 31 and February 7
• Re-application of the test: February 24 and 25
• Results: from March 29