CEnT-S
CEnT-S is the entrance test used by Italian universities for degree programmes taught in English. It is administered by CISIA, the consortium that runs the TOLC family of tests, and it came into use in November 2025, replacing English TOLC-I, English TOLC-E and English TOLC-F with a single test. Programmes in engineering, science, biology, pharmacy, economics, psychology and agriculture all accept it.
CEnT-S exam structure
| Order | Section | Questions | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathematics | 15 | 30 |
| 2 | Reasoning on texts and data | 15 | 30 |
| 3 | Biology | 10 | 20 |
| 4 | Chemistry | 10 | 20 |
| 5 | Physics | 5 | 10 |
| Total | 55 | 110 |
Every section allows exactly two minutes per question. The sections run in the order shown and cannot be revisited: once you leave one, it is closed. Time does not carry over either, so finishing a section early forfeits what is left of it. The test can only be submitted from the final section.
CEnT-S scoring and the −0.25 penalty
A correct answer is worth 1 point, a blank is worth 0 and a wrong answer costs 0.25. Raw scores therefore run from −13.75 to 55.
With five options and a quarter-mark penalty, a blind guess is worth exactly nothing on average: one time in five you gain a mark, and the other four times you lose a quarter. The moment you can rule out even one option, guessing turns positive.
CISIA adds a normalisation coefficient to each section after the macro-period closes. The coefficient is the number of questions in the section minus the sum of how easy each question turned out to be, measured by the average score candidates earned on it. Because it depends on how everyone performed, it cannot be known in advance, and a normalised score can exceed 55. Any site that quotes you a normalised score before the period closes is guessing.
What you are allowed to bring
No calculator, no formula sheet and no periodic table. You may use pen and the paper the invigilator provides, which is collected at the end. Anything you cannot be expected to recall, such as a relative atomic mass, is printed in the question itself.
CEnT-S practice test
Take the full simulation
55 questions, 110 minutes, penalty marking, one-way sections. Free, no account needed.
Start practice →Dates, fee and validity
Four macro-periods run between November and October, with eleven test days. You may sit the test once per macro-period. The fee is €55. A result is valid at every participating university for the period running from 1 November to 31 October. CISIA announces any change to the structure by 31 October each year.