Calculate the public 2026–2027 application grade out of 200 with secondary marks, entrance exams, prerequisites and official rounding.
Portugal’s nota de candidatura ranks applicants for a specific institution and degree programme. It is marked out of 200 and combines secondary-school results, entrance examinations (provas de ingresso) and, in some cases, assessed ranking prerequisites.
There is no single application average valid for every university. First establish whether you are eligible to apply, then use the weights published for the programme and cycle.
This guide describes the 2026–2027 national competition for public higher education, within the general access regime. Special competitions and some international applications use other procedures.
Holding an overseas diploma does not by itself identify your access route. Formal equivalence or particular arrangements for recognising examinations may be needed. Check the applicable process before using the formula.
Article 26 of the access regime includes these boundaries:
| Component | General framework |
|---|---|
| Secondary-school result | At least 40% |
| Entrance examinations together | At least 45% |
| Ranking prerequisites, where applicable | At most 15% |
The overall examination weight must not be below the secondary-school weight. Components must total 100%, and further rules govern the distribution between examinations. The official institution/programme information remains essential.
Weights are not settings you choose to improve the score. A prerequisite may also be purely eliminatory without contributing numerical points; do not assign it a weight unless the procedure does.
An illustrative programme uses 50% secondary school and 25% for each of two exams. All marks below are out of 200:
| Component | Mark | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary school | 160 | 50% | 80 |
| First examination | 176 | 25% | 44 |
| Second examination | 184 | 25% | 46 |
| Application grade | 100% | 170/200 |
The formula is:
160 × 0.50 + 176 × 0.25 + 184 × 0.25 = 170/200
A second applicant with secondary result 146 and examination marks 172 and 180 obtains 146 × 0.50 + 172 × 0.25 + 180 × 0.25 = 161/200.
The difference is nine points for the same programme and criteria. These are teaching examples, not an actual university’s published weights. Use the Portugal application-grade calculator with the programme’s real figures and weights.
Another scenario uses 40% secondary school, 25% for each exam and 10% for a ranking prerequisite. The weights total 100%.
With marks of 160, 176 and 184, plus prerequisite mark 180/200:
160 × 0.40 + 176 × 0.25 + 184 × 0.25 + 180 × 0.10 = 172/200
Adding those 18 prerequisite points directly to the previous 170 would be wrong: the secondary-school weight changed. The 2026 rules also restrict combinations of prerequisites and examination counts. Confirm that the configuration matches the programme’s official route.
National examinations used as entrance exams are recorded on the integer 0–200 scale. Rounding 124/200 to 12/20 and converting back to 120/200 loses four points before weighting.
Use the official secondary-school classification calculated under the rules for your qualification. The access procedure provides its conversion to the application scale; a personal average of selected subjects cannot replace it.
Article 35 of the 2026–2027 regulation requires unrounded intermediate calculations, followed by a final score rounded to one decimal, rounding upwards from 0.05. Thus 169.84 becomes 169.8, and 169.85 becomes 169.9. Keep original component values through the calculation.
A result of 170/200 does not tell you whether an application is admissible. Check:
A high average does not excuse a missing compulsory examination or an eliminatory requirement. The calculator models arithmetic; it does not certify administrative compliance.
A previous cycle’s last-admitted score describes a completed ranking. It is not a promise for the next year: places, demand and results can change.
Compare the programme, round and quota relevant to you. IES, the successor to DGES, and the institutions publish application information. Use the intended cycle’s documents rather than an old search result.
Spain’s PAU guide distinguishes access from admission under another system. Converting 200 points into 14 does not make the scores comparable. Italy’s Maturità is different again: it is a school-leaving examination result.
Do two universities necessarily use the same weights? No. They are published for each institution/programme pair; similar degrees can differ.
Are the 40% and 45% minimums enough to validate a formula? No. Distribution rules, minimum grades and the official formula must also be respected.
Does a prerequisite always add points? No. It may only determine eligibility. A numerical contribution exists only where the procedure provides one.
Do 2026–2027 rules automatically apply next year? No. Recheck the relevant texts, accepted exams and programme information before reusing a scenario.
Collection
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