Politecnico di Torino TIL: format and scoring
Verified
In short
Politecnico di Torino’s in-person admission tests: TIL-I for Engineering, 42 questions in 90 minutes, and TIL-A for Architecture, 50 questions in 100 minutes, both with a penalty for wrong answers.
Politecnico di Torino TIL-I (Engineering)
Politecnico di Torino's own admission test for its Engineering-area bachelor's programmes, taken in person on the university's computers. It is 42 questions in four consecutive, separately timed sections - Mathematics 16 questions in 36 minutes, Reading comprehension and logic 10 in 20, Physics 10 in 22, Basic technical knowledge 6 in 12 - 90 minutes in all. Each question has five options, one correct; a correct answer scores 1, a blank 0 and a wrong answer -0.25. The score is reported out of 100. PoliTo publishes two thresholds: 30/100 to be placed in the ranking, and 60/100 to be admitted straight to the programme of first preference. The test can be taken up to three times, once per session, and the best result counts. No calculator is allowed. The test is available in Italian and in English.
- Version described
- TIL-I for admission to the Engineering-area bachelor’s programmes, a.y. 2026/27. Structure, timing, scoring and thresholds verified from the official 2026/27 call for applications and the official admission test page.
- Admissions cycle
- Academic year 2026/27 (the score is valid only for enrolment in 2026/27)
Sections and timing
| Section | Questions | Time | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 16 | 36 min | Not permittedNo calculator. Art. 9 of the 2026/27 call forbids personal materials "quale: fogli, quaderni, appunti, calcolatrici"; only the blank sheets and pen or pencil handed out by the room committee may be used. A non-programmable calculator is permitted only to candidates with a certified disability or specific learning disorder (art. 6). |
| Reading comprehension and logic | 10 | 20 min | Not permittedNo calculator. Art. 9 of the 2026/27 call forbids personal materials "quale: fogli, quaderni, appunti, calcolatrici"; only the blank sheets and pen or pencil handed out by the room committee may be used. A non-programmable calculator is permitted only to candidates with a certified disability or specific learning disorder (art. 6). |
| Physics | 10 | 22 min | Not permittedNo calculator. Art. 9 of the 2026/27 call forbids personal materials "quale: fogli, quaderni, appunti, calcolatrici"; only the blank sheets and pen or pencil handed out by the room committee may be used. A non-programmable calculator is permitted only to candidates with a certified disability or specific learning disorder (art. 6). |
| Basic technical knowledge | 6 | 12 min | Not permittedNo calculator. Art. 9 of the 2026/27 call forbids personal materials "quale: fogli, quaderni, appunti, calcolatrici"; only the blank sheets and pen or pencil handed out by the room committee may be used. A non-programmable calculator is permitted only to candidates with a certified disability or specific learning disorder (art. 6). |
Navigation rules
What you may and may not do once a section has started. Our timed practice enforces these on the server, not just in the interface.
- You can move backward and forward freely within a section.
- You can change an answer before the section is submitted.
- Once a section is submitted it cannot be reopened.
Scoring
- Correct answer
- 1 point(s)
- Wrong answer
- -0.25 point(s) — a real penalty
- Left blank
- 0 point(s)
- Reported scale
- TIL-I score out of 100: -25–100Art. 8.2: "Il punteggio è convertito in centesimi e calcolato fino alla seconda cifra decimale." The raw score is out of 42 (42 questions at 1 point); the reported score is that raw score converted to a scale of 100. The minimum shown is the arithmetic floor if every question were answered wrongly (-10.5 of 42); PoliTo does not say whether the reported score can be negative.
- Official scoring, art. 8.1: "1 punto per ogni risposta corretta; 0 punti per ogni risposta non data; meno 0,25 punti per ogni risposta errata."
- Five options per question, one correct (art. 7.2). With five options a blind guess has an expected value of 0.2 - 0.8 x 0.25 = 0, so it neither gains nor loses on average; eliminating even one option makes guessing worth it.
- Thresholds, art. 3: 30/100 to enter the ranking; 60/100 to enrol in the first-preference programme. For the Industrial Manufacturing Technologies programme the ranking threshold is any score above 0.
- Up to three attempts, once per session; the best result counts (art. 5.4).
- SAT scores (at least 650 in each of Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math) may be submitted instead of the TIL-I; they give a place in the ranking but no guarantee threshold (arts. 3.2, 12).
Why we do not give you a scaled score
What is tested
Politecnico di Torino’s own content domains. Our question bank is tagged against these, so a results page names the same skills the test maker does.
Mathematics16 of 42 questions
The macro-topics PoliTo lists for the TIL-I Mathematics section.
Natural, integer and rational numbers · Real numbers, powers and radicals · Statistics and probability · Plane and solid geometry · Monomials and polynomials · Analytic geometry, exponentials and logarithms · Goniometry and trigonometry · Elementary graphs and plane regions · Algebraic equations and inequalities · Exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric equations
Reading comprehension
Excerpts from scientific, popular, historical or sociological texts, each followed by questions answerable only from the excerpt.
What the excerpt states · What the excerpt implies · Purpose and structure
Logic
Logic questions that need no prior knowledge, only abstract logical-deductive reasoning.
Orders and arrangements · Quantifiers · Logical deduction · Elementary logic problems · Negating statements
Physics10 of 42 questions
The macro-topics PoliTo lists for the TIL-I Physics section.
Vectors and units of measurement · Kinematics · Forces and dynamics · Work and energy · Calorimetry and thermodynamics · Electrostatics and circuits
Representation3 of 6 questions in the section
Relating the spatial form of objects to their two- and three-dimensional representation, and basic graphic-technical conventions.
Views and projections · Graphic-technical conventions
Computer science3 of 6 questions in the section
Basic understanding of programs and information technology, as listed on the admission test page.
Variables and assignment · Conditions and loops · Arithmetic and logical operators · Bits, bytes and hardware basics
What Politecnico di Torino does not publish
We could not verify the following from an official source. Rather than guess, we switch off any feature that would depend on them, and we say so here.
- Whether candidates can move back to earlier questions, or change answers, within an open section. Neither the call nor the admission test page describes it; our simulation allows it.
- Whether sections must be taken in the order the call lists them, and whether a section can be closed early to move on. We deliver them in the listed order with no return.
- How the ten Reading comprehension and logic questions divide between reading and logic: the test page describes two excerpts of three questions plus five logic questions, which is eleven, not ten.
- Whether the reported score can be negative, or is floored at zero.
Sources
Compiled by Examer from Politecnico di Torino’s published pages. Each source shows the date it was checked.
- [1] Call for applications, Engineering area, a.y. 2026/27 (arts. 3, 5, 7, 8, 9: thresholds, attempts, content, scoring, conduct) — Politecnico di Torino, checked 2026-09-29
- [2] Admission test (TIL) page: TIL-I format, scoring and macro-topics — Politecnico di Torino, checked 2026-09-29
Politecnico di Torino TIL-A (Architecture)
The admission test for Politecnico di Torino's single-cycle degree in Architecture, taken in person. Its content is set nationally by ministerial decree and PoliTo administers it. It is 50 questions in five sections of ten, each answered in 20 minutes: Reading comprehension; History (including history of art) and general knowledge; Logical reasoning; Drawing and representation; Mathematics and physics - 100 minutes in all. Each question has five options, one correct; a correct answer scores 1, a blank 0 and a wrong answer -0.25, for a maximum of 50. Admission is by ranking on the score against the places available: PoliTo publishes no pass mark. The test can be taken in English or Italian. No calculator is allowed.
- Version described
- TIL-A for admission to the single-cycle degree in Architecture, a.y. 2026/27. Structure, timing and scoring verified from the official 2026/27 call for applications and the admission test page; content set by Annex A of Ministerial Decree no. 706 of 4 June 2026.
- Admissions cycle
- Academic year 2026/27 (test sessions on 21 and 22 July 2026; the score is valid only for enrolment in 2026/27)
Sections and timing
| Section | Questions | Time | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading comprehension | 10 | 20 min | Not permittedNo calculator. Art. 9 of the 2026/27 call forbids personal materials "such as sheets of paper, notebooks, notes, calculators"; only the blank sheets and pen or pencil provided by the supervision committee may be used. A non-programmable calculator is permitted only to candidates entitled to extra time (art. 5). |
| History and general knowledge | 10 | 20 min | Not permittedNo calculator. Art. 9 of the 2026/27 call forbids personal materials "such as sheets of paper, notebooks, notes, calculators"; only the blank sheets and pen or pencil provided by the supervision committee may be used. A non-programmable calculator is permitted only to candidates entitled to extra time (art. 5). |
| Logical reasoning | 10 | 20 min | Not permittedNo calculator. Art. 9 of the 2026/27 call forbids personal materials "such as sheets of paper, notebooks, notes, calculators"; only the blank sheets and pen or pencil provided by the supervision committee may be used. A non-programmable calculator is permitted only to candidates entitled to extra time (art. 5). |
| Drawing and representation | 10 | 20 min | Not permittedNo calculator. Art. 9 of the 2026/27 call forbids personal materials "such as sheets of paper, notebooks, notes, calculators"; only the blank sheets and pen or pencil provided by the supervision committee may be used. A non-programmable calculator is permitted only to candidates entitled to extra time (art. 5). |
| Mathematics and physics | 10 | 20 min | Not permittedNo calculator. Art. 9 of the 2026/27 call forbids personal materials "such as sheets of paper, notebooks, notes, calculators"; only the blank sheets and pen or pencil provided by the supervision committee may be used. A non-programmable calculator is permitted only to candidates entitled to extra time (art. 5). |
Navigation rules
What you may and may not do once a section has started. Our timed practice enforces these on the server, not just in the interface.
- You can move backward and forward freely within a section.
- You can change an answer before the section is submitted.
- Once a section is submitted it cannot be reopened.
Scoring
- Correct answer
- 1 point(s)
- Wrong answer
- -0.25 point(s) — a real penalty
- Left blank
- 0 point(s)
- Reported scale
- TIL-A score out of 50: -12.5–50Art. 8.1: "The maximum test score is fifty (50) points". The call adds that the score is "converted to hundredths" but gives no formula, so we report the 50-point score it states as the maximum. The minimum shown is the arithmetic floor if every question were answered wrongly; the call does not say whether a negative score is reported as such.
- Official scoring, art. 8.1: "1 point for each correct answer; 0 points for each unanswered question; minus 0.25 points for each incorrect answer."
- Five options per question, one correct (art. 7.3). A blind guess has an expected value of 0; eliminating even one option makes guessing worth it.
- Ranking, art. 11: applicants are ranked in descending order of TIL-A score; ties are broken by section scores in a published order, then by the younger applicant. PoliTo publishes separate ranking lists for EU and equivalent applicants and for non-EU applicants residing abroad.
- Applicants who answer no question are not placed in the ranking (art. 11.4).
Why we do not give you a scaled score
What is tested
Politecnico di Torino’s own content domains. Our question bank is tagged against these, so a results page names the same skills the test maker does.
Reading comprehension10 of 50 questions
Understanding written texts of various kinds and purposes.
What the text states · What the text implies · Purpose and structure
History and general knowledge10 of 50 questions
Skills acquired at school and general culture: placing historical and cultural phenomena, including works of art and architecture, in space and time; national and international institutions; legal and economic issues and citizenship.
History and geography · Art and architecture history · Institutions · Law, economics and citizenship
Logical reasoning10 of 50 questions
Reasoning consistently from premises set out in symbolic or verbal form, including abstract problems.
Verbal reasoning · Symbolic and abstract reasoning · Logic problems
Drawing and representation10 of 50 questions
Analysing graphs, drawings and iconic representations and their correspondence with objects; elementary notions of representation: plans, elevations, axonometric projections.
Plans and elevations · Axonometric projection · Graphs and diagrams
Mathematics
Number sets and arithmetic, algebraic calculation, Euclidean geometry, the fundamentals of analytic geometry, probability, statistics and trigonometry.
Numbers and arithmetic · Algebraic calculation · Euclidean geometry · Analytic geometry and trigonometry · Probability and statistics
Physics
Elementary mechanics and statics, the general concepts of thermodynamics, and the basics of electrostatics and electrodynamics.
Mechanics and statics · Heat and temperature · Electrostatics and circuits
What Politecnico di Torino does not publish
We could not verify the following from an official source. Rather than guess, we switch off any feature that would depend on them, and we say so here.
- Whether candidates can move back to earlier questions, or change answers, within an open section. Our simulation allows it.
- The order in which the five areas are delivered. The call lists them; it does not say that is the delivery order.
- The formula behind "the score is converted to hundredths", and whether a negative score is reported as such.
- The detailed national syllabus of Annex A to Ministerial Decree 706/2026 beyond the topics reproduced on PoliTo’s admission test page, whose English translation PoliTo notes "has no legal effects".
Sources
Compiled by Examer from Politecnico di Torino’s published pages. Each source shows the date it was checked.
- [1] Call for applications, Architecture, a.y. 2026/27 (arts. 6-9: required skills, content, scoring, conduct; ranking rules) — Politecnico di Torino, checked 2026-09-29
- [2] Admission test (TIL) page: TIL-A format, scoring and the topics of Annex A — Politecnico di Torino, checked 2026-09-29
- [3] Ministerial Decree no. 706 of 4 June 2026, Annex A: content of the national Architecture admission test — Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca, checked 2026-09-29