EFOMM common mistakes
EFOMM · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
In Física, applying a memorized formula (e.g., s = s0 + v0t + at²/2) without first assigning a sign convention and listing knowns/unknowns, then reporting a negative or inconsistent result as final.
Under time pressure candidates pattern-match the problem statement to the most recent formula seen, skipping the setup step; vector direction and unit consistency are the first things lost.
What to do instead
Adopt a fixed 4-line protocol for every mechanics item: sketch the situation, write the positive direction explicitly, tabulate givens with units, then choose the equation. Reserve 20 seconds for this; it prevents most sign and unit errors.
In Matemática, reading the question once and immediately computing, so that a condition such as 'integers', 'x > 0', or 'excluding the empty set' is ignored and an extraneous root is kept.
The habit of solving fast to bank time for harder items; the constraints are usually in the final clause of the stem, which is read last and processed least.
What to do instead
After computing, re-read the stem and physically tick each stated condition against the answer set. For equation-solving, always substitute candidate roots back into the original equation before marking the alternative.
In Química, balancing an equation by adjusting subscripts instead of coefficients, or forgetting to balance charge in ionic/redox half-reactions.
Students conflate the notation of molecular formulas with the arithmetic of stoichiometry, and redox charge balance is often taught as an afterthought.
What to do instead
Practice a fixed balancing order: atoms other than O and H, then O, then H, then charge. For redox, always split into half-reactions and verify that both mass and total charge match on each side before combining.
In Português, answering interpretation questions from personal opinion or real-world knowledge instead of from textual evidence, and treating 'according to the text' as 'in your view'.
Everyday reading habits reward inference from background knowledge; exam items deliberately include plausible distractors that are true in the world but unsupported by the passage.
What to do instead
For each alternative, locate and underline the exact passage that supports or contradicts it. If no line in the text supports it, eliminate it regardless of whether it sounds true.
In Inglês, translating the question stem word by word into Portuguese before answering, which slows reading and causes false cognates ('actually', 'eventually', 'pretend') to be misread.
Low confidence with the language leads to a translation crutch; cognate interference is strongest precisely when the reader is rushed.
What to do instead
Train reading directly in English with timed short passages. Keep a personal list of false cognates and review it weekly. For vocabulary-in-context items, substitute each option into the sentence and test which preserves the meaning.
In Redação, writing a dissertation that summarizes the topic and lists opinions without a thesis stated in the introduction and without a proposal of intervention/solution in the conclusion.
Candidates treat the essay as free writing and are unaware that the evaluation grid rewards a clearly delimited thesis, argumentative development, and a concrete concluding proposal.
What to do instead
Use a rigid skeleton: introduction with contextualization plus explicit thesis; two development paragraphs each with a claim, evidence, and analysis; conclusion with agent, action, means, and purpose. Practice the skeleton on five past topics before writing full essays.
In Conhecimentos Gerais, answering current-affairs items from vague impressions or headlines rather than from specific facts (who, what, where, when), and ignoring the year context of the question.
News exposure is passive and episodic; candidates remember the topic but not the actors or dates, and questions are usually built on exactly those specifics.
What to do instead
Maintain a running one-page log of major national and international events with date, actors, and outcome. Review it weekly and self-quiz on the specifics rather than rereading articles.
In Física and Matemática, leaving answers in the wrong unit or in an un-simplified form (e.g., m/s mixed with km/h, or a fraction left where a decimal is expected), or rounding too early in multi-step calculations.
Calculators and habit encourage chained computation; intermediate rounding and unit conversion are rarely checked once the final number looks plausible.
What to do instead
Convert all data to SI at the start, carry full precision through intermediate steps, round only the final answer, and write the unit next to every number in the working. Do a dimensional sanity check before choosing the alternative.
In Matemática, skipping the geometric or graphical interpretation and attacking algebraically a problem that is far faster to solve by drawing, symmetry, or testing the answer choices.
Drilling favors algebraic manipulation; candidates default to the longest method and then run out of time, or make an algebra slip that a sketch would have caught.
What to do instead
Before computing, spend ten seconds asking whether a sketch, a symmetry argument, or back-substituting the alternatives solves it faster. On multiple-choice tests, substituting options is a legitimate and often optimal strategy.
Managing time uniformly across sections, so that a single hard Física or Matemática item absorbs ten minutes and forces rushed guessing on later questions that were easy points.
Sunk-cost thinking ('I've almost got it') plus the absence of a pre-planned time budget per block of questions.
What to do instead
Set a per-question ceiling (e.g., two minutes) and a hard rule: mark and move on when exceeded, returning only after the section is complete. Simulate this in full timed mock exams so the cutoff becomes automatic.