The TOLC-F is the test used by almost all Italian universities for entry to Pharmacy and CTF (Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology). For a couple of years it has replaced the old local paper tests at very many universities, and it has become one of the calmest TOLC tests in form — it is taken online, you can retake it — but deceptive in substance: people underestimate it because “it’s not medicine”, arrive unprepared and end up with a mediocre score that costs them their place in the first year.
If you are also considering the healthcare professions degrees, that test is different (national, 60 questions in 100 minutes): see How to prepare for the healthcare professions test.
In this post I collect what I see really working when I prepare students for the TOLC-F: how the test is built, what is worth investing time in, the mistakes I see repeated from student to student, and a realistic plan for those starting from zero three to four months before the test.
What the TOLC-F is and how it is built
The TOLC-F is run by the CISIA consortium (the body that organises the TOLC tests for Italian universities), is taken online (with remote supervision or on site, depending on the university) and lasts 72 minutes on the sections that count towards the score (87 with English). It is made up of 50 multiple-choice questions, each with five options, divided into five sections, each with its own maximum time:
- Biology — 15 questions, 20 minutes
- Chemistry — 15 questions, 20 minutes
- Maths — 7 questions, 12 minutes
- Physics — 7 questions, 12 minutes
- Logic — 6 questions, 8 minutes
Plus an English section of 30 questions in 15 minutes, assessed separately and not counting towards the main score.
Scoring: +1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong answer, 0 if you don’t answer. With five options and −0.25 per mistake, a completely random answer is worth zero on average: it only adds risk, and becomes positive as soon as you confidently rule out one option (about +0.06, rising to +0.17 with two ruled out). The maximum score on the main sections is 50 points; English is assessed separately.
The TOLC-F can be taken several times (at most once a month, in different months). Almost all universities take the best score among the attempts made within the deadline of the call. This is one of the reasons why it makes no sense to stake everything on the first attempt in July: better to book early, take the first in May or June as a “settling-in attempt”, and then aim at the second or third after seeing where you were losing points.
The sections that weigh (and those people neglect)
On paper all sections are worth the same per answer, but in practice those who know where to invest their time arrive at the test relaxed. Let’s go section by section.
Biology (15 questions in 20 minutes)
It is the weightiest section and, if you come from a recent science high school, also the most manageable. The topics that recur every session are:
- Chemistry of the cell: biological macromolecules (proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, carbohydrates), chemical bonds in biomolecules, structure of the cell membrane.
- Prokaryotic vs eukaryotic cell, cytoplasmic organelles and their function, cytoskeleton.
- Mitosis and meiosis: phases, differences, errors (non-disjunction and consequences).
- Mendelian genetics and Mendel’s laws, family trees, the best-known genetic diseases (sickle-cell anaemia, cystic fibrosis, colour blindness).
- DNA, RNA, protein synthesis: replication, transcription, translation, the genetic code.
- Systems of the human body: cardio-respiratory, digestive, excretory, nervous and endocrine at a “general” level.
20 minutes for 15 questions means 80 seconds per question: not little, but not infinite either. If you lose two minutes on an anatomy question you are unsure about, you lose time you will need in chemistry or maths.
Chemistry (15 questions in 20 minutes)
This is the section that makes the difference between a decent score (25-30) and a high score (35+). The key topics:
- Atom, electron configuration, periodic table: trends in properties (atomic radius, electronegativity, ionisation energy).
- Chemical bonding: ionic, covalent (polar and non-polar), hydrogen bonding; basic molecular geometry (VSEPR).
- Inorganic nomenclature: oxides, anhydrides, hydracids, oxyacids, salts. It seems boring and it is boring, but 2-3 questions per session are pure nomenclature.
- Stoichiometry: moles, molecular formula, limiting reagent, yield. I wrote a whole post on the mistakes I see here — go and read Stoichiometry: the typical mistakes before preparing this part.
- Solutions: concentration (molarity, molality, percentage), dilutions.
- Acids and bases, pH: Brønsted definitions, calculating pH for strong acids and (in simplified form) weak ones.
- Chemical equilibria in qualitative form: Le Chatelier’s principle.
- Redox reactions: oxidation number, balancing simple redox reactions.
- Basic organic chemistry: main functional groups (alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, amines, esters), basic IUPAC nomenclature, isomerism. No complex reaction mechanisms. Names and properties of the groups are in Functional groups in organic chemistry.
Note: the chemistry in the TOLC-F is more “broad” than deep. They don’t ask you to calculate the pH of a buffer exactly, but they want you to be able to tell an alcohol from a carboxylic acid at a glance. If you come from a classical or linguistic high school, this is the section to invest the most hours in. To revise acids, bases and pH with worked exercises there is Acids, bases and pH in Year 4: how to calculate pH.
Maths (7 questions in 12 minutes)
Seven questions in 12 minutes: a little under two minutes each, so there is time but none to spare. Topics:
- Algebra: equations and inequalities (also second degree, with absolute values, basic irrational).
- Elementary functions: lines, parabolas, exponential, logarithm. Basic properties, domain, reading the graph.
- Basic trigonometry: sine, cosine, tangent, special values, fundamental identity.
- Analytic geometry: distance between points, line through two points, equation of the circle.
- Probability and descriptive statistics in elementary form: mean, median, compound probability.
No derivatives, no integrals, no formal limits. If you studied maths up to Year 4 of high school with a minimum of consistency, here you just have to avoid losing points through carelessness. If you studied little in high school or years have passed, I recommend reading Studying maths without stress to set up your revision.
Physics (7 questions in 12 minutes)
The most underestimated section. Many Pharmacy students hate high school physics and arrive at the test hoping to “make up for it with biology”. A mistake: 7 questions easy to get if you have revised well, but if you get them all wrong that is −1.75 net points that make the difference.
Topics:
- Kinematics: uniform rectilinear motion, uniformly accelerated motion, free fall.
- Dynamics: Newton’s laws, forces (weight, friction, elastic), inclined plane.
- Energy: kinetic, potential, work, conservation.
- Basic thermodynamics: temperature, heat, heat capacity, ideal gas laws.
- Basic electricity: Coulomb’s law, current, Ohm’s law, simple circuits.
- Waves and geometric optics: wavelength, frequency, reflection, refraction.
No advanced magnetism, no modern physics. The level is that of Year 3-4 of a science high school. If you feel weak on this part, I recommend starting from my notes on typical physics mistakes in high school — the same mistakes I see in the TOLC.
Logic (6 questions in 8 minutes)
Six questions in 8 minutes: about 80 seconds each. These are pure reasoning problems: sequences, deductions from premises, problems of the “knowing that A, B, C, what is the correct conclusion” kind. There is no programme to study, you just have to do lots of them to train for the format. 30-40 exercises in the month before the test are more than enough.
English (30 questions, 15 minutes)
Assessed separately. It doesn’t count towards the main score, but some universities use it to exempt you from the first-year English requirement (that is, one exam fewer to take). If you have a B1 in English you have nothing to prepare, if you are below B1 it is worth revising some basic grammar — but it is not a priority compared with the scientific part.
The most common mistakes I see
After preparing dozens of students for the TOLC-F, the mistakes repeat almost exactly. I list them because knowing them in advance means avoiding them.
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Studying only biology because it “gives more points”. No: it makes up 30% of the questions, but chemistry makes up the same 30% and statistically it is where most students lose points. If you are already strong in biology, invest the extra time in chemistry and physics.
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Not doing timed mock exams. The TOLC-F is a test of time management. Knowing the topics is not enough: you need to know how long you take to read a chemistry question, when to skip and when to insist. At least 5-6 full timed mock exams in the month before the test are a must.
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Neglecting inorganic chemical nomenclature. It seems mnemonic and boring, but those 2-3 questions are free points if you have studied them. It is the thing with the best effort-to-score ratio in the test.
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Taking physics for granted. The programme is simple but vast. A week of structured revision is worth 4-6 points. Don’t skip it thinking “there are only 7 questions anyway”.
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Answering everything because “it’s only −0.25”. A false friend. If you answer at random on 10 questions you know nothing about, with five options you get on average 2 right (+2 points) and 8 wrong (−2 points): net gain zero, with more variance. It becomes worthwhile as soon as you confidently rule out at least one option (about +0.06 per answer); with two ruled out it rises to about +0.17. If you can’t rule out any, leave it blank.
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Waiting until July for the first attempt. The TOLC can be retaken monthly. The first attempt in May or June is for seeing how it goes and understanding where you lose points, not for “wasting an opportunity”. It is a diagnostic test disguised as an exam.
A realistic study plan (3-4 months)
If it is mid-May and your TOLC is in September — or you have to take the first TOLC in June and improve it in July — this is the timeline I have my students follow.
Weeks 1-2: diagnosis. One complete timed mock exam (CISIA has some official ones, and there are TOLC-F books with decent mock exams; on the site you will also find the TOLC-F mock exam, questions in Italian). Aim: to see where you stand, not to get a good mark. Note the sections where you got most wrong and the specific topics (e.g. “stoichiometry with limiting reagent”, “analytic geometry of the circle”). This is your work plan.
Weeks 3-8: targeted revision by theme blocks. One topic at a time, 2-3 hours of theory + 20-30 targeted exercises. Recommended order: general chemistry → stoichiometry → organic chemistry → biology (cell, genetics, anatomy) → maths (algebra, functions, trigonometry) → physics (kinematics, dynamics, energy, thermodynamics) → logic. Don’t move on to the next block until you have closed the current one at 70-80%.
Weeks 9-12: mock exams and polishing. One complete mock exam a week, always timed. Detailed error analysis (it is not enough to say “I got 8 wrong in chemistry”, you need to know which types of chemistry questions you get wrong). Targeted revision on the weak topics. In the last 7-10 days: two more mock exams, no new topics, just consolidation.
Test week: sleep. I’m not joking: sleeping badly the night before loses you more points than a week of extra revision. The day before, read a summary of chemical nomenclature and basic physics formulas, then stop.
Realistic total time: 40-60 hours of targeted study if you start with decent high school foundations. If you come from a classical high school or have been out of study for a few years, count on 80-100 hours.
How we work in lessons
In private lessons I always start from a diagnosis. We use the first hour to do a mini-test reasoned through together: not just to see where you go wrong, but to understand why you go wrong (is theory missing? is method missing? is your reading of the question too slow? a calculation error from carelessness?). These are different causes and they are cured in different ways.
From there I build a weekly plan: two lessons a week of chemistry + biology, one a week of maths + physics in alternation, and complete mock exams reviewed together in the last 3-4 weeks before the test. The 10-hour package typically covers 4-5 weeks of intensive preparation; the single lesson suits you better if you only need to clarify individual topics.
We work online, with a graphics tablet and shared screen. For mock exams I use the CISIA platform directly together with the student, so that on the day of the test the interface is already familiar.
If you want to understand whether it makes sense to work together, I offer you a free 30-minute introductory call: you tell me where you stand, we do a few quick questions, I tell you honestly how many hours you need and where to concentrate them. No hard sell — if I see that you are managing on your own, I’ll tell you.
For the full picture of the tests I prepare for, there is the Admission tests page; for individual subjects see chemistry and biology, maths and physics. If you prefer the summary picture with packages and FAQs, there is also the TOLC-F preparation page. If your course is Biology or Sciences, the twin guides are those on the TOLC-B and the TOLC-S.
Good luck. The TOLC-F is one of the most approachable among the health-related tests — those who prepare well, pass it.
