The application for recognition of the professional qualification may be subject to compensation measures, where there are substantial differences between the applicant's training and the training required in Italy and between the professional activities pursued in the country of origin and those practised for the same profession in Italy, which cannot be bridged by professional experience and/or additional training.

The compensa tion measures are, except for specific cases, at the applicant's choice and consist of an adaptation period of up to three years or an aptitude test.

Before subjecting the applicant to a compensation measure the Italian competent authority verifies whether the abilitis, skills and competence formally validated by a competent body, acquired by the applicant during his/her professional experience in the country of origin, can cover, in whole or in part, the substantial differences identified. 

The applicant cannot choose the compensation measure when:  

• he or she hold of a certificate of competence while in order to give access to the required professional qualification, italian authorities require a diploma attesting to the completion of:
  
  1) training at post-secondary level of at least one year or of an equivalent duration on a part-time basis, generally accessible after completion of secondary education or of school education equivalent to the second cycle of secondary education, plus a specific professional training in addition to the post-secondary cycle; 
  or
  2) A regulated education or training or, in the case of a regulated profession, training with a special structure;  
  
  
• he or she holds a certificate attesting to the completion of a secondary education, while, in order to give access to the required professional qualification, Italy asks for:
  
  1) a diploma certifying successful completion of a post-secondary training of a minimum duration of three years and a maximum duration of four years, or of an equivalent duration on a part-time basis, issued by a university or higher education institute or another establishment providing training of an equivalent level, plus relevant professional training in addition to the post-secondary course; 
  or 
  2) a diploma certifying that the holder has successfully completed a post-secondary course of at least four years' duration, or an equivalent duration on a part-time basis, at a university or higher education institute or another establishment of equivalent level and, where appropriate, has successfully completed the professional training required in addition to the post-secondary course. 

The competent authority may impose both an adaptation period and an aptitude test if the applicant is the holder of a certificate of competence only, whilst the qualification required in Italy is a university degree of at least three years and not more than four.

If the competent authority imposes an aptitude test, it shall ensure that the test can be passed within six months of its decision.