CEnT-S Format & Syllabus: 55 Questions, 5 Timed Sections
By Velacai · June 25, 2026 · 14 min read
The CEnT-S format and syllabus at a glance
The CEnT-S (CISIA English Test – Sciences) is a 55-question, 110-minute, five-option multiple-choice exam used for admission to English-taught bachelor's (laurea) programmes at Italian public universities. It splits those 55 questions across five sections — Mathematics, Reasoning on texts and data, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics — each section independently timed, with no calculator allowed and the whole test delivered in English. Launched on 4 November 2025, CEnT-S replaced the old English-language TOLC tests (English TOLC-I, TOLC-E, and TOLC-F), unifying them into a single English admission test.
This article breaks down the structure, the per-section timing rules, the syllabus subject by subject, and what it all means for your strategy on test day. For the bigger picture, start with our complete CEnT-S guide; for how points are awarded and how universities use your result, see the scoring and admission article.
What CEnT-S is (and what it replaced)
Before the syllabus, get the identity straight — there's a lot of confusion online.
- CEnT-S = "CISIA English Test – Sciences." "CEnT" is CISIA's English Test family; the "-S" stands for Sciences, used here as a broad scientific area. It is not a "Cambridge English Test," and it is not "English TOLC-S" (that name doesn't exist).
- It replaced the English-language TOLC exams. As of November 2025, CEnT-S absorbed and replaced English TOLC-I (engineering), English TOLC-E (economics), and English TOLC-F (pharmacy) into one unified English admission test. It did not replace the Italian TOLC-S — that's a separate, Italian-language exam with a different structure.
- It's broader than "just science." Because it folded in engineering, economics, and pharmacy, CEnT-S serves admission to English-taught bachelor's degrees across Engineering, Sciences, Biology, Pharmacy, Economics, Psychology, and Agriculture.
If your goal is to study engineering or science in Italy in English, CEnT-S is very likely the English-taught bachelor Italy admission test you'll sit. It's already in use at major public universities — for example Politecnico di Milano (as an alternative test for its English-taught engineering programmes), the University of Bologna, the University of Milano-Bicocca, and the University of Brescia, among others. It is open to both EU and non-EU candidates.
One reassurance, because it causes panic online: Italy's 2025 "semestre filtro" reform abolished the entrance test for Italian-language Medicine only. It does not affect CEnT-S or CISIA science/engineering admissions. CEnT-S is active and running for AY 2026/27.
The CEnT-S format: 55 questions, 110 minutes, 5 options
These are the non-negotiable mechanics that shape your whole strategy:
- 55 multiple-choice questions in total.
- 110 minutes total testing time.
- Five answer options per question, exactly one correct (standard CISIA format).
- No calculator and no aids of any kind are allowed.
- The whole test is in English — there is no separate English-language section. (The old English TOLC tests had a dedicated English-comprehension part; CEnT-S does not, because the entire exam already operates in English.)
- It is not adaptive — every candidate sees a fixed set of questions, with no question-by-question difficulty routing. If you've prepped for the Digital SAT, set those concepts aside: there's no grid-in/SPR, no on-screen calculator app, and no Bluebook.
You can take CEnT-S either as CEnT@UNI (in a university computer lab on provided devices) or CEnT@HOME (remote, supervised). The cost for the Nov 2025–Oct 2026 window is €55, and it's offered across four macro-periods per year (roughly Nov–Jan, Feb–Mar, Apr–Jun, and Sep–Oct), with one sitting allowed per macro-period — so up to about four attempts in a year. A result is valid for enrolment in AY 2026/27 (at least until 31 October 2026).
The most important rule: per-section timing
Here is the single feature that catches most candidates off guard, and it changes how you must approach the test:
Each section is independently timed. When a section's clock runs out, it locks — you cannot go back to a previous section, and you cannot carry unused time forward into the next one.
That means the 110 minutes is not a single pool you spend however you like. It's five separate budgets. If you finish Mathematics with five minutes to spare, those five minutes are gone — they do not roll over into Reasoning or Biology. And if you get stuck and the Math clock expires, that section is closed permanently; there's no returning to a question you skipped.
The practical consequences:
- Pace yourself within each section, not across the whole exam.
- Never leave easy points behind in a section because you over-invested in one hard question — once the clock locks, you can't reclaim them.
- Don't bank time hoping to use it later. Spend each section's full allowance on that section.
The CEnT-S syllabus by section
Here is the full section breakdown. CEnT-S uses a fixed five-section layout — note this is different from the Italian TOLC-S, which has six sections plus a separate English part and a much larger Math block.
| Section | Questions | Time | Avg. per question | What it tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 15 | 30 min | ~120 s | Algebra, functions, geometry, probability |
| Reasoning on texts and data | 15 | 30 min | ~120 s | Reading comprehension + data/logical reasoning |
| Biology | 10 | 20 min | ~120 s | Cell biology, genetics, physiology |
| Chemistry | 10 | 20 min | ~120 s | Stoichiometry, bonding, basic organic |
| Physics | 5 | 10 min | ~120 s | Mechanics, electricity, and core topics |
| Total | 55 | 110 min | ~120 s | — |
The two heaviest sections — Mathematics and Reasoning on texts and data — together account for 30 of the 55 questions (about 55% of the exam). The three pure-science sections (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) make up the remaining 25. Weight your preparation accordingly: for most candidates, Mathematics and Reasoning are where the largest mark pools live.
Mathematics — 15 questions / 30 min
The single largest section, tied with Reasoning. Expect pre-university mathematics, including:
- Algebra — equations and inequalities, polynomials, exponentials and logarithms, systems of equations.
- Functions — linear, quadratic, and basic transformations; reading and interpreting graphs.
- Geometry — plane and coordinate geometry, properties of shapes, basic trigonometry.
- Probability and statistics — simple probability, combinatorics, averages, and interpreting data.
Because there's no calculator, drill clean by-hand arithmetic, fractions, and powers. Most items are conceptual and shouldn't need heavy computation if you set the problem up correctly.
Reasoning on texts and data — 15 questions / 30 min
The other 15-question section. It combines two skills:
- Reading comprehension — short passages where the answer is fully contained in the text; no outside knowledge required.
- Data and logical reasoning — interpreting tables, charts, and figures; numerical and verbal logic; pattern recognition and "select the best inference" items.
This section is highly trainable because it rewards method over memorisation. Practise extracting the exact answer the text or data supports, without bringing in assumptions.
Biology — 10 questions / 20 min
The largest of the three pure-science sections. Core topics:
- Cell biology — cell structure and organelles, membranes and transport, the cell cycle, mitosis and meiosis.
- Genetics — DNA/RNA, transcription and translation, Mendelian inheritance, dominance and recessiveness.
- Physiology — the major organ systems, homeostasis, and how the body's systems interact.
Biology is broad but largely recall- and application-based, so it rewards consistent revision and lots of practice questions.
Chemistry — 10 questions / 20 min
A 10-question science block. Expect:
- Stoichiometry — moles, balancing equations, concentration, and reaction calculations (by hand — no calculator).
- Bonding — atomic structure, the periodic table and trends, ionic and covalent bonding, intermolecular forces.
- Basic organic chemistry — functional groups, simple nomenclature, and the main classes of organic compounds (no advanced mechanisms).
Many Chemistry items are quick stoichiometry or concept-recognition questions, so accuracy and speed both pay off.
Physics — 5 questions / 10 min
The smallest section — just five questions in ten minutes — but the per-question time is the same as everywhere else, so don't treat it as throwaway. Typical content:
- Mechanics — kinematics, forces, Newton's laws, work, energy, and momentum.
- Electricity — charge, current, simple circuits, and fields.
- Other core topics — thermodynamics, fluids, and waves/optics at a foundational level.
With only five questions, a single careless slip is a meaningful fraction of the section — so read each Physics item carefully.
Scoring in one paragraph (and why blanks are rarely right)
Full scoring is covered in the scoring and admission article, but here's what affects your in-exam decisions. Each correct answer is +1, a blank is 0, and a wrong answer carries a −0.25 penalty. Crucially, the official result is not the raw count out of 55 — it's a normalised score that adjusts for difficulty across test dates, summing normalised section scores. So don't fixate on "max 55."
What matters for strategy is the guessing maths. With five options and +1/−0.25, a fully random guess breaks even:
That's exactly the same expected value as leaving the question blank. But the moment you can eliminate one option (four left), guessing turns positive:
Eliminate two options (three left) and it climbs to about . The takeaway: unlike heavily negatively-marked exams, random guessing on CEnT-S costs you nothing on average, and ruling out even a single option makes guessing clearly worth it. There is rarely a good reason to leave a CEnT-S question blank.
Time management, section by section
Because every section is independently timed, your time strategy is really five mini-strategies. With ~120 seconds per question across the board, here's how to spend each clock:
- Mathematics (30 min): Two passes. Sweep the section, answering everything you can do quickly, then return to the harder setups. Don't sink five minutes into one problem and lock yourself out of two easy ones.
- Reasoning on texts and data (30 min): Cap your time per passage or data set. If an inference isn't resolving, mark your best guess and move — the answer is in the text, but a stubborn one isn't worth two other questions.
- Biology (20 min): This should feel fast — most items are recall. Move briskly and bank confidence for the harder science that follows.
- Chemistry (20 min): Steady. Stoichiometry by hand takes setup time; keep your working tidy so you don't burn time re-checking arithmetic.
- Physics (10 min): Only five questions, so pace is generous per question — use it. Read carefully and avoid the careless errors that cost disproportionately here.
The only way these instincts become reliable is repetition under real conditions — including the per-section lock and the penalty scoring, which behave very differently from an all-in-one timer. Sitting full-length, timed 55-question mocks with the real per-section clocks and +1/−0.25 marking, like the realistic CEnT-S practice simulator on Velacai, teaches you exactly how fast Biology should feel and when to cut your losses on a Reasoning puzzle before the section locks.
How universities use your CEnT-S score
A quick but important note, because the format alone doesn't tell the whole admissions story: each university converts or thresholds your (normalised) CEnT-S score for ranking or a minimum cutoff, and the weighting is programme-specific. For example, Politecnico di Milano converts the result to a score out of 100 and, for its engineering admission, excludes Biology and Chemistry from that conversion — effectively weighting Mathematics, Reasoning, and Physics. Other universities and fields weight differently.
Treat all cutoffs and section weightings as university- and field-specific, and check the rules for your exact programme rather than assuming a single national standard. Eligibility for @HOME vs @UNI can also vary by university and by EU/non-EU status, so confirm both on the official university and CISIA pages.
Putting it together
CEnT-S is a focused, fairly paced, per-section-timed exam: 55 questions in 110 minutes, five options each, five sections, no calculator, entirely in English. The headline structure is Math 15, Reasoning 15, Biology 10, Chemistry 10, Physics 5, and the rule that changes everything is that each section is independently timed with no going back and no carrying time forward. Build your prep around the two big sections (Math and Reasoning), don't leave questions blank when you can eliminate an option, and practise under the real per-section clocks. For the full picture see the complete CEnT-S guide and the scoring and admission article; if you're weighing it against the old tests, read CEnT-S vs English TOLC; and check pricing for structured practice.
FAQ
How many questions and sections does CEnT-S have, and how long is it?
CEnT-S has 55 multiple-choice questions across five sections — Mathematics (15), Reasoning on texts and data (15), Biology (10), Chemistry (10), and Physics (5) — and lasts 110 minutes in total. Each question has five options with exactly one correct, and there's no calculator allowed.
Is the CEnT-S timed per section or as one block?
Per section. Each of the five sections is independently timed (Math 30 min, Reasoning 30 min, Biology 20 min, Chemistry 20 min, Physics 10 min). Once a section's clock expires it locks — you cannot return to a previous section and you cannot carry unused time into the next one.
What did CEnT-S replace?
CEnT-S (CISIA English Test – Sciences), launched 4 November 2025, replaced the old English-language TOLC tests — English TOLC-I (engineering), English TOLC-E (economics), and English TOLC-F (pharmacy) — unifying them into one English admission test. It did not replace the Italian TOLC-S, which is a separate exam.
Is there a separate English section on CEnT-S?
No. The entire test is delivered in English, so there's no dedicated English-language section — unlike the old English TOLC exams, which included a separate English-comprehension part.
Which universities accept the CEnT-S score?
Major Italian public universities with English-taught STEM and economics programmes use it, including Politecnico di Milano (as an alternative test for English-taught engineering), the University of Bologna, the University of Milano-Bicocca, and the University of Brescia, among others. Each university sets its own cutoffs and section weighting, so always check the rules for your specific programme.