The basic knowledge assessment is mandatory for all three-year Bachelor's Degree Programmes (CdL) and Single-Cycle Master's Degree Programmes (CdLM), regardless of whether they are open or restricted access (local or national).
The outcome of the assessment is used solely to evaluate whether your preparatory knowledge is adequate for you to successfully undertake and continue your university studies. Therefore, it is not an entrance test to select students for admission to a degree programme.
Failure to pass the assessment does not prevent enrolment. It simply results in the assignment of a training debt (Debito OFA), which must be paid off within the first year of the course. Additional Training Debts (OFA) must also be fulfilled in order to recover the debt.
In degree programmes with limited enrolment (local and national), the basic skills assessment is generally part of the admissions process.
In programmes with open enrolment, the assessment usually takes the form of a multiple-choice test to be taken within the first year of the course, ideally before enrolment, in order to continue the course of study.
At the University of Messina, as at most Italian universities, the assessment consists exclusively of the TOLC (CISIA Online Test), which is valid nationwide.
You can find all the information about the TOLC in the dedicated CISIA portal section.
Each degree programme specifies the subjects and skills to be assessed, as well as the minimum passing thresholds for the type of test used to verify basic preparedness and allocate any OFAs to its students. Furthermore, if the verification test results highlight deficiencies, the programme may designate one or more subject areas for an OFA.
You can find all the information relating to your academic year of enrolment in the first year in the following three sections, where the degree programmes are divided according to the different admission procedures.
Please note that if you have already taken an admissions test or TOLC and your score is below the thresholds set by your programme for your academic year, you must consult the Verification of OFA fulfillment section, where you will find information on fulfilling the OFA and recovering the OFA debt.
Assessment of basic knowledge for open-access degree programmes, whether bachelor's or master's, is carried out exclusively through TOLC. This test aims to assess students' level of preparation and can also help them choose the most suitable university course by enabling them to compare their skills with the degree programme requirements that interest them.
All the relevant information on the types of TOLC, the subject areas of the questions assessed and the minimum thresholds relating to the degree programme you are interested in can be found by consulting the link corresponding to the academic year of your enrolment in the first year from those listed below.
At the University of Messina, the TOLC is used to assess basic knowledge and determine the merit ranking for admission to locally restricted access degree programmes (CdS), regardless of whether they are bachelor's or master's degrees.
All the relevant information on the types of TOLC, the subject areas of the questions assessed and the minimum thresholds, as well as any OFAs assigned, can be found by consulting the link corresponding to the academic year of your enrolment in the first year, as listed below.
Click here for useful information about TOLC tests.
Please note that taking the TOLC indicated by the degree programme is not sufficient to verify your basic preparation for inclusion in the merit ranking for admission.
Important notice: to apply for admission to the degree programmes, you must register for the annual admission competition issued by the University of Messina, strictly following the instructions given in the call for applications.
For degree programmes with nationally restricted access, the admission procedure is defined by a ministerial decree each year.
Please note that, to apply for admission to a degree programme with national restricted access, you must register for the annual admission competition issued by the University of Messina, strictly following the provisions of the call for applications.
Click here to view the calls for applications and all information regarding admission procedures (page in Italian).
For degree programmes with limited enrolment, basic knowledge is generally assessed during the admission selection procedure, which usually involves a multiple-choice test. The same test is then used to determine any OFA (additional educational requirements) that may be required.
Specific information for each degree programme regarding the assessment of basic knowledge can be found in terms of:
- subject areas of the admission test.
- Minimum thresholds for passing the verification.
- Details of the OFA debts assigned to students whose score in one or more subject areas of the admission test is below the relevant threshold can be found by consulting the link below, corresponding to the department responsible for the degree programme you are interested in.
For more information, consult the documents below for the department responsible for the programme you are interested in.