In the final stretch of preparation for the Enem, knowing which subjects appear most frequently in the humanities can help organize studying, but it is not enough to turn the topics into a list to memorize.
In history, geography, philosophy, and sociology, the exam requires the application of concepts, the ability to interpret and connect historical events with contemporary issues, and an analysis of society and its transformation processes.
Rodrigo Magalhães, a geography teacher at Plataforma AZ, says that students need to understand the processes behind the content, rather than simply memorizing it.
"It's not just about memorizing what year Getúlio Vargas came to power, for example. The student needs to understand the context, what Brazil was like at that moment, what the café com leite policy was, how Vargas rose to power at that time," he explains.
The content appears applied in everyday life
The relationship between humanities content and current events is important. Following the news does not mean trying to predict what will appear on the exam, but rather broadening one's repertoire to understand how the concepts studied appear in the world.
For this reason, using films, music, and podcasts not only helps maintain focus but also expands the student's repertoire.
In geography, Magalhães points to topics that regularly appear in the news and are also addressed by the national exam, such as deforestation in the Amazon, the energy transition, oil exploration, and the decarbonization of the economy.
Another example is sociology, which addresses debates about the world of work, such as the gig economy and the end of the 6x1 work schedule.
"The Enem is not a current events exam. But these debates that have been taking place in recent years are very likely to be used as context," the teacher explains.
Márcia Abdo, a geography teacher at Colégio Bandeirantes, recommends making the same connection from everyday events.
A news story about an earthquake, for example, could lead a student to revisit the topic of tectonic plates. "For every event that happens, the student can try to make that connection with what they have learned," says Márcia.
Main topics in history, geography, sociology, and philosophy
In history, Brazilian content accounts for nearly half of the questions. Topics such as the Vargas Era and the military dictatorship appear frequently, but not in isolation. They can be connected to contemporary debates about democracy, freedom of expression, and rights.
Slavery, for example, may appear in questions about racism in today's society. The same applies to colonization, which may come up in discussions about the situation and demands of indigenous peoples.
In geography, the exam also links content to contemporary problems. Geopolitics, migration, and agrarian geography are among the recurring topics and may appear in questions about land conflicts in Brazil or transformations in the global economy.
Philosophy focuses mainly on questions related to politics and ethics, while sociology most frequently addresses topics such as social movements and cultural diversity. Together, the two areas help students interpret social relations, conflicts, values, and different forms of social organization.
Time management during the exam
The humanities area shares the first day with languages and the essay. For this reason, the recommendation is to avoid getting stuck on difficult questions. Magalhães suggests resolving first the items where the student can make progress and leaving the rest for later.
"Found the question easy? Found the question straightforward? Managed to reach the answer? Mark it and move on to the next one. Couldn't? Skip it. What's important is making sure you'll be able to answer all the easy and medium questions, especially because of the TRI," says Magalhães.
Márcia adds that concentration also weighs on time management. Dwelling on a question can consume important minutes of the exam. "There's no point in reading a question and not understanding it, then reading it again, reading it again and starting to panic because you didn't understand it."
Another recommendation is to start answering the question by reading the prompt, then move on to the base text and afterwards analyze all the alternatives. The procedure helps avoid the so-called distractors, plausible answers that cease to be correct when related to what the prompt and the text are asking.
"Sometimes there's an alternative that answers the question's prompt, and the student says 'wow, this one is great,' but then you'll see that there's an alternative that, when you relate the prompt to the base text, is more coherent, more correct," says Márcia.
