What Is TOLC-I? The Complete 2026–2027 Guide

TOLC-I at a glance

• ✓Test name: TOLC-I (Test Online CISIA – Ingegneria)
• ✓Core questions: 50
• ✓Core sections: 4
• ✓Core duration: 110 minutes
• ✓English section: 30 questions, 15 minutes (diagnostic, doesn't count)
• ✓Total: 80 questions, 125 minutes
• ✓Language: Italian only
• ✓Fee: €35 (2026)
• ✓Scoring: +1 correct, -0.25 incorrect, 0 unanswered (core). +1/0 English.
• ✓Formats: TOLC@UNI (in person) or TOLC@CASA (remote via WEBEX)
• ✓Frequency: Once per calendar month
• ✓Portability: Score valid at every CISIA university, regardless of test location
• ✓Administered by: CISIA (Consorzio Interuniversitario Sistemi Integrati per l'Accesso)

The exam replacing TIL at Politecnico di Torino

Politecnico di Torino has historically used its own proprietary admission tests — the TIL series — rather than the national CISIA system. That changed on July 23, 2026, when PoliTO officially announced that starting from the 2027/2028 academic year, the university will join the CISIA consortium, adopting TOLC tests for national candidates and CEnT-S for international candidates.

What this means for students: if you were preparing for the TIL-I, your target exam is now a TOLC test (most likely TOLC-I for Engineering, though the specific variant per faculty will be confirmed in the official bando). The structure is different from TIL (TOLC-I has 50 questions across 4 sections in 110 minutes), and the content emphasis shifts — TOLC-I is heavily Math-weighted, with Mathematics alone accounting for 20 out of 50 questions and 50 out of 110 minutes.

The official PoliTO bando with specific TOLC test dates isn't published yet — it's expected around October 2026. In the meantime, you can take TOLC-I at any other CISIA university and the score will be valid at PoliTO when they confirm their requirements.

Exam structure: 4 sections, 50 questions, 110 minutes

TOLC-I is divided into four separately timed core sections. Once a section's time expires, you move to the next and cannot return. After the four core sections, there's a separate English diagnostic.

Mathematics — 20 questions in 50 minutes. Covers arithmetic and algebra (properties of numbers, absolute value, powers, roots, logarithms, exponentials, polynomials, first- and second-degree equations and inequalities, systems of equations, plane and solid geometry); analytical geometry and functions (Cartesian coordinates, equations of lines and conics, graphs of elementary functions, logarithmic/exponential equations); trigonometry (sine, cosine, tangent, the main formulas, trigonometric equations); and statistics (permutation, combination, mean, variance, frequency, reading frequency diagrams and histograms). Nearly half your questions and nearly half your time are here. This section makes or breaks most TOLC-I scores.

Logic and Verbal Comprehension — 20 questions in 40 minutes total (10 questions/20 minutes each). CISIA states outright that these two sections test aptitude rather than secondary-school content and require no specific preparation. Logic presents premises and asks you to identify the valid conclusion — verbal, symbolic, and abstract reasoning. Verbal Comprehension tests your ability to extract meaning and draw conclusions from a written passage. Since there's no defined syllabus for either, timed practice under exam conditions is more useful here than content review.

Sciences — 10 questions in 20 minutes. Physics and Chemistry combined into one section. Physics covers mechanics (scalar/vector quantities, displacement, velocity, acceleration, mass, momentum, force, weight, work, power, Newton's three laws, fluid mechanics), optics (reflection, refraction, refractive index, prisms, lenses and mirrors, lens systems and instruments), thermodynamics (temperature, heat, specific heat, expansion, ideal gas law, the laws of thermodynamics), and electromagnetism (electrostatics — Coulomb's law, electric field, condensers; magnetostatics — electric intensity, Ohm's law, magnetostatic field; plus electromagnetic radiation). Chemistry covers atomic/molecular structure and the periodic table, chemistry symbols and chemical formulas/equations, stoichiometry (the mole and stoichiometric calculations), organic chemistry (structure of simple carbon compounds), solutions (acid-base systems and pH), and oxidation-reduction (oxidation, reduction, combustion reactions).

English section — 30 questions in 15 minutes. A proficiency diagnostic that tells you which English level course to take at university. It doesn't count toward your admission score at most universities and has no penalty for wrong answers (+1 correct, 0 for everything else). CISIA maps your score directly to a recommended course: 6 points or fewer → beginner (A1); 7–16 → first level (A2); 17–23 → intermediate (B1); 24–30 → exempt from the course, straight to the B1 exam. Don't stress about it, but don't skip it entirely — some universities use it to assign English OFA (remedial obligations).

How TOLC-I scoring works

Core sections use the standard CISIA scoring: +1 for correct, -0.25 for incorrect, 0 for unanswered. Maximum core score is 50 points.

English section: +1 for correct, 0 for incorrect or unanswered. No penalty. Maximum English score is 30 points. This score is reported separately and doesn't add to your core total.

The -0.25 penalty on core sections means random guessing costs you on average. Leaving a question blank is safer unless you can eliminate at least one option. If you can eliminate two options, guessing becomes statistically favourable.

Unlike CEnT-S, TOLC-I does not use normalised scoring. The raw score you see immediately after the test is your final score. No waiting for macro-period normalisation, no adjustments. What you score is what universities see.

How often can you take TOLC-I

Once per calendar month — the most generous frequency among CISIA tests. There are no macro-periods or fixed yearly windows like CEnT-S. TOLC-I sessions are available roughly monthly, with each participating university setting its own dates within CISIA's shared national calendar.

If you take TOLC-I multiple times, you can submit whichever score you prefer to your target university (check the bando for specific rules). This makes TOLC-I significantly more retake-friendly than CEnT-S, which limits you to once per macro-period (4 times/year maximum).

Fee: €35 per attempt

The TOLC-I fee is €35 for 2026, set by the CISIA Consortium. It's the same at every university. Payment methods include credit card or MAV bank payment slip.

This is €20 less than CEnT-S (€55). Combined with the monthly retake option, TOLC-I is structurally cheaper to prepare for — you can afford more attempts at lower cost.

If you miss a booked TOLC-I, you receive one rebooking credit the following day. The credit can be used within the same calendar year, by the last available TOLC date of the year. Miss again after using the credit, and you forfeit the fee.

TOLC@UNI vs TOLC@CASA

TOLC@UNI is the in-person format. You take the test at a university's computer lab, supervised by a live commission. Bring your ID and arrive at the time shown on your Payment and Enrolment Receipt.

TOLC@CASA is the remote format. You take the test from home using your laptop (front camera required, stable internet) plus a smartphone or tablet with WEBEX for proctoring. You 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. Some universities accept both; others specify one. Check your target university's bando before booking.

For TOLC@CASA, you must download the Horizon APP from your CISIA Student Area by the day before the test.

Score portability: take it anywhere, use it everywhere

One of TOLC-I's biggest advantages: your score is valid at every university in the CISIA consortium, regardless of where you took the test. Take TOLC-I at the University of Bologna and use the score to apply to Politecnico di Torino — perfectly valid.

CISIA's rules guarantee that a TOLC result is accepted by all participating universities at least for the calendar year in which it was taken. Individual universities may accept scores from previous years — check the specific bando.

This portability means you can book whichever session is most convenient (closest date, closest city, available seats) without worrying about whether the hosting university matches your target.

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

The fundamental rule: TOLC-I is for Italian-taught programmes, CEnT-S is for English-taught programmes.

TOLC-I is administered entirely in Italian. The bolt-on English section is diagnostic only — it doesn't make TOLC-I an English test. CEnT-S is administered entirely in English, with no Italian version.

Structural differences: TOLC-I has 50 core questions across 4 sections (Math-heavy at 40% of questions); CEnT-S has 55 questions across 5 sections (more balanced, includes Biology). TOLC-I is available monthly; CEnT-S uses macro-periods (4 times/year). TOLC-I costs €35; CEnT-S costs €55. TOLC-I gives raw scores immediately (no normalisation); CEnT-S normalises at end of macro-period.

If you're unsure which you need, check your target programme's bando. If the programme is taught in Italian, you need TOLC-I. If taught in English, you need CEnT-S. Some universities (like Politecnico di Milano) accept both for certain programmes, with score conversion — check the specifics.

Which universities use TOLC-I

Nearly every Italian university offering Engineering or technical-scientific programmes in the CISIA consortium uses TOLC-I. Major institutions include Politecnico di Milano, Università di Bologna, Università di Padova, Università di Napoli Federico II, Università di Pisa, and many others. Politecnico di Torino is joining for the upcoming cycle.

CISIA maintains a full list of participating universities on its TOLC-I universities page. The list is extensive and growing — TOLC-I is effectively the standard engineering admission test in Italy.

How to book TOLC-I

The process mirrors CEnT-S booking: 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 €35, confirm), and download your Payment and Enrolment Receipt.

Make sure you browse the English version of the CISIA site directly — don't use browser auto-translate, as it breaks the booking interface.

How to prepare for TOLC-I

Mathematics dominates TOLC-I — 20 out of 50 questions and 50 out of 110 minutes. If you're allocating study time, Math gets the lion's share. But two sections don't respond to content study at all: Logic and Verbal Comprehension are aptitude-based, per CISIA's own syllabus, so your prep there should be timed practice, not review. Sciences is the section that does need dedicated study time alongside Math — neglecting it is a mistake, since a strong Sciences score is what often separates safe admissions from borderline ones.

The Sciences section combines Physics and Chemistry in a single 20-minute block, which forces fast switching between subjects. Practice under timed conditions — knowing the material isn't enough if you can't recall it in 2 minutes per question.

PoliPrep offers a 12-week TOLC-I 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 TOLC-I syllabus and covers all four core sections plus targeted exam strategy.