Brazil’s Federal Police launched an investigation on October 21 into suspected fraud in a public examination held by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, known as UFRJ, for Technical-Administrative Education positions.
Under Operation Gabarito, officers executed 13 search-and-seizure warrants in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The warrants were authorized by the 2nd Federal Criminal Court of Rio de Janeiro.
The inquiry concerns an examination conducted in March 2026. Federal Police said the case began with a crime report that pointed to suspiciously similar answer patterns on tests taken by several candidates.
The operation remains at the investigation stage. The Federal Police release did not identify the individuals under investigation, and the publicly disclosed material does not say that anyone was arrested or formally charged. Search warrants and the opening of an inquiry do not establish that a crime was committed or that any person is guilty.
What happened
Police are examining whether there was fraud in the UFRJ selection process, which was intended to fill technical-administrative education posts. The force said its work was based on alleged anomalies in answer patterns across multiple candidates’ exams.
The authorities did not publicly set out further evidence supporting the suspicions, beyond the crime report cited by police. Nor did the release specify what investigators were seeking in the 13 searches.
Those investigated could potentially face the offense of fraud in an examination of public interest, according to the Federal Police. However, no charges have been reported, and the investigation has not produced a judgment on the allegations.
Why it matters
Public examinations are a central route into many public-sector jobs in Brazil. The investigation concerns the integrity of a selection process at one of the country’s best-known federal universities and raises questions about whether candidates competed under equal conditions.
At this stage, however, the available information supports only that police are investigating possible irregularities. It does not establish the scale of any alleged scheme, whether examination results were affected, or whether UFRJ will take any administrative action regarding the March examination.
By the numbers
- 13 search-and-seizure warrants were executed.
- 1 city was named as the location of the searches: Rio de Janeiro.
- March 2026 was when the examination under scrutiny was held.
- October 21, 2026 was when Operation Gabarito was launched.
What happens next
The Federal Police investigation is expected to continue with analysis of material obtained through the court-authorized searches. Any decision to bring charges would depend on the outcome of that investigative work and subsequent action by the relevant authorities.
UOL reported that it sought comment from UFRJ, but no university response was available when its report was updated. The university’s position on the investigation, the examination’s results and any possible institutional measures was therefore not publicly available in the verified material.