Fuvest Voids Math Question Over Longitude Error in Prompt
The first-round exam of the USP entrance test had 106,165 registrants and the lowest absenteeism in history: 6.4%.
Translated from the Portuguese original by the Panorama newsroom. Read in Portuguese
Summary written by the Panorama newsroom from the sources listed below. Facts are attributed to the original publications.
Fuvest on Monday (2) voided a math question on the first round of the 2027 USP entrance exam, given on Sunday (1st). The decision came after prep-course teachers and candidates pointed out an error in the geographic coordinates in the prompt, Folha reported.
The question asked for the approximate distance between Luanda, the capital of Angola, and Porto de Galinhas, in Pernambuco, along the 9th parallel south. The text said the Pernambuco city is at 35 degrees east longitude, when the correct is west.
The foundation said it was possible to reach the right answer using the mathematical data, but acknowledged that the exam requires interdisciplinary knowledge and that the error "allows no excuses." All candidates will receive the point, and the answer key will be corrected.
The first round had 106,165 registrants and 6.4% absenteeism, the lowest in history. This year, the exam went from 90 to 80 questions, keeping the five-hour duration.
There are 8,147 spots at USP. The second round, with written tests and an essay, will be on December 6 and 7.