What the Concorso Docenti is
The concorso docenti is the competitive examination through which Italy recruits permanent teachers into state schools. It is run by the Ministero dell’Istruzione e del Merito, but the procedures themselves are regional: a candidate applies in one region, for one or more classi di concorso, and is ranked against everyone else who chose the same region and class.
The current cycle is known as PNRR3, the third teacher competition financed under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. It was opened by two decrees issued on 9 October 2025, DDG 2938/2025 for infanzia and primaria and DDG 2939/2025 for scuola secondaria, and covers 58,135 posts for the three school years 2025/26 to 2027/28, reported as 30,759 for secondary and 27,376 for infanzia and primaria. Applications closed on 29 October 2025.
Who can apply
Access now runs through abilitazione. The standard route is the university pathway worth 60 CFU for the class of competition applied for. The alternative route is service: three years of teaching in state schools within the last five, at least one of them on the specific class applied for, with the obligation to acquire a further 30 CFU after entry.
The older 24 CFU route was valid only until 31 December 2024 and no longer gives access on its own. This is the single biggest change candidates trip over, because a qualification that was sufficient for an earlier cycle is not sufficient now. Each class of competition also carries its own degree and subject requirements, set out in the annexes to the bando.
For infanzia and primaria a candidate submits one application in one region, specifying the types of post (common post, support post) and the grades for which they hold the access title.
The written test
There is no preselection. The first stage is a computer based written test, identical in format for every candidate: 50 multiple choice questions in 100 minutes, four options each, one correct. A correct answer scores 2 points, a wrong or unanswered question scores 0, so the maximum is 100 and there is no penalty for guessing. The pass mark is 70 out of 100, meaning 35 correct answers.
The composition is fixed. Forty questions cover pedagogical, psycho-pedagogical and methodological-didactic competences, reported as 10 on pedagogy, 15 on psycho-pedagogical aspects and inclusion, and 15 on teaching methodology. Five questions test English at CEFR level B2, mainly reading comprehension. Five test digital competences connected to the use of technology in teaching.
Notice what is not there: the written test does not examine the subject the candidate intends to teach. Subject knowledge is assessed at the oral stage. Candidates who prepare by revising their discipline and skip the pedagogical and inclusion literature are preparing for the wrong paper.
The questions are not published in advance, unlike several other Italian competitions that release a banca dati. Preparation is therefore based on the quadri di riferimento published by the ministry, not on memorising a question bank.
The oral test
Candidates who reach 70 in the written test move to the oral, which lasts a maximum of 45 minutes for secondary and a maximum of 30 minutes for infanzia and primaria. It includes a simulated lesson and a check of English at B2. The pass mark is again 70 out of 100. Some subjects, such as technical, artistic and musical teaching, also involve a practical test. Qualifications are then scored and combined into the regional graduatoria di merito.
Applying and the calendar
The application is submitted online through the ministry’s Istanze OnLine system, and access requires a digital identity: SPID, CIE, CNS or eIDAS credentials. As with every Italian public competition, that identity has to exist before the window opens, not on the closing day.
Within the PNRR3 cycle, supplementary written sessions were held on 18 March 2026 for infanzia and primaria and 19 March 2026 for secondary, and the merit rankings were required to be published by 30 June 2026. Further teacher competitions beyond the PNRR cycle have been discussed but no bando is confirmed here. Check the current notice on the ministry site and on inPA before relying on any date.