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Key Facts: TOLC-SPS Exam

40 questions

Official core exam questions

CISIA Official Syllabus

90 minutes

Core testing time (30 min per section)

CISIA Regolamento TOLC

€35

Official registration fee per test attempt

CISIA Online Portal

+1 / -0.25

Scoring: +1 correct, -0.25 wrong, 0 blank

CISIA Regolamento TOLC

30 questions

English assessment section (15 min)

CISIA TOLC-SPS Structure

TOLC@CASA / UNI

Delivery format: at home or university centres

CISIA Online Portal

1 attempt/month

Maximum frequency per calendar month

CISIA Regolamento TOLC

The TOLC-SPS is CISIA's standardized 90-minute, 40-question computer-based entrance test for political and social science programs in Italy, followed by a 15-minute English assessment. Core scoring applies +1 for correct, -0.25 for incorrect, and 0 for blank answers, with a €35 registration fee per sitting.

Sample TOLC-SPS Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the TOLC-SPS exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1According to Article 1 of the 1948 Constitution of the Italian Republic, on what fundamental principle is Italy established as a democratic Republic?
A.Private property and free enterprise
B.Labor (lavoro)
C.Religious confession and Christian heritage
D.Military sovereignty and national defense
Explanation: Article 1, paragraph 1 of the Italian Constitution explicitly proclaims: 'L'Italia è una Repubblica democratica, fondata sul lavoro' ('Italy is a democratic Republic, founded on labor'). This foundational principle places human labor and dignity at the center of the constitutional order rather than hereditary privilege, property ownership, or confessional allegiance.
2Which Enlightenment philosopher formulated the classical doctrine of the separation of powers into legislative, executive, and judicial branches in 'The Spirit of the Laws' (1748)?
A.Jean-Jacques Rousseau
B.Voltaire
C.Baron de Montesquieu
D.Thomas Hobbes
Explanation: Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, articulated the classical theory of the separation of powers in 'De l'esprit des lois' (1748). He argued that to preserve political liberty, the legislative, executive, and judicial authorities must be vested in separate bodies so that 'power checks power'.
3In the Italian constitutional framework, the parliamentary system is characterized by 'bicameralismo perfetto' (perfect bicameralism). What does this concept specifically mean?
A.Both houses must have an equal number of directly elected representatives.
B.The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic exercise identical legislative functions, and the Government must enjoy the confidence of both chambers.
C.The Senate represents regional governments while the Chamber represents national political parties.
D.Any bill passed by one chamber automatically becomes law if the second chamber fails to vote within thirty days.
Explanation: Under the Italian Constitution (Articles 70 and 94), both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate possess equal constitutional powers and identical competencies. Every law must be passed in the exact same wording by both chambers (navette parlamentare), and the Government requires the separate vote of confidence from each chamber to take and retain office.
4During the Italian Risorgimento, Giuseppe Garibaldi led the Expedition of the Thousand (Spedizione dei Mille) in 1860. Which state was toppled as a result of this military campaign?
A.The Grand Duchy of Tuscany
B.The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
C.The Papal States
D.The Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia
Explanation: Garibaldi and his approximately 1,000 volunteers landed at Marsala, Sicily, in May 1860. The military campaign swept across Sicily and southern Italy, overthrowing the Bourbon dynasty ruling the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and paving the way for the proclamation of the unified Kingdom of Italy in March 1861.
5In European Union law, what does the Principle of Subsidiarity (enshrined in Article 5(3) of the Treaty on European Union) dictate?
A.The EU must financially subsidize all regional agricultural production across member states.
B.In areas of non-exclusive EU competence, the EU may act only if the objectives cannot be sufficiently achieved by the member states and can be better achieved at Union level.
C.Member state national laws always take precedence over EU directives and regulations.
D.The European Commission may overrule national constitutional courts on any judicial ruling.
Explanation: The principle of subsidiarity ensures that decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizen. In areas which do not fall within its exclusive competence, the EU acts only if and in so far as the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the member states (at central, regional, or local level) but can rather be better achieved at the Union level.
6In his seminal work 'Leviathan' (1651), Thomas Hobbes describes human life in the state of nature as 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short'. What is the driving cause of this condition according to Hobbes?
A.The absence of a common sovereign authority capable of enforcing peace and laws against human competition and diffidence
B.A natural biological defect that prevents human beings from acquiring language and moral consciousness
C.The private ownership of productive land and capital which corrupts inherent human innocence
D.The historical breakdown of an ancient theological golden age instituted by natural law
Explanation: Hobbes posited that without a common power to keep all individuals in awe, human beings exist in a condition of perpetual war of all against all (bellum omnium contra omnes). In this state of nature, human passions (competition for resources, fear/diffidence for survival, and desire for glory) produce inescapable conflict because no sovereign legal authority exists to enforce covenants.
7What is the term of office for the President of the Italian Republic, and who elects this figure?
A.Five years; elected directly by the Italian electorate in a two-round system.
B.Seven years; elected by Parliament in a joint session with three delegates from each Region (one from Valle d'Aosta).
C.Four years; appointed by the Prime Minister (President of the Council of Ministers) with Senate approval.
D.Six years; elected exclusively by the sitting members of the Senate of the Republic.
Explanation: According to Articles 83 and 85 of the Italian Constitution, the President of the Republic is elected for a seven-year mandate (settennato) by Parliament in a joint session (seduta comune), joined by three delegates chosen by each Regional Council (one delegate for Valle d'Aosta) to ensure representation of regional autonomies.
8How did the Statuto Albertino (1848) fundamentally differ from the 1948 Constitution of the Italian Republic regarding its constitutional rigidity and legal amendment procedure?
A.The Statuto Albertino was a rigid constitution requiring two-thirds parliamentary supermajorities, whereas the 1948 Constitution is entirely unwritten.
B.The Statuto Albertino was a flexible constitution that could be modified or overridden by ordinary statute, whereas the 1948 Constitution is rigid and requires a specialized amendment process under Article 138.
C.The Statuto Albertino established a federal state with supreme regional courts, whereas the 1948 Constitution centralized all power in the executive.
D.The Statuto Albertino could only be amended by mandatory popular referendum, whereas the 1948 Constitution prohibits any constitutional modification.
Explanation: The Statuto Albertino granted by King Charles Albert in 1848 was a flexible (flessibile) charter; it contained no reinforced amendment mechanism, allowing ordinary legislation (such as Fascist authoritarian decrees) to alter constitutional principles without formal constitutional reform. In contrast, the 1948 Republican Constitution is rigid (rigida), requiring the double deliberation and qualified majorities or confirmatory referendums mandated by Article 138.
9Sociologist Max Weber identified three pure types of legitimate authority (Herrschaft). Which of the following correctly lists these three types?
A.Traditional, charismatic, and legal-rational authority
B.Democratic, autocratic, and totalitarian authority
C.Feudal, capitalist, and socialist authority
D.Coercive, remunerative, and normative authority
Explanation: In 'Economy and Society', Max Weber formulated his classic tripartite typology of legitimate domination: traditional authority (grounded in established customs and ancestral sanctity), charismatic authority (based on devotion to the exceptional heroism, sanctity, or character of an individual leader), and legal-rational authority (based on belief in the legality of enacted rules and the authority of bureaucratic officeholders).
10Under Article 75 of the Italian Constitution, which of the following categories of laws is EXCLUDED from being challenged or repealed through an abrogative referendum (referendum abrogativo)?
A.Labor market regulations and employment statutes
B.Electoral laws governing the Chamber of Deputies
C.Taxation, state budget laws, amnesties, and laws authorizing the ratification of international treaties
D.Environmental and public health protection codes
Explanation: Article 75, paragraph 2 of the Italian Constitution explicitly prohibits abrogative referendums on 'tax and budget laws, amnesties and pardons, and laws authorizing the ratification of international treaties'. This exclusion prevents populism or short-term voter interest from undermining state financial solvency or breaching international legal commitments.

About the TOLC-SPS Exam

TOLC-SPS is CISIA's computer-based admission and orientation test used by participating universities for political and social-science programs. The core has 40 five-option questions in 90 minutes: Reading Comprehension 10/30 minutes, Acquired Knowledge 15/30, and Mathematical Reasoning 15/30, followed by English 30/15. Core scoring is +1, -0.25, or 0; universities set local admission rules. This independent four-option bank practices the published domains and is not endorsed or approved by CISIA.

Exam sponsor: CISIA — Consorzio Interuniversitario Sistemi Integrati per l'Accesso. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

40 multiple-choice questions delivered in 90 minutes: Reading Comprehension (10 questions, 30 min), Acquired Knowledge (15 questions, 30 min), and Mathematical Reasoning (15 questions, 30 min), followed by an English section of 30 questions in 15 minutes. Core scoring: +1 correct, -0.25 wrong, 0 blank.

Time Limit

90 minutes (+ 15 minutes for English section)

Passing Score

Scored +1 for correct, -0.25 for wrong, 0 for blank. Program admission ranking or OFA screening determined by university departments.

Exam / Certification Fees

€35

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

37.5%

Acquired Knowledge (History, Politics & Society)

19th and 20th-century historical developments, Italian and European political institutions, constitutional principles, political philosophy, and sociological concepts

37.5%

Mathematical Reasoning

Arithmetic, percentages, rates of change, graphical data interpretation, formal logic, probability, and basic statistics applied to public and social problems

25.0%

Reading Comprehension

Critical analysis, argument evaluation, inference, and textual interpretation of essays on political science, contemporary history, and social dynamics

Preparing for the TOLC-SPS Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Scored +1 for correct, -0.25 for wrong, 0 for blank. Program admission ranking or OFA screening determined by university departments.
  • Assessment: 40 multiple-choice questions delivered in 90 minutes: Reading Comprehension (10 questions, 30 min), Acquired Knowledge (15 questions, 30 min), and Mathematical Reasoning (15 questions, 30 min), followed by an English section of 30 questions in 15 minutes. Core scoring: +1 correct, -0.25 wrong, 0 blank.
  • Time limit: 90 minutes (+ 15 minutes for English section)
  • Exam / certification fees: €35 Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

TOLC-SPS: Suggested Study Strategy

1Review modern and contemporary history: 19th-century Italian unification (Risorgimento), 20th-century European conflicts, post-war reconstruction, and European integration are core pillars of the syllabus.
2Master the Italian constitutional framework: understand the roles of Parliament, the President of the Republic, the Government, the Constitutional Court, and the CSM under the 1948 Constitution.
3Practice arithmetic, percentages, and graph reading: the Mathematical Reasoning section tests practical quantitative reasoning, percentage changes, ratios, and logical deduction rather than advanced calculus.
4Manage section time strictly: each 30-minute section is independent; you cannot borrow time from one section for another during the official test.
5Be disciplined regarding negative marking: with -0.25 points deducted for wrong answers versus 0 for blanks, avoid blind guessing unless you can rule out at least two options.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TOLC-SPS and who administers it?

The TOLC-SPS is the standardized computer-based university entrance test designed by CISIA (Consorzio Interuniversitario Sistemi Integrati per l'Accesso) for Italian university degree courses in Political Science, International Relations, Sociology, and Public Administration.

How is the TOLC-SPS structured and timed?

The official core test contains 40 questions in 90 minutes divided into three distinct, timed sections: Reading Comprehension (10 questions in 30 minutes), Acquired Knowledge (15 questions in 30 minutes), and Mathematical Reasoning (15 questions in 30 minutes). An additional 30-question English section is delivered in 15 minutes at the conclusion of the core test.

What is the scoring formula for the TOLC-SPS?

For the 40 core questions, each correct answer is awarded +1 point, an unanswered question receives 0 points, and an incorrect answer is penalized -0.25 points. The English section does not apply negative marking (1 point for correct, 0 for wrong or blank).

What passing score is required for university admission?

There is no single nationwide passing score. Each university department sets its own admission thresholds, merit ranking criteria, or minimum benchmark scores for assigning OFA (Obblighi Formativi Aggiuntivi / Additional Learning Obligations).

How much does the TOLC-SPS cost and how often can I take it?

Registration costs €35 per test attempt. Under CISIA regulations, candidates can take the TOLC-SPS once per calendar month during published testing windows.

Are these practice questions an official CISIA test?

No. This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by CISIA; its questions practice the publicly described subject areas without claiming official alignment or equivalence.