The history of the development of EUQ can be narrated in the following stages:
• The Unified Chemistry Exam (EUQ) is an idea that has always circulated in the academic community of the chemistry field, inspired by initiatives from other areas of knowledge.
• During the Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Chemical Society (SBQ) in Joinville in 2019, the Chemistry Graduate Workshop included a proposal to carry out the EUQ among other themes. At that time, some coordinators of Chemistry Graduate Programs (PPGQs) were favorable to the conception and implementation of the EUQ.
• Informal conversations were held with coordinators of several PPGQs, mainly in São Paulo, at the initiative of IQSC-USP. Professors Luiz Vitor de Souza Filho and Tito Bonagamba of IFSC/USP were invited to present the experience of the Unified Physics Exam (EUF) in meetings held at IQSC-USP.
• During the midpoint evaluation meeting of the PPGs-Q by CAPES in Brasília (July/2019), conversations were held about the possible development of the EUQ.
• In August/2019, a seminar was held by Prof. Vitor de Souza (IFSC-USP) on the EUF, at the invitation of Prof. Roberto Berlinck, with the presence of Professors Márcio Paixão of DQ-UFSCar, Nelson Morgon (UNICAMP), Adalgisa Andrade (FFCLRP-USP), Janaina Garcia (UFABC), Arnaldo Cardoso (IQ-UNESP-Araraquara), Liane Rossi (IQ-USP), Sergio Ambrosio (UNIFRAN) and Helio Duarte (UFMG).
• In October/2019, Prof. Roberto Berlinck proposed an informal conversation process about conducting the 1st Unified Chemistry Exam, inviting other PPGs that had shown interest in the Unified Chemistry Exam.
• In July/2020, Professor Marcos César de Oliveira of the "Gleb Wataglin" Physics Institute of UNICAMP, who was then Coordinator of the Unified Physics Exam (EUF), held a seminar on the EUF for coordinators and representatives of the following PPGs: IQSC/USP, IQ/USP, FFCLRP/USP, UNICAMP, UFABC, UNESP-Araraquara, UNESP/São José do Rio Preto, UNIFRAN, and UFMG.
• On September 18, 2020, a meeting was held with the participation of the following PPGs: IQSC-USP, IQ-USP, UNICAMP, IQ-UNESP/Araraquara, IBILCE-UNESP/São José do Rio Preto, UFABC, FFCLRP-USP-Ribeirão Preto, DQ-UFSCar, UNIFRAN, and UFMG. All coordinators agreed to bring the proposal for the Unified Chemistry Exam to their respective councils for the continuation of the work.
• From October/2020 to April/2022, around 10 meetings were held by the commission composed of the coordinators of the 8 PPGs involved in the organization and implementation of the EUQ.
• The "Waldemar Saffioti" Regional Secretariat of the SBQ was responsible for the administrative management of the EUQ (receipt of registrations and payment of costs), under the coordination of Professors Roberto Berlinck and Fabiola M. V. Pereira, treasurer of the regional secretariat of the SBQ.
• Joint efforts were made by the participating PPGQs to promote the EUQ on social media, email lists, and web pages.
• The 1st EUQ was held on June 26, 2022 with significant participation from 486 candidates. The exam was administered remotely through the TestWe Platform, with 45 questions, including 9 open-ended (essay) questions and 36 multiple-choice questions.
• During the 45th Annual Meeting of SBQ in Maceió, the initiative of the Brazilian Chemical Society to take over the EUQ was continued. These discussions began during the presidency of Romeu Cardozo Rocha Filho (UFSCar) and continued under the current presidency of Shirley Nakagaki Bastos.
• In August 2022, Professor Hélio A. Duarte (UFMG) took over the coordination of the EUQ with the goal of establishing internal regulations for the EUQ and mediating with the SBQ Board of Directors and Council for SBQ to take over the management of the EUQ.
• In the 2022/2024 mandate, the new EUQ website was designed in Portuguese and English, the hosting of the page was transferred to the SBQ servers, the EUQ regulations were drawn up and approved by the SBQ Board and Council. Prof. Hélio held a series of seminars and interviews to publicize the EUQ. In June 2024, 22 postgraduate programs used the EUQ as one of the criteria in their selection processes. In the 2024/01 edition, there were 1,400 applicants from all regions of the country. Thus consolidating the EUQ as an SBQ activity and an instrument for assessing candidates in the selection processes of most of Brazil's graduate programs.