The ENEM theft

The story behind the leak of the country's main test.

Reformed by Fernando Haddad, then Minister of Education, the ENEM (National High School Exam) was to replace the selection processes for the most competitive federal universities in 2009, becoming the largest entrance exam held in the country. However, 72 hours before the first day of the exam, news reached the newsroom of the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo that the exam had been stolen and was being offered to some major media outlets.

What happened next became part of Brazilian journalism history. Undeterred by demands for payment, reporters Renata Cafardo and Sergio Pompeu arranged a meeting with the criminals, who were trying to profit from the material. As she leafed through the papers, Renata realized it wasn't a bluff: it was indeed the ENEM exam, a fact she would confirm with the MEC within a few hours. The next day, Estadão broke the story in its headline, and the exam was canceled.

The Enem heist provides behind-the-scenes insights and new revelations from this episode. It also delves into the exam's trajectory, from its inception in 1998, through all the changes that made it the gigantic size it enjoys today. It's a thrilling read not only for journalists, students, and teachers, but also for anyone who enjoys a good story, thoroughly researched and told in a captivating narrative.