Admission to the three-year degree course in STPA
The three-year degree course in Animal Production Science and Technology is open access and enrolment can be carried out via the Matricolandosi portal.
Students wishing to enrol must take a non-selective test of initial preparation (TOLC-AV). The test can also be taken after matriculation, but it is strongly recommended to take it before matriculation.
The TOLC-AV test, organised by the CISIA (Consorzio Interuniversitario Sistemi Integrati per l’Accesso), can be taken either remotely, in TOLC@home mode, or in person, at any of the CISIA consortium centres. TOLC-AV tests taken as from February of the year preceding the year of enrolment (e.g. February 2021 for those enrolling in the 2022-23 academic year) are considered valid for verifying knowledge in this degree course.
For those who have not yet taken the test, the list of dates at the various locations can be found at the following link.
If a student obtains a score of less than 3 in mathematics on the TOLC-AV test, he or she will be assigned Additional Educational Obligations (OFA).
Fulfilling OFAs
OFAs must be discharged during the first year of the course, otherwise it is not possible to sit the 2nd and 3rd year examinations. OFAs may be discharged in one of the following ways:
- retaking the TOLC-AV test and obtaining a minimum score of 3 in the mathematics section;
- attending a course in basic mathematics (or ‘zero mathematics’), which takes place in September during the first weeks of classes, and passing the relevant test, as set by the teacher;
- passing in-progress tests in mathematics (only to be taken in the first semester, according to the dates set by the teacher);
- by passing the ‘Mathematics, Physics and Statistics’ proficiency exam;
- by certifying that you have obtained a final grade of 70/100 or higher (by sending a copy of your final grade, together with a copy of a valid identity document, to the Chair of the School of Engineering in STPA presidenzastpa@vet.unipi.it and, for information, to the Didactic Unit pratiche.studenti@vet.unipi.it). Please note: this method is only valid until the 2021-22 academic year and will therefore not be applicable to students enrolling in the 2022-23 academic year and later.
Notification of fulfilment of OFAs by the student
After having fulfilled the OFAs in one of the ways described above, the student must write an email to presidenzastpa@vet.unipi.it and to the Didactic Unit pratiche.studenti@vet.unipi.it attaching the documentation proving the fulfilment of the OFAs, or by attaching to the email the Cisia certification for the TOLC-AV taken showing the marks in the individual sections and, in the case of a mark below 3 in mathematics, declaring in the text of the email that he/she has passed the zero mathematics test or the in itinere tests of the Mathematics Course or that he/she has taken the entire Mathematics, Physics and Statistics examination. These declarations will be subject to checks on the basis of the data submitted by the teachers concerned. In the text of the email it is important to indicate the matriculation number and year of enrolment.
Following this communication, the fulfilment of the OFAs will be recorded in the electronic passbook.
The TOLC-AV test
The structure of the TOLC-AV test can be found here.
Five answers are associated with each question, of which only one is correct. For each question, a correct answer results in the award of 1 point, an incorrect answer results in the award of minus 1/4 point (- 0.25). For questions which are not answered or which have been cancelled, no marks or penalties of any kind are awarded.
The test is passed when a score of at least 3 is obtained in the mathematics test.
The syllabus of required knowledge for biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics is available at the following link.
CISIA provides test examples and a simulation that has the same structure and duration as the tests.
For preparation, the MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) online mathematics course is also available, as well as useful teaching material for test preparation in physics, chemistry and biology.
Answers to students’ most frequently asked questions about TOLC@casa can be found at the following link.