How to Prepare for the CEnT-S Test in 8–12 Weeks (Engineering Focus)

How to Prepare for the CEnT-S Test in 8–12 Weeks by polimitestprep

The CEnT-S test (CISIA English Test – Sciences) is the new English admission exam used by Italian universities for access to many science and engineering bachelor’s degrees.

If you are an engineering applicant, the most important parts of the CEnT-S test for you are:

Mathematics
Reasoning on texts and data
Physics

With 8–12 weeks of focused work, you can build a solid preparation for these three areas and significantly improve your CEnT-S performance.

This guide gives you a practical 8–12 week study plan specifically for engineering students.

1. Understand the CEnT-S test format (engineering-relevant parts)

Before you start preparing for the CEnT-S test, you should clearly know:

How many Mathematics questions you will face and how much time you have.
What kind of questions appear in Reasoning on texts and data.
Which Physics topics are likely to show up.
How the scoring works (especially negative points for wrong answers).

Even if the CEnT-S test contains other scientific areas, your priority as an engineering applicant is to maximise your score in Mathematics, Reasoning and Physics. These are the sections that are most closely aligned with the skills you’ll need in your degree.

2. Choose your CEnT-S preparation timeline (8, 10 or 12 weeks)

Your CEnT-S plan depends on how much time you have before test day and how strong your background is.

8-week intensive CEnT-S plan (engineering)

Good if your maths and physics are already decent.
Requires 5–6 study days per week, around 2 hours per day.
You move quickly through theory and spend a lot of time on timed practice.

10-week balanced CEnT-S plan

Ideal for most students.
4–5 study days per week, 1.5–2 hours per day.
Enough time for theory review, plenty of exercises and several full mock tests.

12-week extended CEnT-S plan

Good if you feel rusty in Mathematics or Physics.
3–4 study days per week, 1.5–2 hours per day plus relaxed review.
Lets you rebuild foundations slowly and still have time for simulations at the end.

The structure of the preparation is the same; you simply stretch or compress the phases depending on whether you have 8, 10 or 12 weeks.

3. Three-phase CEnT-S study plan for engineering students

Think of your CEnT-S prep in three phases:

Weeks 1–3 – Foundations & diagnostic
Weeks 4–7 – Section-by-section training (Maths, Reasoning, Physics)
Last 1–3 weeks – Full CEnT-S simulations & exam strategy

You can shift the boundaries slightly based on your total weeks.

Phase 1 (Weeks 1–3): foundations & diagnostic

Objective: discover your real level and fix the weakest basics.

Take a diagnostic test (engineering-focused)
- Use a CEnT-S-style mock where you at least include:
  - Mathematics questions
  - Reasoning on texts and data
  - Physics questions
- Respect the real timing for each section.
- Don’t worry about the total score; focus on seeing where you are weak.
Analyse your results

For each area, ask:

Mathematics:
- Do I struggle with equations? functions? geometry? word problems?
- Am I slow at basic algebraic manipulation?
Reasoning on texts and data:
- Do I misread questions or graphs?
- Do I understand the English text but panic under time pressure?
Physics:
- Do I understand concepts but forget formulas?
- Are there entire topics I never studied properly?

Review key theory

In Phase 1, you should rebuild the fundamentals:

Mathematics fundamentals for CEnT-S:
- arithmetic, fractions, percentages
- algebraic expressions and simplification
- equations and inequalities (linear, simple quadratic)
- functions and graphs
- basic geometry (areas, volumes, similar triangles, Pythagoras)
Reasoning on texts and data fundamentals:
- reading short passages in English and extracting the main idea
- understanding tables and charts
- identifying trends and comparisons in data
Physics fundamentals for CEnT-S:
- basic kinematics (distance, velocity, acceleration)
- Newton’s laws and simple forces problems
- work, energy, power
- very basic circuits (voltage, current, resistance)

Set clear micro-goals

For example, in a 10-week plan:

Week 1: arithmetic + algebra review, basic graphs and one Physics topic (e.g. motion).
Week 2: equations/inequalities, more graphs and tables, forces and energy.
Week 3: functions and geometry, simple data reasoning, circuits and recap.

At the end of Phase 1, you should:

know exactly which Mathematics topics are weak,
read English texts and data more confidently,
recall the main Physics formulas without constantly checking notes.

Phase 2 (Weeks 4–7): section-by-section training

Objective: turn your key CEnT-S sections into point-generating machines.

3.1 Mathematics for the CEnT-S test

For an engineering candidate, Mathematics is the heart of the CEnT-S test. A strong maths result can compensate for weaker areas and show universities that you have the right profile for a technical degree.

Targets:

Aim to reach high accuracy on medium-difficulty questions before worrying about the very hardest problems.
Try to get comfortable solving 15 questions in about 30 minutes, checking your work without rushing.

Topics to emphasise:

algebraic manipulation (expand, factorise, simplify)
equations and inequalities (including word problems)
functions and graphs (interpretation and simple transformations)
proportionality, percentages, ratio problems
basic combinatorics/probability if included in your syllabus

Typical weekly routine (10-week plan):

2 dedicated Mathematics sessions per week (60–90 minutes each).
Start with untimed drills to build understanding.
Gradually move to timed sets: 10–15 questions in 20–30 minutes.
After each set, spend time reviewing mistakes and writing a short note on what went wrong.

3.2 Reasoning on texts and data for the CEnT-S test

This section tests how well you can read and think in English under pressure. It is essential for engineering, because it measures your ability to interpret information and make logical decisions.

What you’ll typically see:

short texts followed by questions about the main idea, details, inferences
tables, bar charts, line graphs with numerical comparisons
logical puzzles that require you to deduce relationships

Targets:

learn to read actively, not passively: underline key data, identify what the question is really asking, and search the text efficiently.
avoid panicking when faced with unknown vocabulary; focus on the overall meaning.

Typical weekly routine:

2 Reasoning sessions per week (45–60 minutes).
Example session:
- 2 short texts with 3–5 questions each
- 2 graphs/tables with 3–5 questions
After each exercise:
- check every wrong answer,
- ask “Did I misread? Did I ignore a word? Did I rush the calculation?”

This is also a good place to improve your technical English: get used to words like “increase”, “decrease”, “approximately”, “trend”, “ratio”, “proportion”, etc.

3.3 Physics for the CEnT-S test (engineering priority)

For engineering students, Physics is extremely important because it is closely related to first-year university courses.

Key areas to master:

kinematics (1D motion, uniform and uniformly accelerated motions)
dynamics (force, mass, acceleration, weight, normal force, friction)
work, energy and power (conservation ideas in simple scenarios)
very simple circuits (Ohm’s law, series/parallel basics)

Typical weekly routine:

2 Physics sessions per week (60 minutes).
For each topic:
- 15–20 minutes theory/fomulas
- 30–40 minutes exercises
At the end of each week, write a one-page summary of formulas and typical problem patterns.

The goal is not to become a physicist before the CEnT-S test, but to be able to recognise standard question types and solve them quickly and reliably.

Phase 3 (last 1–3 weeks): full simulations & strategy

Objective: stop “studying” like a school subject and start performing like it’s exam day.

Do full simulated CEnT-S sessions

Even if you focus mainly on Maths, Reasoning and Physics, you should still practice the full exam mentality:

Sit down, set a timer for 110 minutes, and go through a complete set of CEnT-S-style questions.
Respect the section limits: once the time for a section is over, you move on.

Analyse each mock in detail

Tag mistakes as:
- Concept error (you didn’t know the theory)
- Careless error (misread, sign mistake, skipped a word)
- Time pressure error (you knew how, but not fast enough)
For every CEnT-S simulation, write down 3 things you will do differently next time.
Example:
- “I will skip very long reasoning passages and come back only if time remains.”
- “I will not spend more than 2 minutes on a single maths question.”

Refine your guessing strategy

In the CEnT-S test, wrong answers lose points while blank ones do not. That means:

If you can confidently eliminate 2 or 3 options, select one of the remaining.
If you have no idea, and time is almost over, leaving it blank may be better than random guessing.
Practice this logic in every mock so it becomes automatic.

Consolidate your formula sheets

During the last week:

review one short formula sheet for Mathematics,
one for Physics,
and a list of reasoning tips (what to underline, how to scan graphs).

This gives you a feeling of control and reduces anxiety before the CEnT-S test.

4. Example weekly schedule (10-week engineering-focused CEnT-S plan)

You can adapt this for 8 or 12 weeks by compressing or stretching each phase.

Weeks 1–3 – Foundations

2× Maths fundamentals sessions
2× Reasoning on texts and data sessions
2× Physics basics sessions
1× short mixed quiz every week

Weeks 4–7 – Section focus

2× Maths problem sessions (timed sets)
2× Reasoning sessions (texts + graphs)
2× Physics sessions (one topic per session)
1× partial mock (e.g. just Maths + Reasoning under real timing)

Weeks 8–10 – Exam phase

1–2× full CEnT-S-style simulations per week
2–3× shorter review sessions focusing entirely on mistakes and strategy
1× light “maintenance” session reviewing formula sheets and typical question patterns

For an 8-week plan, start partial mocks already in Week 3–4 and do more intense weeks at the end.
For a 12-week plan, add an extra “consolidation week” after Phase 2, where you only revise and do medium-length mixed sets.

5. Common mistakes engineering students make with CEnT-S

Waiting too long to start timed practice
- Solving only untimed exercises makes the real CEnT-S test feel much harder.
Over-investing in a single topic
- Spending all your energy on one advanced area of Maths and neglecting basic algebra or graphs can cost you many easy points.
Ignoring English reading skills
- Even for engineering, if you cannot follow the wording of Maths or Physics questions in English, you will lose time and points.
Not checking university requirements
- Different engineering programmes can weigh sections differently or set minimum scores. Always verify how your target universities use the CEnT-S test.
Treating CEnT-S as purely theoretical
- The test is about fast reasoning. You must practice like an athlete – with simulations, timing, and post-analysis.

6. Final reminders for CEnT-S test day

Sleep and food matter. A clear head is worth more than one extra late-night revision.
If you take the test from home, prepare your room, computer, ID and internet connection the day before.
If you take it at a test centre, aim to arrive early so you have time to relax.
During the exam, forget any past mistakes section by section: every new block of questions is a fresh opportunity to score points.

With a focused 8–12 week plan centred on Mathematics, Reasoning on texts and data, and Physics, you can turn the CEnT-S test from something intimidating into a structured challenge that you are genuinely prepared to face.

Do you need professional support for CEnT-S or TIL-I?

polimitestprep is here for you! After successfully helping 75 students to enrol into the architecture programs of both Polimi and Polito, we are starting courses on engineering tests! If you would like to prepare for CEnT-S and/or TIL-I with polimitestprep, sign up here!

Check the CEnT-S & TIL-I course calendar here.

Thinking about participating? Find more information about the CEnT-S & TIL-I Course here.