Get the bank

AdmitItaly › Exams › IMAT

Exam guide · International Medical Admissions Test

IMAT, step by step.

The national admission test for Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine taught in English at Italy's state universities. One paper, one afternoon, one national ranking. 60 questions, 100 minutes, +1.5 for a right answer and −0.4 for a wrong one. Here is how it works and exactly what to study.

Get the IMAT bank · €89 Try 60 questions free
  • 60 Q
  • 100 min
  • +1.5 / −0.4
  • 5 sections
  • Once a year
  • Paper-based

Structure

60 questions. 100 minutes.

One clock for the whole paper, so you choose the order. Biology alone is worth more than a third of the marks, and the sciences together are 51 of the 60 questions.

#SectionQuestionsMax pointsShareMarking
1Reading skills and knowledge acquired in studies46.07%+1.5 correct · 0 blank · −0.4 wrong
2Logical reasoning and problem solving57.58%
3Biology2334.538%
4Chemistry1522.525%
5Physics and Mathematics1319.522%
Total6090.0100%Threshold 20 for EU candidates

Structure as set by the ministry's decree for the 2026 sitting (DM 1005 of 6 August 2026), unchanged from 2025. Ties in the ranking are broken by section scores in the order fixed by the decree.

Syllabus, step by step

What to study, in order.

The ministry's syllabus annex, section by section, with an indicative split of how many exam questions each topic tends to carry and how many questions our bank holds for it. Start with Biology, it is where the marks are.

01Biology

23 questions34.5 points1,968 in our bank

Thirty-eight percent of the paper. Human anatomy and physiology is the single largest block, followed by genetics and molecular biology. The annex does not list ecology or separate plant biology.

TopicExam Qs (indicative)In our bankShare
Section total231,968

02Chemistry

15 questions22.5 points1,295 in our bank

A quarter of the paper. Stoichiometry is the heaviest block and the one that punishes guessing; organic chemistry and acid–base calculations are the next most reliable.

TopicExam Qs (indicative)In our bankShare
Section total151,295

03Physics and Mathematics

13 questions19.5 points1,088 in our bank

One combined section of 13. Recent papers lean slightly towards physics, roughly seven physics and six mathematics, and the physics is mechanics-heavy.

TopicExam Qs (indicative)In our bankShare
Section total131,088

04Logical reasoning and problem solving

5 questions7.5 points466 in our bank

Since 2024 this section rewards quick inference over elaborate critical-thinking puzzles. Five questions, usually a mix of numerical problem solving and short verbal logic.

TopicExam Qs (indicative)In our bankShare
Section total5466

05Reading skills and knowledge acquired in studies

4 questions6 points363 in our bank

Four questions that candidates either bank in two minutes or lose entirely. Reading comprehension in English plus general knowledge drawn from the humanities, current affairs and institutions.

TopicExam Qs (indicative)In our bankShare
Section total4363

Topics follow Allegato A of the ministry's IMAT decree (DM 599 of 7 August 2025, carried into the 2026 decree), checked 16 October 2026. The per-topic exam counts are an indicative split: the ministry publishes totals per section, not per topic, and the mix moves from paper to paper. Bank counts are exact.

Scoring and strategy

Plus 1.5, minus 0.4.

IMAT's marking is harsher than CEnT-S's. A blind guess among five options loses money on average; rule out one option and it turns positive. Over 60 questions that is the difference between universities.

How a score is built

Correct answer+1.50
Blank answer0.00
Wrong answer−0.40
Maximum score90.00
EU eligibility threshold20.00
Example: 50 right, 5 wrong, 5 blank73.00

Play with the live simulator in the Score lab. Cut-offs differ by university and by year; our ranking simulator uses past cut-offs to project where a score lands.

Should you guess?

Expected points per guessed question, by how many of the five options you can rule out:

Rule out 0−0.02Coin flip. Skip.
Rule out 1+0.08Guess.
Rule out 2+0.23Guess.
Rule out 3+0.55Always guess.

Because there is one clock for the whole paper, do Biology and Chemistry first, bank the marks, then spend what is left on physics calculations.

Calendar

The 2026 cycle, as a template.

Every date is fixed by the yearly decree, published in July or August. Expect the 2027 cycle to follow the same shape, shifted by a few days.

Date (2026)What happensWho
6 AugMinisterial decree published: date, seats, venues, rules, syllabusEveryone
26 AugRegistration opens on UniversitalyEveryone
9 Sep, 15:00Registration closes; preferences become irrevocableEveryone
29 Sep, 13:30Exam day, 100 minutesEveryone
8 OctAnonymous scores published by label codeEveryone
19 OctYour answer sheet and score visible in your Universitaly areaEveryone
26 OctNamed national ranking; four working days to enrol if assignedEU and equivalent
3 NovFirst scorrimento; further rounds follow for weeksEU and equivalent
30 NovDeadline for the student visa applicationNon-EU abroad

Dates from the 2026 decree and university notices, checked 16 October 2026. Non-EU candidates living abroad are ranked by each university rather than in the national list, with their own enrolment windows.

The IMAT bank

5,180 questions. Every one solved.

Built section by section to the ministry's syllabus above, weighted the way the paper is weighted, with full-length mocks on a paper answer sheet if you want the ritual.

IMAT

IMAT Question Bank

Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary in English

€89 one payment
  • 5,180 questions across Biology, Chemistry, Physics & Maths, Logic and Reading
  • Step-by-step solution and the trap behind every question
  • 6 full-length timed mocks with +1.5 / −0.4 marking
  • Paper answer-sheet mode for exam-day rehearsal
  • Access until IMAT day
Get the IMAT bank
Keeping engineering or economics open too?

Both Banks gives you the 7,160-question CEnT-S bank as well, all 12,340 questions for €129, with the IMAT ranking simulator included.

See both banks
Not sure yet?

Try 30 IMAT questions with full solutions free. No card.

Start free

IMAT questions

Asked constantly.

Is IMAT really unaffected by the 2025 reform?

Yes. The reform moved Italian-taught medicine to a filter semester with no entry test, but its decree excludes English-taught courses. IMAT 2026 ran on 29 September with the same 60-question format, and admitted candidates enrol directly in October.

Can I use a calculator?

No. Calculators, phones and notes are not allowed. Physics and chemistry numbers are chosen to be workable by hand, which is exactly what our solutions teach.

Which universities can I rank?

Every state university with an English-taught course in the decree: in 2026 that included Pavia, Milan, Milano-Bicocca, Turin, Padua, Bologna, Parma, Florence, Rome Sapienza and Tor Vergata, Naples Federico II, Campania Vanvitelli, Bari, Messina, Cagliari, Catania and Politecnica delle Marche for medicine, plus Siena and Sapienza for dentistry and Bologna and Federico II for veterinary.

What score do I need?

At least 20 of 90 to be eligible as an EU candidate. The score that actually gets you a seat depends on the university and the year, and it falls through the scorrimenti. Our ranking simulator projects your position from past cut-offs, for EU and non-EU pools separately.

Can I also try the Italian route in the same year?

Yes, the two routes are separate. But the filter semester is taught, examined and ranked in Italian, so for most international applicants IMAT is the realistic one.

How the exam is conducted

From Universitaly to matricola.

IMAT is a state exam. The ministry publishes a decree each summer that fixes the date, the seats, the venues and the rules. The 2026 cycle below is the template for 2027.

  1. Spring · non-EU abroad

    Pre-enrol on Universitaly

    Non-EU candidates living outside Italy file a pre-enrolment request on Universitaly for the student visa. It is separate from test registration, and the visa file has its own deadline, 30 November in the 2026 cycle.

  2. Late August

    Register and rank your universities

    Registration ran from 26 August to 9 September 2026 at 15:00. You list universities in order of preference, pay the fee (around €130 in recent years, fixed by the decree) and keep the receipt. At the deadline the list becomes irrevocable, and your first preference is your test venue in Italy.

  3. Late September

    Test day

    29 September 2026 at 13:30, with identification in the morning. Bring the original ID you registered with, the payment receipt and the check-in code sent by email. You get a question booklet, an answer sheet with five boxes per question and a pen. No calculator, 100 minutes, 60 questions. Mark one box per question and follow the invigilators' correction rules to the letter.

  4. Early October

    Scores

    Anonymous scores by label code appeared on 8 October 2026; your own answer sheet and score became visible in your Universitaly area on 19 October. Check the scan against your memory of the paper.

  5. Late October

    The national ranking

    The named ranking landed on 26 October 2026. EU and equivalent candidates need at least 20 points. Next to your name you see assegnato (a seat at your highest available preference: enrol within four working days or lose it) or prenotato (a seat at a lower preference: enrol now, or confirm your interest and wait).

  6. November onwards

    Scorrimenti

    The first reassignment round ran on 3 November 2026, then rounds follow for weeks as unclaimed seats move down the list. Confirm your interest every round until you are assigned, then enrol, get your codice fiscale and residence permit, and you are a matricola.