The IMAT, explained.
The International Medical Admissions Test is the entrance exam for English-taught Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine at Italian public universities — for both EU and non-EU students.
Format & scoring
| Questions | 60 multiple-choice (5 options, one correct) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 100 minutes, single session |
| Correct answer | +1.5 points |
| Wrong answer | −0.4 points |
| Blank / skipped | 0 points |
| Maximum score | 90 points |
The maths of your score
A correct answer adds 1.5; a wrong one costs 0.4. A blind guess with five options has a negative expected value — leave a question blank unless you can eliminate options.
What the exam asks
The current format (in force since 2024): science is over 60% of the paper.
- Biology
- 23
- Chemistry
- 15
- Physics & Mathematics
- 13
- Logical reasoning
- 5
- Reading & general knowledge
- 4
IMAT 2026 — dates & registration
As of July 2026 the official 2026 call (bando) is not yet published. The 2026 dates below are estimates based on the confirmed 2025 cycle — confirm the final dates on Universitaly once registration opens.
| Milestone | 2026 (expected) | 2025 (confirmed) |
|---|---|---|
| Exam date | ~17 September 2026 (mid-Sept window) | 17 September 2025 |
| Registration opens | Late August 2026 | 26 August 2025 |
| Registration closes | Early September 2026 | 9 September 2025, 15:00 CEST |
| National merit ranking | October 2026 | 13 October 2025 |
Register on
Universitaly
universitaly.it — the only authorised channel; fully online.
Exam fee
~€130
Confirmed for 2025; expected unchanged for 2026.
Test centres
~24–26 countries
Sit it in your first-choice city, or at a centre abroad.
How admission works
One national ranking
Every candidate is placed in a single merit ranking by IMAT score. There is no separate pass mark — a seat depends on your rank and the seats available.
Your preferences
You list the universities you want, in order, on Universitaly. Seats are assigned to the highest-ranked candidates who chose each university.
Scrolling (scorrimento)
After the first ranking, weekly rounds reassign seats that admitted students decline — so cut-offs fall over time and waitlisted candidates move up.
EU applicants (and non-EU residents in Italy) and non-EU applicants abroad are ranked in separate pools with reserved seats. See official seats per university on our universities directory.
What changed in 2024
The last real change was the 2024 restructure — it shifted weight toward science and shrank the logic/general-knowledge block. 2025 and 2026 use the exact same format (no changes since), with the total (60), duration (100 min) and marking all unchanged.
| Section | Before (≤2023) | Now (2024→) |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 18 | 23 |
| Chemistry | 12 | 15 |
| Physics & Mathematics | 8 | 13 |
| Logic + general knowledge | 22 | 9 |
Frequently asked
How is the IMAT scored?
Each correct answer is worth +1.5 points, each wrong answer −0.4, and a blank 0. With 60 questions the maximum score is 90. Because wrong answers carry a penalty, it is usually only worth guessing when you can rule out some options.
How many questions are on the IMAT and how long is it?
60 multiple-choice questions (five options each, one correct) in a single 100-minute session with no scheduled breaks. You can move freely between questions.
What subjects does the IMAT cover?
Biology (23), Chemistry (15), Physics & Mathematics (13 combined), Logical reasoning & problem solving (5), and Reading skills & general knowledge (4) — 60 questions in total. Science makes up 38 of the 60 questions.
When is the IMAT 2026?
As of July 2026 the official MUR bando is not yet published. Based on 2024 and 2025 (both held 17 September), the 2026 exam is expected in mid-September 2026, most likely around 17 September, with registration opening in late August. Always confirm the final date on universitaly.it.
Where do I register for the IMAT?
Registration is entirely online through the official Universitaly portal (universitaly.it) — the only authorised channel. The exam fee is about €130. The official call (bando) is published by the Italian Ministry (MUR).
How does admission work after the exam?
There is a single national merit ranking. You list your chosen universities in order of preference on Universitaly, and seats are filled by rank against each university's available places, with weekly "scrolling" (scorrimento) rounds reassigning declined seats.
Know the exam? Now practise it.
Real IMAT-format questions, every past paper 2011–2025, and timed mocks — free to start.
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