CEnT-S vs TOLC-I: Which Test Do You Need?

The one-line answer

TOLC-I is for Italian-taught programmes. CEnT-S is for English-taught programmes. If your degree will be taught in Italian, take TOLC-I. If in English, take CEnT-S.

That's the rule for 90% of students. The remaining 10% — students applying to universities that accept both, or students unsure which language track to pursue — should read the rest of this article.

Side-by-side comparison

Language: TOLC-I is entirely in Italian. CEnT-S is entirely in English.

Questions: TOLC-I has 50 core + 30 English diagnostic = 80 total. CEnT-S has 55 questions, no separate language section.

Sections: TOLC-I has 4 core sections (Math, Logic, Sciences, Reading Comprehension) plus an English diagnostic. CEnT-S has 5 sections (Math, Reasoning on texts and data, Biology, Chemistry, Physics).

Duration: TOLC-I core is 110 minutes + 15 minutes English = 125 total. CEnT-S is 110 minutes total.

Fee: TOLC-I costs €35. CEnT-S costs €55.

Frequency: TOLC-I can be taken once per calendar month. CEnT-S can be taken once per macro-period (4 times per year).

Score type: TOLC-I gives a raw score immediately — that's your final score. CEnT-S gives a raw score immediately but your official result is a normalised score, released at the end of the macro-period.

Portability: Both are portable. Your score is valid at every university that accepts the respective test, regardless of where you took it.

Maximum score: TOLC-I max is 50 (core). CEnT-S max is 55.

Structure differences that matter

The most important structural difference isn't the number of questions — it's how the subjects are distributed.

TOLC-I is Math-heavy. Mathematics gets 20 out of 50 questions and 50 out of 110 minutes — 40% of the question count and 45% of the time. A student who's strong in Math can carry a mediocre performance in the other sections. Logic, Sciences, and Reading Comprehension each get 10 questions and 20 minutes.

CEnT-S is more balanced. Mathematics and Reasoning each get 15 questions and 30 minutes. Biology and Chemistry each get 10 questions and 20 minutes. Physics gets 5 questions and 10 minutes. No single section accounts for more than 27% of the total. You need competence across all five subjects — being great at Math alone won't save you.

CEnT-S also tests Biology separately, which TOLC-I doesn't. If Biology is a weak subject for you, TOLC-I avoids it entirely. If it's a strength, CEnT-S lets you capitalise on it.

The Sciences split is another key difference. TOLC-I combines Physics and Chemistry into one 10-question, 20-minute section. CEnT-S separates them: Chemistry gets its own 10-question section and Physics gets its own 5-question section. If you're much stronger in one than the other, CEnT-S makes that mismatch more visible in your score.

Scoring differences that change your strategy

Both tests use +1/-0.25/0 scoring. The guessing math is identical. But the post-test scoring systems are completely different.

TOLC-I: your raw score is your final score. The number you see on screen after the test is the number universities use. No adjustment, no waiting.

CEnT-S: your raw score is preliminary. CISIA normalises every score at the end of the macro-period, adjusting for test difficulty. Your official normalised score is released by January 30, March 31, June 30, or October 30 depending on which macro-period you tested in. Two students who scored 35/55 raw on different dates might end up with different normalised scores.

What this means in practice: on TOLC-I, you know exactly where you stand immediately. On CEnT-S, you're in limbo until the normalised results drop. If you're the type who needs certainty fast, that's a psychological factor worth considering.

Frequency: monthly vs quarterly

TOLC-I can be taken once per calendar month. There's no limit on how many times you take it across the year. With roughly monthly availability, you can take it in January, retake in February, retake again in March — each time keeping your best score.

CEnT-S can be taken once per macro-period, with only 4 macro-periods per year and 2–3 test dates within each. If you bomb the January sitting, your next opportunity isn't until February–March. That's a tighter margin for improvement.

Combined with the fee difference (€35 vs €55), TOLC-I is structurally cheaper and more forgiving for students who want multiple attempts.

Fee comparison

TOLC-I: €35 per attempt. CEnT-S: €55 per attempt.

If you take each test twice: TOLC-I costs €70 total, CEnT-S costs €110. If you take TOLC-I three times (which the monthly schedule makes possible): €105 — still less than two CEnT-S attempts.

For students on a tight budget, this difference compounds. TOLC-I lets you treat your first attempt as a practice run without significant financial penalty.

Which universities accept which test

Both tests are accepted across the CISIA consortium, but the overlap isn't perfect.

TOLC-I is accepted at virtually every Italian university offering Italian-taught Engineering or technical-scientific programmes. It's the standard.

CEnT-S is accepted at every university offering English-taught programmes in the same fields. The list is shorter because fewer universities offer English-taught bachelors, but it includes major institutions like Politecnico di Milano, La Sapienza, Bologna, and Padova. Politecnico di Torino will join starting the 2027/2028 academic year, once it completes its transition from its own TIL tests to the CISIA consortium.

Some universities — notably Politecnico di Milano — accept both TOLC-I and CEnT-S for the same programme, converting the scores to a common scale. This gives you a choice: take the test in the language you're more comfortable with. Check PoliMI's conversion formulas on their Alternative Test Scores page before deciding.

Can you take both?

Yes. There's no rule preventing you from taking both TOLC-I and CEnT-S. They're different tests with separate registrations, separate fees, and separate schedules.

Taking both makes sense if you're applying to both Italian-taught and English-taught programmes, or if a university like PoliMI accepts both and you want to submit whichever score is higher after conversion. Just be aware that preparing for two tests simultaneously splits your study time.

Decision flowchart

Is the programme you're applying to taught in English? Take CEnT-S.

Is it taught in Italian? Take TOLC-I.

Does the university accept both (like PoliMI)? Take whichever language you're stronger in, then check the conversion formula to make sure your expected score converts favourably.

Are you applying to programmes in both languages at different universities? Take both tests. Start with the one whose exam date comes first.

Are you applying to Architecture? Neither — you need TEST ARCHED, which is a completely separate test governed by the Ministry, not CISIA.

Preparation overlap

A meaningful chunk of the study material overlaps between TOLC-I and CEnT-S, particularly the shared foundations. Both test Mathematics (though weighted differently), both test logical/reasoning skills, and both require understanding of Physics and Chemistry. The differences: CEnT-S adds Biology as a standalone section; CEnT-S bundles logic together with data interpretation and basic mathematical reasoning into one combined "Reasoning" section, rather than giving logic its own dedicated section the way TOLC-I does; and TOLC-I's Verbal Comprehension section tests Italian text passages while CEnT-S tests reasoning through English-language texts and data.

If you're preparing for both, start with the shared foundations (Math, Physics, Chemistry), then branch into test-specific content (Biology for CEnT-S, Italian Reading Comprehension for TOLC-I).

PoliPrep offers separate cohort courses for each test — 12 weeks for TOLC-I, 10 weeks for CEnT-S — each with two instructors, 20 simulation tests, and weekly live sessions. The curricula are built from the official CISIA syllabi, not generic STEM material.