TOL Politecnico di Milano: Complete Guide to the Test

The TOL (Test OnLine) is Politecnico di Milano's proprietary admission test for the Bachelor's programmes of its Engineering Schools: 65 questions in 100 minutes, in Italian, taken remotely from home. The sections are Logic-Mathematics-Statistics (25 questions), Verbal Comprehension (5), Physics (5), and English TENG (30). Maximum score: 100. Minimum threshold to enter the ranking: 30/100. Cost: EUR 35. Maximum 2 attempts (one per registration window). The TOL is not the TOLC-I and is not valid for other universities — it is Polimi's own test, period.

If Engineering at Politecnico di Milano is your goal, the TOL is the most direct route in. It is the test Politecnico designed around its own expectations, the university administers it directly, and the score enters the ranking with no conversion steps. But it is also a test with specific features — fewer attempts, less time per question, a non-linear weighting system — that requires targeted preparation.

This guide gathers everything you need to know to face the TOL: from the official structure (verified on polimi.it pages) to ranking criteria, from the 2026 session calendar to OFAs, and the accepted alternatives (TOLC-I, CEnT-S, SAT). No regulation rewritten badly — you will find that on the Polimi website. Here we talk about how to actually prepare.

In this guide:

• What the TOL is and who it's for
• Structure: 65 questions in 100 minutes
• Registration, cost and attempt limits
• Scoring, section weights and minimum threshold
• English OFA: what happens below 24/30
• How the ranking is formed
• Early TOL and alternatives
• 2026 calendar: sessions and deadlines
• How to prepare for the TOL
• FAQ

What the TOL is and who it's for

The TOL is Politecnico di Milano's proprietary admission test for the Bachelor of Science programmes of the Engineering Schools (with the exception of Construction Engineering – Architecture, which uses a different path). It is an online test in Italian, administered remotely — you take it from home, on your own computer. Politecnico runs it directly: it is not managed by CISIA and it is not the TOLC-I.

Eligible candidates for the Standard TOL:

• Students in their final year of high school who will graduate in school year 2025/2026.
• Students who have already graduated.
• Students in their penultimate year of high school — these candidates take the Early TOL (see Early TOL and alternatives).

For students with disabilities or specific learning disorders (DSA), accommodations can be requested during registration; the DSA registration deadline is brought forward by two working days to allow Polimi to prepare support materials.

Learn more: TOL preparation with dedicated tutoring and Polimi-format simulations

Structure: 65 questions in 100 minutes

The TOL has 65 questions in 100 minutes (1 hour and 40), divided into two macro-parts: the TEST (Logic-Mathematics-Statistics + Verbal Comprehension + Physics) and the TENG (English).

The thing to grasp immediately: the Logic-Mathematics-Statistics block runs 65 straight minutes on 25 questions. You cannot break it up, there is no internal pause, you do not jump to another section and come back. It is a cognitive marathon. For students used to the TOLC-I (four separate sections with dedicated timers), this is the most impactful difference.

The Logic-Mathematics-Statistics topics cover arithmetic, algebra, functions (including exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric), plane and analytic geometry, trigonometry and statistics. Physics covers mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism and waves. English is intermediate-level written comprehension.

Deep dive on the math syllabus: TOL Math: Topics, Weights and Strategies

Registration, cost and attempt limits

Registration is done through the Politecnico Online Services (`aunicalogin.polimi.it`). To authenticate you need SPID or CIE — these are not optional. If you have not activated one of them yet, do it well in advance: the procedure to obtain SPID or CIE can take days or weeks, and without it you cannot even start the registration process.

Cost: EUR 35 per registration. Non-refundable. Payment is processed via PagoPA — instant if you pay by credit/prepaid card, deferred via home banking or a PagoPA provider.

Attempts: maximum 2 for the Standard TOL, one per registration window. The Early TOL has the same cap — maximum 2 attempts, one per session.

There is a critical rule that many students discover too late: if you register for a test and fail to show up, it counts as "taken". Politecnico is explicit: "If you do not show up for a test you are registered for, you will be considered absent and it will count as taken." In practice: if you register to try it out and then change your mind, you have already burned one of your two annual attempts. Do not register for a test unless you are sure you will show up.

Preferences: up to 5. During registration you indicate up to 5 degree programmes in order of preference. They are binding for the ranking, but you can modify them until 23:59 CEST on 18 June 2026. Submitting fewer than 5 preferences means voluntarily excluding yourself from programmes you could have accessed — a common mistake (see Common TOL Mistakes).

Scoring, section weights and minimum threshold

TOL scoring is not linear like the TOLC-I. Each question is evaluated with these raw weights:

• Correct answer: +1 raw point
• Wrong answer: -0.25 points
• No answer: 0 points

Then the raw score of each section is multiplied by the section weight:

The final score is expressed on a 100-point scale (with two decimals). The Logic-Mathematics-Statistics section is worth 65% of the maximum score — doing well here is the single most important factor for your final score.

Minimum threshold to enter the ranking: 30/100 (rounded to the nearest whole number). Below this threshold you are not considered, regardless of the preferences you indicated.

One important clarification that often causes confusion: for Engineering at Politecnico, only the English OFA exists. The "OFA TEST if score < 60" rule circulating online is the Architecture rule, not Engineering. For Engineering, the 30/100 threshold is the eligibility cut-off but does not generate an additional math OFA.

For the Logic-Math-Statistics topic detail: TOL Math: Topics, Weights and Strategies

English OFA: what happens below 24/30

The only OFA (Additional Educational Obligation) foreseen for Engineering at Politecnico is the English one. The rule is precise: if you answer correctly fewer than 24 questions out of 30 in the English (TENG) section, you are assigned the English OFA.

Having the English OFA does not block enrolment, but it carries certain limitations during the first year:

• You cannot insert additional courses into your study plan.
• You cannot advance courses from subsequent years.
• You cannot submit an autonomous study plan.

The OFA must be cleared during the first year; the operational deadlines for extinguishing it are published by Politecnico on the dedicated study-plan and OFA pages — check the Polimi website for the up-to-date timing for your enrolment year.

In practice: the English section contributes little to the total score (weight 1/3 per question, max 10/100), but the 24/30 threshold has a concrete operational impact on your first year. Treating it as "it's worth too little to matter" is one of the most common mistakes — covered in Common TOL Mistakes.

How the ranking is formed

After each window Politecnico publishes the rankings. The ordering criteria are these, in this order:

1. TOL score (out of 100, two decimals).
2. Candidate preferences (the 5 ordered choices).
3. First tiebreaker: highest score on the Logic, Mathematics, Statistics section.
4. Second tiebreaker: youngest candidate.

Point 3 is the one many underestimate: at equal final score, whoever did better on Logic-Mathematics-Statistics wins. This means the extra effort on the 25-question block pays double — not just because it is worth 65% of the score, but because it is the subscore that decides tight rankings.

The possible outcomes for each candidate are four:

• ASSIGNED — you are in one of your preferred programmes.
• BOOKED — you have a conditional booking; you wait for the ranking to scroll.
• PENDING — you are waiting for places to open as the ranking scrolls.
• COURSE FULL — places in your preferred programme are exhausted.

Early TOL and alternatives

The Early TOL

The Early TOL is reserved for students in the penultimate year of high school (who will graduate in school year 2026/2027). Same structure, same cost, same 2-attempt cap.

The rule that makes it strategically important: candidates who score ≥ 75/100 on the Early TOL may not repeat the test, but secure the right to enrol in the Italian-language programmes for the 2027/2028 academic year. In practice, a penultimate-year student who hits 75 has already locked in their seat at Engineering a full year ahead.

Dedicated deep dive: Early TOL: The Shortcut to Engineering Admission One Year Early

Alternatives to the TOL

Politecnico accepts three alternatives to the TOL for admission to Engineering:

• TOLC-I (CISIA) — the national CISIA test. To qualify as a TOL alternative, the TOLC-I score must be converted to the TOL scale and the converted result must reach at least the 30/100 threshold. It is valid at many other Italian universities — it is the right choice if you want to keep multiple universities open.
• CEnT-S (CISIA) — English-language test for science area. Recent, less established.
• SAT (College Board) — international English-language test, accepted as an alternative.

The English OFA (24/30 correct in the English section) applies even if you enter via the TOLC-I.

Detailed comparison: TOLC-I vs TOL Politecnico: Which to Choose

2026 calendar: sessions and deadlines

For admission to the 2026/2027 academic year (tests taken in 2026), the official Politecnico calendar is:

Standard TOL (final-year students + already graduated):

• First window: registration from 1 February to 10 March 2026.
• Second window: registration from 11 March to 31 May 2026.

Early TOL (penultimate-year students):

• First session: registration opens 12 February 2026, tests held 11 March – 31 May 2026.
• Second session: registration opens 7 May 2026, tests held 1 June – 16 July 2026.

The deadlines for each individual test date within the windows vary (typically about two weeks before the chosen test date). Always check the up-to-date calendar on the Polimi pages: the exact dates can change.

Preference modification: until 23:59 CEST on 18 June 2026.

How to prepare for the TOL

Effective TOL preparation starts from three principles: the single block, the weight of math, the weight of English.

Train cognitive endurance for the single block. 65 straight minutes on 25 Logic-Mathematics-Statistics questions with no breaks are a different challenge from any classroom exercise. Simulations must respect this duration — do not split into 15-minute chunks. Train sustained concentration for the entire section duration.

Invest in the math section for ranking value. It is worth 65% of the maximum score and it is the tiebreaker. Studying math for the TOL is not "studying for the test" — it is studying for your ranking position. The official syllabus covers arithmetic, algebra, functions (exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric), plane and analytic geometry, trigonometry, statistics. If you have gaps on trigonometry or analytic geometry, targeted math tutoring is the fastest way to close them.

Do not underestimate English. 30 questions in 15 minutes = 30 seconds per question. The section contributes little to the total, but below 24/30 correct the English OFA kicks in. B1-B2 written-comprehension preparation is enough; less than that and you risk the OFA even if you nail everything else.

Get comfortable with the remote mode. The TOL is done only from home. Verify in advance that your computer meets the technical requirements, that the connection is stable, that the room where you will take the test complies with proctoring rules. A technical problem on test day can cost you one of your two attempts.

Simulate in the correct format. TOLC-I simulations (50 questions, four separate sections) are not adequate training for the TOL (65 questions, single block, different weights). Politecnico publishes the DOL (Demo On Line) and Politest — use them as a base. For complete adaptive simulations in TOL format, the Up to Ten platform tracks your progress section by section.

Deep dive on mistakes to avoid: Common TOL Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

FAQ

Is the TOL the same as the TOLC-I? No. The TOL is Politecnico di Milano's proprietary test (65 questions, 100 minutes, single block for Logic-Mathematics-Statistics, no chemistry). The TOLC-I is the national CISIA test (50 questions, 110 minutes, four separate sections, includes chemistry). Politecnico accepts both, but the TOL is valid only at Polimi. Full comparison: TOLC-I vs TOL Politecnico.

How much does the TOL cost? EUR 35 per registration, non-refundable. Payment is processed via PagoPA from the Politecnico Online Services.

How many attempts do I have? Maximum 2 for the Standard TOL, one per window. Same limit for the Early TOL. Note: if you register and fail to show up, that attempt counts as taken.

Can I take the TOL from home? Yes — the TOL is administered exclusively remotely. There is no in-person mode. Verify the technical requirements for your computer and connection well in advance.

What score do I need to enter the ranking? The minimum threshold to be considered in the ranking is 30/100 (rounded to the nearest whole number). Below this threshold you are not in the ranking, regardless of the preferences indicated.

At equal score, how does the tiebreaker work? First tiebreaker: highest subscore on the Logic, Mathematics, Statistics section. Second tiebreaker: youngest candidate. This is why math counts double — it weighs on the total score and decides tight rankings.

What happens if I get fewer than 24/30 in the English section? You are assigned the English OFA, which carries first-year study-plan limitations: no additional courses, no advancing courses, no autonomous plan. It must be cleared during the first year. Check the Polimi website for the exact deadlines.

Can I take the TOL in fourth year of high school? Yes, but you take the Early TOL, not the Standard TOL. If you score ≥ 75/100 on the Early TOL, you lock in your seat in an Italian-language programme for the 2027/2028 academic year without having to retake the test. See Early TOL.

Do I need SPID or CIE? Yes, mandatory. Registration goes through the Politecnico Online Services and authentication requires SPID or CIE. Activate one well in advance — the procedure can take days or weeks.

For structured preparation with a dedicated tutor: TOL Preparation Politecnico di Milano

TOL Preparation with Up to Ten

The TOL rewards students who are solid on math and have trained endurance for the single block. Our path starts with a diagnosis of weak areas, builds a plan on Politecnico's official syllabus, and uses simulations in TOL format — not TOLC-I — to prepare you for exactly what you will face on test day. All progress tracked in Up to Connect.

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This guide is part of our TOL preparation path. Also read:

• Early TOL: The Shortcut to Engineering One Year Early
• TOL Math: Topics, Weights and Strategies
• Common TOL Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
• TOLC-I vs TOL Politecnico: Which to Choose
• TOLC-I Preparation: Complete Guide