If you are planning to study an English-taught bachelor's degree in Italy in 2027, there is one entrance exam you are going to see again and again: CEnT-S. And if you prepared for CEnT-S using the old pattern, pay attention — the exam has changed.
The earlier CEnT-S format had 55 questions across five sections. The current structure published by CISIA has 65 questions, six sections and 140 minutes, with Reading and Comprehension now added as a separate section. So yes, preparation for CEnT-S 2027 needs to change too.
This guide covers the new pattern, complete syllabus, scoring, who actually needs the exam, when to take it, how to prepare, and what happens after your CEnT-S result if you are applying to an Italian university.
The new CEnT-S at a glance
- 01
65 questions across six sections, including Reading and Comprehension.
- 02
140 minutes in total, with a separate timer for each section.
- 03
Five macro-periods and one attempt per macro-period.
- 04
Check your exact degree programme before booking the exam.
01 — ContextWhat Is the CEnT-S Exam?
CEnT-S stands for CISIA English Test - Sciences. It is an English-language admission test used by participating Italian universities for selected degree programmes taught mainly in English. CEnT-S was introduced as a unified test replacing the previous English TOLC-I, English TOLC-E and English TOLC-F system. That means a student applying for Engineering and another applying for Economics may now take the same CEnT-S, while the university decides how the result is used for its particular course. The important part is this: The exam and the university application are two separate processes. Always check the official admission notice of the exact programme you want to join.
02 — ContextCEnT-S 2027 Pattern: What Has Changed?
This is the change students should know first.
Previous and current exam pattern
| Item | Previous Pattern | Current CEnT-S Pattern |
|---|
| Sections | 5 | 6 |
|---|
| Questions | 55 | 65 |
|---|
| Total Time | 110 minutes | 140 minutes |
|---|
| Reading Section | No | Yes - 10 Questions |
|---|
| Mathematics | 15 | 15 |
|---|
| Reasoning | 15 | 15 |
|---|
| Biology | 10 | 10 |
|---|
| Chemistry | 10 | 10 |
|---|
| Physics | 5 | 5 |
|---|
The biggest addition is Reading and Comprehension. It adds 10 questions and 30 minutes to the test, which means the exam is now longer and requires a broader preparation strategy. There is another useful change for students: CISIA's current system has five macro-periods instead of the earlier four-period structure. This gives students more opportunities during the year to take or repeat the test.
Current section timings
The current CEnT-S contains 65 multiple-choice questions. Each question has five answer choices and only one correct answer.
CEnT-S section timings
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|
| Reading and Comprehension | 10 | 30 minutes |
|---|
| Mathematics | 15 | 30 minutes |
|---|
| Reasoning on Texts and Data | 15 | 30 minutes |
|---|
| Biology | 10 | 20 minutes |
|---|
| Chemistry | 10 | 20 minutes |
|---|
| Physics | 5 | 10 minutes |
|---|
| Total | 65 | 140 minutes |
|---|
There is one rule students often underestimate: Once the time for a section finishes, you move forward. If you finish early and move to the next section, you cannot use the leftover time later and you cannot return to the previous section. So CEnT-S preparation is not only about knowing Mathematics, Biology or Chemistry. Section-wise time management matters too.
03 — ContextWhich Courses Need CEnT-S?
CEnT-S is mainly used for English-taught bachelor's programmes in scientific, technical and related areas. Depending on the university, you may find CEnT-S being used for programmes in areas such as:
Programme areas that may use CEnT-S
01Engineering
Computer Science and related technical programmes
02Economics
Business and related economics programmes
03Sciences
Biology and Biotechnology; Pharmacy
04Psychology
Agriculture and related scientific programmes
CISIA officially describes CEnT-S as suitable for admission to English-taught programmes in Engineering, Sciences, Biology, Pharmacy, Economics, Psychology and Agriculture. But there is an important word here: some. Not every Engineering, Business or Computer Science programme in Italy automatically requires CEnT-S. One university may require CEnT-S. Another may accept a different test. A third may have its own admission procedure.
Courses that follow other admission routes
This is another area where students get confused.
Other admission routes
01Master's Degrees
CEnT-S is primarily an undergraduate admission test. If you are applying for a normal two-year Laurea Magistrale / Master's programme, CEnT-S is generally not the entrance test you should be preparing for. Master's programmes have their own academic eligibility, previous-degree, language and sometimes programme-specific assessment requirements.
02Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine in English
English-taught Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine are nationally regulated single-cycle programmes and follow their own admission system. For the 2026/27 cycle, MUR separately regulated the admission examination for these English-taught programmes. They are therefore not programmes for which you simply take CEnT-S.
03Health Professions
Programmes such as Nursing and other regulated Health Professions may also follow separate nationally regulated or university-organised admission tests.
04Architecture
Architecture can have its own admission procedure as well.
The safest rule is simple:
04 — SyllabusCEnT-S 2027 Complete Syllabus
The syllabus covers six main areas. Open a subject below to see what to prepare, then use the full official CISIA syllabus to check the finer subtopics.
CEnT-S 2027 subject-wise syllabus
Reading and Comprehension+
This is the new section students preparing from older CEnT-S material need to add. The expected English reading level is around B2 / upper-intermediate. You may receive: non-fiction passages; literary passages; journalistic or current-affairs texts. The questions can test whether you can understand the main message, connect ideas, interpret information, recognise implied meaning and understand words or expressions in context. This should not be treated like a grammar test. It is much more about how accurately you understand a text.
Mathematics+
Mathematics remains one of the biggest sections of CEnT-S. The syllabus includes:
- Numbers: integers, rational and real numbers, powers, roots, percentages, factors and numerical expressions.
- Algebra: expressions, equations, inequalities, polynomials and systems of equations.
- Geometry: plane and solid figures, areas, volumes, similarity, Cartesian geometry, lines and circles.
- Functions: graphs, transformations, inverse functions and common elementary functions.
- Exponentials and Logarithms: properties, equations and inequalities.
- Combinatorics and Probability: permutations, combinations, counting and elementary probability.
- Basic Statistics: tables, graphs, frequencies, mean, median and mode. This section rewards students who can recognise the correct method quickly. Knowing formulas alone is rarely enough.
Reasoning on Texts and Data+
This section combines logic, interpretation and practical problem solving. Expect questions involving:
- Logical and deductive reasoning: propositions, logical relationships, necessary and sufficient conditions, sets and deductions.
- Data interpretation: tables, charts, graphs and numerical information.
- Problem solving: percentages, ratios, proportionality, averages, simple calculations and mathematical modelling. You may understand every individual concept and still lose time here if you have not practised enough unfamiliar questions. That is why reasoning is one section where practice makes a very visible difference.
Biology+
The Biology syllabus includes:
- Biological molecules: water, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.
- Cell Biology: prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, membranes, nucleus, ribosomes, mitochondria and other cellular structures.
- Genetics and Cell Division: DNA, RNA, replication, transcription, translation, mitosis, meiosis and Mendelian inheritance.
- Plant Biology and Ecology: plant structures, photosynthesis, ecosystems, food chains and biological interactions.
- Animal Anatomy and Physiology: tissues and major systems including digestive, respiratory, circulatory, nervous, excretory and musculoskeletal systems. The important thing here is to connect structure with function rather than memorising hundreds of isolated facts.
Chemistry+
Chemistry has one of the broadest syllabi in CEnT-S. You should prepare:
- Matter and its properties: states of matter, mixtures and physical and chemical transformations.
- Atomic structure: atoms, ions, electronic configuration, Lewis structures and chemical bonds.
- Periodic Table: groups, periods, isotopes, electronegativity, atomic radius and ionisation energy.
- Stoichiometry: moles, chemical equations, limiting reagents, concentration and reaction calculations.
- Thermodynamics and Kinetics: energy, enthalpy, entropy, equilibrium, reaction rate and catalysis.
- Solutions and Compounds: nomenclature, solubility, electrolytes and solution properties.
- Acids and Bases: pH, neutralisation, buffers and acid-base equilibria.
- Redox Chemistry: oxidation numbers, oxidising and reducing agents and balancing reactions.
- Organic Chemistry: hydrocarbons, functional groups, isomerism and major organic compounds. There is also an applied chemistry component involving measurements, environmental chemistry and everyday chemical processes.
Physics+
Physics has only five questions, but that does not mean it should be ignored. The syllabus covers:
- Physical quantities and measurement: SI units, scientific notation, vectors and graphical relationships.
- Kinematics: position, velocity, acceleration, free fall and circular motion.
- Dynamics, Work and Energy: Newton's laws, forces, kinetic and potential energy, work and power.
- Fluids and Thermodynamics: pressure, density, Archimedes' principle, Bernoulli's principle, ideal gases, heat and thermodynamic laws.
- Electromagnetism and Waves: electric charge, electric fields, Ohm's law, magnetism, light, sound, wavelength and frequency. With only five questions, every correct Physics answer can matter.
How Is CEnT-S Scored?
The raw scoring system is straightforward:
CEnT-S marking scheme
- Correct+1
Adds one point
- Unanswered0
No penalty
- Incorrect-0.25
Deducts a quarter point
So blind guessing can cost marks. But your raw score is not necessarily your final official result. CISIA applies normalisation at the end of each macro-period. This is used to account for differences in difficulty between different versions of the exam. A harder test version can therefore receive a higher normalisation adjustment than an easier one. Universities can also decide how they use the normalised score and may set their own minimum score or section weightings.
06 — TimelineCEnT-S Dates, Fees and Registration
For the current cycle, CISIA has moved to five macro-periods:
Five macro-periods
| Macro-Period | Months |
|---|
| 1 | November, December, January |
|---|
| 2 | February, March |
|---|
| 3 | April, May |
|---|
| 4 | June, July |
|---|
| 5 | August, September |
|---|
You can normally take the same type of CEnT once in each macro-period. Final normalised scores are currently scheduled to become available by: 29 January, 31 March, 31 May, 30 July and 17 September, depending on the macro-period. For international non-EU students, waiting until the last possible period can be risky. Your university application, Universitaly pre-enrolment and visa process all have deadlines. An exam date that technically exists may still be too late for your university.
Booking fee and test formats
The current CEnT booking fee is €55. Students can take CEnT-S in one of two formats when available and accepted by their chosen university:
- CEnT@HOME - remotely in a supervised virtual environment.
- CEnT@UNI - at a participating university test centre.
Do not assume that both modes will automatically be accepted for every programme. Your university's admission notice should tell you which format it recognises.
How to book your test
Registration itself is not difficult. Create your account in the CISIA Student Area, choose CEnT-S, check the available dates, select the format accepted by your university, complete the booking and pay the exam fee. One useful detail: you do not necessarily have to take the test through the same university you eventually want to attend. A result from the same CEnT type and accepted format can be recognised by participating universities that use that test. But again, read the admission call before booking.
07 — StrategyHow to Prepare for CEnT-S 2027
Here is where many students make the process harder than it needs to be. They collect ten PDFs, watch random videos, start solving old TOLC questions and jump between subjects without knowing whether they are even covering the full syllabus. A better approach is much simpler.
Build a focused preparation routine
01Map the official syllabus
First, map the official syllabus. Know exactly which topics belong to each of the six sections.
02Start subject-wise practice
Then start subject-wise practice. Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics need repeated problem solving. Biology needs strong concept recall. Reasoning improves through exposure to different problems. Reading needs regular timed comprehension practice.
03Review every mistake
When you get a question wrong, do not simply look at the answer and move on. Understand why you got it wrong. Was the concept weak? Did you misread the question? Did you calculate too slowly? Did two options confuse you? That is where practice actually starts improving your score.
04Take full-length timed mocks
Once your subject practice is stable, move to full-length timed mocks. Do not wait until the night before the exam to discover that 140 minutes of section-wise timed questions feels very different from solving questions casually at home.
08 — ContextThe EuCrack CEnT-S 2027 Second Edition
When CISIA changed the exam, we knew simply changing the year on our old cover would not be enough. Our first CEnT-S book had 600+ questions and 2 mock tests. It helped many students practise for the exam, and the feedback we received from those students gave us a very clear idea of what the next edition needed. Students asked for more practice and clearer explanations. The new pattern also made Reading and Comprehension essential. We used that feedback to rebuild the second edition around a more complete preparation experience.
CEnT-S 2027 Exam Preparation Book - Second Edition
The new edition now brings together:
Inside the second edition
- ✓
1200+ expert-selected questions
- ✓
Detailed solutions and explanations to help you understand the method
- ✓
All six CEnT-S sections
- ✓
5 full-length mock tests
- ✓
Practice built around the current official syllabus and exam structure
The book has been developed in collaboration with Italian institutions, CEnT-S experts and students who have successfully taken the examination, while also taking into account feedback from readers of our previous edition. This matters because we did not want to create another huge question bank where students simply solve hundreds of questions without learning much from them. The purpose of this edition is to give you enough practice to find your weak areas, understand your mistakes and then test yourself properly before the real exam. This is not the old book with more pages. It is a much stronger second edition built for the new CEnT-S.
If your exam is approaching, the worst time to discover that your preparation has gaps is during the actual test. Practise them now.
09 — ContextWhat Happens After the CEnT-S?
This is something students often misunderstand.
Think of CEnT-S as one part of the application. For most international applicants, the journey looks roughly like this:
From your exam result to studying in Italy
- Choose Your Universities and Courses
Do this before the exam if possible. Check which programmes require CEnT-S, which exam format they accept, their minimum score or ranking rules, application rounds and deadlines.
- Take the CEnT-S
Take it early enough for your normalised result to be available before the university deadline.
- Apply to the University
Submit your application according to that university's own process. Your application may include your academic documents, language certificate, passport, CEnT-S score and other programme-specific documents.
- Receive Your Admission Result
If your application is successful, the university may issue an admission, acceptance or eligibility communication depending on its procedure.
- Complete Universitaly Pre-Enrolment
For non-EU students living abroad who require a study visa, university pre-enrolment is completed through the official Universitaly portal. The university then validates the pre-enrolment application for the visa process.
- Complete Scholarship Procedures
Italy has regional and university scholarships, fee reductions and other financial-support schemes. Do not wait for every admission step to finish before researching scholarships. Some scholarship applications have their own deadlines and can overlap with the admission process.
- Apply for Your Student Visa
After the required university and Universitaly steps are completed, visa-required students apply through the competent Italian Embassy or Consulate. University admission or Universitaly validation does not automatically guarantee a visa. The final visa decision belongs to the competent diplomatic authority. Then, after arriving in Italy, non-EU students on a study visa also need to follow the required residence-permit procedure.
10 — ContextPlanning Your Next Steps
Do not think of CEnT-S as an exam you can deal with separately from your university application. Your exam date, score release, university deadline, scholarship timeline, pre-enrolment and visa all connect to each other. A strong score is useful only if it arrives in time for the programme you want. Start with your universities. Check their deadlines. Prepare according to the current syllabus. Take the exam early. And give yourself enough time to fix weak areas before exam day. CEnT-S is very manageable when your preparation has direction. Good luck with CEnT-S 2027 — and with the university in Italy you're working towards. EuCrack - Where Dreams Take Flight
Official and useful resources
The exam information above was checked against the current official pages on 21 October 2026. Use these sources when you book or finalise your application.
Check the details that apply to your application
11 — Help DeskCEnT-S 2027 FAQs
Your CEnT-S 2027 Questions, Answered
Is CEnT-S required for every English bachelor's programme in Italy?+
No. It is used by participating universities for selected programmes. Always check the admission notice of the exact course you want.
How many questions are in CEnT-S 2027?+
The current CISIA structure has 65 questions across six sections.
How long is the CEnT-S?+
The current total duration is 140 minutes.
What is new in the CEnT-S syllabus?+
The major structural addition is Reading and Comprehension, with 10 questions and 30 minutes.
Is there negative marking?+
Yes. A correct answer gives +1, an unanswered question gives 0 and a wrong answer receives -0.25.
Can international students take CEnT-S from home?+
CEnT@HOME exists, but you should confirm that your chosen university accepts that mode for your programme.
Can I take CEnT-S more than once?+
Yes, but normally only once per macro-period.
Does CEnT-S apply to Master's degrees?+
It is not the standard test for two-year Master's / Laurea Magistrale programmes. Those programmes follow their own admission requirements.
Is CEnT-S used for Medicine or Dentistry?+
Not for the nationally regulated English-taught Medicine and Dentistry admission route. These programmes have a separate admission procedure.
What is the best way to prepare?+
Follow the official syllabus, practise topic by topic, review every mistake and complete full-length timed mock tests before the real exam.
Why choose the EuCrack CEnT-S 2027 Exam Preparation Book?+
It gives you 1200+ expert-selected questions, detailed solutions, all six sections and 5 full-length mock tests in one structured resource. The question-and-answer approach helps you learn topics by solving problems, understand the reasoning and apply the method again. It is built for students who want focused daily practice, useful revision and a clear way to test their readiness. Explore the second edition and choose the format that fits your study routine.
How is the 2027 second edition better than the previous EuCrack book?+
This is a substantial upgrade: the earlier edition had 600+ questions and 2 mocks; the 2027 edition offers 1200+ questions and 5 full-length mocks, including Reading and Comprehension alongside Mathematics, Reasoning, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Improved question selection, stronger explanations and feedback from previous readers make it a more complete preparation companion. Get the paperback on Amazon or start with the digital edition on Gumroad.
Premium practice materialEuCrack CEnT-S 2027 Preparation Book
Turn the syllabus into focused practice. Work through questions and detailed solutions topic by topic, revisit the areas that need attention, and bring your preparation together with five full-length mock tests. One substantial second edition for a more confident CEnT-S 2027 study routine.
1200+Questions
6Sections
5Mock tests
