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National Contest

Applications for the courses take place as part of a national competition organized by the Directorate General for Higher Education.

It takes place at the end of the school year and is organized into three phases.

Quotas by Phases

In the 1st phase of the national competition, the places set for each course at each higher education institution are distributed between a general quota and priority quotas: priority quotas:

  • Applicants from the Azores
  • Applicants from Madeira
  • Portuguese emigrant applicants, family members and Lusodescendants
  • Military applicants on contract
  • Applicants with disabilities
  • Applicants benefiting from School Social Action

In the 2nd phase of the national competition, the vacancies set for each course at each higher education institution are distributed between a general quota and two priority quotas:

  • Applicants with disabilities
  • Emigrant applicants, family members and Lusodescendants.

In the 3rd phase of the national competition, the vacancies set for each course at each higher education institution are distributed among a single quota. 

Access Conditions

1. Have successfully completed a Secondary School Education, or legal equivalent.

2. Have taken the entrance exams required for each course and have in each of the exams a classification equal to or higher than the minimum classification, which, in the case of ISEG is 95, on a scale from 0 to 200. The entrance exams required are :

For Degrees in Economics/Economics (teaching in English), Finance (teaching in English), Management/Management (teaching in English) and Mathematics Applied to Economics and Management:

  • Mathematics A [19] OR
  • Mathematics A [19] + Portuguese [18] OR
  • Mathematics A [19] + Economics [04]

Under the terms of Resolution no. 1233/2014 of the National Commission for Access to Higher Education, the national final exams are valid as entrance exams in the year in which they are taken and in the following two years. From 2022 onwards, the exams will be valid in the year they are taken and for the following four years, according to. CNAES deliberation no. 1043/2021of 13/10.

3. Have an entrance grade of no less than 100, on a scale of 0 to 200. The calculation of the entrance grade for degrees at ISEG is based on the following weighting:

Secondary school final classification: with a weight of 50%;
Classification of the entrance test: with a weight of 50%.

From the academic year 2025/2026, in addition to Mathematics A, one of the following combinations will be required:

For degrees in Economics/Economics (taught in English), Finance (taught in English), Management/Management (taught in English), choose from the lists below:

  • Mathematics A [19] + Portuguese [18] or
  • Mathematics A [19] + Economics [04] or
  • Mathematics A [19] + Physics and Chemistry [07] or
  • Mathematics A [19] + Geography [09] or
  • Mathematics A [19] + English [13] or
  • Mathematics A [19] + Biology and Geology [02]

For the Bachelor's Degree in Applied Mathematics for Economics and Management, choose from the list below:

  • Mathematics A [19] + Portuguese [18] or
  • Mathematics A [19] + Economics [04] or
  • Mathematics A [19] + Physics and Chemistry [07] or
  • Mathematics A [19] + Geography [09] or
  • Mathematics A [19] + Biology and Geology [02]

Number of places

  • Economics - 132 places
  • Economics (taught in English) - 30 places
  • Finance (teaching in English) - 32 places
  • Management - 137 places
  • Management (teaching in English) - 60 places
  • Mathematics Applied to Economics and Management (MAEG) – 60 places

Last places: School Year 2023/2024

Course CodeCourse 1st PHASE
(last place)
2nd phase
(last place)
9081Economia162,0164,3
A006Economics (EN)169,5166,0
A013Finance (EN)161,8163,0
9147Gestão166,5168,5
A001Management (EN)172,5174,5
9210MAEG182,0——–

For more information, please consult the Office for Attendance and Reception of Applications to Higher Education at ULisboa and/or the page of Directorate General for Higher Education (DGES) (Access to Higher Education).

  • For information on replacing entrance exams with foreign exams, please see here.
  • How to apply for Access to Higher Education? See here.