In breve: The Bocconi test is Bocconi University's own admission exam: 50 questions in 75 minutes, online, in two variants — the Online Bocconi Test (business/economics programmes: Mathematics 24, Reading Comprehension 11, Numerical Reasoning 6, Critical Thinking 9) and the Online Bocconi Test - Law (Law/Global Law: Mathematics 5, Reading Comprehension 11, Numerical Reasoning 6, Logic and Critical Thinking 18, Verbal Reasoning 10). Scoring: +1 correct, 0 blank, −0.2 wrong, minimum 17/50. The detail that surprises most candidates: you cannot go back once you move past a screen of questions. The test score is 55% of the final admission decision, your high-school GPA the other 45%.
Bocconi isn't a public university and doesn't use CISIA's TOLC or a ministerial exam: its test is its own product, with detailed technical rules (webcam, room setup, locked-down browser) worth knowing before you book a €60 attempt.
1. What the Bocconi test is, and who takes it
The Bocconi test is the selection exam for admission to Bocconi University's Bachelor and single-cycle degree programmes in Milan. It's the one Italian university of its kind that manages its own test's structure, content, scoring, and software end to end — it isn't part of CISIA's TOLC system (used by dozens of public universities for Economics, Engineering, and other areas) and it isn't governed by a ministerial decree the way Medicine's semestre filtro or the Health Professions exam are.
Applying to Bocconi means preparing for a format unlike any other Italian admission test — starting with the fact that it's taken online, from home, under a very detailed proctoring system, not in a physical exam hall.
2. Two variants: standard and Law
There are two test types, and which one you take depends on the programme you're applying to — it isn't a personal preference:
| Test type | Programmes | Total questions |
|---|---|---|
| Online Bocconi Test | Business/economics programmes (Management, Economics, Finance, Management for the Arts and Cultures, Management and Computer Science, Data Science for AI, International Politics and Government) | 50 |
| Online Bocconi Test - Law | Law (single-cycle), Global Law | 50 |
The test language (Italian or English) is chosen freely when you book, and is independent of the language your degree programme is taught in — you can sit the test in Italian even when applying to a fully English-taught programme, and vice versa.
3. Structure and scoring
Online Bocconi Test (standard)
| Section | Questions | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 24 | 48% |
| Reading Comprehension | 11 | 22% |
| Numerical Reasoning | 6 | 12% |
| Critical Thinking | 9 | 18% |
Online Bocconi Test - Law
| Section | Questions | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Logic and Critical Thinking | 18 | 36% |
| Reading Comprehension | 11 | 22% |
| Verbal Reasoning | 10 | 20% |
| Numerical Reasoning | 6 | 12% |
| Mathematics | 5 | 10% |
On the standard variant, Mathematics is nearly half the test — a surprise for candidates coming from other economics-track exams, where logic and comprehension usually carry more weight. On the Law variant the balance shifts toward logic, critical thinking, and verbal reasoning, with mathematics reduced to a small block on geometry, sets, and numbers.
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| Correct | +1 |
| Blank | 0 |
| Wrong | −0.2 |
| Wrong on 3-option critical-thinking questions | −0.33 |
| Stated minimum score | 17 out of 50 |
Fonte: Bocconi University — official pages 'Online Bocconi Test' (IT/EN) and 'Instructions and Rules of Conduct AY 2026/27', unibocconi.it. Ultima verifica: .
4. The rule that surprises everyone: no going back
The rules add a practical warning: if you decide to scroll through all the questions knowing you can't go back, you're not entitled to any refund of the attempt, nor can you request that it not be counted among your four available attempts for the year. In practice: opening the test "just to see how it works" costs a real attempt, the same as sitting it for real.
5. The syllabus, subject by subject
Bocconi doesn't publish its syllabus as a downloadable PDF — it's described on the official test page. We rebuilt the syllabus from that page, quoting its topics verbatim for both variants. In summary:
Mathematics (24 questions on the standard test, 5 on Law)
Algebra (equations, inequalities, systems, absolute values), functions and elementary graphs, plane and analytic geometry, trigonometry, sets, logarithms and exponentials, discrete mathematics (combinatorics), numbers and percentages, probability (up to Bayes' theorem), problem solving, descriptive statistics. The Law variant stops at plane geometry, basic analytic geometry, sets, and numbers — no trigonometry, logarithms, probability, or statistics.
Reading Comprehension (11 passages, both variants)
On the standard test, passages cover economic topics (GDP, deficit, inflation); on the Law variant they're more discursive and humanities-focused — pedagogy, history, philosophy, geography — without the numerical component of the standard version.
Numerical Reasoning (6 questions, identical on both variants)
Doesn't require advanced mathematical knowledge: reading charts and tables, telling relevant information apart from superfluous detail, generally simple calculations.
Critical Thinking (9 questions, standard) / Logic and Critical Thinking + Verbal Reasoning (28 questions, Law)
On the standard test: judging propositions true/false against given data, and assessing statements as true, false, or not inferable from a passage. On the Law variant the same logic expands across two dedicated sections, adding deductive reasoning from given conditions and identifying assumptions, conclusions, and argumentative errors.
6. Registration, sessions, fees, attempts
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Test booking — Italian candidates | 13 July 2026 – 20 April 2027 |
| Test booking — international candidates | 13 July 2026 – 19 January 2027 |
| Early Session (application) | 2–29 September 2026 |
| Winter Session (application) | 25 November 2026 – 26 January 2027 |
| Spring Session (application) | 8–27 April 2027 |
| Cost | €60 per attempt (PayPal or credit card) |
| Attempts available | Up to 4 per test type, per academic year |
You can change the date or language of a booked test up to 24 hours beforehand, from your personal area on the platform. Past that point, if you don't show up, you're marked absent: without written notice within the following 24 hours the fee isn't refunded, but the attempt still isn't counted among your four available ones.
7. Technical requirements and room setup
The test is monitored by a recorded proctoring system (not live, but reviewed afterward): it requires a front-facing webcam, a second mobile device for a side-angle recording, a microphone, a stable connection, Google Chrome with Safe Exam Browser, and the ProctorExam app on your phone.
- A room with a single entry point, door closed and in frame for the entire test
- Quiet, well-lit environment, free of books, notes, or objects showing personal information
- Only your ID, one pencil/pen, two blank A4 sheets, and an unlabelled drink allowed on the desk
- Mobile device positioned to the side at 1.5 metres, framing your face, hands, screen, and desk
- No second monitor, headphones, smartwatch, or any other internet-connected device beyond what's required
- A slow, complete 360° room scan before starting, skipping no corner
- Alone in the room for the entire duration — no one may enter, even briefly
8. How final admission is calculated
The final ranking combines two elements: the test score (55%) and your high-school GPA (45%), calculated from your grades in the third-to-last and second-to-last year of upper-secondary school. If you sit the test more than once, your highest score among valid attempts is used automatically.
As an alternative to the Bocconi test, the university also accepts SAT or ACT scores (LSAT for Law), per the criteria published on the official admissions page.
9. A preparation plan
| Phase | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic | An initial test across all four areas | 48% of the score is Mathematics — knowing where you stand there matters more than anywhere else |
| Mathematics | Algebra, functions, analytic geometry, probability, statistics | 24 of 50 questions: it's the section that decides your score |
| Critical thinking | Practice on true/false/not-inferable, with and without numerical data | 9 questions where technique matters more than prior knowledge |
| Comprehension and numerical reasoning | Fast reading of economics passages, tables, and charts | 17 questions where time is won or lost |
| Sequential-navigation mock exams | Full 50-question runs, no going back | Reproduces the one constraint that makes the Bocconi test unlike almost any other |
| Error analysis | Understanding why an answer was wrong, not just counting it | With the −0.2 penalty and no final review pass, a recurring mistake costs you more than once |
10. Mistakes that cost the most
- Preparing as if for the TOLC-E: the weighting and sections are different, mathematics counts almost twice as much
- Practising on mock exams that let you go back: on the real day, that option doesn't exist
- Opening the test "just to try it" with no intention of sitting it seriously: it still uses up an attempt, no refund
- Underestimating the room setup: a second monitor or an unframed door can invalidate the attempt even with correct answers
- Confusing the test booking window with the application deadline (Early/Winter/Spring): they're two different things
- Guessing blindly on the three-option critical-thinking questions, where the penalty rises to −0.33
- Picking the test language without a reason: it's free and independent of the programme's language, choose whichever you're stronger in
11. What UniTest Pro offers
UniTest Pro trains the Bocconi test's exact format — both variants, Standard and Law, each with its own weighted four sections, the −0.2/−0.33 scoring, and the no-going-back navigation reproduced faithfully, not a generic test that merely resembles it.
12. Frequently asked questions
What is the Bocconi test?
It's Bocconi University's own admission test — a private Italian university that sits outside both the CISIA TOLC system and the MUR national decree exams. Bocconi sets its own structure, scoring, and rules for its test.
How many questions are on the Bocconi test, and how long is it?
50 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes, taken online from home. There are two variants: the Online Bocconi Test (business/economics programmes) and the Online Bocconi Test - Law (Law, Global Law), with a different split of questions across sections.
What's the structure of the standard Online Bocconi Test?
Mathematics 24 questions, Reading Comprehension 11, Numerical Reasoning 6, Critical Thinking 9 — 50 total, in 75 minutes.
What's the structure of the Online Bocconi Test - Law?
Mathematics 5 questions, Reading Comprehension 11 (more discursive, humanities-style passages), Numerical Reasoning 6, Logic and Critical Thinking 18, Verbal Reasoning 10.
How is the Bocconi test scored?
+1 point for each correct answer, 0 for a blank, −0.2 for a wrong answer (−0.33 for the three-option critical-thinking questions). The stated minimum score is 17 out of 50.
Can you go back to a previous question on the Bocconi test?
No. The test shows 3 questions per screen: once you click "Next", going back is no longer possible, under any circumstance. The official rules state this explicitly, in identical wording in both the Italian and English versions.
What language can the Bocconi test be taken in?
Italian or English, your choice, selected when you book your attempt — and that choice is independent of the language your target degree programme is taught in.
How much does the Bocconi test cost, and how many times can you retake it?
€60 per attempt. Up to 4 attempts per test type (standard and Law) are available per academic year, with at least 24 hours between purchases and never two attempts on the same day or on consecutive days.
How is the final admission score calculated?
The test score counts for 55% of the final evaluation; the remaining 45% comes from your high-school GPA (grades from the third-to-last and second-to-last year). If you sit the test more than once, your highest score is used.
Is the Bocconi test the same as the TOLC-E?
No — they're two different exams run by two different bodies. The TOLC-E is CISIA's test, used by many public universities for Economics programmes; the Bocconi test is proprietary, valid only for Bocconi, with its own structure, scoring, and rules.
Can I use the SAT or ACT instead of the Bocconi test?
Yes, Bocconi accepts the SAT or ACT (LSAT for Law) as alternatives, according to the criteria published on the official admissions page.
13. Official sources
Structure, syllabus, and scoring in this guide come from the official "Online Bocconi Test" pages (Italian and English, unibocconi.it) and the "Instructions and Rules of Conduct AY 2026/27" document, downloaded in both languages and checked line by line on the navigation rule.