Concurso Nacional Unificado (CNU) exam-day guide
Concurso Nacional Unificado (CNU) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Confirmation of your registration and exam location
Print or save the official confirmation showing your registration number, exam site address, room, and time. The CNU is organized in blocks with different exam schedules, so confirm which block you are assigned to and the exact entry and closing times for your room. If any detail on the confirmation looks wrong, contact the organizing body immediately; do not assume you can fix it on exam day.
Official photo ID
Bring the original, valid photo identification document accepted by the organizing body. A photocopy or a photo on your phone is normally not accepted. If you have any doubt about which documents qualify (for example, digital IDs or expired documents), confirm with the provider before exam day and carry a second acceptable original if possible.
Printed confirmation or registration card, if required
Some editions require a printed document at the room door. Check the official notice for your edition to see whether a printed version is mandatory or whether a digital copy is accepted. If printing is required, print it at least 24 hours in advance and keep it in the same folder as your ID.
Transparent black or blue ballpoint pen (spare included)
Objective answer sheets are machine-read, so use the pen type specified in the official instructions and no other. Bring at least two working pens of the same type, test them beforehand, and avoid gel pens or pencils if the notice prohibits them. Confirm the permitted pen type in the official candidate handbook for your edition.
Transparent water bottle without a label
Many Brazilian exam boards allow only transparent, unlabeled bottles. Check the specific rule for your edition, since some sites restrict even water during the exam. Stay hydrated but avoid drinking large amounts right before the session to limit trips to the restroom, which may be escorted and time-consuming.
Small, clear snack if permitted
The exam day is long, especially for candidates taking both the objective and discursive parts. Confirm whether snacks are allowed and in what packaging. Keep any food in transparent packaging and avoid noisy wrappers that could disturb the room.
Watch or time-management plan
Some rooms do not have a visible clock, and phones must stay stored and off. A simple analog watch without alarms or smart features is usually the safest option, but confirm whether watches are permitted at your site. If not, plan your pacing around announced time checks.
Know your transport route and backup plan
Do a dry run or map the route in advance, including a backup option in case of strikes, traffic, or public-transport delays. Arrive well before the gate-closing time stated in the official notice, because late entry is typically refused regardless of the reason. Factor in time for security checks and finding your room.
Leave prohibited items at home or stored as instructed
Phones, smartwatches, earphones, and electronic devices generally must be turned off and stored in the designated envelope or area. Bringing them into the room in violation can lead to elimination. Read the official list of prohibited items for your edition and follow the storage instructions exactly.
Review the answer-sheet instructions in advance
Understand how to fill in the objective answer sheet, how to correct a mark if the instructions allow it, and where to write your identification on the discursive answer sheet. Practicing the marking format once beforehand reduces errors and saves time on exam day.
Rest and nutrition plan for the final night
Sleep at your normal time, avoid intensive last-minute study, and eat a familiar breakfast. Fatigue is a major cause of careless errors in a long, high-stakes exam. Treat the night before as recovery time rather than another study session.
Emergency contacts and contingency note
Save the exam site address, a contact number for the organizing body, and a local emergency contact on paper as well as on your phone, since phones may be stored. If an unforeseen problem occurs, knowing whom to call and where to go can prevent a missed exam.
Plan the day
Confirm your exam location, room, and schedule on the official confirmation and re-read the candidate handbook for your edition. Prepare the documents and materials from the checklist, test your pens, and print anything that must be printed. Do light review of high-yield summaries and your own error notes, but avoid starting new topics. Adjust your sleep schedule so you wake naturally at the exam-day time.
Pack your bag with ID, confirmation, pens, water, and permitted snacks, and place it by the door. Check the transport route and backup plan, confirm the gate-closing time, and set two alarms. Eat a familiar meal, avoid alcohol and heavy caffeine, and stop studying early enough to sleep at your usual time. Do not attempt to memorize large new blocks of content.
Eat a normal breakfast, dress in layers for room temperature, and leave earlier than the map suggests. Recheck that your ID and confirmation are in the bag before leaving. Arrive at the site with a comfortable margin, locate your room, and follow staff instructions on storing phones and entering. Use the waiting time for calm review of key points, not for anxious discussion with other candidates.
Read the cover instructions carefully, confirm the number of questions and the time available, and fill in your identification exactly as instructed. Scan the whole paper briefly to plan the order of attack. Mark difficult questions and move on rather than getting stuck early.
Follow a time budget per block and check the clock at fixed intervals. Transfer answers to the objective sheet as you go or in scheduled batches, never leaving it to the final minutes. For the discursive section, outline before writing, watch the line limits, and reserve time to review grammar, clarity, and legibility. If you finish early, review flagged questions rather than leaving the room.
Rules to check
Bring the original, valid photo ID accepted by the organizing body; entry is normally refused without it, and photocopies or phone images are not substitutes. If you are unsure whether a document qualifies, confirm with the provider beforehand.
Respect the gate-closing time. Late candidates are generally not admitted after the stated cutoff, regardless of the reason, so plan to arrive with a margin and check the exact time for your room.
Electronic devices such as phones and smartwatches must be turned off and stored exactly as instructed. Keeping a device on your person or using it during the exam can lead to elimination; read the official prohibited-items list for your edition.
Follow the answer-sheet rules: use only the permitted pen, mark responses in the specified way, and do not write identifying information outside the designated fields. Errors in identification can invalidate your sheet.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam, do not look at others' papers, and do not bring unauthorized printed material. Follow staff instructions immediately and quietly if approached.
Leaving the room before the permitted time, or taking the exam paper out of the room, is generally prohibited. Confirm the exit rules for your edition with the provider rather than assuming.
Scoring rules, including how blank or multiple-marked objective questions are treated and how discursive answers are graded, are set by the organizing body. Read the official notice for your edition; do not rely on secondhand accounts.
If a rule in this guide conflicts with the official notice for your edition, the official notice prevails. Confirm any uncertain point with the provider before exam day.