IMAT & TOLC-I Mock Tests: free timed practice with real marking
Practise for Italian admission tests with original questions, the real section sizes and marking rules, timed sections and a coach plan. Free samples and drills need no sign-up.
Free practice
Take an IMAT or TOLC-I style practice test
Try a short sample or build your own drill right away, with no sign-up. Register free (no charges, nothing to pay) to unlock the full IMAT-style and TOLC-I-style mocks with the real section sizes, timing and marking rules. Every question is original.
Format
IMAT and TOLC-I at a glance
IMAT (medicine and surgery in English)
- 60 multiple-choice questions with five options, in 100 minutes.
- Section 1: 22 questions (12 general knowledge and 10 logical reasoning). Biology 18, chemistry 12, physics and mathematics 8.
- Marking: +1.5 for a correct answer, −0.4 for a wrong answer, 0 for a blank. Maximum 90.
- Run with Cambridge Assessment under Italian ministry rules. The page we checked cites a 2020 decree, so confirm the current-year decree and calendar on Universitaly.
TOLC-I (CISIA, engineering and related courses)
- Core test: 50 questions in 110 minutes, in four timed sections.
- Mathematics 20 questions (50 min), logic 10 (20 min), sciences 10 (20 min), verbal comprehension 10 (20 min).
- Marking: +1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong answer, 0 for a blank.
- An English section (30 questions, 15 minutes, no penalty) is separate and is not part of this mock.
Figures from the University of Milan IMAT page and CISIA’s TOLC-I description, checked October 2026. Formats can change, so read the current regulation of your test before you register.
How the mock works
What you get from each test
Original questions
Mathematics, physics, chemistry and logic items are generated with a known answer and checked by a second method. Biology, reading and general-knowledge items are written by hand.
Real marking rules
Your score uses the IMAT (+1.5 / −0.4) or TOLC-I (+1 / −0.25) formula, so you feel the cost of wrong answers.
Exam-style timing
The IMAT mock is one 100-minute sitting. The TOLC-I mock runs four separate timed sections you cannot return to.
Coach and review
See marks by section and topic, a rule-based coach plan, and explanations for every question.
What this is not. It is an independent practice tool by SuccessBeacon Overseas. It is not affiliated with Cambridge Assessment, CISIA or the Italian Ministry of University and Research. Practice marks do not predict your official score, rank or the admission cut-off, which change every year. The “general knowledge” items are our own examples, because the real test content varies.
Strategy
Should you guess? The negative-marking maths
IMAT: +1.5 / −0.4
- Blind guess among 5 options: expected value 0.2 × 1.5 − 0.8 × 0.4 = −0.02, about zero.
- After removing one option (4 left): 0.25 × 1.5 − 0.75 × 0.4 = +0.075.
- After removing two (3 left): about +0.23. Always eliminate before you guess.
TOLC-I: +1 / −0.25
- Blind guess among 5 options: 0.2 × 1 − 0.8 × 0.25 = 0, exactly neutral.
- After removing one option (4 left): 0.25 − 0.75 × 0.25 = +0.0625.
- After removing two (3 left): about +0.17.
These are averages over many questions. They show why eliminating options helps, not that guessing guarantees marks.
Study plan
A six-week preparation outline
| Week | Focus | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diagnose and refresh the basics | Take a free sample, then drill your weakest section |
| 2 | Mathematics: algebra, functions, geometry | Two 10-question drills with instant feedback |
| 3 | Sciences: physics, chemistry, biology | Short topic drills, then a timed set |
| 4 | Logic and verbal reasoning | Ordering, series, Venn and reading passages |
| 5 | Full mock under exam conditions | One full mock, then review every wrong or blank item |
| 6 | Targeted repair and a second full mock | Fix the topics the coach plan lists, then compare marks |
Adjust the plan to your test date and course. Always check the official syllabus for your test.
FAQ
Questions, answered honestly
The IMAT is the admission test used by Italian universities for medicine and surgery programmes taught in English. It has 60 multiple-choice questions in 100 minutes, with +1.5 for a correct answer, −0.4 for a wrong answer and 0 for a blank. Check the current-year regulation and calendar on Universitaly.
TOLC-I is the CISIA test used by many engineering and related programmes. The core test has 50 questions in 110 minutes across mathematics, logic, sciences and verbal comprehension, with +1 for correct, −0.25 for wrong and 0 for blank. A separate English section is not part of the core.
No. Every question is original and written or generated by SuccessBeacon Overseas in the style of the tests. The tool is not affiliated with Cambridge Assessment, CISIA or the Italian Ministry, and it does not use real exam questions.
Yes. The short samples and your own drills need no registration. The full IMAT-style and TOLC-I-style mocks need a free registration with no charges and no payment details.
No. Practice marks come from original questions and a single attempt. Official results and cut-offs depend on the real test, the year and all candidates, so no practice tool can predict them.
Numerical and logic items are built from a known answer, and our automated test recomputes each answer a second way. Biology, chemistry concepts, reading and general-knowledge items are handwritten. Answer positions are shuffled each time.
It depends on the marking rule. With five options a blind guess is about neutral, and removing even one option makes a guess worthwhile in expected value. See the strategy section above. Always follow the instructions of your actual test.
Your answers and results stay in your browser (local storage) so you can see progress, and they are not uploaded. We only receive the details you type into the free registration form.
No. It depends on the university and course. Some courses use IMAT, TOLC or another test, and others evaluate only your documents. Check the admission page of each programme.
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