Enem 2026 student, 16, dies after sudden illness during exam in Bahia

A 16-year-old student died after suffering a sudden illness during the first day of Enem 2026, the National High School Exam, in Cansanção, a city in northern Bahia. The death was confirmed on Sunday, November 8, 2026. The student’s name is not published because she is a minor.

Family members first helped her after symptoms appeared inside the exam site. She was then taken urgently to the Hospital Municipal Senhora Santana, where she received the first care. Her condition worsened, and the medical team confirmed the death hours after her admission.

Inep, the institute that organizes Enem, issued a note expressing solidarity and deep sorrow to relatives, friends and classmates. The institute did not disclose the cause of death.

Mourning spreads through the Cansanção community

The farewell mobilized the school community and residents of the city, who paid tribute to the candidate. The CETI Senhor do Bonfim school suspended classes on Monday (9) and will resume its schedule on Tuesday (10).

The student will be buried in Cansanção on Monday (9). The city government and the municipal Secretaria de Educação issued a note of mourning that paid tribute to the young woman and the sorrow it caused in the city.

Hospital, burial and the questions still open

• Hospital: Hospital Municipal Senhora Santana, in Cansanção
• Burial: Monday (9), at 5 p.m., at the Cemitério Municipal de Cansanção
• Cause of death: not released, pending an official medical report

The city government said the student reached the hospital alive but in serious condition, and had a cardiorespiratory arrest during care. Medical teams tried to revive her without success, according to the municipality. Family members told city officials that she had a history of heart problems and had undergone heart surgery.

Follow: Cachoeira da Fumaça: 340-meter drop where wind lifts the water

What candidates in a medical emergency can do during Enem

A candidate who cannot finish the test because of a serious medical emergency has the right to register an occurrence on the Página do Participante. The page is the official Enem portal for participants, where the occurrence is recorded.

A formal request for a retake in cases of sudden illness or hospital admission must be filed online, with a medical certificate and a detailed medical report attached. The filing is made on the exam’s official website.

Ministry of Education guidelines set the period for analyzing these requests. Under the guidelines, the review is done up to five business days before the date set for the new round of tests.