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100+ Free CACD Diplomata Practice Questions

Prepare for the CACD — Concurso de Admissão à Carreira de Diplomata (Instituto Rio Branco / MRE) exam with instant access — no signup required.

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: CACD Diplomata Exam

240 items

First Phase objective exam, CERTO/ERRADO, worth 240.00 points

Edital nº 1, de 28 de janeiro de 2026 — IRBr / Cebraspe

7 hours

First Phase duration: two sessions of 3 hours 30 minutes

Edital nº 1, de 28 de janeiro de 2026 — IRBr / Cebraspe

R$ 229,00

Official Registration Fee (Taxa de Inscrição)

Edital nº 1, de 28 de janeiro de 2026 — IRBr / Cebraspe

120.00 points

Minimum net score on the First Phase to avoid elimination

Edital nº 1, de 28 de janeiro de 2026 — IRBr / Cebraspe

2 phases

Objective exam plus eight Second Phase written papers; no oral exam

Edital nº 1, de 28 de janeiro de 2026 — IRBr / Cebraspe

Terceiro-Secretário

Initial Career Rank (Diplomat Entry Level)

Lei nº 11.440/2006 (Regime Jurídico dos Servidores do SEB)

Annual Cycle

Competition Periodicity (Concurso Anual)

Instituto Rio Branco / MRE

The CACD is the entrance examination for the Brazilian diplomatic service, run by the Instituto Rio Branco with Cebraspe. Its 2026 edition has two phases: a 240-item CERTO/ERRADO objective exam (minimum 120.00 net points) and eight written papers covering Portuguese, English, Brazilian history, international politics, geography, economics, law and an additional language. This bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation of that syllabus, not a simulation of the official formats.

Sample CACD Diplomata Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your CACD Diplomata exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1The Treaty of Madrid (1750), negotiated by Brazilian-born diplomat Alexandre de Gusmão on behalf of the Portuguese Crown, established a revolutionary legal doctrine for boundary delimitation in South America. Which principle served as the primary foundation for establishing borders under this treaty?
A.The strict meridian demarcations previously agreed upon in the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) and the Treaty of Utrecht (1713).
B.The Roman law doctrine of *uti possidetis, ita possideatis* (effective possession and actual occupation of territories) combined with natural geographical landmarks.
C.The proportional distribution of territory based strictly on demographic density and indigenous missionary settlements.
D.The complete cession of the Amazon basin to Spain in exchange for exclusive Portuguese navigation rights along the Rio de la Plata estuary.
Explanation: The Treaty of Madrid (1750) nullified the obsolete Tordesillas meridian and adopted the principle of *uti possidetis* (actual possession/occupation), advocated by Alexandre de Gusmão. This legal doctrine recognized Portugal's effective westward expansion driven by bandeirantes, missionaries, and cattle ranchers, using prominent natural boundaries (rivers and mountain ranges) to establish the continental contours of modern Brazil.
2During the reign of King José I, the Marquis of Pombal enacted wide-ranging administrative, fiscal, and geopolitical reforms across the Portuguese Empire. Which major administrative reform directly transformed the colonial governance of Brazil in 1763?
A.The immediate granting of political autonomy and legislative assemblies to the captaincies-general.
B.The establishment of the First Reign and the promulgation of the Constitution of the Empire.
C.The relocation of the colonial capital from Salvador da Bahia to Rio de Janeiro to better oversee the mining economy and southern border conflicts.
D.The total prohibition of Portuguese commercial monopolies and the opening of Brazilian ports to British merchant vessels.
Explanation: In 1763, the Marquis of Pombal transferred the capital of the State of Brazil from Salvador da Bahia to Rio de Janeiro. This strategic pivot aligned administrative authority with the primary economic center of the gold and diamond cycle in Minas Gerais and provided rapid logistical support for military operations in the contested Platine region against Spanish forces.
3In the late 18th century, colonial Brazil witnessed two distinct emancipation movements: the Inconfidência Mineira (1789) and the Conjuração Baiana (1798, also known as Revolta dos Alfaiates). What fundamental socio-political difference distinguished the Conjuração Baiana from the Inconfidência Mineira?
A.The Conjuração Baiana sought to preserve monarchical ties with Lisbon while the Inconfidência Mineira demanded an absolute constitutional monarchy.
B.The Inconfidência Mineira was led by enslaved field workers, whereas the Conjuração Baiana was exclusively organized by wealthy sugar plantation oligarchs.
C.The Inconfidência Mineira advocated immediate agrarian reform and universal suffrage, whereas the Conjuração Baiana rejected French revolutionary ideals.
D.The Conjuração Baiana had a broad popular and racial base demanding the immediate abolition of slavery and racial equality, whereas the Inconfidência Mineira was an elite-led movement that failed to achieve consensus on ending slavery.
Explanation: While both movements were inspired by Enlightenment ideals, the Inconfidência Mineira was led by the regional socioeconomic elite (poets, magistrates, mining entrepreneurs) who focused on republicanism and debt forgiveness without agreeing to abolish slavery. In contrast, the Conjuração Baiana was a popular movement composed of tailors, free blacks, mulattoes, and soldiers, strongly influenced by the radical Jacobin phase of the French Revolution, explicitly calling for republican governance, the eradication of racial discrimination, and the immediate abolition of slavery.
4Following the transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil in 1808 under British naval escort, Prince Regent D. João enacted the landmark decree of the Opening of the Ports to Friendly Nations (*Abertura dos Portos às Nações Amigas*). What was the immediate structural consequence of this decree and the subsequent 1810 Treaties?
A.The definitive termination of the colonial commercial monopoly (*pacto colonial*) and the granting of preferential 15% customs tariffs to British manufactured goods under the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation of 1810.
B.The total exclusion of British merchandise from Brazilian ports in favor of direct bilateral trade treaties with Napoleonic France.
C.The immediate abolition of all import duties for goods originating from the United States and Hispanic American republics.
D.The establishment of a protective industrial tariff wall designed to foster domestic Brazilian manufacturing in the captaincies.
Explanation: The decree of January 28, 1808, legally dismantled the colonial pact by opening Brazilian ports to international commerce. The bilateral 1810 Treaties of Alliance and Friendship and Commerce and Navigation with Great Britain granted British goods a privileged 15% ad valorem import tariff (lower than the 16% levied on Portuguese goods and 24% on other nations), entrenching British economic dominance in Brazil.
5Following the declaration of Brazilian Independence on September 7, 1822, international diplomatic recognition required complex bilateral negotiations orchestrated by José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva and Brazilian envoys in Europe. How was official Portuguese recognition of Brazilian independence formally secured in 1825?
A.Through unilateral military capitulation of Portuguese garrison forces following the siege of Lisbon by the Brazilian imperial navy.
B.Through British mediation resulting in the Treaty of Rio de Janeiro (1825), in which Brazil paid a financial indemnity of £2 million sterling to Portugal and assumed Portugal's debt to Britain.
C.Through an unconditioned recognition decree issued by the Holy Alliance in exchange for Brazil's immediate accession to the anti-liberal coalition.
D.Through the immediate annexation of the Cisplatina province by Portugal in exchange for recognizing Emperor D. Pedro I.
Explanation: Formal Portuguese recognition of Brazilian independence was achieved through the Treaty of Rio de Janeiro (Treaty of Peace and Alliance), signed on August 29, 1825, mediated by British diplomat Sir Charles Stuart. Under the treaty terms, Brazil agreed to pay Portugal an indemnity of £2 million sterling (which included assuming a £1.4 million loan Portugal had previously contracted in London) and granted King D. João VI the honorary title of Emperor of Brazil.
6The Brazilian Constitution of 1824, granted (*outorgada*) by Emperor D. Pedro I following the dissolution of the 1823 Constituent Assembly, introduced a unique four-branch institutional architecture. Which constitutional mechanism defined this system?
A.The complete subordination of the executive branch to a unicameral National Assembly elected by universal direct suffrage.
B.The total separation of Church and State alongside the abolition of the imperial *padroado* system.
C.The creation of the Moderating Power (*Poder Moderador*), exercised exclusively by the Emperor as the supreme regulator of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches.
D.The establishment of an asymmetrical federalist federation with autonomous provincial constitutions and decentralized militias.
Explanation: The Imperial Constitution of 1824 established four political branches: Executive, Legislative, Judicial, and the Moderating Power (*Poder Moderador*), theorized by French-Swiss thinker Benjamin Constant. The Moderating Power was the exclusive domain of the Emperor, giving him constitutional authority to appoint senators for life, dissolve the Chamber of Deputies, dismiss ministers, sanction legislation, and name judges, ensuring centralized imperial control.
7The Cisplatine War (1825–1828), fought between the Empire of Brazil and the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata over control of the Banda Oriental, concluded with the Preliminary Peace Convention of 1828. What was the critical geopolitical outcome mediated by British diplomacy under Lord Ponsonby?
A.The permanent integration of the Cisplatina province into the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata as an autonomous federal district.
B.The partition of Uruguay along the Rio Negro between Brazil and Argentina, creating joint navigational condominium over the estuary.
C.The definitive annexation of the entire Rio de la Plata basin into the Brazilian Empire under the Treaty of Montevideo.
D.The renunciation of territorial claims by both Brazil and the United Provinces and the creation of an independent buffer state: the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.
Explanation: Mediated by British diplomat Lord Ponsonby to ensure free international navigation and commerce in the Rio de la Plata estuary without either regional power controlling both banks, the Preliminary Peace Convention (1828) compelled both the Empire of Brazil and the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata to renounce their territorial claims, giving birth to the independent Estado Oriental del Uruguay (Oriental Republic of Uruguay).
8During the Regency Period (1831–1840), the Additional Act of 1834 (*Ato Adicional de 1834*) represented the pinnacle of the liberal decentralizing experiment in imperial Brazil. Which institutional reform was enacted by this constitutional amendment?
A.The replacement of provincial councils with elected Provincial Legislative Assemblies (*Assembleias Legislativas Provinciais*) and the creation of the One-Man Regency (*Regência Una*).
B.The total abolition of the National Guard (*Guarda Nacional*) and the establishment of a permanent regional military draft.
C.The immediate dissolution of the imperial Senate and the complete abrogation of the 1824 Constitution.
D.The transfer of all customs revenue collection and foreign treaty powers directly to the provincial presidents.
Explanation: The *Ato Adicional de 1834* amended the 1824 Constitution by introducing significant decentralization: it replaced the appointed General Councils with elected Provincial Legislative Assemblies endowed with fiscal and administrative competencies, replaced the Trina Regency with an elective One-Man Regency (*Regência Una*), abolished the Council of State, and created the Neutral Municipality of Rio de Janeiro.
9The Regency Period was marked by intense regional uprisings across Brazil that tested the territorial integrity of the Empire. Which rebellion erupted in the province of Rio Grande do Sul in 1835, led by Bento Gonçalves and David Canabarro, culminating in the proclamation of the Piratini and Juliana Republics?
A.Cabanagem (1835–1840).
B.Revolução Farroupilha (Guerra dos Farrapos, 1835–1845).
C.Sabinada (1837–1838).
D.Balaiada (1838–1841).
Explanation: The Revolução Farroupilha (1835–1845) was the longest civil war in Brazilian history. Sparked by regional discontent among gaúcho cattle ranchers over high imperial tariffs on domestic dried beef (*charque*) relative to Platine imports, the republican rebels proclaimed the Piratini Republic (1836) in Rio Grande do Sul and the Juliana Republic (1839) in Santa Catarina before being reintegrated into the Empire through the Peace of Ponche Verde (1845) negotiated by the future Duke of Caxias.
10In 1845, the British Parliament passed the unilateral Aberdeen Act (*Slave Trade Suppression Act*), authorizing the Royal Navy to seize Brazilian slave-trading vessels on the high seas and in Brazilian territorial waters. How did the Brazilian imperial government respond in 1850 to suppress the transatlantic slave trade?
A.By declaring an immediate embargo on all British manufactured imports and expelling British diplomats.
B.By enacting the Rio Branco Law (*Lei do Ventre Livre*) granting immediate emancipation to all children born to enslaved mothers.
C.By enacting the Eusébio de Queirós Law (Lei nº 581 of September 4, 1850), which definitively criminalized and effectively extinguished the transatlantic slave trade to Brazil.
D.By leasing slave-trading routes to French and Portuguese merchant syndicates under imperial concession.
Explanation: Facing severe British naval pressure and seeking to assert national sovereignty without appearing subordinated to foreign coercion, the imperial government of the Conservative Party passed the Eusébio de Queirós Law (1850). Enforced vigorously by Brazilian naval and judicial authorities, it successfully ended the transatlantic slave trade, redirecting liquid capital into infrastructure, banking, and internal interprovincial slave trade.

About the CACD Diplomata Exam

The Concurso de Admissão à Carreira de Diplomata (CACD) is the premier public competitive examination for entry into the Brazilian Foreign Service as a third secretary (Terceiro-Secretário da Carreira de Diplomata). Conducted annually by the Instituto Rio Branco (IRBr)—the Brazilian diplomatic academy founded in 1945—in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministério das Relações Exteriores / Itamaraty) and an examining board (historically Cebraspe/IADES), the CACD is widely recognized as one of the most demanding civil service competitions in Latin America. The examination assesses candidate competence across six major disciplines: Brazilian History, World History, International Politics & Foreign Policy, Public International Law & Constitutional Law, Economics, and Geography & Languages. Successful candidates are matriculated into the Curso de Formação de Diplomatas (CFD) in Brasília as tenured career foreign service officers representing the Federative Republic of Brazil globally.

Assessment

Primeira Fase: prova objetiva eliminatória de 240 itens CERTO/ERRADO (Língua Portuguesa, História do Brasil, História Mundial, Geografia, Língua Inglesa, Política Internacional, Economia e Direito), em dois períodos de 3h30. Segunda Fase: oito provas escritas — Língua Portuguesa (4h), Língua Inglesa (4h), História do Brasil (5h), Política Internacional (5h), Geografia (5h), Economia (5h), Direito (5h) e um idioma adicional, Língua Espanhola ou Língua Francesa (4h) — cada uma valendo 100,00 pontos.

Time Limit

7 hours for the First Phase (two sessions of 3 hours 30 minutes); Second Phase papers run 4 or 5 hours each

Passing Score

Minimum 120.00 net points of 240.00 on the First Phase; minimum 480.00 points of 800.00 across the eight Second Phase papers

Exam Fee

R$ 229,00 (Instituto Rio Branco (IRBr) / Ministério das Relações Exteriores (MRE) / Cebraspe)

CACD Diplomata Exam Content Outline

20% of this bank

História do Brasil

Covers Brazilian historical development from the colonial era through independence, the Empire, and the Republic: territorial expansion under the Treaty of Madrid (1750), Pombaline reforms, the 1808 transfer of the Portuguese Court, the 1822 Independence process, the 1824 Constitution, Regency revolts (Farroupilha, Balaiada, Cabanagem, Sabinada), Second Reign consolidation, Imperial Platine diplomacy and the Paraguayan War, the abolition of slavery, the First Republic (coronelismo, Encilhamento), the 1930 Revolution, Vargas's Estado Novo, the 1946–1964 democratic period, the 1964–1985 Military Regime, and the New Republic redemocratization.

20% of this bank

História Mundial e Relações Internacionais

Traces global historical evolution from early modern state-building to contemporary global politics: the Peace of Westphalia (1648), the Enlightenment, the French and Industrial Revolutions, the Congress of Vienna (1815) and the Concert of Europe, 19th-century imperialism and the Berlin Conference (1884–1885), World War I and the Versailles settlement, the Interwar crises and totalitarianism, World War II alliances and conferences (Yalta, Potsdam), Cold War dynamics (containment, détente, proxy conflicts), Asian and African decolonization, the Non-Aligned Movement, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and post-Cold War systemic transitions.

20% of this bank

Política Internacional e Diplomacia Brasileira

Examines IR theory frameworks (Classical and Neorealism, Liberal Institutionalism, Social Constructivism, Dependency Theory, English School) alongside the doctrines and milestones of Brazilian Foreign Policy (PEB): Barão do Rio Branco's diplomatic boundary consolidation and Americanist orientation, Rui Barbosa at The Hague (1907), Vargas's pragmatic equidistance, the Política Externa Independente (PEI) of San Tiago Dantas and Afonso Arinos, Pragmatismo Responsável e Ecumênico under Geisel and Azeredo da Silveira, post-1985 redemocratization, multilateralism, regional integration (Mercosul, UNASUR, ACTO), South-South cooperation (BRICS, IBSA, G20, ZOPACAS), and global regimes (trade, climate, non-proliferation).

20% of this bank

Direito Internacional Público e Direito Constitucional

Addresses public international law norms, jurisprudence, and Brazilian constitutional foreign affairs law: sources of international law (Art. 38 ICJ Statute, jus cogens), the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, statehood and recognition (Montevideo Convention 1933), diplomatic and consular immunities (1961 and 1963 Vienna Conventions), state responsibility (ARSIWA 2001), peaceful settlement of disputes and international courts (ICJ, ITLOS, ICC, WTO DSB), the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, and Brazilian Constitutional principles of international relations (Arts. 4, 49, 84, and 5 §3º of CF/88).

10% of this bank

Economia Brasileira e Teoria Econômica

Encompasses open-economy macroeconomics (IS-LM-BP, Mundell-Fleming trilemma, balance of payments mechanics, exchange rate regimes), international trade theory (Ricardian comparative advantage, Heckscher-Ohlin, New Trade Theory, protectionism and non-tariff barriers), and Brazilian economic history: the 1906 Taubaté Agreement, Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI), Plano Trienal, PAEG reforms, the Economic Miracle (1968–1973), 1980s external debt crisis and heterodox stabilization plans (Cruzado, Bresser, Verão, Collor), Plano Real (1994), and the macroeconomic tripod (inflation targeting, floating exchange rate, primary fiscal surplus).

10% of this bank

Geografia e Língua Portuguesa

Covers Brazilian geopolitical thought (Golbery do Couto e Silva, Meira Mattos), territorial integration, regional development initiatives (Amazônia Legal, Calha Norte, Amazônia Azul maritime sovereignty), Brazilian biomes and environmental vulnerability, agricultural frontier modernization (MATOPIBA), urban hierarchy, demographic dynamics, and advanced formal Portuguese diplomatic discourse analysis.

How to Pass the CACD Diplomata Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Minimum 120.00 net points of 240.00 on the First Phase; minimum 480.00 points of 800.00 across the eight Second Phase papers
  • Assessment: Primeira Fase: prova objetiva eliminatória de 240 itens CERTO/ERRADO (Língua Portuguesa, História do Brasil, História Mundial, Geografia, Língua Inglesa, Política Internacional, Economia e Direito), em dois períodos de 3h30. Segunda Fase: oito provas escritas — Língua Portuguesa (4h), Língua Inglesa (4h), História do Brasil (5h), Política Internacional (5h), Geografia (5h), Economia (5h), Direito (5h) e um idioma adicional, Língua Espanhola ou Língua Francesa (4h) — cada uma valendo 100,00 pontos.
  • Time limit: 7 hours for the First Phase (two sessions of 3 hours 30 minutes); Second Phase papers run 4 or 5 hours each
  • Exam fee: R$ 229,00

Keys to Passing

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

CACD Diplomata Study Tips from Top Performers

1Build a Chronological and Thematic Matrix for Brazilian History: Connect domestic socio-political developments (e.g., the Regency revolts or the 1930 Revolution) with international diplomatic challenges (Platine diplomacy, British pressure on slave trade, and boundary settlements).
2Master Diplomatic Doctrines and Pivots in PEB: Contrast the Americanism of Barão do Rio Branco with the Política Externa Independente (PEI) of the 1960s, the Pragmatismo Responsável of the Geisel era, and the Autonomy paradigms of the post-Cold War New Republic.
3Analyze Public International Law Instruments Rigorously: Study the text of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969), UNCLOS maritime limits, the UN Charter (Chapters VI, VII, and VIII), and the Inter-American Human Rights System jurisprudence.
4Internalize Open Economy Macroeconomics and Brazilian Stabilization Plans: Master the IS-LM-BP (Mundell-Fleming) model and trace the structural causes and mechanics of Brazilian inflation stabilization from the PAEG and heterodox shocks to the Plano Real.
5Integrate Geopolitics and Territorial Strategy: Understand the strategic imperatives of Brazilian territorial integration, Amazonian surveillance (SIVAM/SIPAM, Calha Norte), and marine sovereignty under the Amazônia Azul concept.
6Practice Timed Question Retrieval and Conceptual Precision: Regularly test yourself with multi-tiered questions to refine rapid identification of subtle distractors and doctrinal nuances.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CACD and what career does it lead to?

The CACD (Concurso de Admissão à Carreira de Diplomata) is the official public competitive examination organized by the Instituto Rio Branco (IRBr) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) of Brazil. Passing the exam leads to appointment as a third secretary (Terceiro-Secretário), the entry-level rank in the Brazilian diplomatic career, and admission to the diplomat training academy (Curso de Formação de Diplomatas) in Brasília.

What are the eligibility requirements to sit for the CACD?

Candidates must be Brazilian citizens by birth (brasileiro nato), at least 18 years of age, hold full civil and political rights, be up to date with military and electoral obligations, and possess an officially recognized undergraduate higher education degree (diploma de nível superior / bacharelado, licenciatura, or tecnólogo) in any area of study accredited by the Ministry of Education (MEC).

How is the CACD examination structured across its phases?

Since the 2025 cycle the CACD has two phases, both run by Cebraspe. The First Phase is an eliminatory objective exam of 240 CERTO/ERRADO items covering Língua Portuguesa, História do Brasil, História Mundial, Geografia, Língua Inglesa, Política Internacional, Economia and Direito, applied in two sessions of 3 hours 30 minutes. The Second Phase consists of eight written papers: Língua Portuguesa, Língua Inglesa, História do Brasil, Política Internacional, Geografia, Economia, Direito and one additional language (Espanhol or Francês). Older descriptions of a three-phase contest with a 73-question 'TPS' refer to editions before 2025.

What is the scoring and elimination threshold for the 1st Phase (TPS)?

The TPS is an eliminatory and qualifying examination. Under the Cebraspe scoring method, each correct item adds points while incorrect items penalize candidate scores. Candidates must achieve a minimum composite passing score (typically 60% of the total available points) and rank within the qualifying cutoff multiplier defined in the official notice (Edital) to advance to the discursive phases.

Which foreign languages are tested on the CACD?

The CACD tests four languages. Português and Língua Inglesa are examined in the First Phase objective paper and again as full written papers in the Second Phase (a general-theme essay plus, for English, a Portuguese-to-English version). In the Second Phase the candidate also sits one additional language paper — Língua Espanhola or Língua Francesa — consisting of a summary written in that language and a version from Portuguese into it.

Why is this OpenExamPrep practice bank presented in English?

This practice module provides 100 high-yield multiple-choice questions in English designed to build conceptual mastery for diplomatic candidates and international relations scholars worldwide. It preserves all authentic Portuguese terminology, institutional names (Itamaraty, IRBr, MRE), legal articles (CF/88, LINDB), and diplomatic doctrines (PEI, Pragmatismo Responsável, Autonomia pela Participação) within a rigorous bilingual study framework.