CEnT-S vs English TOLC: What Replaced the English TOLC?
By Velacai · June 25, 2026 · 13 min read
CEnT-S vs English TOLC: what actually changed
CEnT-S (the CISIA English Test – Sciences) replaced the old English-language TOLC tests in November 2025. The separate English TOLC-I (engineering), English TOLC-E (economics), and English TOLC-F (pharmacy) were unified into one English admission test for scientific-area bachelor's degrees. If you studied old English-TOLC materials, the science and math content still applies — what changed is the structure, the branding, and the per-section timing you'll sit on test day.
This article clears up the most common confusion around the switch: which exam replaced which, whether "English TOLC-S" exists (it doesn't), how CEnT-S differs from the Italian TOLC-S, and exactly how to retarget your preparation. For the full picture of the exam, start with our complete CEnT-S guide, and pair this with the format and syllabus breakdown.
What CEnT-S replaced (and what it didn't)
Before November 2025, students applying to English-taught science and engineering bachelor's programmes at Italian public universities 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
As of 4 November 2025, CISIA unified these into a single test: CEnT-S, the CISIA English Test – Sciences. The "-S" stands for Sciences — a broad scientific area that now covers engineering, the sciences, biology, pharmacy, economics, psychology, and agriculture. Instead of choosing between three different English exams, applicants to English-taught STEM and economics degrees now sit one common admission test.
A crucial point that trips people up: CEnT-S did not replace the Italian TOLC-S. The Italian-language TOLC-S still exists as a separate exam with its own structure. CEnT-S replaced the English-language TOLC variants (I, E, F), not the Italian science TOLC.
Why the change happened
A single English admission test is simpler for everyone. Universities get one comparable, normalised score across applicants from different fields and countries; students get one syllabus to prepare and one result that's accepted across a range of English-taught programmes. It also fits how CISIA has organised its CEnT family ("CISIA English Test") of English-medium admission tests.
"Is CEnT-S the same as English TOLC-S?"
No — and this is the single biggest source of confusion, so let's be precise.
- There is no "English TOLC-S." That exam never existed. If you see the term online, it's a mislabelling of CEnT-S.
- CEnT-S is the new, official name of the unified English science/engineering/economics admission test. It is not a brand name, not a "Cambridge English Test," and not an English version of the Italian TOLC-S.
- The Italian TOLC-S is a different exam. It's the Italian-language science TOLC, with a different number of sections, a different question split, and a separate English-comprehension section built into it.
Because the names look similar, it's worth contrasting the two side by side.
CEnT-S vs Italian TOLC-S at a glance
| Feature | CEnT-S (CISIA English Test – Sciences) | Italian TOLC-S (Italian science TOLC) |
|---|---|---|
| Language of the test | Entirely in English | Italian (with a separate English-comprehension section) |
| What it's for | English-taught bachelor's (engineering, sciences, economics, pharmacy, etc.) | Italian-taught science degrees |
| Section structure | 5 sections (Math, Reasoning, Biology, Chemistry, Physics) | 6 subject sections (Math, Reasoning, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Sciences) plus a separate English-language section |
| Total questions | 55 | Different split (e.g. 20 Maths questions, plus a 30-question English section) |
| Separate English-language section | No — the whole test is in English | Yes — a separate English section |
| Replaced by / status | The current test (replaced English TOLC-I/E/F) | Still a separate, active exam |
The takeaway: if your target programme is taught in English, you want CEnT-S. The Italian TOLC-S is a different test for Italian-medium degrees. Always confirm which test your specific programme requires on the university's admissions page.
What carries over from your old English-TOLC prep
If you already started preparing with English TOLC-I, -E, or -F materials, the good news is that most of your content study is still valuable. The unification changed the packaging, not the underlying knowledge tested.
What carries over:
- Core math — algebra, functions, geometry, basic analysis. The mathematics tested on CEnT-S is the same scientific-maths foundation the old English TOLCs assessed.
- Science content — biology, chemistry, and physics fundamentals at the secondary-school level. A chemistry question from old English TOLC-I/F prep is the same kind of question you'll see on CEnT-S.
- Reasoning skills — logical reasoning and interpreting texts and data. This was present in the old tests and remains a CEnT-S section.
What changed:
- The structure is unified. Instead of field-specific English TOLCs, there's one fixed five-section layout (see below).
- The branding and name. You now register for, and report, a CEnT-S result — not "English TOLC-I/E/F."
- The exact section timing and question counts follow the new CEnT-S blueprint, so you must practise against this layout, not the old per-variant structures.
In short: keep your content notes, retire the old format assumptions. Rebuild your practice around the CEnT-S structure and timing.
The CEnT-S structure you're preparing for
CEnT-S is 55 multiple-choice questions in 110 minutes, with each section independently timed. You cannot return to a previous section or carry unused time forward — when a section's clock runs out, that section is closed.
| 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 |
Each question has five answer options with exactly one correct answer, and the entire test is in English — there is no separate English-language section (unlike the Italian TOLC-S). No calculator or other aids are allowed. CEnT-S is not adaptive: there are no grid-in answers, no on-screen calculator app, and none of the Digital SAT concepts. For the full syllabus per section, see the format and syllabus guide.
Scoring: the rule that should reshape your strategy
CEnT-S marking is straightforward, but it changes how you should approach uncertain questions compared with heavily penalised exams:
- +1 point for each correct answer
- 0 for a blank/unanswered question
- −0.25 penalty for each wrong answer
The raw total tops out at 55, but don't fixate on "max 55" — the official result is a normalised score. CISIA applies a per-section normalisation coefficient that adjusts for difficulty differences across test dates, and your final score is the sum of the normalised section scores. This is what universities actually see and rank.
Why you should almost never leave a blank
The −0.25 penalty sounds intimidating, but the math is friendlier than it looks. Expected value is the average points a decision earns over many repetitions. With five options and a fully random guess:
A blind guess is exactly break-even — the same as leaving the question blank, no worse. Now eliminate even one option (four left):
That's already positive. Eliminate two options (three left):
The rule to internalise: unlike heavily negatively-marked tests, random guessing on CEnT-S costs nothing on average, and eliminating even one option makes guessing clearly worth it. There is rarely a reason to leave a question blank. We break this down further in the scoring and admission guide.
A practical preparation plan after the switch
If you're transitioning from English-TOLC materials to CEnT-S, here's how to spend your prep time for maximum leverage.
1. Master the section content
Use your existing English-TOLC content notes as a starting point, then map them onto the five CEnT-S sections. Make sure you're covered across Mathematics, Reasoning on texts and data, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics — Physics is small (5 questions) but still worth securing, since each correct answer counts.
2. Practise under the real per-section timing
This is the part old English-TOLC habits won't prepare you for. Because each section has its own clock and no carry-over, you have to manage time within each block. Thirty minutes for 15 maths questions is two minutes each; ten minutes for five physics questions is similarly tight. Train against the exact per-section limits so you never leave easy points stranded behind a closed section.
3. Apply the no-blank guessing logic
Build the habit of always attempting a question once you can eliminate even one option. With +1/−0.25 and five choices, that's mathematically the right call (see the scoring section above). Drill it until it's automatic — you don't want to be doing expected-value arithmetic on test day.
4. Review every mistake
After each practice set, separate your errors into content gaps (you didn't know it) and execution errors (you knew it but rushed or misread). Content gaps go back into your study list; execution errors get fixed with timing and careful-reading drills. This closed loop is what actually moves your normalised score.
5. Take realistic full-length timed mocks — your highest-leverage prep
Nothing else simulates the pressure of five independently-timed sections back to back. Full-length, timed mocks are the single highest-leverage thing you can do, because they train content recall, pacing, and guessing discipline simultaneously — the exact combination CEnT-S rewards. You can run full-length, 55-question realistic CEnT-S practice that mirrors the real per-section timing and the +1/−0.25 penalty scoring, so your mock results mean what your real result will mean.
How universities use your CEnT-S score
Each university converts or thresholds the normalised CEnT-S score for ranking or a minimum cutoff, and weighting is program-specific. A confirmed example: Politecnico di Milano uses CEnT-S as an alternative admission test for its English-taught engineering programmes, converts the result to a score out of 100, and — for engineering — excludes Biology and Chemistry from its conversion, weighting Math, Reasoning, and Physics instead.
Other major Italian public universities accept CEnT-S too, including the University of Bologna, University of Milano-Bicocca, University of Brescia, and others with English-taught STEM and economics degrees. Because cutoffs and section weightings vary so much, treat them as university- and field-specific: always check the exact rules for the programme you're targeting rather than assuming a universal threshold.
For the full admission picture, see the scoring and admission guide, and for the broader exam overview, the complete CEnT-S guide. When you're ready to commit to structured prep, compare options on the pricing page.
FAQ
Did CEnT-S replace the Italian TOLC-S?
No. CEnT-S replaced the English-language TOLC tests — English TOLC-I (engineering), English TOLC-E (economics), and English TOLC-F (pharmacy) — unifying them into one English admission test in November 2025. The Italian TOLC-S is a separate, still-active exam for Italian-taught science degrees, with a different structure (six subject sections — including Earth Sciences — plus a separate English-language section).
Is there such a thing as "English TOLC-S"?
No. "English TOLC-S" does not exist and never has. The correct name for the unified English science/engineering/economics admission test is CEnT-S (CISIA English Test – Sciences). If you see "English TOLC-S" online, it's a mislabelling of CEnT-S.
I studied with old English TOLC materials — are they still useful?
Mostly yes. The science and math content carries over almost entirely, since CEnT-S tests the same secondary-school foundations the old English TOLCs did. What changed is the unified five-section structure, the per-section timing, and the branding. Keep your content notes, but rebuild your practice around the current CEnT-S format and timing.
Is CEnT-S harder than the old English TOLC?
It tests the same kind of content, so it isn't fundamentally harder — but the per-section timing with no carry-over demands disciplined pacing within each block. The marking is also more forgiving than heavily penalised exams: with +1/−0.25 over five options, a blind guess is break-even and eliminating even one option makes guessing worthwhile.
Which test do I need for an English-taught degree in Italy?
For an English-taught bachelor's in a scientific area (engineering, sciences, biology, pharmacy, economics, psychology, agriculture), you almost certainly need CEnT-S, not the Italian TOLC-S. Eligibility and exact requirements vary by university and program — and EU/non-EU @HOME vs @UNI rules differ too — so always confirm on the specific programme's admissions page.