The architecture exam in Italy is a test administered as a preliminary entrance requirement for undergraduate degree architecture programs of public and private universities throughout Italy. However, there is no nationwide exam to get admission to the department of architecture in Italy. Universities apply the exams by themselves.
There are few universities in Italy that offer architecture programs taught in English, so some of the universities that offer English language architecture programs test students with the exams organized within the educational institution. When it comes to the architecture program in English, two technical schools are coming to mind; one of them is Politecnico di Milano and the other is Politecnico di Torino.
In general, the Polytechnic Universities of Milan and Turin both have technical departments such as architecture, engineering and design. Both of these universities are recognised for their prestigious education both in Italy and worldwide. These technical universities with a global vision offer education to their students with an international recognition, in this respect, all programs are taught in English. In addition, education in Italian is also offered in the same departments.
In the rest of our article, you can find details such as the architecture exam in Italy, the content of the exam at the Polytechnic Universities of Milan and Turin and the process of studying at these universities, the application and registration stages of the exam and the university, the facilities at the school and in Italy.
What is the Architecture Exam in Italy?
The architecture exam is not a general exam, but an exam that Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino universities evaluate students in terms of basic competence and some basic technical skills for the architecture program taught in English. For enrolling in the 3-year architecture degree program in Italy, students can apply for this exam if they meet high school graduation and a certain level of English proficiency requirements.
These two technical universities that apply the architecture exam in Italy and their exams are as follows;
- Politecnico di Milano : Test Arched exam (Test of Architecture)
- Politecnico di Torino : TIL-A exam (Online Admissions Test – Architecture)
The exam at both universities is administered entirely in English and is a basic test for evaluating the students’ knowledge of their 12 years of education. The question structures are almost identical in these tests, which consist of paragraph interpretation, general culture, logic reasoning and drawing perception questions consisting of a few questions.
Are there any other universities in Italy that offer architecture education in English?
In terms of university undergraduate programs, Italy, which has many departments in English, has a slightly limited number of schools that provide technical education such as architecture. In this respect, there are a limited number of universities in Italy that provide architecture education in Italy, as there are also cases such as having programs in Italian but not having in English opportunities.
Apart from the polytechnic universities in Milan and Turin, the following can be counted among the universities providing architecture education in Italy;
- University of Bologna
- University of Florence
- Domus Academy (private)
- ISAD (private)
- University of Genoa
- La Sapienza University of Rome
What is the Content of the Architecture Exam and How is the Question Distribution?
The exams of the universities of Potlitecnico di Milano and Potlitecnico di Torino , which provide technical education in the field of architecture in Italy, are very similar in content. The difficulty level of the questions in the exam is medium, these tests aim to evaluate students in terms of basic competence.
The question distribution of the architecture exam in English TIL-A and Test Arched tests in Italy is as follows;
| Course Name | Number of Questions |
|---|---|
| Paragraph Interpretation | 8 Questions |
| Logic and Reasoning | 6 Questions |
| Art History – General Culture | 12 Questions |
| Drawing Skills | 6 Questions |
| Mathematics and Physics | 8 Questions |
These tests, which consist of a total of 50 questions, have switched to an online format after the pandemic situation and the exam is applied online in its current form. Separate time is given for each section in the test area and the total time is 100 minutes.
How can I apply for the exam?
At both the Polytechnic Universities of Milan and Turin, exam registration periods and university enrolment periods take place in the same months. These examinations usually start on the 25 to 30th of July and take place several times during the year, continuing until September, the last month of the university registration period.
How much is the registration fee for the architecture exam at Politecnico di Milano and Torino?
The registration fee for the TIL-A and Test Arched (Test of Architecture) exams is approximately 50 Euros. After the exam, students must complete their application to the university by collecting this document and other necessary documents if they have received a successful score. Students who do not get a valid score in the exam or who cannot be placed in the university will be able to take the exam again in the same year. Simultaneously, the exams of both universities can be taken at the same time.
Who can take the architecture exam?
Students do not need to have any technical skills in order to apply for the Architecture degree program in English at Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino universities. However, since there is an intense interest in these technical schools in Italy, tests such as TIL-A and Test Arched are applied to take students according to a certain condition during the university entrance phase.
Apart from this, in order to study architecture in Italy, students must meet the following requirements;
- Completion of 12 years of education, i.e. high school graduation
- English language proficiency of 5.5 on the IELTS test or Italian language proficiency
- To have knowledge of general culture and minimum level of technical knowledge in the architecture exam
What are the Advantages of Studying Architecture in Italy?
Italy, which houses to many giant brands and structures in terms of art and business world, is undoubtedly a very prestigious place to study. The universities in this country, which provides students with a privilege in the upper segments in terms of career, also provide many opportunities with its cultural richness.
If we list a few advantages that students who succeed in the architecture exam in Italy and are entitled to study at Milan or Turin polytechnic universities will gain;
- The possibility to study in Italy in English and also to learn a second language such as Italian
- An international level education and a blue diploma from a world-ranked university
- Studying in Italy, which has a great reference in the field of architecture worldwide
- Education lasts for 3 years and students are provided with scholarships and dormitories.
- Low tuition fees of universities in Italy compared to other countries
Along with these advantages of undergraduate degree architecture education in English in Italy, hundreds more can be counted. You can also take a look at our article “Architecture Education in Italy” on the subject.
How Should I Prepare for the Architecture Exam?
In the preparation process for the architecture exam in Italy, students should close the subject deficiencies in the areas they are insufficient in. In the exam, students who are not keen on subjects especially in the fields of art history and technical skills may be disadvantaged due to lack of knowledge. In this respect, students can prepare for the exam by paying attention to the following points;
- Questions of previous years can be analyzed and solved
- Questions from other exams in Italy (such as TOLC, TIL) can also be analyzed
- Readings on the history of art should be done for general culture section
- Practice solving questions in areas such as logic, math and physics
- Consult with people experienced in studying in Italy
