BREAKING NEWS
APS India Changes the Rules — dMAT Now Compulsory
A major new requirement affects Indian students applying for a Master's in Germany from Summer Semester 2027. See if it applies to you.
BREAKING NEWS
APS India Changes the Rules — dMAT Now Compulsory
A major new requirement affects Indian students applying for a Master's in Germany from Summer Semester 2027. See if it applies to you.
IMAT · Complete Guide + 52 Free Papers
Medicine in Italy, in English — Everything About the IMAT
The single exam that decides admission to English-taught Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine at Italy's public universities. What it is, how it's scored, what score you actually need, how to apply — plus every official past paper from 2011 to 2025, free to download.
30 Sept 2026 exam date
60 Q / 100 min paper
90.0 max score
52 free PDFs below
🗓️ IMAT 2026 — Wednesday, 30 September 2026
· Confirmed by MUR notice of 3 July 2026 ·
Registration on Universitaly, expected late August
Zero to clarity in five minutes
What the IMAT actually is
The IMAT — International Medical Admissions Test is Italy's national entrance exam for English-taught Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine at public universities. One exam, one day, one score. That score alone decides who gets a seat — there is no interview, no essay, no weighting of your school marks.
60
Questions
100
Minutes
90.0
Maximum score
1,602
Seats in 2025
🇮🇹
Why Italy is worth the effort: a full MD taught entirely in English, at a public university, for roughly €400–€4,550 a year in tuition. The degree is EU-recognised and opens the door to specialisation across Europe. There is no cheaper route to a Western European medical degree in English.
🎓What you can study through the IMAT
🩺
Medicine & Surgery
The main course — a 6-year single-cycle degree (Laurea Magistrale a Ciclo Unico, LM-41). 1,632 seats across 16 universities in 2025.
🦷
Dentistry
Dentistry & Dental Prosthodontics (LM-46), 6 years. Only at Sapienza Rome and Siena — 60 seats total.
🐾
Veterinary Medicine
LM-42, 5 years. New and growing — Bologna since 2025 and Naples Federico II joining with 20 seats.
⚖️The one distinction that changes everything: EU vs non-EU
Before anything else, work out which quota you fall into. Almost every rule below — how many universities you can choose, whether you get second chances, what score you need — depends on it. An Indian student living in India is "non-EU resident abroad."
| EU / EU-equivalent | Non-EU resident abroad | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats (2025, Medicine) | 952 | 680 |
| University choices | Several, ranked in order of preference | ONE only — and it is effectively final |
| Ranking | One national merit list, then assigned by preference | A separate ranking at your single chosen university |
| Second chances (scorrimento) | Yes — 9 rounds in 2025; scores fall each round | No — miss out and you almost certainly miss the year |
| Minimum to enter ranking | 20 points | above 0 |
| Typical real cut-off | 55 – 66 | 51 – 73 |
| Visa & pre-enrolment | Not required | Required — Universitaly pre-enrolment, then study visa |
← swipe the table sideways to see all columns →
⚠️
Non-EU students, read this twice. You name one university at registration and you are ranked only against other non-EU applicants at that university. Pick a university whose cut-off is above your realistic score and the whole year is lost — there is no reshuffling. Tab 5 exists precisely to stop that from happening.
🗓️The IMAT 2026 cycle at a glance
1
Ministerial decree (bando) published
Fixes registration dates, the fee, the exact seat count per university. Not yet out as of writing — 2025's came on 7 August.
Expected early–mid August 20262
Registration opens on Universitaly
The only registration route. Test centres abroad — India especially — fill within hours. In 2025 the window ran 26 Aug to 9 Sept.
Expected late August 20263
Exam day
Held simultaneously worldwide at 11:00 Italian time — that is 14:30 IST.
Wednesday, 30 September 2026 · confirmed4
Results, then rankings
Anonymous scores first, then nominal results, then the ranking and seat assignments.
Expected October 20265
Enrolment, scorrimento, visa
Assigned candidates enrol within days. EU candidates ride the scorrimento rounds. Non-EU students move to visa and pre-enrolment.
October 2026 – February 2027
📌
Careful — the date was corrected once. The MUR notice of 3 July 2026 first circulated showing 8 October; it was corrected the next day to 30 September 2026. Any website still quoting 8 October is out of date.
✅Who can sit it
- A secondary school diploma equivalent to the Italian one — normally 12 years of schooling. India's 10+2 qualifies. You may still be in Class 12 when you sit the exam, as long as you finish before enrolment.
- English at roughly B2 — most universities want a certificate (IELTS/TOEFL) or proof that you were taught in English. Requirements vary by university, so check the one you choose.
- No age limit, no cap on attempts. You can retake the IMAT as many times as you like, in as many years as you like.
- No specific school subjects are formally required — but the syllabus assumes upper-secondary Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths. Science-stream students have a real head start.
- No NEET requirement to sit the IMAT. (Indian students who intend to practise in India afterwards should read the FAQ on NEET and the FMGE separately.)
🧭
Brand new to all this? Read the tabs in order. Tab 2 shows you what the paper looks like, Tab 3 what to study, Tabs 4–5 where to apply and what score you need, Tab 6 the paperwork, Tab 8 gives you every past paper free, and Tab 9 turns it all into a study plan.
The paper, section by section
Exam pattern and scoring
60 multiple-choice questions, five options each, 100 minutes, pen and paper. That is 1 minute 40 seconds per question — the IMAT is as much a speed test as a knowledge test.
| # | Section | Questions | Max points | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading Skills & General Knowledge | 4 | 6.0 | 6.7% |
| 2 | Logical Reasoning & Problem Solving | 5 | 7.5 | 8.3% |
| 3 | Biology | 23 | 34.5 | 38.3% |
| 4 | Chemistry | 15 | 22.5 | 25.0% |
| 5 | Physics & Mathematics | 13 | 19.5 | 21.7% |
| TOTAL | 60 | 90.0 | 100% |
← swipe the table sideways →
📊Where the marks really live
🎯
Biology alone is worth more than Logic + General Knowledge + Physics/Maths combined. The most common preparation mistake is pouring weeks into General Knowledge — a bottomless 6-point section — while leaving Biology half-learned. Do not make it.
🧮How scoring works
✅
Correct answer
+1.5
Every question is worth the same, whether it is a one-line recall or a three-step calculation.
❌
Wrong answer
−0.4
A real penalty, but a small one — far smaller than most students assume.
⬜
Left blank
0
Safe, but safety has a cost — see the guessing maths below.
🎲Should you guess? The actual maths
This one table is worth several marks on exam day. "Expected value" is what a guess is worth on average — positive means guessing gains you marks over the paper.
| You can eliminate… | Options left | Expected value | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nothing — total blank | 5 | −0.02 | Leave it blank |
| One option | 4 | +0.08 | Guess |
| Two options | 3 | +0.23 | Definitely guess |
| Three options | 2 | +0.55 | Always guess |
💡
The rule to memorise: never guess blind, always guess once you can rule out even one option. Most candidates lose more marks by leaving too many blanks out of fear than they would ever lose to the −0.4 penalty.
⏱️A time plan that works
| Section | Questions | Target time | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading & General Knowledge | 4 | 5 min | You either know it or you don't — never linger |
| Logical Reasoning | 5 | 10 min | One or two are time sinks — flag and return |
| Biology | 23 | 32 min | Mostly recall; speed here funds everything else |
| Chemistry | 15 | 25 min | Mix of recall and calculation |
| Physics & Maths | 13 | 25 min | The most calculation-heavy per question |
| Answer-sheet check | — | 3 min | Verify your rows line up. Non-negotiable. |
🔀
Don't work in printed order. Most high scorers run Biology → Chemistry → Physics/Maths → Logic → General Knowledge, banking the certain marks first. And remember: every candidate gets a uniquely shuffled paper — different question order, different option order — so there is no "question 34" to compare with a friend, and copying is pointless by design.
🏆Ties are broken in a fixed order
If two candidates finish on the same score, the higher rank goes to whoever is better on, in this order: Logical Reasoning → Biology → Chemistry → Mathematics → Physics → holding an English certificate → and finally, the younger candidate. It sounds like trivia until it decides your seat — and it is one more reason not to write off the 5-question logic section.
Exactly what to study
The full IMAT syllabus
Everything below is examinable. Tap any subject to open its complete topic list — this is the checklist to tick off, not a summary. The syllabus has been stable since 2024 and no changes have been announced for 2026.
📐
Study time, weighted properly: Biology 35% · Chemistry 25% · Physics & Maths 22% · Logical Reasoning 10% · Reading & General Knowledge 8%. Anything that drifts far from these ratios is a plan that loses marks.
🧬 Biology — 23 questions · 34.5 points +
The decisive section. If you master one subject, make it this one.
- The chemistry of living things — water and hydrogen bonding, weak interactions; carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and amino acids; nucleotides and nucleic acids (DNA, RNA); enzymes, their mechanism, kinetics, regulation, cofactors and coenzymes
- The cell — cell theory; prokaryotic vs eukaryotic; animal vs plant cells; plasma membrane and transport (diffusion, osmosis, active transport, endo/exocytosis); nucleus, ribosomes, ER, Golgi, lysosomes, peroxisomes, mitochondria, chloroplasts; cytoskeleton, cell wall, cell junctions; viruses
- Bioenergetics — ATP; NAD and FAD; glycolysis, Krebs cycle, electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation; fermentation (lactic and alcoholic); photosynthesis, light-dependent and light-independent reactions
- Reproduction and inheritance — cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis, gametogenesis; Mendel's laws; dominance, recessiveness, codominance, incomplete dominance; multiple alleles, polygenic traits, linkage and gene mapping; chromosomal theory; sex determination and sex-linked inheritance; pedigrees, human genetic disorders, blood groups
- Molecular biology and genetics — DNA structure and replication; transcription, RNA processing, translation, the genetic code; regulation of gene expression, operons; mutations (point, frameshift, chromosomal); recombinant DNA, plasmids, restriction enzymes, PCR, cloning, gel electrophoresis, biotechnology applications
- Inheritance and evolution — natural and artificial selection; Darwin vs Lamarck; Hardy-Weinberg; genetic drift and gene flow; speciation; evidence for evolution; classification of living organisms
- Human anatomy and physiology — the four tissue types; nervous (neurons, action potential, synapses, CNS/PNS, reflex arc, brain regions); endocrine (hormones, glands, feedback); cardiovascular (heart, cardiac cycle, vessels, blood, circulation); respiratory (gas exchange, mechanics of breathing, O₂/CO₂ transport); digestive (organs, enzymes, absorption, liver, pancreas); urinary (nephron, filtration, osmoregulation); reproductive (both systems, hormonal cycles, fertilisation, development); immune (innate vs adaptive, antibodies, lymphocytes, vaccination); skeletal and muscular (bone, joints, sliding-filament contraction); homeostasis and thermoregulation
⚗️ Chemistry — 15 questions · 22.5 points +
The most learnable section per hour invested — it rewards drilling calculations until they are automatic.
- Composition of matter — states of matter; pure substances vs mixtures; physical and chemical changes; homogeneous and heterogeneous systems
- Atomic structure — atomic theory; protons, neutrons, electrons; atomic and mass number; isotopes; quantum numbers; electron configuration
- The periodic table — groups, periods and blocks; trends in atomic radius, ionisation energy, electron affinity, electronegativity
- Chemical bonding — ionic, covalent (polar and non-polar), metallic, dative; VSEPR and molecular geometry; hybridisation; intermolecular forces including hydrogen bonding
- Inorganic nomenclature — oxides, anhydrides, hydroxides, binary acids and oxyacids, salts; traditional and IUPAC naming
- Reactions and stoichiometry — the mole, Avogadro's number, molar mass; balancing equations; limiting reagent; percentage yield; empirical and molecular formulae
- Solutions — solubility; molarity, molality, % w/w, % v/v, ppm; dilution; colligative properties
- Redox — oxidation numbers; balancing redox equations; basic electrochemistry
- Acids and bases — Arrhenius, Brønsted-Lowry and Lewis definitions; pH and pOH; strong vs weak; hydrolysis; buffers; titration and neutralisation
- Equilibrium and kinetics — reaction rate and what changes it; catalysts; Le Chatelier's principle; the equilibrium constant
- Thermodynamics basics — exothermic and endothermic processes; enthalpy
- Organic chemistry — hybridisation of carbon; alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatics; functional groups (alcohols, phenols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, amines, amides); structural, geometric and optical isomerism; basic reaction types; nomenclature; biological molecules
🔭 Physics — part of the 13-question Physics & Maths block +
Usually the weakest area for Indian medical-stream students, because NEET-focused preparation under-weights it. Budget real time here.
- Measurement — SI base and derived units; scalar vs vector; dimensional analysis; orders of magnitude
- Kinematics — uniform and uniformly accelerated motion; free fall; projectile motion; circular motion
- Dynamics — Newton's laws; forces and friction; momentum and impulse; gravitation; equilibrium; torque; centre of mass
- Work and energy — work; kinetic and potential energy; conservation of energy; power
- Fluids — density; pressure; Stevin's law; Pascal's principle; Archimedes' principle; continuity; Bernoulli
- Thermodynamics — temperature scales; heat and specific heat; phase changes; ideal gas laws; first and second laws
- Electricity — Coulomb's law; electric field and potential; capacitors; current; Ohm's law; resistance and resistivity; series and parallel circuits; electrical power and the Joule effect
- Magnetism — magnetic fields; force on a current-carrying conductor; basic electromagnetic induction
- Waves and optics — wave properties; sound; reflection and refraction; lenses
📐 Mathematics — part of the 13-question Physics & Maths block +
NEET does not test Maths. If you came through a medical-stream Class 12, this is the gap that costs the most marks — and the easiest one to close.
- Number sets and algebra — ℕ, ℤ, ℚ, ℝ; powers, roots and radicals; polynomials and factorisation; algebraic fractions
- Equations and inequalities — linear, quadratic, systems, irrational, fractional; exponential and logarithmic equations
- Functions — domain and range; composition and inverse; linear, quadratic, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions and their graphs
- Geometry — plane figures; congruence and similarity; Pythagoras; Euclid's theorems; circles; areas and perimeters; solid geometry, volumes and surface areas
- Analytic geometry — the Cartesian plane; distance and midpoint; the straight line; parallel and perpendicular conditions; parabola, circle, ellipse, hyperbola
- Trigonometry — degrees and radians; sine, cosine, tangent; fundamental identities; sine and cosine rules; solving right triangles
- Arithmetic and numeracy — ratios and proportions; percentages; scientific notation; approximation
- Statistics and probability — mean, median, mode, range, variance, standard deviation; classical and conditional probability; compound events; permutations, combinations, factorials
🧩 Logical Reasoning & Problem Solving — 5 questions · 7.5 points +
Small but trainable — and it is the first tie-breaker, so it punches above its weight.
Problem solving: selecting the relevant information from a wordy scenario; finding procedures; spotting similarities and patterns; reading tables, charts, graphs and timetables; practical arithmetic — percentages, fractions, ratios, unit conversion, rates, averages.
Critical thinking — the seven classic question types:
- Identifying the main conclusion
- Drawing a conclusion from a passage
- Identifying an assumption
- Strengthening or weakening an argument
- Detecting a flaw in the reasoning
- Applying a principle
- Syllogisms and formal deduction, including negation
Learn the seven types explicitly and name them as you practise. Simply "doing questions" without that scaffolding is why most candidates plateau here.
🌍 Reading Skills & General Knowledge — 4 questions · 6 points +
Reading comprehension: one or more English passages with questions on the main idea, inference, detail, vocabulary in context and coherence.
General knowledge — deliberately broad, with no fixed reading list:
- Literature, art and philosophy, with a European and Italian bias
- History and geography — European and world
- Politics, economics and law; international institutions, especially the European Union
- Current affairs
- Everyday science, technology and medicine in the news
- Italian culture, institutions and geography
Be honest about this section. Four questions, six points, unbounded scope — the worst return on study time in the whole exam. Learn the EU institutions and basic Italian civics once, read a decent English news source for fifteen minutes a day, and put every remaining hour into Biology.
📚
Syllabus alone is not preparation. The fastest way to find out what these topics look like as real IMAT questions is to open a past paper — all 15 years are free in Tab 8.
Where you can actually go
Universities and seats
Sixteen public universities offered English-taught Medicine in 2025, plus Dentistry at two and Veterinary Medicine at one. Here is every seat, split by quota — the numbers you need before you choose.
18
Universities (2026)
1,632
Medicine seats 2025
60
Dentistry seats
50
Veterinary seats
🩺Medicine & Surgery — seats, IMAT 2025
| University | City | EU | Non-EU | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bologna | Bologna | 130 | 20 | 150 |
| Pavia (Harvey Course) | Pavia | 103 | 40* | 143 |
| Cagliari | Cagliari | 80 | 20 | 100 |
| Padova | Padua / Venice | 75 | 25 | 100 |
| Parma | Parma | 75 | 45 | 120 |
| Turin | Turin | 70 | 32* | 102 |
| Bari | Bari | 69 | 11 | 80 |
| Luigi Vanvitelli | Naples | 60 | 50 | 110 |
| Tor Vergata | Rome + Tirana | 60 | 20 +150 Tirana | 230 |
| Milan (Statale) | Milan | 55 | 15 | 70 |
| Messina | Messina | 55 | 56 | 111 |
| Sapienza | Rome | 45 | 13 | 58 |
| Milano-Bicocca | Bergamo | 30 | 18 | 48 |
| Federico II | Naples | 25 | 45 | 70 |
| Politecnica delle Marche | Ancona | 20 | 60 | 80 |
| Catania | Catania | 0 | 60 | 60 |
| TOTAL | — | 952 | 680 | 1,632 |
← swipe the table sideways →
* includes Marco Polo seats (5 at Pavia, 2 at Turin). Tor Vergata's 150 extra non-EU seats are delivered at its campus in Tirana, Albania — not in Italy.
🦷Dentistry & 🐾 Veterinary — seats, IMAT 2025
| Programme | University | EU | Non-EU | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dentistry | Siena | 33 | 2 | 35 |
| Dentistry | Sapienza, Rome | 19 | 6 | 25 |
| Veterinary | Bologna new in 2025 | 45 | 5 | 50 |
🆕New for 2026/27
🌸
Florence (UniFI)
A brand-new English-taught Medicine & Surgery degree, 50 seats total across EU and non-EU, starting 2026/27. Admission details still to be announced.
⚙️
Padua — MedTech
Medicine with an integrated engineering curriculum. Provisionally 65 EU + 15 non-EU seats, pending ministerial approval.
🐕
Naples Federico II — Veterinary
Italy's second English-taught veterinary path, 20 seats a year at the Complesso Frullone campus. Requires verified B2 English.
📈
Seats keep growing. EU Medicine places went from 625 in 2020–21 to 919 in 2024 to 952 in 2025; non-EU from 321 to 530 (680 including Tirana). With Florence, Padua MedTech and Naples Veterinary already announced, 2026 should be the largest intake yet — the final numbers arrive with the ministerial decree.
🤔How to choose — beyond the cut-off number
- Seat count matters as much as the threshold. A university with 45 non-EU seats is a far safer bet than one with 11 at the same cut-off — small allocations swing violently year to year.
- Watch the volatility. Bari's non-EU threshold went 31.2 → 65.8 → 50.9 in three years. Never plan against a single year's number.
- Cost of living is a six-year decision. Milan and Rome are dramatically more expensive than Messina, Bari, Catania or Cagliari — often €300–€400 a month in difference.
- Check where the course is actually taught. Bicocca teaches in Bergamo, Padua's programme runs in Venice, and Tor Vergata's 150 extra non-EU seats are in Albania.
- Some universities require their own separate registration — Messina and Marche confirmed, with deadlines months before the IMAT. See Tab 6.
The honest benchmark
What score do you actually need?
Clearing the minimum only puts you in the ranking. Getting a seat is a different number entirely. These are the real thresholds from the last six years — use them to choose your university, not to comfort yourself.
70+
Top ~1% of all candidates. Any university, EU or non-EU.
60–70
Top ~5%. Safe for most universities on the EU quota; competitive on non-EU.
50–60
Realistic for mid and lower-demand universities. Needs careful choosing.
Below 50
Very difficult except at the lowest-demand seats. Plan a backup.
📊
IMAT 2025, out of 13,495 candidates: only 18 scored above 80, 138 above 70, and 640 above 60. A score of 70 puts you in the top 1% of the entire global field. Set expectations against that, not against a coaching advertisement.
🌍Non-EU cut-offs by university
This is the table Indian students should study hardest, because you get one university choice and no second round.
| University | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Seats '25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan (Statale) | 51.8 | 60.2 | 75.7 | 72.9 | 15 |
| Pavia | 43.8 | 53.3 | 71.5 | 71.9 | 40 |
| Bologna | 51.5 | 59.1 | 74.5 | 71.1 | 20 |
| Tor Vergata (Rome) | 44.6 | 53.4 | 60.6 | 69.1 | 20 |
| Parma | 41.9 | 50.1 | 59.1 | 67.6 | 45 |
| Turin | 50.1 | 49.0 | 70.8 | 67.1 | 32 |
| Luigi Vanvitelli | 41.9 | 47.3 | 63.2 | 66.2 | 50 |
| Sapienza (Rome) | 52.6 | 50.8 | 73.4 | 65.8 | 13 |
| Padova | 50.7 | 49.5 | 71.6 | 65.4 | 25 |
| Milano-Bicocca | 49.2 | 54.2 | 72.6 | 65.1 | 18 |
| Federico II | 44.4 | 52.0 | 68.1 | 63.1 | 45 |
| Marche (Ancona) | 34.5 | 43.0 | 60.3 | 58.2 | 60 |
| Messina | 42.9 | 36.9 | 61.4 | 58.2 | 56 |
| Cagliari | — | — | 56.5 | 54.7 | 20 |
| Bari | 42.6 | 31.2 | 65.8 | 50.9 | 11 |
| Sapienza — Dentistry | — | — | — | 71.8 | 6 |
| Siena — Dentistry | — | — | — | 52.0 | 2 |
| Bologna — Veterinary | — | — | — | 40.6 | 5 |
| Tor Vergata — Tirana campus | — | — | — | 0 | 150 |
← swipe the table sideways to see all years →
🇦🇱
That "0" at Tirana is real. Tor Vergata's Albanian campus had 150 non-EU seats and not enough applicants to fill them, so the threshold fell to zero. It is a genuine option for a student who needs a seat — but be clear with yourself that it is a campus in Albania, not in Italy.
🇪🇺EU / EU-equivalent cut-offs
| University | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan (Statale) | 44.3 | 46.6 | 67.8 | 65.8 |
| Sapienza (Rome) | 42.8 | 45.4 | 65.1 | 65.8 |
| Bologna | 41.5 | 42.6 | 64.8 | 60.4 |
| Pavia | 36.7 | 38.4 | 59.5 | 60.1 |
| Turin | 37.3 | 37.4 | 61.8 | 59.1 |
| Padova | 37.9 | 38.7 | 63.2 | 58.6 |
| Federico II | 37.0 | 45.2 | 61.4 | 58.3 |
| Parma | 34.1 | 35.3 | 57.0 | 57.0 |
| Bari | 34.1 | 34.1 | 56.0 | 55.5 |
| Milano-Bicocca | 41.0 | 43.3 | 64.8 | filled early |
| Tor Vergata | 39.2 | 38.5 | 59.5 | — |
| Luigi Vanvitelli | 34.2 | 35.0 | 57.3 | — |
| Marche | 32.8 | 35.3 | 56.5 | — |
| Messina | 33.1 | 32.8 | 55.2 | — |
| Cagliari | — | 32.4 | 55.0 | — |
| Catania | — | 32.4 | 55.3 | — |
🔄Scorrimento — why EU candidates should never panic at round 1
When an assigned candidate declines a seat, it passes down the list. IMAT 2025 ran to nine such rounds. Here is how far thresholds fell in 2024:
| University | Round 1 | Final | Drop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federico II | 64.0 | 61.4 | −2.6 |
| Pavia | 61.8 | 59.5 | −2.3 |
| Cagliari | 56.9 | 55.0 | −1.9 |
| Milan | 69.2 | 67.8 | −1.4 |
| Padova | 64.6 | 63.2 | −1.4 |
| Bologna | 65.6 | 64.8 | −0.8 |
| Turin | 62.4 | 61.8 | −0.6 |
🔔
But you must keep confirming your interest. Many universities treat silence during a scorrimento round as withdrawal. Check the portal and your email through October, November and December — students lose seats they had already won simply by not clicking.
🎯Matching your mock score to a target (non-EU)
| Your realistic mock score | Sensible one-choice target |
|---|---|
| 72+ | Milan, Pavia, Bologna — the top tier |
| 65 – 72 | Tor Vergata Rome, Parma, Turin, Vanvitelli, Sapienza, Padova, Bicocca |
| 58 – 65 | Federico II, Marche, Messina |
| 50 – 58 | Bari, Cagliari, Siena Dentistry |
| Below 50 | Bologna Veterinary, Tor Vergata Tirana campus — or plan a private-university backup |
🧠
Use your average of three full timed mocks, not your best one and not your best section. Then aim one band below your average, because exam-day conditions cost most candidates a few marks. EU candidates should simply rank every university they would genuinely attend — a long list costs nothing and catches more rounds.
Paperwork, in the right order
How to apply — and the deadlines that catch people out
More students lose a year to a missed university deadline than to a low IMAT score. There are three separate processes, on three different platforms, with three different deadlines. Confusing them is the single most expensive mistake in this whole journey.
🚨
Read this before anything else. Several universities require their own pre-registration months before the IMAT — and if you miss it, a winning IMAT score at that university is worthless. Some 2026 deadlines have already closed.
1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣The three processes, untangled
| # | Process | Where | Who needs it | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University pre-registration / pre-evaluation | The university's own portal | Depends on the university — some require it of everyone | Often months BEFORE the IMAT (June–August) |
| 2 | IMAT registration | Universitaly | Everyone sitting the exam | The official window, ~late Aug 2026 |
| 3 | Universitaly pre-enrolment (for the visa) | Universitaly | Non-EU only | University-set, late June → September |
📅University deadlines published for 2026 so far
| University | 2026 deadline | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pavia — Medicine | 31 August 2026 | OPEN |
| Bari — EU / Marco Polo | 30 September 2026 · apply.uniba.it | OPEN |
| Bari — non-EU needing a visa | 30 June 2026 | CLOSED |
| Cagliari | 20 July 2026 (documents to 24 July) | CLOSED |
| Messina — 5th call pre-evaluation | 20 June → 20 July 2026 | CLOSED |
| Catania | Was 31 July — capped at 560 candidates | CLOSED EARLY |
| Marche (Ancona) | Pre-evaluation from the 3rd call · €10 fee · needs BOTH portals | CHECK |
| Florence, Padua MedTech, Naples Vet | To be announced | PENDING |
| Bologna, Bicocca, Sapienza, Milan, Padova, Turin, Siena, Tor Vergata, Vanvitelli, Parma | Not yet published | MONITOR |
🔎
Never rely on a summary — including this one. Check the individual university's own website the day you shortlist it. And note Parma's quirk: applicants holding an Italian study-purpose residence permit but no Italian diploma are counted in the non-EU quota. Rules like that vary by university and change your entire strategy.
🖥️Registering for the IMAT, step by step
1
Create your Universitaly account
Personal details, passport, email. Avoid PEC, Hotmail, MSN and Live addresses — the portal has known delivery problems with them. Do this before the window opens.
2
Open the IMAT registration section
Available only during the official window. Choose your degree: Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, or Veterinary Medicine.
3
Choose your universities
EU candidates rank several. Non-EU candidates name one, and it is effectively final. Decide this in advance — do not deliberate while the clock is running.
4
Choose your test centre
Sitting in Italy, you are assigned your first-choice university's city automatically. Sitting abroad, pick any international centre.
India's centres sell out in hours5
Pay the fee
Roughly €130–€150, set by the ministerial decree and varying slightly by country and currency. Use an international-enabled card and tell your bank to expect a euro transaction.
6
Print BOTH confirmation emails
Registration and payment. You can be refused entry to the exam room without them. Screenshot them too.
🛂Non-EU: pre-enrolment and the student visa
Without Universitaly pre-enrolment, the Italian consulate will not start a study visa. EU citizens skip this entirely.
- Start a pre-enrolment application on Universitaly: academic year 2026/2027, your country, and the responsible Italian Embassy or Consulate — for India, New Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata by jurisdiction.
- Select the course — university → Laurea Magistrale a Ciclo Unico → language English → Medicine and Surgery.
- Only one pre-enrolment is allowed — one university, one course. This mirrors your single IMAT choice.
- The university validates it and forwards it to the consulate. Then you book your visa appointment.
- Visa file: form, passport, photos, pre-enrolment confirmation, admission letter, proof of financial means (roughly €6,600+/yr), accommodation proof, health insurance, academic documents. Fee ~€50. Allow 3–8 weeks.
- Within 8 days of landing in Italy, apply for your permesso di soggiorno at the post office. Then register with the SSN health service (~€700/yr).
📜Declaration of Value vs CIMEA — start one early
| Declaration of Value (DoV) | CIMEA Statement of Comparability | |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | The Italian Embassy/Consulate in your country | CIMEA, online |
| Cost | Free or a consular fee | Paid (~€200 range) |
| Speed | Slow — weeks to months, appointment-dependent | Faster — typically a few weeks |
| Prerequisites | Usually apostille/attestation first — in India, HRD/State + MEA apostille | Uploaded scans |
| Accepted? | Universally | By most universities — confirm with yours |
⏳
Begin one of these the moment a student decides on Italy — long before results. Applications routinely go "on hold" for a missing DoV or CIMEA, and enrolment windows are only a few working days long. For Indian students the CIMEA route is usually faster and more predictable than waiting for consular appointments.
💶What it costs, honestly
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| IMAT registration fee | €130 – €150 |
| Tuition — public university, English Medicine | €390 – €4,550 / year |
| Regional student tax | ~€140 – €180 / yr |
| Stamp duty (marca da bollo) | ~€16 / yr |
| Living costs | €700 – €1,100 / month |
| Health insurance (SSN) | ~€700 / yr |
| Visa fee | ~€50 |
💰
Two money moves that save thousands.
1. ISEE Parificato — Italian tuition is income-assessed. Non-EU families with income outside Italy can file an ISEE Parificato through a CAF office instead of accepting the flat rate. For a typical Indian middle-income family this often moves the fee from the top band (~€4,000) to near the minimum (~€400). It has an autumn deadline, and missing it locks in the maximum band for the whole year.
2. Regional DSU scholarships — EDISU Piemonte, ER-GO Emilia-Romagna, DSU Toscana, LazioDisco and others are open to international students and worth roughly €5,000–€7,000 plus a fee waiver, often with canteen and housing benefits. They are applied for separately, usually July–September — frequently before IMAT results are out. Apply speculatively; it costs nothing but time.
1. ISEE Parificato — Italian tuition is income-assessed. Non-EU families with income outside Italy can file an ISEE Parificato through a CAF office instead of accepting the flat rate. For a typical Indian middle-income family this often moves the fee from the top band (~€4,000) to near the minimum (~€400). It has an autumn deadline, and missing it locks in the maximum band for the whole year.
2. Regional DSU scholarships — EDISU Piemonte, ER-GO Emilia-Romagna, DSU Toscana, LazioDisco and others are open to international students and worth roughly €5,000–€7,000 plus a fee waiver, often with canteen and housing benefits. They are applied for separately, usually July–September — frequently before IMAT results are out. Apply speculatively; it costs nothing but time.
Where you sit the paper
Test centres and exam day
The IMAT runs in 17 Italian universities and around 26 international centres, all starting at 11:00 Italian time — simultaneously, worldwide. Venues below are the confirmed 2025 list; the 2026 list arrives with the decree and rarely changes much.
🇮🇹
Sitting in Italy
You are assigned automatically to the city of your first-choice university. There is no separate centre choice to make.
✈️
Sitting abroad
You may choose any international centre, regardless of which Italian university you applied to. Selected during Universitaly registration.
🇮🇳India — read this carefully
| City | Venue (2025) |
|---|---|
| New Delhi | Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi, Paschim Vihar |
| Chennai | Ramada Plaza Chennai |
⚡
Only two centres in the whole country — and they fill within hours. No Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Kolkata centre. India is consistently named alongside Turkey, the UAE and Hong Kong as the fastest to sell out. Students who log in even a day late routinely find both Indian centres full and end up flying to Dubai or Italy.
- Local start time: 11:00 CEST = 14:30 IST on 30 September 2026. Confirm on your admission ticket.
- Travel the day before. A Chennai student flying to Delhi (or the reverse) should never attempt same-day travel.
- Carry your original passport. Aadhaar, PAN and driving licences are not acceptable ID for an international sitting.
⏰
The registration drill — do all of this BEFORE the window opens: Universitaly account created and email verified · passport number and expiry saved · international card ready with the limit checked and the bank told to expect a euro charge · university preference decided in advance · an alarm set for the exact opening time (it opens on Italian time, usually a mid-afternoon IST slot) · both confirmation emails printed the moment they arrive.
🌏All international centres (2025)
| Region | Country · City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | India · New Delhi | Radisson Blu, Paschim Vihar |
| India · Chennai | Ramada Plaza Chennai | |
| Pakistan · Lahore | Qasr e Noor, RA Bazar Cantt | |
| China · Beijing | ATA Beijing Test Centre | |
| Hong Kong | ATA Hong Kong Test Centre | |
| Azerbaijan · Baku | Hyatt Regency Baku | |
| Middle East | UAE · Dubai | Dubai World Trade Centre |
| Saudi Arabia · Jeddah | Arab Open University | |
| Turkey · Istanbul | WOW Airport Hotel | |
| Turkey · Ankara | Hilton Garden Inn | |
| Europe | UK · London | West London College — Hammersmith & Fulham |
| UK · Birmingham | Tutors & Exams | |
| Ireland · Dublin | Camden Court Hotel | |
| France · Paris | Best Western Plus Orly Airport | |
| Germany · Berlin | Best Western Premier Airporthotel | |
| Spain · Madrid | British Council Madrid | |
| Portugal · Lisbon | British Council Lisbon | |
| Greece · Athens | Hotel Crowne Plaza | |
| Poland · Warsaw | SWPS, Golden Floor Plaza | |
| Switzerland · Lugano | Hotel De La Paix | |
| Cyprus · Nicosia | Pavillion Hill | |
| Albania · Tirana | European University of Tirana | |
| Americas | USA · New York | Holmes Education |
| Canada · Toronto | OHC Toronto | |
| Brazil · São Paulo | Universidade Anhanguera Santana | |
| Africa | South Africa · Johannesburg | British Council Johannesburg |
← swipe the table sideways →
🏛️The 17 Italian centres
Bari · Bologna · Cagliari · Catania · Messina · Milan (Statale) · Milan (Bicocca) · Naples (Federico II) · Naples (Vanvitelli) · Ancona (Marche) · Padova · Parma · Pavia · Rome (Sapienza) · Rome (Tor Vergata) · Siena · Turin
🎒Exam day — what to bring, what gets you disqualified
✅
Bring
- Original photo ID (passport). Photocopies are refused.
- Printed registration confirmation email
- Printed payment confirmation email
- An analogue watch (optional — the room may have no clock)
- A clear, colourless water bottle with no label
🚫
Leave outside
- Any calculator
- Mobile phone, smartwatch, any digital watch
- Recorders, MP3 players, cameras, any electronic device
- Your own pens, pencils, erasers, rulers — everything is supplied
- Notes, books, scrap paper
🪪
The rule that catches people out: your photo ID is checked at entry, but do not leave it visible on your desk during the exam — it has been treated as a disqualifiable irregularity. Put it away once you are checked in.
📄
The full official exam-day regulations are in the download library — grab "IMAT Exam Day — Instructions & Regulations" in Tab 8 and read it the week before your test.
Free · Official · No sign-up
The IMAT Paper Library
Every IMAT paper from 2011 to 2025 — all 15 years — plus answer keys, re-shuffled practice versions and the official exam-day regulations. 52 PDFs, completely free, no email required.
🧭
New here? Download these four, in this order:
1️⃣ IMAT 2025 Question Paper — see what you're facing · 2️⃣ IMAT 2024 — the second most recent · 3️⃣ IMAT 2023 + its answer key — your first scored mock · 4️⃣ Exam Day Instructions & Regulations — read it the week before the test.
1️⃣ IMAT 2025 Question Paper — see what you're facing · 2️⃣ IMAT 2024 — the second most recent · 3️⃣ IMAT 2023 + its answer key — your first scored mock · 4️⃣ Exam Day Instructions & Regulations — read it the week before the test.
⚠️
The "all answers are A" trap — this matters. The Ministry publishes papers from 2021 onwards in a standardised form where the correct answer is always option A. Practise on a raw one and you will pattern-match your way to a meaningless score. That is why the papers in the Question Papers and Shuffled Practice sections here have had their answers properly redistributed. Use those for mocks; treat the Official Versions as reference copies only.
🕰️
Old papers are useful — but not for judging your score. Papers from 2011–2019 were weighted very differently, with up to 20 logical-reasoning questions and far less science. They are excellent as a topic bank while you learn. Only 2022–2025 match the current 4 / 5 / 23 / 15 / 13 format — save those three or four for real timed mocks near the end.
🔀
One thing no past paper can reproduce: in the real exam, every candidate receives a uniquely shuffled paper — different question order, different option order. So never memorise positions, and never compare "question 34" with a friend. Work from the question text alone.
From zero to a competitive score
The study plan
Serious candidates give the IMAT 6 to 12 months. Here is how to spend them so that the hours actually convert into marks.
⚖️
Time allocation, weighted to where the marks are: Biology 35% · Chemistry 25% · Physics & Maths 22% · Logical Reasoning 10% · Reading & General Knowledge 8%.
🗺️Six months, three phases
1
Months 1–2 · Foundations
Work through Biology and Chemistry theory front to back — no skipping topics because they "rarely come up." Rebuild Physics and Maths from the syllabus list; this is where most candidates are weakest. Use the 2011–2019 papers as an untimed topic bank alongside the theory, not as mocks. Learn the EU institutions and basic Italian civics once, then park General Knowledge.
Do not score anything yet2
Months 3–4 · Consolidation
Second pass through Biology using active recall (flashcards / Anki), not re-reading. Drill Chemistry calculations — stoichiometry, solutions, pH, redox — until they are automatic. Start section-timed practice: 23 Biology questions in 32 minutes, 15 Chemistry in 25. Learn the seven critical-thinking question types by name. Read a quality English news source 15 minutes a day.
Start the clock, section by section3
Months 5–6 · Simulation
Full 100-minute mocks every week under real conditions — no phone, no calculator, one sitting, ideally at the real start time. Save 2023, 2024 and 2025 for this phase. Score every mock with the official formula. Practise the answer sheet itself, including row alignment. In the final two weeks: no new material — review your error log, redo previously-wrong questions, protect your sleep.
This is where the score is made📓The error log — the highest-value habit
After every mock, sort each wrong answer into one of four buckets. Fix the biggest bucket first; the pattern across three mocks tells you exactly where your next ten points are hiding.
📕
Knowledge gap
You simply didn't know it. Fix: go back to the theory for that topic.
👀
Misread
You knew it but answered a different question. Fix: underline NOT, ALWAYS, EXCEPT as you read.
✏️
Calculation slip
Right method, wrong arithmetic. Fix: more drilling, and estimate before you compute.
⏱️
Time pressure
You rushed or ran out. Fix: the 90-second rule and a different question order.
🎯Technique that reliably adds marks
- Guess whenever you can eliminate one option. Never blind-guess. Most candidates leave far too many blanks out of fear of the −0.4.
- The 90-second rule. No question is worth more than 1.5 points. If a Physics problem passes 90 seconds, flag it and move on — three Biology marks lost to save one Physics mark is a bad trade.
- Two passes, not one. Sweep the paper for everything you can answer quickly, then return to the flagged questions with whatever time remains.
- Answer-sheet discipline. Transfer in blocks and verify the question number every ten rows. A misaligned answer sheet is the most expensive avoidable error in this exam.
- Read the question, not the options. IMAT questions constantly hinge on "which of the following is NOT…" or "…is always true." The options are engineered around the misread.
🇮🇳If you have prepared for NEET
🔁
NEET preparation covers a large share of IMAT Biology, Chemistry and Physics — you are not starting from zero. But three real differences decide your score:
1. The IMAT is in English, with a distinct question style. 2. It includes Mathematics, which NEET does not — this is usually the single biggest gap. 3. It adds Logical Reasoning and General Knowledge. A NEET-prepared student typically needs 2–4 focused months on Maths, logic and exam technique, not a full restart.
1. The IMAT is in English, with a distinct question style. 2. It includes Mathematics, which NEET does not — this is usually the single biggest gap. 3. It adds Logical Reasoning and General Knowledge. A NEET-prepared student typically needs 2–4 focused months on Maths, logic and exam technique, not a full restart.
📈What realistic progress looks like
| Stage | Typical mock score |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic, before any study | 15 – 30 |
| After foundations (2 months) | 35 – 45 |
| After consolidation (4 months) | 45 – 58 |
| After the simulation phase (6 months) | 55 – 70 |
| Second-year candidates | often +10 – 15 on their first attempt |
📖What to study from
📚
Free, and already yours
The 52 PDFs in Tab 8 — 15 years of papers and keys — are the highest-value resource that exists for this exam. Add Khan Academy for fundamentals and Anki for Biology recall.
📘
Textbooks
Biology: Campbell. Chemistry: Zumdahl or Atkins. Physics: Halliday-Resnick. Indian students: NCERT Class 11–12 covers most of Chemistry and Physics well.
🧩
For the logic section
BMAT and UCAT critical-thinking material transfers almost directly. Learn the seven question types explicitly rather than grinding random questions.
🪂
Have a parallel plan. If your mocks have plateaued below 45 with under two months to go, run a private-university entrance exam alongside the IMAT rather than betting the year on one September morning — Humanitas (HUMAT), UniCamillus, Vita-Salute San Raffaele and Cattolica all run their own English-taught MD admissions, several of them months earlier. Tuition is higher (€10,000–€25,000+/yr), but a seat is a seat.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
When exactly is the IMAT 2026, and is the date final? +
Wednesday, 30 September 2026, starting at 11:00 Italian time. This came from the MUR calendar notice of 3 July 2026 and is confirmed. Note that the notice first circulated showing 8 October and was corrected the next day — any site still quoting 8 October is out of date. The bando (ministerial decree) with registration dates, the fee and final seat numbers had not been published as of late July 2026; 2025's arrived on 7 August, so expect it in early-to-mid August.
Do I need NEET to study medicine in Italy? +
No — NEET is not required to sit the IMAT or to be admitted in Italy. The IMAT score alone decides admission. NEET becomes relevant only if you intend to return to India to practise: Indian regulations have required a NEET qualification for students going abroad, and returning graduates must clear the screening examination (FMGE / NExT) to be licensed in India. If practising in India is the plan, sort that out separately and early — it does not affect your Italian admission, but it does affect your career path.
Is the IMAT hard? What score is realistic? +
Hard in a specific way: the syllabus is school-level, but you get 100 minutes for 60 questions and the competition is global. Of 13,495 candidates in 2025, only 640 scored above 60 and 138 above 70. A realistic seat needs roughly 55–66 (EU) or 51–73 (non-EU, depending on university). A first-time candidate with six honest months of preparation usually lands somewhere in the 55–70 range.
How many times can I take the IMAT? +
Unlimited, in as many years as you like, with no age limit. Scores are not combined — each year's attempt stands alone. Second-year candidates commonly improve by 10–15 points, because the second attempt is built on a real diagnosis rather than guesswork.
Can I choose more than one university? +
It depends entirely on your quota. EU and EU-equivalent candidates rank several universities in order of preference and can be moved down the list through scorrimento rounds. Non-EU candidates resident abroad choose ONE university and are ranked only against other non-EU applicants there. There is no reshuffling — which is exactly why Tab 5 exists.
What does it cost to study medicine in Italy? +
Public university tuition is income-assessed and runs roughly €390 to €4,550 a year, plus about €140–€180 regional tax. Living costs run €700–€1,100 a month depending on the city. Two things cut the bill sharply: filing an ISEE Parificato (which often moves an Indian middle-income family from the top band to near the minimum) and applying for a regional DSU scholarship worth €5,000–€7,000 plus a fee waiver. Both have their own deadlines — see Tab 6.
Do I need to know Italian? +
Not to be admitted, and not for your classes — the course is taught entirely in English. But you will be living in Italy for six years, and clinical rotations from around year 3 involve real Italian patients. Most universities expect students to reach a working level of Italian by then, and several build Italian language courses into the curriculum. Start learning before you arrive; it makes an enormous difference to daily life.
Is an Italian medical degree recognised internationally? +
Yes. It is an EU-recognised medical qualification, automatically recognised across EU/EEA member states, which is one of the strongest reasons to choose Italy. For practice elsewhere, the usual licensing routes apply — USMLE for the USA, PLAB for the UK, FMGE/NExT for India. Check that your chosen university is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (all the public ones are) if you plan to sit the USMLE.
What if I miss a university's own registration deadline? +
Then that university is closed to you for the year, however well you do in the IMAT. This is the most common and most painful mistake in the whole process. Several 2026 deadlines have already closed (Catania, Bari non-EU, Cagliari, Messina), while Pavia's ran to 31 August. Always check the university's own website — never rely on a national summary, including this page.
Are the answers in the official past papers really all "A"? +
Yes, for papers from 2021 onwards. It's a by-product of how the ministry de-randomises papers for publication, not an error. It also means a raw official paper is useless as a mock — you would pattern-match option A. The Question Papers and Shuffled Practice sets in Tab 8 have their answers properly redistributed; use those for scored practice and keep the Official Versions as reference copies.
Are older papers still worth doing? +
Yes — but for a different job. Papers from 2011–2019 had a very different mix, with up to 20 logical-reasoning questions and far less science. They are an excellent topic bank while you are still learning theory. Only 2022–2025 match the current 4 / 5 / 23 / 15 / 13 format, so those are the ones to save for real timed mocks.
What happens if I score well but don't get a seat? +
EU candidates: stay in the scorrimento rounds — 2025 ran to nine of them and thresholds fell several points along the way. Keep confirming your interest each round, because silence is often read as withdrawal. Non-EU candidates: there is effectively no scorrimento, so the realistic options are a private Italian university (Humanitas, UniCamillus, San Raffaele, Cattolica), another English-taught programme in Europe, or a retake next year.
Can I study medicine in Italy without the IMAT? +
Yes, through private Italian universities, which run their own entrance exams instead — Humanitas University (HUMAT, sittings from around March), UniCamillus in Rome, Vita-Salute San Raffaele, and Università Cattolica at Gemelli. Tuition is far higher (€10,000–€25,000+ a year) but their tests run months before the IMAT, which makes them a genuine parallel safety net rather than a fallback you scramble for in October.
Which test centre should I pick from India? +
There are only two — New Delhi and Chennai — and both fill within hours of registration opening. Pick whichever you can reach the day before, and register the minute the window opens. If both are gone, the usual fallback is Dubai. Remember the exam starts at 11:00 Italian time, which is 14:30 IST.
Serious about Medicine in Italy?
We'll tell you which university actually fits your score, catch the deadlines before they close, and take you through pre-enrolment, CIMEA and the visa — end to end, in the right order.
