The admission test for Primary Education (Scienze della formazione primaria, the five-year single-cycle master’s degree LM-85 bis that qualifies you to teach in nursery and primary school) is odd compared with all the others: it is national in structure but local in its questions, it has a fixed threshold and, at least in 2026/27, it takes no points off for wrong answers. Below you will find how it is built according to the decree, how to reason about the numbers and how to prepare each of the three areas.
The source and what is verified
The structure below is that of Ministerial Decree no. 931 of 3 July 2026 («arrangements and contents of the admission tests for the single-cycle master’s degree in Primary Education, a.y. 2026/2027»). The text of the decree and its annex A with the programmes were read in full on 6 September 2026; on 29 October I could not reopen the Ministry page (it rejects automated requests) and I compared the figures with news outlets reporting the decree, which agree, but they are not official sources. The decree is annual: the one for 2027/28 was not published as of today. Structure and scoring below apply to 2026/27; that year’s test was on 11 September 2026, 11:00, so it is already over.
The structure
| Area | Questions |
|---|---|
| Linguistic competence and logical reasoning | 40 |
| Literary, historical-social and geographical culture | 20 |
| Mathematical-scientific culture | 20 |
| Total | 80 |
Questions have four options and there is a single time, 150 minutes for the whole test: there is no timer per area, so you split the minutes yourself. That is on average 112 seconds per question. Unlike the TOLCs you cannot rely on a fixed time per section, so the most concrete risk is to spend too long on a maths question and leave twenty culture questions behind that you would have done in thirty seconds each.
Scoring is 1 point per correct answer, 0 per wrong answer, 0 per blank. The decree provides a ranking for those who score at least 55 points out of 80 (68.75%); it is not an indicative threshold but the one set by the decree. The score can be increased by an English certificate: B1 +3, B2 +5, C1 +7, C2 +10, not cumulative. In a tie, whoever did better in linguistic competence and logic prevails, then in culture, then in mathematical-scientific, then the school-leaving mark, then the younger candidate.
One thing to know: some guides in circulation attribute a penalty for wrong answers to this test. I have not verified it against a primary source for past cycles: what I read is the 2026/27 decree, which gives 0 points for both the blank and the wrong answer. Before deciding your strategy, read the decree of the year in which you sit the test.
Why the strategy differs from the TOLCs
With no penalty, never leave a question blank. With four options, a random answer is worth on average points. A game of sums to see the weight:
- if you had 50 sure answers and guessed the other 30, the expected value would be , above the threshold of 55;
- you would need at least 5 correct out of 30 guesses: with probability each, the chance of managing it is about 90%.
It is not a plan: 50 sure answers out of 80 is a lot, and the threshold is only the entry to the ranking, not the place. But it explains two practical things. First, the end of time: in the last two minutes fill every empty box. Second, the English bonus matters: a B2 is worth five correct answers, a concrete advantage for those who already have one, and worth obtaining before the test if you are about to. (The bonus is not in the mock exam: the simulated score is that of the test alone, out of 80.)
For comparison with tests with penalties, see how the sum changes in TOLC score: how it is calculated: with −0.25 a random guess among five options is worth zero, here it is worth +0.25.
How to prepare, area by area
Linguistic competence and logical reasoning (40 questions)
This is half the test and the first tie-break criterion: it is the area where rankings are won. From annex A: correct use of Italian, comprehension of a written text, logical completion of a reasoning stated in symbolic or verbal form, on essays, narrative and current affairs. Two examples in the style of the test:
«No teacher is absent-minded. Some absent-minded people are creative.» Which conclusion follows necessarily?
The absent-minded creative people are not teachers (because no teacher is absent-minded). So it follows that «some creative people are not teachers». It does not follow that «no creative person is a teacher»: among the creative people there may be teachers who are not absent-minded. The trick is to replace the words with sets and draw circles.
«Every notebook is red or blue. This notebook is not red.» What follows?
It is blue: it is the disjunctive syllogism, the most common completion form. To train the question types the guide logical reasoning: question types collects the patterns; for reading passages the Italian guide comprensione verbale TOLC (in Italian) covers the same skill.
Literary, historical-social and geographical culture (20 questions)
From annex A: literary genres and authors of the Italian tradition, sources and chronology of modern and contemporary Italian and European history, astronomical, physical, human, social and economic geography. Here the rule is coverage: twenty questions on a very broad syllabus reward whoever has an overall picture, not whoever knows everything about one century. Build a timeline, short cards per author and per historical fact, and reread the history topics of the last two years of school. A question is solved in a few seconds if you know the answer, or not at all: it is where you gain time for the other areas. For the humanities in general see the page on humanities.
Mathematical-scientific culture (20 questions)
From annex A: maths and computer science (number sets, arithmetic and algebraic calculation, Euclidean geometry, probability, information processing); earth and life sciences (environment, atmosphere, climate, waters, living things, evolution); matter sciences (substances, bonds and reactions, energy, photosynthesis, measurement, dynamics, thermodynamics, optics, electricity, magnetism, astronomy). The exact level is set by the annex; the examples here are original and show the kind of reasoning. Some examples:
of a number is 36. What is of the same number?
The number is , so
When rolling two dice, what is the probability that the sum is 8?
The favourable cases are , that is 5 out of 36:
A cube of side 2 cm has a mass of 16 g. What is its density?
The volume is , so
To review ratios and percentages there is the guide on ratios, proportions and percentages, for probability probability and combinatorics explained, for sets and logic sets and logic: exercises, and the maths page.
Mistakes that keep recurring
- Applying the TOLC strategy. With no penalty, leaving a blank is the only sure way to lose points.
- Splitting time badly. One timer for 80 questions: 40 in 70 minutes, 20 in 30, 20 in 50 is a plan; improvising is not.
- Neglecting English. A B2 is worth five questions, a C1 seven. If you have a certificate, check it is among those recognised by the call.
- Studying only the humanities part because it is your course: the mathematical-scientific area is 20 questions out of 80, 25% of the test, and the third tie-break criterion.
- Trusting a guide without checking the year: scoring and penalty change with the decree.
Dates and calls
The 2026/27 decree set the national test on 11 September 2026. The 2027/28 decree was not out on 29 October 2026, so I give you no dates for 2027. Places, fees and registration procedures are in each university’s call: read the one for the university you are interested in. I have not verified the national number of places for 2026/27.
An eight-week plan
- Week 1. A complete Primary Education test practice exam, with a single 150-minute timer. Note where you lost most time.
- Weeks 2-4. Linguistic competence and logic: one passage and five logic questions a day.
- Weeks 5-6. Culture: history timeline, literary cards and geography.
- Weeks 7-8. Maths and basic sciences, then two complete mock exams with the rule «in the last two minutes fill everything in».
If you want an opinion on your starting point, you can book an introductory call. The overview of all the tests is on the admission tests page.
Sources
Ministerial Decree no. 931 of 3 July 2026 and annex A (programmes), read on 6 September 2026; figures compared on 29 October 2026 with news outlets reporting the decree (not official sources). Not verified: the 2027/28 decree, number of places for 2026/27, penalty in previous cycles, the list of recognised English certificates (it is in the decree and in the call).
