Politecnico di Torino for 2027/28: from the TIL-I to CISIA's tests

If you are aiming for an engineering degree at Politecnico di Torino in 2027/28, the admission test you prepare for is not the one last year's applicants sat. Politecnico di Torino no longer uses the TIL-I, its own test. From 2027/28 international applicants take CISIA's CEnT-S, run by the consortium that organises admission tests for universities across Italy. This guide sets out what Politecnico has confirmed, what its call will settle, and how the last TIL-I worked, because its subjects are still the best guide to what an engineering test there expects.

What this means if you apply from abroad

The in-person rule is the part that changes plans. CISIA's CEnT-S can be sat from home in many universities' calls, but not for Politecnico. You will need a seat in a university testing room, at Politecnico or at another university that runs the CEnT@UNI, and the result is then sent to Politecnico like any other CEnT-S score. Politecnico's announcement says students may sit the test at other universities in the consortium.

For a student abroad, that means one of two things: travelling to Italy, or to another university that offers a CEnT@UNI session, for the test. CEnT@UNI places at popular universities fill up, so book as soon as rooms and dates appear.

Our CEnT-S guide explains the test itself: sections, scoring and how CISIA's test periods work.

What the 2027/28 call will settle

The 2027/28 call settles these points:

• the minimum CEnT-S score, and whether some sections count more than others;
• whether the SAT is still accepted as an alternative, and with what minimum;
• the application window and the last test date for applicants from outside the EU;
• exactly which applicants count as "international" for the test;
• the English certificate rules for 2027/28.

We update this guide once the call is published.

How the TIL-I worked (2026/27 entry)

The last TIL-I cycle shows what Politecnico expects from engineering applicants. For 2026/27 entry, applicants got in either with the TIL-I or with a SAT score of at least 650 in each section. The TIL-I could be taken in English or Italian.

• Each section had its own clock. Time left in one section could not be carried to another.
• It was sat in person, on computers in Politecnico's labs in Turin and Mondovì and at its hub in Uzbekistan.
• Scoring: 1 point for a correct answer, 0 for a blank and minus 0.25 for a wrong one, converted to a mark out of 100.
• Thresholds: 30/100 put you on the ranking list; 60/100 guaranteed a place on your first-choice program. Applicants could list up to five programs.
• Timing for non-EU applicants: four sessions ran from February to May 2026, and non-EU applicants living abroad had to sit the test, and meet the English requirement, by 22 May 2026.

The CEnT-S covers much of the same ground (mathematics, reasoning, physics) but adds biology and chemistry and is organised differently, so do not prepare from TIL-I material alone.

The English requirement

For 2026/27, English-taught programs required a separate certificate at B2 level, such as IELTS 5.5, PTE Academic 59 or TOEFL iBT 72. Students who completed their schooling in English in certain countries were exempt; the 2026/27 list included the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, as well as English-medium schools in countries including Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

The 2027/28 call will set the rules for next year. If your schooling does not exempt you, a certificate is worth getting early, because it is one less thing to chase in the spring.

How to prepare now

• Prepare for the CEnT-S, not the TIL-I. Mathematics and reasoning on texts and data are its two largest sections.
• Plan where you will sit it. Only a CEnT@UNI counts for Politecnico, so decide early whether you will travel and to which university.
• Practise under section timing. CISIA's tests, like the TIL-I, run each section on its own clock.
• Sort out your English certificate, or confirm that your schooling exempts you.
• Expect the timetable to start early. For 2026/27, non-EU applicants sat the test between February and May. Read the 2027/28 call the week it appears.

Questions applicants ask

Rules change every year: always confirm dates in the official call for your year.