Preparing for Medicine 2026/27: the filter semester, with the same subjects as the TOLC-MED.
Since 2025/26, entry to Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine in Italy no longer goes through a scored test: you get in through the filter semester, three exams (chemistry and biochemistry fundamentals, physics, biology) with sittings on 10 December 2026 and 11 January 2027 and a national merit ranking. The TOLC-MED, the old admission test, is no longer the entry test, but the chemistry, physics and biology syllabus largely overlaps: I prepare you on that, with timed practice tests in the same format as the real exams.
Each exam lasts 50 minutes and has 31 questions (21 multiple choice + 10 completion). References: DM MUR 941/2026, DD 249/2026, DM 1004/2026 (places: 30,225 in total, of which 27,001 in Medicine).
Chemistry, physics, biology: three exams.
The students I work with
- Final-year students at a liceo scientifico (science-focused high school) aiming for Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Medicine who want to reach the filter semester with a method, not just school-level study.
- Students already enrolled in the filter semester who want to be ready for the two sittings in December and January, with a plan built on their real gaps.
- Students from a classics or languages high school with weaker foundations in biology and chemistry, who need to fill the gaps with a plan structured in topic blocks.
How it works
- First lesson: a mini-test worked through together to understand not only where you go wrong, but why: theory, method, time or carelessness.
- A tailor-made weekly plan: typically one lesson per subject across chemistry, physics and biology, with more weight on the one where you lose the most points.
- In the last weeks before the December and January sittings, full timed practice tests in 50-minute blocks per subject, reviewed together.
- After every practice test, an analysis of mistakes by category: missing theory, method, running out of time or carelessness.
- At the end of the package you receive a summary of formulas, nomenclature and time-management strategies.
The three subjects of the filter semester.
31 questions per subject in 50 minutes (21 multiple choice, 10 completion), with sittings on 10 December 2026 and 11 January 2027. No logic, general knowledge or English: only content counts here. The old TOLC-MED had a different format (reading comprehension and maths included), but the core of chemistry, physics and biology is the same.
- Chemistry and biochemistry fundamentals
- Periodic table and chemical bonding
- Inorganic nomenclature
- Stoichiometry and solutions
- Acids, bases and chemical equilibrium
- Organic chemistry and basic biochemistry
- Physics
- Kinematics and dynamics
- Work, energy and fluids
- Basic thermodynamics
- Basic electromagnetism
- Biology
- The chemistry of life and the cell membrane
- Mitosis, meiosis and Mendelian genetics
- DNA, transcription and protein synthesis
- Human body systems
- Basic immunology
A complete guide with a study plan and typical mistakes: how to prepare for the filter semester (formerly the TOLC-MED). To train on the real format there is the filter semester practice test (three 50-minute papers); for a mixed review, the TOLC-MED practice test.
The filter semester: frequently asked questions.
Does the TOLC-MED still exist?
No. It is no longer part of the CISIA offer: the legal reform (Law 26/2025 and Legislative Decree 71/2025) replaced it with the filter semester. It was used for a single season, in 2023 for the 2023/24 academic year; the Council of State ruling recognised the historical validity of the method, but it does not imply a reactivation. This page keeps the same address because the subjects required are largely the same.
How does admission to Medicine work in 2026/27?
Through the filter semester: free enrolment (within the number of places) on Universitaly, attendance of three 6-ECTS-credit courses (chemistry and biochemistry fundamentals, physics, biology) with two sittings per subject (10 December 2026 and 11 January 2027, at 11:00) and a national merit ranking based on the scores obtained. Each exam lasts 50 minutes and has 31 questions (21 multiple choice + 10 completion): no logic, general knowledge or English. Always check your university's call for applications for the operational details.
How long does preparation take?
For students arriving with decent high school foundations, realistically 150-250 hours of targeted study, spread over 3-4 months ahead of the December and January sittings (10-15 hours a week). Students from a classics school, or with weaker foundations, usually reach 300+ hours. We always start from a diagnostic practice test to calibrate the plan on your real gaps, not on a generic syllabus.
Which subject is it best to study first?
The three subjects weigh the same (31 questions each), but in the old TOLC-MED chemistry was typically the one where most points were lost. This is the first year of the filter semester and there is no official data yet on the new exam, but it is reasonable to expect the same pattern: starting from there in the first weeks usually gives the highest return.
Do you also prepare students for Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine?
Yes: the filter semester applies to Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine, with the same three exams (chemistry, physics, biology) and separate places and rankings for each degree. The preparation work is identical.
Ready to prepare for the filter semester?
We start with a diagnostic practice test. We find out where you are and build the lesson plan around your real gaps, subject by subject.