The study of variables related to gender differences among undergraduates contributes to the comprehension of variables associated to their successful performance. Therefore, this research aimed to verify how much the students performance at Brazilian Exam of Students Performance - ENADE, varied according to gender, and social-economic variables. The data used referred to 147,600 first-year and 129,876 senior students of several graduation courses who took ENADE exam in 2005, selected by stratified random sampling. The students answered a questionnaire with 110 questions on their cultural and social-economic profile. Males obtained statistically higher means than females on both the general formation component and the specific knowledge in Mathematics, Language, Biology, geography and Philosophy. Observed tendency of modification or even reversal of roles in areas traditionally recognized as stereotyped, which may reflect the process of education and social relations between peers and teachers.
Educational Evaluation; Higher Education; Ability
