Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): O exame foi remarcado para sexta-feira.

It’s the passive voice in the preterite (pretérito perfeito) with ser: foi (3rd person singular of ser) + past participle remarcado. It describes a completed action done to the subject (the exam was rescheduled).

Why is it remarcado and not something else?

The past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject o exame (masculine singular), so it’s remarcado. Examples:

A prova foi remarcada... (feminine singular)
Os exames foram remarcados... (masculine plural)
As provas foram remarcadas... (feminine plural)

Could I use está remarcado instead of foi remarcado?

Foi remarcado emphasizes the completed action (it was rescheduled).
Está remarcado emphasizes the resulting state (it is now set for Friday). Both can be correct depending on what you want to highlight.

Why is the preposition para used? Could I use em or a?

para indicates the new target date (movement in time): remarcado para sexta‑feira.
em means “on/at” and is for when something happens: na sexta‑feira (on Friday).
a is not used here; you’d use a with ranges or clock times: de segunda a sexta, às 9h.

Do I need the article before the noun? Why O exame and not just Exame?

Portuguese normally uses a definite article with specific nouns. O exame is the specific exam already known to speaker and listener. Saying just Exame foi remarcado sounds odd; use O exame. If it’s non‑specific, you might say Um exame foi remarcado.

Do I need the article with the day? Why para sexta‑feira and not para a sexta‑feira?

With para, you normally don’t use the article: para sexta‑feira. With em, you do: na sexta‑feira (em + a). You’ll hear para a sexta‑feira occasionally, but the unmarked, most natural choice is para sexta‑feira.

How do I say this in the active voice?

Neutral/unspecified “they”: Remarcaram o exame para sexta‑feira.
Impersonal/passive with se: Remarcou‑se o exame para sexta‑feira.
Specify the agent in the passive: O exame foi remarcado pelo professor/por razões logísticas.

What’s the difference among remarcar, adiar, reagendar and marcar?

marcar: to schedule/set (for the first time).
remarcar: to reschedule (change the appointment/date).
adiar: to postpone (move to a later time; may or may not give a new date). You can say adiado para sexta‑feira.
reagendar: to reschedule (common and clear; slightly more formal/office talk).

How should I pronounce the sentence in European Portuguese?

IPA (EP): [u ɨˈzɐmɨ foj ʁɨmɐɾˈkaðu pɐɾɐ ˈseʃtɐ ˈfejɾɐ]
Tips:
- O (article) sounds like “oo.”
- exame: the “x” is a “z” sound: e‑ZA‑mɨ (final “e” is a reduced vowel).
- foi: “foy.”
- remarcado: initial r is guttural; final ‑o sounds like “‑u.”
- sexta: “SESH‑tɐ” (x = sh).
- feira: “FAY‑rɐ.”

Is sexta‑feira capitalized? What about the hyphen?

Days of the week are not capitalized in Portuguese: sexta‑feira.
The hyphen is kept: sexta‑feira (and you can also just say sexta in many contexts).
A common written abbreviation in Portugal is 6.ª feira.

Can I just say sexta instead of sexta‑feira?

Yes. sexta is very common in speech and informal writing. All of these can be natural depending on context:

para sexta
para sexta‑feira
para 6.ª feira (more formal/administrative)

How do I make clear whether it’s this Friday or next Friday?

Portuguese can be ambiguous without context. To disambiguate:

This Friday (of the current week): para esta sexta‑feira or para sexta‑feira desta semana.
Next Friday (the following week): para a próxima sexta‑feira or para sexta‑feira que vem.

How do I add who rescheduled it?

Use por + agent:

O exame foi remarcado pelo professor.
O exame foi remarcado pela secretaria. If it’s a reason rather than an agent, use por causa de or devido a:
… por causa da greve.
… devido ao mau tempo.

How do I include the time as well?

Add a time phrase after the date:

O exame foi remarcado para sexta‑feira às 9h.
You can add more detail: … para sexta‑feira, às 9h, na sala 2.

Is it okay to say pra or p’ra in Portugal?

In European Portuguese, people often pronounce para as [pɾa] in casual speech and you may see pra/p’ra informally. In careful or formal writing, stick with para.