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Bocconi Admissions Test

Bocconi test prep, where it is actually won.

The Bocconi online test is 50 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes — and 24 of them are mathematics. That is nearly half your score sitting in one subject. Wrong answers cost 0.2 marks each, so knowing when not to answer matters almost as much as knowing the maths.

01

What the test is

Format
50 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes — roughly 90 seconds each. Questions are mixed by topic and difficulty rather than grouped, so pacing and skipping are skills in themselves.
Where
Online from home, proctored: audio and video recorded, a room scan before you start, and a lockdown browser.
Sections
Mathematics 24 · Reading comprehension 11 · Critical thinking 9 · Numerical reasoning 6. Law and Global Law sit a different test, with only 5 maths questions.
Weighting
Bocconi weighs the test at 55% and your GPA from the last two completed years at 45%.
02

The maths section, in detail

Syllabus
Algebra — equations, inequalities, systems, absolute values. Functions and graphs. Plane and analytical geometry: lines, parabolas, circles. Trigonometry. Set theory. Logarithms and exponentials. Discrete maths and combinatorics. Numbers and percentages. Probability, including conditional probability and Bayes’ theorem. Problem solving. Statistics: frequencies, central tendency, dispersion.
Why an IB maths tutor fits
That list overlaps heavily with IB Mathematics Analysis & Approaches. A student already sitting AA has met most of it — the gap is usually speed, question format, and the handful of topics the DP treats lightly.
The market gap
Established Bocconi prep providers sell group courses and video libraries. Very few offer one-to-one mathematics teaching, which is exactly what a weak 24-question maths section needs.
03

Scoring, and why blank beats wrong

The arithmetic
Correct +1. Blank 0. Wrong −0.2, or −0.33 on three-option critical-thinking items. A guess with nothing eliminated is worth slightly less than leaving it blank; a guess with two options eliminated is clearly worth making.
The floor
A total below 17 means the application is not considered. Applicants to the Bachelor in Mathematical and Computing Sciences for AI additionally need at least 11 out of 24 in the maths area.
On “competitive” scores
Bocconi publishes no cut-off beyond the 17 floor. Applicant communities often discuss 35+ as competitive for BIEM and BIEF depending on GPA, but treat that as informal chatter, not an official threshold.
04

Attempts, cost and timing

Attempts
Up to four per test type per year, €60 each. No same-day or consecutive-day retakes. Your score appears immediately; the official report follows within about 48 hours.
Rounds for international applicants
Early Session: 2–29 September 2026, results mid-November. Winter Session: 25 November 2026 – 26 January 2027, results mid-March. Last test dates are 24 September 2026 and 21 January 2027. Book at least 48 hours ahead. Full timeline and a preparation plan in Bocconi Test 2027: dates, format and scoring.
Preparation material
Bocconi states plainly that there are no official preparation textbooks. It provides a free 50-question, 75-minute simulation and a topic app. Everything else on the market is third-party.
FAQ

Common questions

How much of the Bocconi test is mathematics?
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24 of the 50 questions on the standard test are mathematics — just under half the paper, and the largest single section by a wide margin. Reading comprehension is 11, critical thinking 9 and numerical reasoning 6. The Law and Global Law test is different: only 5 maths questions, with logic and verbal reasoning dominating.
Should I leave answers blank on the Bocconi test?
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Sometimes, yes. A correct answer is +1, a blank is 0 and a wrong answer is −0.2, or −0.33 on three-option critical-thinking items. With five options and no idea, guessing has a slightly negative expected value. Once you can eliminate one or two options, guessing becomes clearly worthwhile. The practical rule is to eliminate first, and leave truly blank only what you cannot narrow at all.
How many times can I take the Bocconi test?
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Up to four attempts per test type per academic year, at €60 each. You cannot sit it on the same day or on consecutive days. Your best score is the one that counts, so retaking carries no penalty beyond the fee and the preparation time.
What score do I need for Bocconi?
+
The only official threshold is the floor: below 17 and the application is not considered. Applicants to Mathematical and Computing Sciences for AI also need at least 11 of 24 in the maths area. Beyond that Bocconi publishes no cut-off, because the test is 55% of a decision that also weighs your GPA at 45%.
Is the SAT easier than the Bocconi test?
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Bocconi accepts SAT and ACT scores as an equivalent alternative and the best score counts, so you can sit both and submit whichever is stronger. The Bocconi test is more time-pressured — about 90 seconds a question against a mixed-difficulty paper — and carries a wrong-answer penalty the SAT does not.
How long should you prepare for the Bocconi test?
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Most students need somewhere between six weeks and three months of consistent work rather than a fortnight of cramming. The maths section rewards fluency and speed — roughly 90 seconds a question — and that is built through repetition over time, not in a final push. If you are sitting the Early Session in September, start over the summer; for the Winter Session, autumn is comfortable.
Can a tutor help with the Bocconi test?
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For the maths section, yes — that is 24 of the 50 questions and it is straightforwardly teachable. What no tutor can give you is official practice material, because Bocconi states there are no official preparation textbooks. What one-to-one work does is identify which of the listed maths topics are actually costing you marks, fix those, and drill the timing and the guess-versus-blank decision until both are automatic.

Test details verified on Bocconi’s official admissions pages on 5 September 2026. Dates and fees change each cycle — always confirm on unibocconi.it before booking.

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