If you're preparing for the TOLC-I, TIL-I, CEnT-S, or TEST ARCHED, you've probably noticed most prep options fall into two camps: expensive private tutoring with no structure, or cheap video libraries where you're entirely on your own. PoliPrep sits in neither. Here's exactly how our courses work and what your week looks like inside a cohort.
The model: flipped classroom, not lecture hall
Every PoliPrep course follows a flipped-classroom approach. That means the teaching doesn't happen in live sessions — it happens before them.
Each week, you watch a set of recorded micro-video lessons on your own schedule. These cover the theory, walk through solved problems, and build up the concepts you need. Then, once a week, you join a live session with your two instructors and up to 19 other students. The live session isn't a lecture. It's where your instructors work through exam-style problems with the group, take questions, and make sure the concepts from the recorded lessons actually stuck.
This model works because it respects how people actually learn for standardized exams: absorb the content at your own pace, then pressure-test your understanding in a live, interactive setting.
Recorded lessons: short, structured, on your schedule
Recorded lessons are hosted on our platform and delivered as short micro-videos — not 90-minute marathon recordings. Each week's content is chunked so you can watch a video, pause, re-watch a tricky section, and pick up where you left off. New content drops on a fixed weekly schedule, so you always know what's coming.
The subjects rotate every week rather than running one topic for weeks straight. A typical TOLC-I week might cover a Math lesson on Monday, a Physics lesson on Wednesday, and a Logic lesson on Thursday. This interleaving is intentional — spaced repetition across subjects beats cramming one topic at a time.
All video content is streamed directly in your browser. No downloads, no apps, no special software. Works on your laptop, tablet, or phone.
Live sessions: small group, every weekend
Live sessions happen every Saturday or Sunday — one session per week, with one of your instructors present. Each cohort is capped at 20 students, which means your instructors actually know who you are.
Here's what a typical live session looks like: your instructors pull up a set of exam-style problems, walk through them with the group, ask students to reason through the approach, then break down the solution step by step. You can ask questions in real time, flag concepts you didn't follow from the recorded lessons, and hear the mistakes other students are making (which is often more useful than hearing the correct answer).
If you miss a live session, the recording is available for you to watch later. You won't get the real-time interaction, but you won't lose the content.
Two instructors, not one
Every cohort course is taught by two instructors who have taken and excelled at the specific exam they teach. They split the syllabus by section — for example, one might cover Mathematics and Reasoning while the other handles Sciences and Reading Comprehension. This means each instructor teaches the sections they know best, rather than one person trying to cover everything.
Both instructors stay with your cohort from start to finish. No rotating tutors, no guest lecturers. The same two people who taught your first session are the ones reviewing your progress in the final week.
20 simulation tests: real format, real timing
Every cohort enrollment includes 20 full simulation tests — the same product available as a standalone purchase, but included in your cohort fee at no extra cost.
Each simulation matches the real exam format exactly: same number of questions per section, same time limits, same scoring rules (+1 for correct, -0.25 for incorrect, 0 for unanswered). When you finish, you see your score broken down by section, so you know exactly where you stand.
You can retake any simulation as many times as you want. Your scores are tracked across attempts, so you can see your progress over time — which sections are improving and which still need work.
The WhatsApp community
Every cohort has a private WhatsApp community for its 20 students and both instructors. This is where announcements land, where students ask quick questions between sessions, and where study groups form naturally.
It's a small, focused group — not a 500-person chat where your message disappears in seconds. Both instructors are active in the community throughout the cohort, not just during live sessions.
Course durations and what they cover
Not every exam needs the same preparation time, so course lengths vary:
TOLC-I cohorts run 12 weeks. The TOLC-I is Math-heavy (20 out of 50 questions, 50 out of 110 minutes), so the curriculum allocates more time to Mathematics while still covering Logic, Sciences, and Reading Comprehension.
CEnT-S cohorts run 10 weeks. CEnT-S has five sections across 55 questions in 110 minutes, with a more balanced weight distribution. The pace is tighter, but the syllabus is well-scoped.
TEST ARCHED cohorts run 14 weeks. ARCHED covers five equally-weighted sections including Drawing & Representation and History of Art — topics that require visual analysis and cultural knowledge that takes longer to build than pure problem-solving.
What it costs — and what that means per hour
Founding cohort pricing starts at €499 for TOLC-I and CEnT-S, €599 for ARCHED. That includes every recorded lesson, every live session, all 20 simulations, WhatsApp community access, and course materials.
When you break it down by instruction hours, the effective cost is roughly €8–12 per hour depending on the exam — compared to €20–25 per hour for a private tutor who gives you less structure, no simulations, and no peer community.
The first 10 students in each cohort get an additional discount (€399 for TOLC-I/CEnT-S, €499 for ARCHED). Post-founding standard pricing will be €699 for all courses.
Who this is for
PoliPrep cohort courses are designed for students who want structured preparation with accountability — not just a pile of videos and a ‘good luck.’ If you want someone to tell you what to study, in what order, with regular check-ins and real practice exams, this is built for you.
If you only need practice tests without the full course, standalone simulation tiers start at €49.99.
PoliPrep covers TOLC-I, TIL-I, CEnT-S, and TEST ARCHED — the four admission tests used by Italian universities including Politecnico di Torino, Politecnico di Milano, La Sapienza, and dozens of others across the CISIA consortium. Join the waitlist at poliprep.com for early enrollment access.
