Bocconi Test Maths: Every Topic on the Syllabus

Mathematics is the largest section of the Bocconi Online Test — 24 of the 50 questions — so it's where your score is won or lost. It's also the most coachable: the syllabus is fixed and public. Here's the full topic list, straight from Bocconi's published scope.

Why maths matters most

At 24 questions, Maths is nearly half the test. And if you're applying to the Bachelor in Mathematical and Computing Sciences for Artificial Intelligence (BAI), there's a hard floor: you need at least 11 out of 24 in the Mathematics area to be considered.^[1] For every other program, a strong maths score is simply the fastest way to clear the overall minimum and stand out.

The full topic list

Algebra

• Polynomials, powers and radicals; manipulating algebraic expressions
• First- and second-degree equations and inequalities with one unknown
• Systems of equations with two unknowns
• Equations and inequalities involving absolute values
• Given a relation among several quantities, expressing one as a function of the others

Functions

• Function notation, inverse functions and composition
• Graphs of elementary functions: powers, logarithms, exponentials, absolute value

Plane geometry

• Areas and perimeters of triangles, circles, squares, trapezoids, rhombuses

Analytical geometry

• Points and distances; equations and properties of lines (parallel, perpendicular, slope, intersection)
• Parabolas and circles, and their relative positions with lines

Trigonometry

• sin, cos, tan and their inverses; graphs; right-triangle applications
• The main trigonometric identities

Sets

• Inclusion, union, intersection, complement, Cartesian product

Logarithms and exponentials

• Logarithmic and exponential forms; equations and inequalities (including graphical)
• The fundamental identities involving logarithms and exponentials

Discrete mathematics

• Permutations and combinations (with and without repetition)
• Counting problems (sum rule, product rule)

Numbers

• Ordering of real numbers and operations; percentages; unit conversions

Probability

• Basic probability; union and intersection of events
• Total probability, conditional probability and Bayes' theorem

Problem solving

• Simple applied problems

Statistics

• Absolute and relative frequencies; joint and conditional distributions from tables
• Measures of central tendency and dispersion

A note on the two versions of this list. The above follows Bocconi's English syllabus page. The Italian page differs in two small places: it lists rectangles among the plane figures where the English page lists rhombuses, and it adds arrangements (disposizioni, with and without repetition) to the combinatorics alongside permutations and combinations. Bocconi doesn't say which version governs, so the safe move is to prepare both — rectangles and rhombuses, and arrangements and permutations. It's a few minutes of revision either way.

How to study it

1. Audit yourself against the list above. Tick what's solid; star what's shaky. Most students are fine on algebra and weak on probability, combinatorics or analytical geometry.
2. Drill the weak topics with exam-style questions, not textbook exercises — the format and pace are different.
3. Practise under time. Knowing how to do a problem and doing it in 60 seconds are not the same skill.
4. Mind the negative marking. A wrong answer costs −0.2, so build accuracy, not just speed.

Source: Bocconi University official admissions pages (Online Bocconi Test) for the Mathematics topic list and BAI minimum. BocconiPrep is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Bocconi University.