The national Economics competition for undergraduate students.
The Olimpíadas Universitárias da Economia (University Economics Olympiad) are now in their third edition, bringing together faculties and undergraduate students from across Portugal. The exam, with questions on economics and business sciences, is sat at each student’s own faculty. The highest scorers at each institution go through to the second phase: the National Phase, in Coimbra.
An initiative of the Ordem dos Economistas (Portuguese Order of Economists) and the Associação Une Dois Mundos. The exams are set by the OUE Scientific Committee.
Structure
2 phases
The University Phase at your own faculty, and the National Phase in Coimbra.
Qualifying
3 finalists per faculty
The highest-scoring students go through to the National Phase.
Duration
60 minutes of exam
40 multiple-choice questions, timed and projected one at a time; you answer on paper, handed in at the end.
Organisers
The exams are set by the OUE Scientific Committee.
02 ▪ How to take part
How do I take part?
You register at your own faculty, not on this site. Talk to the professor responsible: they are the one who registers the institution with the Scientific Committee.
For students
Taking part in the OUE
Who can take part
Undergraduate students at registered institutions, in economics and business fields: management, economics, finance and related areas.
How to register
At your own faculty, up to the day of the exam. Talk to your lecturers: if your institution is not yet registered, that is where the process starts.
What is at stake
Taking part is free. The three highest scorers at each faculty go to the National Phase, in Coimbra: two days of competition, cultural activities and networking, with accommodation covered.
Top 3 ▪ Final
Awarded to the country’s three best, in Coimbra.
For faculties
I am a professor and I want to register my faculty
The institution registers with the Scientific Committee, until 2 November. No fees, with the exam and the materials provided by the organisers.
03 ▪ Calendar
What happens, and when
Five steps, from October to February. Registration goes through your faculty; if you finish among the best, the last stage is in Coimbra.
The Final Exam is on 19 and 20 February, in Coimbra. The date of the first exam is your faculty’s to choose.
The five steps
01
Registration
Up to the day of the first exam
First the faculty registers with the Scientific Committee, by 2 November. Then it is on you: you register with the professor responsible, up to the day of the exam.
02
Exam delivery
Up to 2 working days before
The Scientific Committee sends each faculty the exam and the answer sheets up to two working days before the date the institution has set.
03
University Phase ▪ first exam
26 Oct. to 20 Nov. 2026
You sit the exam at your own faculty, on the day it sets. The three highest scorers at each institution go through to the National Phase.
04
University Phase results
23 Nov. to 4 Dec. 2026
Each faculty marks the exams using the marking key provided by the Scientific Committee. Results are reported to the participating students and to the Scientific Committee, identifying the students who go through to the National Phase.
05
National Phase ▪ Final Exam
19 and 20 Feb. 2027 ▪ Coimbra
If you finish in the top three at your faculty, you go to Coimbra. Two days with the exam, cultural activities and time to meet students from across the country, with accommodation paid by the organisers. Attendance must be confirmed with the Scientific Committee by 15 January.
04 ▪ The Exam
60 minutes, 40 questions, projected one at a time
Sat individually and projected as a timed PowerPoint, with each question appearing only once. You answer on paper, on three sheets handed to the supervising lecturer at the end.
Format
60'long, sat simultaneously across the faculty
40multiple-choice questions (A, B, C or D)
1open-response question, used only as a tie-breaker
3answer sheets, handed in at the end
Scoring
+1
correct
−0,25
incorrect
0
unanswered
The open-response question does not count towards your score: it is used only to break ties when places in the National Phase are decided.
Content
Subjects
Economics, Management and Finance.
Language
Portuguese, with up to 25% of the questions in English.
Exam rules
Scientific Committee ▪ 2026/27
You may bring
▪A pen and photo identification.
▪The header takes your full name, identification document number and student number.
▪All three sheets are handed to the supervising lecturer at the end.
Not allowed
▪Calculators.
▪Phones, tablets, computers, smartwatches, headphones or any device allowing contact with third parties.
▪Contact between participants during the exam.
▪Audio or image recording, and sharing any exam content.
Breaching the rules on contact, devices, recording and sharing results in exclusion from the exam and from any subsequent phase of the Olimpíadas Universitárias da Economia.
05 ▪ Contact
Get in touch
To register your faculty for the next edition, or for students with questions about taking part and eligibility.
Thank you. We reply from oue@olimpiadasdaeconomia.pt, usually within two working days.
Frequently asked
Before you write
No. Taking part is free for students and for higher education institutions. Accommodation for finalists in the National Phase, in Coimbra, is covered by the organisers.
The OUE are for undergraduate students in economics and business fields: management, economics, finance and related areas. If you are unsure about your course, ask us by email.
The Scientific Committee of the Olimpíadas Universitárias da Economia. The exams are set by the OUE Scientific Committee and sat locally, on the date each institution chooses.
No. Only a pen and photo identification. Phones, tablets, computers, smartwatches, headphones and calculators are not allowed, and breaching this means exclusion.
By the open-response question, which does not count towards your score and is used solely as a tie-breaker when students finish on the same points.
Talk to your lecturers: registration is always handled by the institution, with the Scientific Committee. You can also send us a message and we will point your department in the right direction.
