Tour guides: selections today, testing schedule on Monday

Everything is ready for the test fortour guides, which is being held today, Friday 5 June, with a mixed model combining telematic mode and the use of proximity sites. The exam, for which 17,000 have registered, concerns basic knowledge of Italy's main tourist sites. The objective, says the Ministry of Tourism, is to meet the needs of operators who complain of a shortage of certified guides that encourages abusiveness.

Unlike the first selection round, in this case no penalties are envisaged. From the department headed by Gianmarco Mazzi, they say that next Monday, 8 June, the calendars of the orals and technical-practical tests will be published, which will begin by the end of the month. The threshold for a pass mark is set at 25 points, while the maximum score is 40: in order to be admitted to the second selection phase, it will therefore be necessary to obtain at least 25 points in the written test.

In order to be admitted to take the exam, it is compulsory to hold a diploma from secondary school (or equivalent qualifications or equivalent) or a three-year degree, specialised degree, master's degree or old-school degree. Last year, the number of failures after the first test had caused controversy: 98%. Once they had passed the written test, however, almost all the candidates who went on to take the oral interview and the practical test had obtained the qualification and enrolment in the National List of Tourist Guides (Engt).

This is also why in recent weeks the trade associations had pointed out some critical issues for the 2026 edition, such as the lack of time to prepare for the tests and the difficulty in reaching the designated venues. According to Agt26, rather than proximity venues, these would be macro-territorial poles, and organising transfers - with already high transport costs and, for many, even overnight stays - is burdensome.