All information on the conduct of the test, how to register, pass thresholds, etc. can be found in this section.
General information about the test (TOLC-E). The purpose of the test is to check whether candidates' aptitude and basic skills are adequate to successfully undertake the course of study.
The test covers topics in mathematics, logic and verbal comprehension. The level of knowledge required is that acquired in high school.
Those with a high school diploma or students enrolled in the 4th or 5th year of high school may take the test. The participation of 4th year students is particularly recommended.
The test is delivered on a computerised platform. It can be taken on several dates from March to September ('early TOLC-E'), or in October ('ordinary TOLC-E').
The scores obtained are immediately visible on the screen at the end of the test. It will still be possible to obtain a CISIA certificate with all the scores achieved by downloading it at any time from the personal area of www.cisiaonline.it.
No further notice will be given to those who pass the test.
Enrolled male and female students who, after the ordinary test session (which takes place in October), have failed the test or have not taken it at all and do not fall within the cases envisaged by the exemption criteria described below, will be assigned an Additional Educational Obligation (OFA), described in the appropriate paragraph.
The early TOLC-E can also be repeated several times, but no more than once per calendar month regardless of the university location.
Enrolment.
Enrolment in the degree course and taking the test are separate and independent procedures and neither automatically implies the other: enrolment can also take place without the test, however, taking and passing the early or ordinary test by the October session is necessary so that the enrolled student is not assigned an additional educational obligation (OFA) (see below).
For enrolment in Parma, the score obtained in the test taken in Parma or in any of the centres associated with CISIA is valid. Of course, the vice versa also applies, i.e. the test score obtained in Parma is valid at all the universities associated with CISIA, although each location may have different pass criteria. Those who wish to enrol in Parma having taken the test elsewhere can find the steps to be taken to obtain recognition of the test taken in the 'Criteria for exemption from the Entrance Test' section.
Calendar of sessions
The calendar of dates for the early TOLC-E tests at the University of Parma can be viewed in the section of this page entitled "Early" and "Ordinary" TOLC-E 2024 tests"; as in previous years, in 2024 the test will be held exclusively online (TOLC CASA).
PLEASE NOTE: The seating round cannot be chosen by the candidates but is assigned automatically by the enrolment management system: the candidate is assigned the first available seat in the higher priority round; in each round, the seats available for candidates are set according to the capacity of the computer rooms (if the test is held in presence); a lower priority round is only activated when the seats in the higher priority rounds are exhausted.
Test structure.
The CISIA Online Test (hereinafter referred to as TOLC) is delivered on a computerised platform, on the dates indicated in the section "TOLC-E 2024 'advance' and 'ordinary' test" on this page.
The TOLC is an individual test, which differs from candidate to candidate and consists of questions selected automatically and randomly from the CISIA TOLC database through proprietary software developed and managed by CISIA. All generated TOLCs of the same type have a similar difficulty.
As of 2018, the test consists of a series of multiple-choice questions, only one of which is correct, divided into the following sections:
SECTION NUMBER OF QUESTIONS MAX TIME AVAILABLE
Mathematics 13 questions 30 minutes
Logic 13 questions 30 minutes
Verbal comprehension 10 questions 30 minutes
English language 30 questions 15 minutes
The TOLC-E test comprises a total of 66 questions and lasts 1 hour 45 minutes (105 minutes).
More information on the TOLC test can be found on the relevant page on the CISIA website.
Scores and pass thresholds
The TOLC-E test score is calculated according to the following scheme:
- 1 point for each correct answer;
- 0 points for each incorrect answer;
- -0.25 points for each incorrect answer.
For the English Language Proficiency test, there is no penalty for incorrect answers and the mark is determined by awarding 1 point for correct answers and 0 points for incorrect or missing answers.
At the University of Parma, the initial preparation test (average of the score obtained in the TOLC-E test with weight: 75% and the graduation grade that the student achieved with weight: 25%) is considered passed if you obtain an overall total score of at least 14 out of 36 points - see 'Formula for calculating the score' in the 'CISIA test presentation' section on this page.
The scores achieved in the TOLC-E test are immediately visible on the screen at the end of the test. It will still be possible to obtain a CISIA certificate with all the scores achieved by downloading it at any time from the personal area of www.cisiaonline.it.
No further communication will be given to those who have taken the test.
CAUTION - The criteria for passing the test may differ from university to university.
Additional Educational Obligation (OFA).
Enrolled students who, after the ordinary session of the TOLC-E test (which takes place in October), do not pass the initial preparation test or do not take the test (early or ordinary) or do not fall under the exemption criteria, will be assigned an Additional Educational Obligation (OFA) consisting of the obligation to pass at least one of the exams of the 1st year (Global History or Institutions of Business Economics or General Mathematics) before being able to take any exam of the 2nd year (for those enrolled in the 2024/2025 academic year, by 31 Dicember 2025). Students who, when enrolling in the 2nd year, had not yet removed the OFA will still be able to enroll in the 2nd year, but until one of the three compulsory exams has been passed, they will only be able to take the exams of the 1st year for which they were possibly owed. Those who have obtained the OFA will not be able to remove it by repeating the test in the calendar years following the year of enrolment, but only by passing one of the compulsory exams before the 2nd year exams.
N.B.: the OFA must not be confused with the propaedeuticities provided for in the degree course curriculum (CLEM), which concern all enrolled male and female students (and can be viewed at the following link: https://corsi.unipr.it/it/node/10887), regardless of whether or not the OFA has been passed.
How to register for the TOLC-E 'advance' test.
Registration for the TOLC tests takes place on the appropriate page on the CISIA website, after registration.
Participation in the TOLC costs €30 payable by credit card or MAV bank transfer. Registrations are possible up to 7 days before the test date. (However, check the exact timing on the appropriate page on the CISIA website).
PLEASE NOTE: when registering, you will be asked to provide the details of an identity document, the same document that must be shown, together with the payment receipt, to the classroom commission on the day of the test.
Test procedure.
In the year 2024, the test will be held exclusively online (TOLC CASA). In order to take the TOLC, the student must log in at the convocation time assigned to them when registering for the test.
A committee, consisting of teaching staff members from the Department of Economics and Management, will receive the student candidates by conducting a roll call. No aids can be consulted during the test.
Learning Material
Online Training Test The CISIA provides a 'Training Test'.
Solved tests A series of tests with solutions, which have been administered in past years, is published on the CISIA website.
List of topics covered by the CISIA Test See the relevant page on the CISIA website.
The level of knowledge required is that normally acquired in high school.
Criteria for exemption from the entrance test in Parma.
The CISIA TOLC-E initial preparation assessment test for the academic year in Parma is exempt. 2023-24 those who:
- have taken a CISIA TOLC-E test for degree courses in Economics in the calendar year 2022 or 2023 in Parma or at other CISIA venues other than Parma;
- have a previous academic career at other courses of study or other universities where the student has already undergone an initial preparation test.
Therefore,
- those who have taken an early CISIA TOLC-E test, once they have completed their enrolment in Parma, after the date set for the closing of enrolments, will be notified of whether they have passed (or failed) the overall test to verify their initial preparation on the basis of the scoring methods described above;
- those who come from a previous career carried out at other study courses or other universities where the student has already been subjected to the initial preparation check.
Contact person responsible for TOLC-E for the Economics and Management degree course:
Prof. Alberto Grandi
T: 0521 032244
E: alberto.grandi@unipr.it
