ECTS credits are a measure of the amount of work (divided into lectures, tutorials, workshops, internships and other recognised activities) required of the student for each course. 

One ECTS credit normally corresponds to 25 hours of total commitment; in one year, 60 ECTS credits are conventionally achieved.

As a rule, a full-time student takes exams for a total of 60 ECTS credits per year:

• Laurea = 180 ECTS credits 
• Laurea Magistrale = 120 ECTS credits 
• Five-year single-cycle Laurea Magistrale = 300 ECTS credits 

ECTS credits are different from marks - which, on the other hand, measure the quality of the student's work. Marks are calculated in thirtieths. The minimum mark for passing an exam is 18/30, whereas the maximum is 30/30 (possibly ‘with distinction’). The average exam mark influences the graduation mark.
When you take an exam, not only do you acquire a mark, but also the ECTS redits related to it.

CFUs (Crediti Formativi Universitari) are the Italian equivalent of ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits, also known as ‘European University Credits’: 1 CFU is equivalent to 1 ECTS credit.

Some programmes have the same educational objectives, open up the same professional outlets and have identical legal value regardless of their name. In this case, it is said that programmes belong to the same 'degree class'. Degree classes are 'containers' that group together programmes with the same educational characteristics and are defined by the Ministry at national level. Some are 'interclass', ie they have an educational system that fulfils the requirements of two different classes, depending on the study plan chosen.