CEnT-S Registration: Step-by-Step Guide (CISIA Portal)

Step 1: Read your university's admission notice (Call for Applications)

Before touching the CISIA portal, go to the website of the university you want to apply to and find their admission notice (bando or call for applications). You need three things from it:

• ✓The deadline you must meet to take the CEnT-S — this is the university's deadline, not CISIA's general calendar. Missing it means your score won't be accepted even if the test was technically available.
• ✓The format accepted — CEnT@UNI (in person) or CEnT@HOME (remote). Not all universities accept both. Some require one specifically.
• ✓The enrollment procedures — what else the university needs from you beyond the CEnT-S score (language certificates, documents, UNIVERSITALY registration for non-EU students).
• ✓This step matters because students often book first and read the bando later, only to discover they picked the wrong format or missed a deadline.

Step 2: Create your CISIA Student Area account

Go to cisiaonline.it and navigate to the CISIA Student Area. Fill in the registration form with your personal details. Double-check your email address — CISIA sends all updates and notices there, and a typo locks you out.

After submitting the form, check your email inbox for an activation link. Click it to confirm your account. Your registration isn't complete until you click that link — just filling in the form isn't enough.

If you have a disability or specific learning difficulties (DSA), indicate this at the bottom of the registration form. This triggers a separate upload form for your certifications and connects you with the relevant accessibility offices at your chosen university. Upload your certifications in JPG, PNG, GIF, JPEG, or PDF format.

Make sure to browse the English version of the CISIA website directly — do not use automatic browser translation, as it can break the interface and cause booking errors.

Step 3: Check the available CEnT-S dates

Go to the Available Dates calendar on the CISIA website. This shows every CEnT-S session across all participating universities, organized by format (CEnT@UNI or CEnT@HOME), university, region, and date.

For each date, you can see the booking status: available seats, no longer available, or closed bookings. You can also see the booking deadline for each session.

Important: you can book a CEnT-S at any university, even if it's different from the one you want to apply to. Your score is valid at every university that accepts CEnT-S, regardless of where you took it. So if your preferred date at your target university is full, check other universities — same test, same score validity.

Remember the macro-period system: four per year (November–January, February–March, April–June, September–October). You can take CEnT-S once per macro-period. Pick a date that falls within the macro-period required by your university's bando.

Step 4: Book your CEnT-S

Log in to your CISIA Student Area. Scroll down the homepage and click on CEnT-S. Then follow these steps in order:

• ✓Choose the format — CEnT@UNI or CEnT@HOME — as stated in your university's admission notice.
• ✓Read the Rules for CEnT participants, the Terms and Conditions, and the other informational documents. These aren't optional — agreeing to them is part of the booking.
• ✓Choose a payment method. The fee is €55 for the current cycle (November 2025 – October 2026). Payment options include credit card or MAV bank payment slip.
• ✓Using the region, city, and university dropdown menus, select the date you chose in Step 3.
• ✓Select your student status, click Continue, review the booking summary, and click Confirm.
• ✓Complete the payment following the on-screen instructions.
• ✓After confirming, go to the Manage Bookings section of your CISIA Student Area and verify that your booking appears there. Don't assume it went through — check.

Step 5: Download your entry receipt

Your test entry time is shown exclusively on your Payment and Enrolment Receipt. You can download it from your CISIA Student Area once two conditions are met: your payment status shows ‘Completed’ and your profile picture has been uploaded.

If you booked CEnT@HOME, two additional requirements before test day: upload a photo of a valid ID (front and back, JPG/JPEG/PNG, must be perfectly legible), and download and install the Horizon APP from your CISIA Student Area by the day before the test.

Common mistakes to avoid

• ✓Booking after the university's deadline. CISIA's calendar may still show available dates, but if your university's bando deadline has passed, your score won't be accepted for that admission cycle.
• ✓Forgetting to activate your account. Submitting the form isn't enough — you must click the email activation link. If you don't see the email, check spam.
• ✓Using browser auto-translate. The CISIA portal breaks when auto-translated. Always browse in the native English version of the site.
• ✓Not uploading your profile photo. Without it, you can't download your entry receipt, and without the receipt, you won't know your test entry time.
• ✓Booking the wrong format. If your bando says CEnT@UNI only, a CEnT@HOME booking won't be accepted. Read the bando first (Step 1).

What happens if you miss your test

If you miss your CEnT-S without cancelling, you receive one free rebooking credit the following day. You can use it to book another session within the current annual cycle (ending October 31). If you miss a second time after using the credit, you forfeit the fee and must pay again.

After the test

At the end of the test, you'll see your raw score — the number of correct, incorrect, and unanswered responses. You can download a PDF from your CISIA Student Area. However, your official normalised score won't be available until the end of the macro-period: by January 30, March 31, June 30, or October 30 respectively. The normalised score is what universities use for rankings.