Knowledge of the Italian language as an admission requirement
If you wish to enrol in the degree programs (with the exception of the Master's Degree in Building Engineering-Architecture) , you must demonstrate Knowledge of the Italian language before enrolment.
You can fulfil the language requirement if you have:
- citizens of Italy, the Republic of San Marino, or Canton Ticino
- a high school diploma or higher, obtained in Italian language;
- an appropriate certification of Italian language proficiency at level B2 from the CLIQ (Certificazione Lingua Italiana di Qualità).
Note: Knowledge of English is not an admission requirement, but it is necessary to continue and complete your degree programme. If you do not demonstrate knowledge of English, you will be assigned the OFA ENG, which entails certain study limitations.
Test of English (TENG)
The Politecnico di Milano assesses its students’ knowledge of the English language through the TENG Test of English consisting of 30 multiple-choice questions.
The TENG test is delivered in the following ways:
- Architecture students: they take the TENG immediately after the ARCHED admission test, even if they already have a language certificate; the TENG score does not contribute to the calculation of the final score on which the admission rankings are based.
- Design students: they sit the TENG at the same sitting as the TOLD admission test.
- Engineering students: they sit the TENG at the same sitting as the Test on Line (TOL) admission test.
For those who enrol having taken an alternative test to the TOL in English, such as the CENT-S test (the online engineering test provided by Cisia) or the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test administered by the College Board.), no English OFA is assigned. - Urban Planning students: the admission test does not include an English language test. The TENG test is not delivered during entrance exam. The English OFA are assigned automatically to all freshmen or to those students who are coming to the Politecnico di Milano from other universities, except students coming from other programmes of Politecnico di Milano that already passed the English OFA in their previous career.
OFA additional educational obligations for English are allocated to students who do not answer at least 24 questions correctly to be discharged by submitting a certification or by sitting a test at an external institute (see below).
See the OFA page for more information on how to discharge OFA obligations for English and on the limitations they impose.
Certifications required
Students who have not passed or sat the TENG test may discharge their OFA obligations for English by submitting to the Registrar’s Office one of the following certifications, provided they have obtained at least the minimum level indicated below:
| Test/certification | Required score |
| ETS – TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) * | Paper based (total score) ≥ 450 -- Computer based (total score) ≥ 133 -- Internet based (total score) ≥ 45 or ≥ 3.0 |
| ETS – TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) * | if registered by february 2026 ≥ 450 Listening & Reading if registered from 1 March 2026 ≥ 550 Listening & Reading |
| TOEIC Bridge * | ≥ 170 --- |
| Redesigned TOEIC Bridge * | ≥ 84/100 |
| easySPEAKing test | ≥ 50 |
| CAMBRIDGE | ≥ B1 Preliminary |
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) *
| ≥ 4 |
| TRINITY COLLEGE | ≥ ISE 1 |
| BRITISH INSTITUTES EXAMINATION BOARD | BI level B1 Certificate in ESOL International (B1 CEFR) ENGLISH DIPLOMA STRONG THRESHOLD / Advanced Language Proficiency B1 plus --- |
Politecnico di Milano does not accept certifications deemed to be expired by the issuing body.
Students who have taken the test at an institute that sends the result to the Politecnico di Milano electronically do not need to submit an original copy of the certificate.
Submitting international English certifications of a higher level than those indicated in the table allows the student to discharge his or her OFA obligations for English.
Tests at at an external institute
As an alternative to international certifications to discharge OFA obligations for English, it is possible to sit special tests at institutes outside the Politecnico. These tests, reserved for Politecnico students, do not entitle students to a certification, but only allow them to discharge their OFA obligations for English.