Bachelor’s degree programmes

In order to get ready to take the TIL test please consult Annex A  of the DM n. 627 del 24-04-2024 called Modalità e contenuti delle prove di ammissione al corso di laurea e laurea magistrale a ciclo unico direttamente finalizzato alla formazione di Architetto (lingua italiana e lingua inglese) a.a. 2024/2025. 

The Italian version shall constitute the sole authentic text and will be referred to for any legal matters.

The English translation of the topics indicated of the Annex A of the Ministerial Decree is a support to the student community and has no legal effects

For admission applicants are required to understand and analyse different written texts, have an aptitude to logical-mathematical reasoning, have sufficient general knowledge with special focus on history, geography, social sciences and institutions, design and representation, mathematics and physics.  The required skills and knowledge reflect the education offered by high schools that organize teaching in accordance with the National Guidelines for High Schools and with the Guidelines for Technical Schools and Professional School, in preparation for the State Examination for Professional Practice. 

Reading comprehension

The questions intend to assess the applicant’s ability to understand written texts of various kinds in the Italian language and with different communicative purposes. The questions are about scientific or narrative texts by classical or contemporary authors, or current news published in newspapers or texts from general or specialized journals.

Logical reasoning

The questions seek to test the applicant’s ability to use logical reasoning  in a manner consistent with the premises. These premises are set out in symbolic or verbal form and concern cases or problems, including abstract issues, which require different forms of logical reasoning to be solved. 

Prior school knowledgeThe questions or even short texts of various types and themes help to verify the applicant’s skills acquired in school and his/her general culture or knowledge of issues that are part of the contemporary public debate. In particular, the questions seek to verify:

• the applicant’s ability to orient himself/herself in space and time, i.e. to contextualise important historical-cultural phenomena in geographical space and historical time, including specific artistic-architectural events, works of architecture or art movements;
• the applicant’s knowledge of the main national and international institutions;
• the applicant’s understanding of legal and economic issues and citizenship.

For non-EU applicants residing abroad:

• general knowledge questions on international issues studied in school or part of the contemporary public debate complete this assessment.

Drawing and RepresentationThe test assesses of the applicant’s ability to analyse graphs, drawings, iconic representations or correspondences with the objects in question. The test also verifies if the applicant has the elementary notions of representation (plans, elevations, axonometric projections).

Mathematics and PhysicsThe test seeks to verify if the applicant masters the following topics: 

• Sets of numbers and arithmetic calculation (natural, relative, rational, real numbers; sorting and comparison of numbers; order of magnitude; operations, powers, radicals, logarithms), algebraic calculation, Euclidean geometry (polygons, circumference and circle, measures of lengths, surfaces and volumes, isometry, similarities and equivalences, geometric places), analytic geometry (fundamentals), probability and statistics (fundamentals), elements of trigonometry (fundamentals)
• elementary principles of Mechanics: definition of fundamental physical quantities (displacement, velocity, acceleration, mass, momentum, strength, weight, work and power); law of inertia, Newton’s law and principle of action and reaction), fundamentals of Statics
• elementary notions on the principles of Thermodynamics (general concepts of temperature, heat, specific heat, expansion of materials)
• Basics of Electrostatics and Electrodynamics: Coulomb’s law, field and electric potential, capacitors, capacitors in series and in parallel, direct current, electrical resistance, Ohm’s law, resistors in series and in parallel.

Mathematics

• Natural, relative, rational numbers; simple problems solved with elementary methods
• Real numbers, radicals and calculus with exponents and radicals
• Basics of statistics and probability  
• Euclidean plane geometry and basic concepts of spatial geometry; areas and volumes of elementary figures
• Monomial and polynomial algebra
• Analytical geometry. Exponentials and logarithms and their properties (operations, base change)
• Goniometry and trigonometry
• Elementary graphs: polynomial functions of first and second degree, absolute value, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions. Description and identification of simple subsets of the plane delimited by elementary graphs.
• Algebraic, irrational and absolute value equations and inequalities
• Exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric equations and inequalities

Text comprehension and Logic

In this section, two excerpts from various texts are presented (in general, these will be scientific, popular, historical, sociological texts).  Each of the two excerpts is followed by three questions, the answers to which must be deduced exclusively from the content of the excerpt, thus identifying the only correct answer from the five answers proposed; the correct answer must be deduced exclusively from the content of the excerpt presented and not on the basis of the knowledge possessed by the candidate.

There will also be five Logic questions that do not require any particular prerequisites, but an inclination for abstract logical-deductive reasoning. Possible topics will include:

• orders
• use of quantifiers
• logical deductions
• elementary logic problems
• negation of statements.

Physics

• Vectors
• Units of Measurement
• Kinematics in one and two dimensions
• Forces and point dynamics
• Work-energy
• Calorimetry
• Thermodynamics
• Electrostatics
• Electrical circuits

Basic technical knowledge

In this section there are 3 questions on Representation and 3 questions on Computer Science  

Knowledge required for the Representation questions:

As far as representation is concerned, the TIL is intended to verify the ability to relate the spatiality of objects to their representation (two- and three-dimensional) and to verify minimum requirements for knowledge of the coding of graphic-technical languages.  

Knowledge required for Computer Science questions:

The questions are intended to test the preparation and inclination towards understanding and using information technology.

Possible topics include, once again, in terms of basic knowledge:  

• snap!
• concept of programme
• concept of variable
• assignments
• testing vs assignment
• arithmetical operations
• example of programming language (C, Python)
• programme size in lines of code
• completed/interpreted general programme template
• multithread
• cycles
• operators
• logical operators
• if then else
• for, while, repeat until
• exact arithmetic calculation
• bit/byte/transistor
• De Morgan’s theorem (outline)
• multiple desktops
• virtual machines, the example of Virtual Box
• operating systems
• browsers
• IP addresses (introduction)
• ssh
• firewall
• background processes
• web server
• software licences 
• use of the debugger 
• introduction to recursion
• introduction to analogue and digital data acquisition and processing

By connecting to your personal page on Apply@polito you have the opportunity to practise with the dedicated TIL-I training test; you will also be able to download further training material to consolidate your knowledge. 

Logic and Mathematics

The questions require one to show aptitude for abstract-logical reasoning in order to logically complete an argument in a manner consistent with the premises, which are stated in numerical, symbolic or verbal form.  Mathematics-related questions involve knowledge related to:  

• numerical sets and arithmetic (natural, relative, rational, real numbers; sorting and comparing numbers; order of magnitude; operations, exponents)
• algebraic calculus  
• fundamentals of probability and statistics.

Understanding text

• The questions will focus on the comprehension of: Italian scientific non-fiction texts
• fiction by classical or contemporary authors  
• topical texts appearing in newspapers or in general or specialist magazines.

General culture

The questions will have particular relevance to the following areas:  

• ancient, modern and contemporary history
• geography
• predominantly contemporary literature
• art (milestones in the the history of art, including contemporary art)
• classical and pop music
• current affairs (skills acquired by reading newspapers).  

The questions do not require any particular knowledge in each of these areas, and are rather aimed at highlighting the existence of minimal cultural foundations for candidates seeking a degree, which can originate from skills acquired in high school.
 

Project culture

The questions are designed to test the candidates' inclination to critically examine certain topics related to a project activity.  Without requiring any specific knowledge of the degree course, the questions aim to ascertain the candidates' sensitivity and interest in the issues of environmental sustainability, technological culture, the history of design and representation. Below is an in-depth examination of the four subject areas:  

• Environmental sustainability:  By environmental sustainability, we mean issues related to the life cycle of products (whether objects, services, communication products or complex systems), practices for reducing environmental impacts, balancing the 3Ps (Planet, People, Profit) for the pursuit of Sustainable Development.
• Technological culture:  Regarding technological culture, we shall address knowledge about how and why products are made in relation to their social use and the availability of resources, placing this knowledge in the perspective of the relationship between the problems they are intended to satisfy and the consequences generated by their production. In the TIL, minimum knowledge requirements of materials, processes and products shall be verified in order to grasp their differences relative to function and to understand the form/function/material relationship.
• History of design:  The history of design refers to matters relating to the history of architecture, design, visual communication and graphics, the ability to place buildings, products and graphics in a specific cultural-historical phase and to be able to briefly define these historical phases.
• Representation:   As far as representation is concerned, the TIL is intended to verify the ability to relate the spatiality of objects to their representation (two- and three-dimensional) and to verify minimum requirements of knowledge of the coding of graphic-technical languages.

By connecting to your personal page on Apply@polito you have the opportunity to practise with the dedicated TIL-D training test; you will also be able to download further training material to consolidate your knowledge. 

Logic and Mathematics

The questions require one to show aptitude for abstract-logical reasoning in order to logically complete an argument in a manner consistent with the premises, which are stated in numerical, symbolic or verbal form. Mathematics-related questions involve knowledge related to: 

• numerical sets and arithmetic (natural, relative, rational, real numbers; sorting and comparing numbers; order of magnitude; operations, exponents)
• algebraic calculus 
• fundamentals of probability and statistics.

Understanding text

• The questions will focus on the comprehension of: Italian scientific non-fiction texts
• fiction by classical or contemporary authors 
• topical texts appearing in newspapers or in general or specialist magazines.

General culture

The questions will have particular relevance to the following areas: 

• ancient, modern and contemporary history
• geography
• predominantly contemporary literature
• art (milestones in the the history of art, including contemporary art)
• classical and pop music
• current affairs (skills acquired by reading newspapers). 

The questions do not require any particular knowledge in each of these areas, and are rather aimed at highlighting the existence of minimal cultural foundations for candidates seeking a degree, which can originate from skills acquired in high school.
 

Territory and society

The questions are designed to test the inclination towards dealing with problems deriving from the use of land and its interference with economic and social life.  Thus, without requiring any special knowledge, the questions tend to ascertain whether candidates possess a sensitivity towards institutions, political economy, the city and environmental issues (skills acquired in civic education, geography, technical drawing and through the reading of newspapers).

By connecting to your personal page on Apply@polito you have the opportunity to practise with the dedicated TIL-P training test; you will also be able to download further training material to consolidate your knowledge.