What is CEnT-S? A guide to the exam for English-taught bachelor's degrees in Italy

What is CEnT-S?

CEnT-S is the English-language test of CISIA, the consortium that runs the exams for Italian universities. Some universities ask for this test for entry to engineering, economics, pharmacy and other science fields that are mostly taught in English.

The test started on 4 November 2025. According to CISIA, it replaced the earlier English TOLC types (TOLC-I, TOLC-E and TOLC-F). For example, for 2026/27 engineering entry, Politecnico di Milano accepted the CEnT-S and SAT results as well as the Italian TOL and TOLC-I.

Not every university asks for CEnT-S. Some, such as Bocconi, use their own test. So we suggest you first look at the announcement (bando) for your target field.

The structure of the exam

CISIA's CEnT-S page shows a structure of 6 sections, 65 questions and 140 minutes as of October 2026:

In the 2025/26 period the test had 5 sections, 55 questions and 110 minutes. The newly added Reading and comprehension section measures how well you understand English texts at B2 level.

Each section has its own time limit. If you finish a section early you can move on to the next one, but the remaining time is lost and you cannot go back. If you are preparing for 2027 entry, we suggest you check the structure once more on the CISIA page before the exam.

Scoring

• A correct answer earns 1 point, and an unanswered question earns 0 points.
• A wrong answer deducts 0.25 points.
• The raw score is adjusted with a coefficient that reflects the difficulty of the test in that period.

As soon as the exam ends, you see your number of correct, wrong and blank answers. The official result, the adjusted score, is published in your CISIA account at the end of the exam period you are in.

Because a wrong answer costs points, we suggest you think about this before you guess.

Each university uses the score differently

CEnT-S has no official "track" system. Everyone takes the same test. Universities decide for themselves which sections count and where the passing line is.

• For 2026/27 engineering entry, Politecnico di Milano counted the Mathematics, Reasoning on texts and data, and Physics sections. Biology and Chemistry did not count. The score was converted to a TOL score and had to pass the lowest enrollment score.
• For its 2026/27 Economics: Behavior, Data and Policy program, Università degli Studi di Milano did not set a minimum CEnT-S score. But it gave an extra course requirement to students who scored below 10 normalized points in the Mathematics section.

For this reason, we suggest you find out which sections your target programs count before you start studying. Weighting your preparation accordingly saves time.

Where and when can you take it?

CEnT-S is taken in two ways:

• CEnT@UNI: In the computer labs of participating universities.
• CEnT@CASA (CEnT@HOME): At home, in a virtual classroom supervised by university staff. You need a laptop with a camera, a phone as a second camera and a room with a closed door.

Under the 2025/26 rules, the exam taken at home must be taken in the country you stated at registration. Using a VPN or proxy is forbidden. If you plan to take it from Türkiye, it helps to test the technical requirements in advance.

In each exam period you can take the test only once. In the 2025/26 period there were four intermediate periods and 11 exam days, and the exams were held in the afternoon. The fee for this period, from November 2025 to October 2026, was €55 and it was not refundable.

For 2027 entry, we could not yet confirm the exam days and the fee from an official source. CISIA's CEnT-S page shows five intermediate periods for the new period. We suggest you check the current days in the CISIA calendar.

Registering for the exam and applying to a university are separate steps

Taking CEnT-S does not mean you have applied to a university. After you get your score, you apply separately to each university through its own system.

Universities also state in the announcement which dates a result must come from to be accepted. For example, the Milan university program above accepted results taken between 1 November 2025 and 30 June 2026 for 2026/27. The application period was between 12 March and 6 July 2026.

The 2025/26 results were valid for 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2026. We suggest you check each program's announcement to see which period's results are accepted for 2027 entry. For the general process in Italy, you can see our Italy page.

Tips for preparation

• Mathematics and Reasoning on texts and data are important in most engineering and economics programs. We suggest you start with regular practice on these two sections.
• For Reading and comprehension, reading English articles and news helps. CISIA says no special preparation is needed for this section.
• Give time to Biology, Chemistry and Physics depending on which ones your target program counts.
• In the last weeks, take full practice tests and keep to the section times. In a format where you cannot go back, time management makes a big difference.
• If your result in one intermediate period is below what you expected, you can take the test again in a later intermediate period. So we suggest you place your first attempt in an early period.