CEnT-S Exam Guide: CISIA English Test – Sciences 2026
By Velacai · June 25, 2026 · 14 min read
What is the CEnT-S, and what does this guide cover?
The CEnT-S is the official CISIA English Test – Sciences: a single English-language admission test for English-taught bachelor's degrees in scientific areas at Italian public universities. Launched on 4 November 2025, it replaced the old English-language TOLC tests (English TOLC-I, TOLC-E, and TOLC-F), unifying them into one exam. This guide is the definitive overview — what the CEnT-S is, who it's for, its 5-section / 55-question format, how scoring really works, which universities use it, the logistics, and how to prepare.
If you want to study engineering, science, or economics in Italy in English, the CEnT-S is very likely the admission test standing between you and a place. Let's walk through everything you need for the 2026/27 cycle.
What the CEnT-S actually is (and what it is not)
"CEnT" is CISIA's English Test family; the "-S" stands for Sciences, used here as a broad scientific area that spans engineering, the natural sciences, pharmacy, and economics. So CEnT-S = CISIA English Test – Sciences. CISIA (the Italian inter-university consortium that already runs the Italian TOLC tests) administers it.
A few things it is not, to clear up the most common confusion:
- It is not a brand like "Cambridge English Test." It's a CISIA exam.
- It is not "English TOLC-S" — that test doesn't exist.
- It is not the same as the Italian TOLC-S, which has a different structure (more sections, a separate English-language section, a 20-question maths block, and so on). The CEnT-S uses the 5-section layout described below.
What it replaced
Before November 2025, students applying to English-taught programmes sat one of several English-language TOLC variants depending on their field:
- English TOLC-I for engineering,
- English TOLC-E for economics,
- English TOLC-F for pharmacy.
The CEnT-S merged all of these into a single English admission test. If you're researching older guides that mention "English TOLC-I" or "English TOLC-E," that's the test the CEnT-S now replaces. (Note: it did not replace the Italian TOLC-S — that test continues for Italian-taught courses.)
Who the CEnT-S is for
The CEnT-S is the entrance test for bachelor's (laurea) programmes taught mainly in English at Italian public universities, across a broad set of scientific fields:
- Engineering
- Sciences (maths, physics, computer science, and related)
- Biology
- Pharmacy
- Economics
- Psychology
- Agriculture
Because it absorbed the engineering, economics, and pharmacy English TOLCs, it's much broader than "just science." It is open to both EU and non-EU candidates, and the whole test is sat in English — there's no separate Italian-language component.
You should be looking at the CEnT-S if you want an English-taught STEM, economics, or related bachelor's in Italy and the programme's admissions page lists the CEnT-S (or the test it replaced). Always confirm on the specific programme page, since requirements vary by university and degree.
The CEnT-S format at a glance
The CEnT-S is a computer-based, multiple-choice exam. It is not adaptive, has no on-screen calculator, and uses none of the Digital SAT concepts (no grid-in/student-produced responses, no Bluebook app). Every question is standard CISIA format: five answer options, one correct.
You get 110 minutes to answer 55 questions, split across five sections. Crucially, each section is independently timed — you cannot return to a previous section or carry unused time forward. When a section's clock runs out, that section is locked.
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 15 | 30 min |
| Reasoning on texts and data | 15 | 30 min |
| Biology | 10 | 20 min |
| Chemistry | 10 | 20 min |
| Physics | 5 | 10 min |
| Total | 55 | 110 min |
A few things worth flagging:
- Maths and reasoning lead. Together they're 30 of the 55 questions — over half the paper.
- The test is entirely in English. There is no separate English-language section; English is simply the language everything is written in.
- No aids. No calculator, formula sheets, or other materials are allowed.
For a section-by-section deep dive — topics, question styles, and per-section strategy — see our CEnT-S format and syllabus guide.
A quick tour of the five sections
- Mathematics (15 Q / 30 min) — high-school algebra, functions, geometry, probability, and proportional reasoning. With no calculator, questions reward clean reasoning over heavy arithmetic.
- Reasoning on texts and data (15 Q / 30 min) — comprehension, inference, and interpreting quantitative information (tables, charts, short data sets). This is as much a skill section as a knowledge section, so practising the style pays off.
- Biology (10 Q / 20 min) — core high-school biology: cells, genetics, molecular biology, and human physiology.
- Chemistry (10 Q / 20 min) — atomic structure, bonding, stoichiometry, acids and bases, and basic organic chemistry.
- Physics (5 Q / 10 min) — the smallest section: mechanics, energy, electricity, and related fundamentals.
Again, depth on each section lives in the format and syllabus guide.
How CEnT-S scoring works (raw vs normalised)
The CEnT-S uses negative marking, which shapes how you should approach it:
- Correct answer:
- Blank (unanswered):
- Wrong answer:
The raw maximum is 55 — but here's the part most people get wrong: the official result is a normalised score, not the raw total. CISIA applies a per-section normalisation coefficient that adjusts for difficulty differences across test dates, and your final normalised score is the sum of your normalised section scores. So don't fixate on "max 55"; that's the raw ceiling, not the figure universities work with.
The guessing maths — and why it matters
With five options and the scheme, a completely blind guess has an expected value of:
That's exactly break-even — statistically the same as leaving the question blank. But the moment you can eliminate even one option (down to four choices), guessing turns positive:
Eliminate two options (three left) and it climbs to roughly:
The takeaway: unlike heavily negatively-marked exams, random guessing on the CEnT-S costs you nothing on average, and eliminating even one option makes guessing clearly worth it. There is rarely a good reason to leave a question blank. We go deep on scoring and admission in the CEnT-S scoring and admission guide.
Which universities use the CEnT-S
A growing list of major Italian public universities use the CEnT-S for English-taught programmes, including:
- Politecnico di Milano (as an alternative admission test for English-taught engineering)
- University of Bologna
- University of Milano-Bicocca
- University of Brescia
- and other major public universities with English-taught STEM/economics degrees.
How each one uses the score is program-specific. Universities convert or threshold the normalised CEnT-S result for ranking or a minimum cutoff, and the weighting differs by field. For example, Politecnico di Milano converts the result to a score out of 100 and, for engineering, excludes Biology and Chemistry from its conversion — effectively weighting Maths, Reasoning, and Physics. Other programmes weight differently.
So treat any cutoff or weighting you read as illustrative. Always check the specific programme's admissions page for how it converts the CEnT-S score, what minimum (if any) applies, and how seats are ranked.
Logistics: dates, cost, and how you sit it
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cost | €55 (Nov 2025 – Oct 2026) |
| Delivery | CEnT@UNI (university lab, provided devices) or CEnT@HOME (remote, supervised) |
| Sittings | 4 macro-periods/year (≈ Nov–Jan, Feb–Mar, Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct) |
| Retakes | Once per macro-period (up to ~4×/year) |
| Validity | Valid for enrolment in AY 2026/27 (at least until 31 Oct 2026) |
A couple of practical notes:
- You choose between CEnT@UNI (you go to a university lab and use their computers) and CEnT@HOME (you sit it remotely under live supervision). Eligibility for @HOME vs @UNI can depend on your situation and the university, and rules can differ for EU vs non-EU candidates — confirm what's open to you on the official CISIA and university pages.
- Because you can sit it once per macro-period, you have multiple chances across the year. Universities generally consider your relevant result for the cycle, so a stronger later attempt can help — but check how your target programme treats multiple results.
Does the 2025 "semestre filtro" reform affect the CEnT-S? No.
In 2025, Italy introduced the "semestre filtro" (filter semester) reform, which abolished the entrance test for Italian-language Medicine, replacing it with an open first semester that filters students after enrolment.
This reform is about Italian-language Medicine only. It does not affect the CEnT-S, nor CISIA's science and engineering admissions more broadly. If you've seen headlines saying "Italy scrapped its admission test," that's the Italian-language medical track — the CEnT-S runs normally for AY 2026/27 and continues to work exactly as described here.
How to prepare for the CEnT-S
Your preparation should mirror the exam's shape. Three principles do most of the heavy lifting:
1. Respect the per-section clock
This is the single biggest structural difference from many other tests. Because each section is separately timed and locked when its clock ends, you can't bank time from an easy section to rescue a hard one. Practise pacing within each section — for instance, Maths is 15 questions in 30 minutes (about 2 minutes each), and Physics is 5 questions in 10 minutes. Build the instinct to move on rather than sink three minutes into one item.
2. Build a deliberate guessing rule
Given the penalty but the break-even expected value of a blind guess, your rule is simple: never leave a question blank if you can eliminate even one option. Make this automatic before exam day so you're not doing expected-value arithmetic under pressure.
3. Practise full-length, under real conditions
The CEnT-S is a pacing exam, and the per-section timing only becomes second nature through realistic mocks. Doing untimed question sets builds knowledge but not exam stamina or section-discipline. Practising with realistic CEnT-S practice — full-length 55-question mocks that apply the real per-section timing and the penalty scoring — lets you rehearse pacing and guessing decisions before they count.
If you're deciding whether to lean on old English-TOLC materials, read CEnT-S vs English TOLC for what carries over and what doesn't. You can also compare plan options on our pricing page.
FAQ
Is the CEnT-S the same as the English TOLC?
No. The CEnT-S replaced the old English-language TOLC tests — English TOLC-I (engineering), TOLC-E (economics), and TOLC-F (pharmacy) — as of November 2025, merging them into one exam. It is not the Italian TOLC-S, which has a different structure. See CEnT-S vs English TOLC for a full comparison.
How many questions are on the CEnT-S and how long is it?
The CEnT-S has 55 multiple-choice questions in 110 minutes, across five separately timed sections: Mathematics (15/30 min), Reasoning on texts and data (15/30 min), Biology (10/20 min), Chemistry (10/20 min), and Physics (5/10 min). Each question has five options and one correct answer.
How is the CEnT-S scored?
You earn for a correct answer, for a blank, and for a wrong answer. The raw maximum is 55, but the official result is a normalised score — CISIA applies a per-section normalisation coefficient and sums the normalised section scores. Universities then convert or threshold that normalised score in program-specific ways.
Does the 2025 medicine reform affect the CEnT-S?
No. The 2025 semestre filtro reform abolished the entrance test for Italian-language Medicine only. It does not affect the CEnT-S or CISIA science/engineering admissions, which run normally for AY 2026/27.
Which universities accept the CEnT-S?
Major Italian public universities including Politecnico di Milano (as an alternative test for English-taught engineering), the University of Bologna, Milano-Bicocca, and Brescia, among others, use the CEnT-S for English-taught programmes. Weighting and cutoffs are program-specific — for example, PoliMi converts the result to a score out of 100 and excludes Biology and Chemistry for engineering — so always check the specific programme's admissions page.