New rules for the entrance test to the medical faculty and, in general, to the health area. The ministry of University and Research led by Maria Cristina Messa is in fact working on a new access system that will be introduced starting from the academic year 2022/2023 (for this first year of renewal the test will still be on paper, then it will become “Computerized”). No longer the classic generalist “quizzone” but a test divided into two parts: in the first part there will be 15 percent of questions of logical, numerical and “humanities” reasoning, while in the second there will be exclusively quizzes of disciplinary subjects.
In Tolc
Another novelty concerns the Tolc (Cisia online test) which could be introduced as early as the fourth year of high school and which could also be carried out twice a year: for each student the ministry, in agreement with universities, could consider the best score obtained for the purposes of the ranking.
The increase in available seats
Very relevant, given the lesson taught by the pandemic, is the increase in places that will be made available: 10 per cent more than now (until before Covid_19 about thousand people entered a year, we are already over 14 thousand, and with this reform they will increase again by 10 percent). Finally, to ensure that there is no discrepancy between the number of graduates and that of those accessing post-graduate training, this number will also be increased by trying to maintain the ratio of a graduate for each post in the specializations after graduation.
Government commitments for 2022/2023
In addition to reviewing the entrance test, Messa asked the Government to make available the online exercises of the various thematic areas so that they are similar to the official test. And also to activate disciplinary Moocs (Massive open online courses) on national platforms available to all. Among the initiatives there is also that of facilitating the orientation of students by making information and materials available also for high school teachers and preparing, in August, psycho-aptitude tests for self-assessment which students can access independently.
For the academic years starting from 2023/2024
After a first year of experimentation – which will be that of 2023/2024 – the new entrance test will be fully operational. In anticipation of which the ministry asks the Government to provide online tests of orientation and of the Tolc type that have the characteristic of being available before the competition and with a predetermination and advertising of when they will take place. In addition, dedicated computer stations will be made available and each university will be able to organize itself independently for carrying out the test.
«The resolution approved today in the Culture Committee is the decisive push for a total revision of the admission criteria to the Faculty of Medicine. Already from 2022 much more attention will be paid not to include in the test questions that are completely inconsistent with the type of study chosen. Then, from 2023, the path will be completely different and can start in the last years of secondary schools. At the same time, the places available will also increase »said Vittoria Casa, president of the Culture, Science and Education Commission at Montecitorio, on the sidelines of the unanimous approval of the resolution on access tests to limited attendance degree courses. «Forming a medical class more and more capable of meeting the growing demand for health is a complementary objective to this revision of the selective criteria. Girls and boys must be encouraged and accompanied to choose an essential profession for their personal and collective future. In terms of health training it is impossible to improvise, we are investing today to give the answer that is needed tomorrow »concludes Vittoria Casa.