If you want to study economics, management, political science or a quantitative degree in Italy, sooner or later you run into the same choice: sit the TOLC-E (the admission test for economics used by most state universities, run by the CISIA consortium) or try the Bocconi online test (proprietary, for Bocconi University only). One thing to note: Cattolica is not part of this comparison — for economics it uses an admission test of its own, the TIEC, and the TOLC-E plays no role there. The two tests in this post (TOLC-E and Bocconi) often live side by side in the path of a single student, but the way you prepare for them is quite different.
This article sums up my experience after working with both TOLC-E students and Bocconi students, making clear what changes and where it makes sense to start.
At a glance: what each test measures
The TOLC-E is a standard Italian CISIA test. Most Italian universities use it for economics, and it covers three macro-areas:
- Logic (significant weight): sequences, numerical reasoning, syllogisms, deductions.
- Reading comprehension: analytical reading of passages, inferences, thesis and antithesis.
- Basic maths: algebra, elementary functions, equations and inequalities of the 1st and 2nd degree, minimal trigonometry, basic probability, combinatorics.
All in Italian, no calculator allowed, timed. It is a test that rewards those with solid foundations (not those who can do complicated things) and those who manage time well.
The Bocconi online test, instead, has a structure of its own: 50 questions in 75 minutes with a single timer, divided as follows:
- Maths (24 questions): the heart of the test — algebra, functions, logarithms and exponentials, geometry, probability and combinatorics.
- Reading comprehension (11): passages on economic topics with tricky inference questions.
- Numerical reasoning (6): reading tables and graphs correctly, not calculating difficult things.
- Critical thinking (9): a particular 3-option format — True / False / Cannot be determined — with a heavier penalty (−0.33 against the −0.2 of the other sections).
Two clarifications that clear up frequent misunderstandings: you choose the language of the test (Italian or English, regardless of the degree you are aiming for — English is certified separately), and as an alternative to the test Bocconi accepts the SAT or ACT as full substitutes. The test then weighs 55% in the ranking: the other 45% is the school record of Years 3 and 4. If you want a concrete idea of where you stand before you even start studying, the free Bocconi test practice paper replicates the structure, timing and scoring of the real test, 3-option critical thinking included, with the correct answer to every question free (the step-by-step solution unlocks with the first lesson).
Which one is “harder”?
Wrong question. It depends on what you already have.
Students who are very strong in maths from the science high school (liceo scientifico), but weak in English, usually do better at the TOLC-E: maths is demanded more in absolute terms and English does not come into it. The risk is the Italian reading comprehension section, which is trickier than it looks to those used to “clean” maths problems.
Students coming from the classics high school (liceo classico) or from paths with strong training in critical reading often find the Bocconi test more to their taste: comprehension, numerical reasoning and critical thinking together are worth more than half of the test, and they reward those who read precisely more than those who calculate fast. Those with an international curriculum (IB, A-levels) also hold the SAT/ACT card as an alternative to the test.
Realistic timelines
For the TOLC-E, starting from a standard high school base:
- 2-3 months with 1-2 lessons a week are enough to consolidate maths and logic and do a dozen timed practice tests.
- If you start from far behind (technical or vocational school, no trigonometry, no probability), you need 4-5.
For the Bocconi:
- 3-4 months if you already have solid maths: the 24-question section is the core of the score and has to be made automatic.
- 5-6 months if you have to rebuild foundations (logarithms, probability, combinatorics) as well as training comprehension and critical thinking.
- In general 1-2 lessons a week with regular timed practice tests keep you on track; remember that the record of Years 3 and 4 counts too (45% of the ranking), so your school grades should not be sacrificed for the test.
The mistakes I see most often
TOLC-E
- Underestimating logic. The student who is good at maths walks in thinking “logic is trivial”. It is not: the number sequence and syllogism questions are designed to be quick, not difficult. Whoever does not train loses time.
- Burning through maths on elementary questions. The first questions are simple and can be solved in your head; whoever does them on paper loses minutes that would be needed later.
- Skipping reading comprehension. It is the section that breaks strategies most: long passages, trick questions. Train yourself to read well, once only.
Bocconi
- Answering critical thinking by common sense. The “Cannot be determined” statements seem true in real life, but the text does not authorise them — and a mistake there costs −0.33, not −0.2. It is the section where strategic omission is worth the most.
- Confusing absolute and percentage change in numerical reasoning. The classic question asks for the greatest percentage increase and the distractors are built on the absolute one.
- Mismanaging the single timer. There are no times per section: 75 minutes for 50 questions have to be budgeted by you, and maths (24 questions) cannot eat up all the time of the other three sections.
One preparation, two tests?
Yes, it is a common and recommended strategy: many students want both to get into Bocconi and to have the fallback of a state university with the TOLC-E. The good news is that the foundations (maths, logic) overlap a lot. The bad news is that the timelines add up: you need to start early. (If your fallback is Cattolica instead of a state university, remember that there you need the TIEC, not the TOLC-E: the preparation shared with Bocconi remains useful for the foundations, but the practice test has to change.)
In practice, a reasonable path is:
- Months 1-2: common base of maths + logic + reading comprehension, working in Italian. This part serves both.
- Month 3: gradual switch to the specific formats of the Bocconi test (3-option critical thinking, reading data), keeping TOLC-E practice tests going in parallel.
- Months 4-5: full timed practice tests, alternating TOLC-E and Bocconi week by week.
In this way, a 4-5 month preparation lets you sit both tests competitively, without scattering your energy.
The maths of the Bocconi test, with eight worked questions, is in Bocconi test maths: topics and exercises; for the TOLC-E the complete guide is TOLC-E.
Which test for which university
To recap the map of economics tests, because it is where most confusion arises:
- Bocconi → Bocconi online test (or SAT/ACT as an alternative) — free practice test
- Cattolica → TIEC, its proprietary test: the TOLC-E is not needed — free practice test
- LUISS → Luiss test (or SAT/ACT/IB for direct admission) — free practice test
- State universities (Statale, Bicocca, Bologna, Padova…) → TOLC-E CISIA: the comparison with Bocconi is in this guide — free practice test
How we work in lessons
Typically we use the first lesson for an initial practice test of the test you are most interested in, to understand where to start. Then we build a weekly plan that alternates:
- Targeted theory review on the weakest areas (e.g. trigonometry and probability for the TOLC-E; or critical thinking and reading tables for Bocconi).
- Sets of real questions, taken from the official CISIA TOLC-E papers or from Bocconi tests of past years.
- A timed practice test every 2-3 weeks, to keep an eye on the score in real conditions.
The last three or four weeks before the test are dedicated almost exclusively to full practice tests and analysis of mistakes, with the aim of stabilising the score above the safety threshold.
If you want to understand which test really suits you — or if you want to prepare for more than one — the quickest thing is half an hour of free introductory call. I work out where you are starting from, and tell you whether you need a plan of two months, four or six.
If you have already decided to aim (also) at the TOLC-E, you will find the syllabus, a typical lesson and prices on the page dedicated to TOLC-E preparation.
See also the page dedicated to admission test preparation with all the tests I teach (TOLC-I, TOLC-S, TOLC-F, TOLC-MED, TOLC-AV, TOLC-B, Bocconi, Cattolica).
