What Is CEnT-S? The Complete 2026–2027 Guide

CEnT-S at a glance

• ✓Test name: CEnT-S (CISIA English Test – Sciences)
• ✓Questions: 55
• ✓Sections: 5
• ✓Duration: 110 minutes
• ✓Language: English only
• ✓Fee: €55 (November 2025 – October 2026 cycle)
• ✓Scoring: +1 correct, -0.25 incorrect, 0 unanswered
• ✓Formats: CEnT@UNI (in person) or CEnT@HOME (remote via WEBEX)
• ✓Frequency: Once per macro-period, up to 4 times per year
• ✓Portability: Score valid at every university accepting CEnT-S, regardless of test location
• ✓Administered by: CISIA (Consorzio Interuniversitario Sistemi Integrati per l'Accesso)

Why CEnT-S exists: replacing the English TOLCs

Before November 2025, students applying to English-taught programmes in Italy had to navigate three separate English tests: English TOLC-E (Economics), English TOLC-I (Engineering), and English TOLC-F (Pharmacy/Sciences). Each covered different fields, had different structures, and created confusion about which test to take.

CISIA unified all three into a single test — CEnT-S. One test covers the full range of scientific fields taught in English. One score works everywhere. Some universities may still reference the old English TOLC names in older documents or archived pages, but for the current cycle, CEnT-S is the active test. Always check the CISIA calendar for available test types.

Exam structure: 5 sections, 55 questions, 110 minutes

CEnT-S is divided into five separately timed sections. Once a section's time expires, you move to the next automatically and cannot return.

Mathematics — 15 questions in 30 minutes. Covers algebra, equations, inequalities, functions, geometry, trigonometry, probability, and statistics. The largest section by question count and time, carrying the most weight in your score.

Reasoning on texts and data — 15 questions in 30 minutes. Tests your ability to interpret written passages, analyse data presented in tables and graphs, and draw logical conclusions. Not a language test — it's about reasoning ability using English-medium materials.

Biology — 10 questions in 20 minutes. Covers cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, anatomy, physiology, ecology, and evolution. Based on Italian upper secondary science curricula.

Chemistry — 10 questions in 20 minutes. Covers atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical bonding, stoichiometry, solutions, thermodynamics, kinetics, acids and bases, and organic chemistry fundamentals.

Physics — 5 questions in 10 minutes. The shortest section. Covers mechanics, thermodynamics, electrostatics, and electrodynamics. Only 5 questions, but the time pressure (2 minutes per question) means you need to know the material cold.

There is no separate English proficiency section — the entire test is already in English. Students who need an Italian-language admission test should take TOLC-I instead.

How CEnT-S scoring works

Each question has one correct answer out of five options.

Correct answer: +1 point. Incorrect answer: -0.25 points. Unanswered: 0 points.

The maximum raw score is 55 (all questions correct). The penalty for wrong answers means that blind guessing hurts you — leaving a question blank is statistically better unless you can eliminate at least one or two options.

Raw score vs normalised score

This is where CEnT-S differs from what most students expect. The score you see on screen immediately after the test is your raw score — it's preliminary, not final.

At the end of each macro-period, CISIA applies a normalisation coefficient to every test taken in that window. The coefficient adjusts for difficulty: if your session's questions were harder than average, your score gets a positive adjustment; if easier, a negative one. The normalised score is your official result — the one universities use for rankings.

Normalised scores are released on fixed dates: by January 30 (first macro-period), March 31 (second), June 30 (third), or October 30 (fourth). Until then, only your raw score is visible in the CISIA Student Area.

This means two students who scored the same raw number on different dates within the same macro-period might end up with different normalised scores, depending on test difficulty. Don't panic if your raw score seems low — wait for the normalised result.

Macro-periods: when you can take CEnT-S

CEnT-S doesn't follow a monthly calendar like TOLC-I. Instead, the year is divided into four macro-periods, each with 2–3 specific test dates set by CISIA and participating universities.

First macro-period: November – January. Second macro-period: February – March. Third macro-period: April – June. Fourth macro-period: September – October.

You can take CEnT-S once per macro-period — up to four times per annual cycle. If you retake the test in a later macro-period, the higher normalised score is the one that counts.

The total adds up to roughly 11 test days per year across the entire country, which is far fewer sessions than TOLC-I offers. Plan ahead — seats fill up, especially for CEnT@HOME.

Fee: €55 per attempt

The CEnT-S fee is €55 for the November 2025 – October 2026 cycle. It's set annually by the CISIA Consortium Assembly and is the same at every university. Payment methods include credit card or MAV bank payment slip.

For comparison, TOLC-I costs €35 — €20 less. The difference reflects CEnT-S's more complex administration (normalisation, fewer sessions, WEBEX proctoring).

The fee is non-refundable. If you miss the test, you receive one free rebooking credit the following day, usable for any later session within the current annual cycle (ending October 31). Miss again after using the credit, and you forfeit the fee entirely.

CEnT@UNI vs CEnT@HOME

CEnT@UNI is the in-person format. You take the test at a university's own computer lab, supervised by a live commission. You bring your ID and show up at the entry time on your receipt.

CEnT@HOME is the remote format. You take the test from home using your laptop (with a working front camera and stable internet) plus a smartphone or tablet with WEBEX installed for proctoring. You also need blank paper, a pen, and a private room with one door visible in your mobile camera's frame throughout the test.

Both formats produce equally valid scores. Your university's bando specifies which format they accept — some accept both, some require one specifically. Check before booking.

For CEnT@HOME, you must download and install the Horizon APP from your CISIA Student Area by the day before the test. Without it, you cannot take the exam.

Which universities accept CEnT-S

CEnT-S is accepted by any Italian university that offers English-taught programmes in Engineering, Sciences, Economics, Pharmacy, Psychology, Biology, or Agriculture and participates in the CISIA testing system. Major universities include Politecnico di Torino, Politecnico di Milano, La Sapienza Roma, Università di Bologna, Università di Padova, and many others.

The number of participating universities is growing as more institutions adopt CEnT-S in place of the old English TOLC variants. Always check the CISIA website's CEnT-S universities page for the current list, and cross-reference with your target university's bando to confirm CEnT-S is accepted.

How to book CEnT-S

The booking process has five steps: read your university's bando first, create a CISIA Student Area account at cisiaonline.it, check the Available Dates calendar for open sessions, book through your Student Area (select format, pay €55, confirm), and download your Payment and Enrolment Receipt once payment is completed and your profile photo is uploaded.

For a detailed walkthrough of each step, see our CEnT-S Registration: Step-by-Step Guide.

CEnT-S vs TOLC-I: which do you need?

The key distinction is simple: CEnT-S is for English-taught programmes, TOLC-I is for Italian-taught programmes.

CEnT-S is administered entirely in English. There's no Italian version of this test. TOLC-I is administered entirely in Italian, with a bolt-on English diagnostic section that doesn't count toward most universities' admission scores.

If you're applying to an English-taught Engineering programme at Politecnico di Torino or Politecnico di Milano, you need CEnT-S. If you're applying to an Italian-taught programme at the same university, you need TOLC-I.

Other differences: CEnT-S has 55 questions across 5 sections in 110 minutes; TOLC-I has 50 core questions across 4 sections in 110 minutes. CEnT-S uses macro-periods (4 times/year); TOLC-I is available roughly monthly. CEnT-S costs €55; TOLC-I costs €35. Both scores are portable across universities. Both use the same scoring system (+1/-0.25/0).

How to prepare for CEnT-S

CEnT-S tests five distinct subjects, so preparation needs to cover all of them — not just the ones you're strongest in. The test is balanced enough that neglecting Physics (only 5 questions) or Biology (10 questions) can still cost you meaningful points.

One caveat: not every programme scores all five sections. Some — certain Economics tracks, for example — only count Mathematics (and sometimes Reasoning), and explicitly tell candidates not to complete Biology, Chemistry, or Physics at all. Confirm with your university's bando which sections actually count for your programme before building a study plan around all five.

Focus areas by impact: Mathematics and Reasoning carry the most weight (15 questions each, 30 minutes each). These two sections alone account for over half your score. Biology and Chemistry (10 questions each) are the middle tier. Physics (5 questions) is the smallest, but the tight 10-minute window means you need fast recall.

PoliPrep offers a 10-week CEnT-S cohort course with two instructors, 20 full simulation tests, weekly live Saturday sessions, and a WhatsApp community — all for €499 (founding price). The curriculum is built directly from CISIA's official CEnT-S syllabus.