IELTS score required for Italian universities (by university and programme)

English-language evidence is set by each programme and intake, not by a single rule for Italy. IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge, PTE, a medium-of-instruction letter or an institutional test may be accepted, but the permitted evidence and score can differ even within one university. This guide explains how to verify the language gate separately from admission tests such as CEnT-S and IMAT.

The short answer — what most Italian universities ask

Italian programmes commonly describe language requirements with CEFR levels, but there is no national IELTS floor for every English-taught course. The current programme call controls the accepted test, component and overall scores, exemptions, and submission date.

Politecnico di Milano — IELTS 6.0 with widely accepted alternatives

Politecnico di Milano is the most-applied Italian destination for Indian engineering and design students, so its English-language policy gets the most questions. For English-taught master's programmes, Polimi accepts IELTS 6.0 (or 5.5 with a Polimi internal English placement test, but most international applicants skip that and submit 6.0+). For bachelor's, the bar is also IELTS 6.0. Polimi does NOT have its own English entrance test for incoming international students — your IELTS / TOEFL / Cambridge result is the evidence.

• IELTS Academic: 6.0 minimum overall, no individual-band requirement specified.
• TOEFL iBT: 78 minimum.
• Cambridge English: B2 First (FCE) or higher.
• PTE Academic: 56 minimum.
• TOEFL ITP: not accepted.
• Duolingo English Test: accepted as a temporary alternative in some cycles — verify the current intake.
• Native English speakers (from US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand): exempt from the language test.

Bachelor's admission tests are programme- and cycle-specific. CISIA replaced the English TOLC-I, English TOLC-E and English TOLC-F with CEnT-S from late 2025; Italian-language TOLCs remain separate. Use the current Polimi course call to confirm which test, format, score dates and attempt rule apply.

University of Bologna — IELTS 6.0 to 6.5, programme-by-programme

University of Bologna language evidence is programme-specific. Use the current course page for the accepted certificates, minimum scores, exemptions and deadline; do not apply one department's IELTS or MoI rule to another.

Sapienza University of Rome — IELTS 6.0, with MoI exemption common

Sapienza is Italy's largest public university and runs roughly 35-40 English-taught master's. The standard bar is IELTS 6.0 (B2). Some research-track and humanities programmes ask for 6.5 or 7.0. Sapienza accepts a wide alternative list — TOEFL iBT 80+, Cambridge B2+, PTE 50+, and the Duolingo English Test in recent cycles. Like UniBo, Sapienza accepts a medium-of-instruction certificate as evidence of English proficiency for many programmes, which is the most common Indian-applicant exemption.

Sapienza's participating public Medicine and Surgery course taught in English uses the national IMAT route. IMAT ranking and any English-language evidence are separate requirements; use the current MUR decree and Sapienza call rather than assuming a school-English mark or medium-of-instruction letter is accepted.

University of Padua — IELTS 6.0, with a special path for top scorers

Padua publishes programme-level English requirements and a separate total tuition-fee waiver route for eligible incoming international students. The waiver page describes ranking by academic record and does not establish that an IELTS score above the admission minimum improves the scholarship ranking. Regional tax and stamp duty can remain payable.

Bocconi University — IELTS 6.5 or 7.0, no MoI exemption

Bocconi publishes its own programme- and cycle-specific language requirements. Verify the current accepted certificates, scores and exemptions on the official admissions page rather than applying a public/private rule of thumb.

Bocconi also runs its own institutional admissions test (the Bocconi Test, online from home), which carries more weight in the admission decision than the IELTS score itself. The IELTS is treated as a gate — if you clear it, the admission decision is made on academic profile, the Bocconi Test, your essays, and (for master's) work experience. Pushing IELTS from 7.0 to 7.5 changes nothing at Bocconi; pushing the Bocconi Test result up does.

A wider table — what other Italian universities ask

The five universities above are the most-applied by Indian students. The table below covers another set Indian applicants commonly shortlist. Treat these as 2026-tested defaults — always confirm the exact figure on the programme page before booking your test.

Exemptions Indian applicants miss most often

An exemption can save a test sitting, but only the current programme call can establish one. Verify the exact evidence and deadline before relying on an exemption.

1. Medium-of-instruction (MoI) letter — accepted only when the programme's current call expressly allows it. Do not infer acceptance from whether the institution is public or private.
2. Prior education in English or in a named country — only where the programme defines that exemption and its evidence. Do not infer it from curriculum branding.
3. Internal language test — use it only when the programme's current call expressly names it as admission evidence and states the timing and result required.

The second language gate nobody plans for — your consulate

Everything above is about getting ADMITTED. There is a second, separate language check at the visa stage, and it is run by the Italian mission that covers where you live — not by your university. Clearing one does not clear the other. An applicant can be admitted on a medium-of-instruction letter and then find their consulate's checklist asking for a B2 certificate, weeks after the sensible time to book a test has passed.

CISIA admission tests — confirm the current course callTOLC

CISIA runs several content-based admission tests used by participating universities. From late 2025, CEnT-S replaced the English TOLC-I, English TOLC-E and English TOLC-F. Italian-language TOLCs remain separate. The university and course call, not a generic subject label, determines which test an applicant needs.

• For an English-taught engineering, economics, science or pharmacy route, check whether the current call names CEnT-S.
• For an Italian-taught route, check the exact Italian TOLC named by the course.
• Confirm remote or in-person delivery, accepted test dates, attempt limits and ranking method in the current call.
• Do not assume every sitting is usable or that the highest score is automatically selected.

CISIA publishes test information and calendars, while each university decides which results it accepts. Check before booking: a course may restrict valid sessions, formats or attempts, and its ranking rule may not simply take your best score.

IMAT — the public English Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary route

The annual MUR IMAT procedure covers participating public single-cycle Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry and Dental Prosthodontics, and Veterinary Medicine courses taught in English. The current decree and portal define participating universities, quotas, test content, registration, centres and dates. Any English-language evidence remains a separate course requirement.

• Use the current MUR place tables rather than a copied university list.
• The final 2026 portal recorded 29 September 2026 as test day; a preliminary July announcement had said 30 September.
• Cattolica, Humanitas and Vita-Salute San Raffaele are private universities with separate admission tests; Humanitas calls its test HUMAT.
• Do not infer a future cycle's test centre, fee, registration window or date from 2026.

When to actually book IELTS — the timing question

Italian university admissions for September intake mostly open between November of the previous year and March-April. Most programmes ask for the English score at application time, not as a deferred condition. The IELTS Academic test runs at British Council and IDP centres across India year-round, but slot availability tightens between August and November when the rush for September-intake admissions abroad is at its peak.

1. Book your IELTS slot 8-12 weeks before your earliest application deadline. The earliest Italian-university deadlines are around early February; that means December for IELTS.
2. If your programme allows a deferred score submission (some Sapienza and Bologna programmes do), you can sit IELTS up to 2-3 weeks before the conditional offer expires.
3. Build a retake buffer from the live test calendar and programme deadline; no India-wide performance adjustment is assumed here.
4. IELTS Academic results are valid for 2 years. If you sit it in January 2026, it covers admissions for September 2026 AND September 2027 intakes.

Cost in INR — and where the cheaper routes are

Common mistakes Indian applicants make

1. Setting a score target before checking each programme. There is no national IELTS ceiling: use the current minimum, subscore and selection rules for every course in your shortlist.
2. Treating a medium-of-instruction letter as an automatic replacement for IELTS. Use it only where the current programme expressly accepts it, with the required wording and issue date; check any separate visa-language rule too.
3. Confusing language evidence with the admission test. A course can require both. Confirm the current language evidence and the exact admission test separately.
4. Choosing a test for price or speed without checking acceptance. Use the current programme's accepted-evidence list first.
5. Copying an earlier IMAT calendar. Use the current MUR call for registration and test dates; the final 2026 test day does not establish the 2027 calendar.
6. Submitting an MoI letter without checking the programme's issue-date and wording rules.

Two scenarios — Indian applicants in practice

Two short composite scenarios to anchor the moving parts. Names are illustrative.

The verification step

Score requirements change every academic year — sometimes mid-cycle. Before you book a test or rely on an exemption, open your programme's official admission page (linked under each university on ArrivoBuddy's /universities), find the English-language section, and copy the exact wording. Take a dated screenshot. If the requirement changes after you apply, the published wording on the date you applied is what matters in a dispute.

Last reviewed against official sources on 9 Oct 2026. Verify fast-moving facts (visa fees, deadlines, FX rate) against the linked sources before relying on them for decisions.