IMAT, or the International Medical Admissions Test, is a competitive test designed for students who want to study medicine or surgery in English at Italian public universities. Organized annually by the Italian Ministry of Education in collaboration with Cambridge Assessment, the IMAT acts as a stepping stone for international and EU students interested in top medical schools in Italy. Its recognition has grown due to affordable tuition and globally accepted medical qualifications.
The IMAT consists of 60 multiple-choice questions, divided into four sections: General Knowledge & Logical Thinking (20), Biology (15), Chemistry (15), and Physics & Math (10). You have 100 minutes to complete the exam. You gain 1.5 points, wrong choices remove 0.4 points, and blanks score 0. This marking structure encourages careful thinking. Different from exams like the UCAT or BMAT, the IMAT places a heavier IMAT preparation focus on logic.
To be qualified to take the IMAT, students must have a high school diploma that allows entry into higher education in their home country. Registration opens in July through the Universitaly portal, where students rank their university choices in order of preference. The test is usually held in September, with test centers around the world. You’ll need to pay a registration fee (around €130–€170), upload necessary paperwork, and complete the signup process before the deadline.
Studying for IMAT requires planning and consistency. Most students start several months before the test, using a mix of A-Level or IB textbooks, IMAT prep books, online platforms, and past papers. Popular tools include BMAT practice for logic, YouTube tutorials, and student forums. Setting up a schedule and doing timed mock exams is key to building confidence.
The logic and general knowledge section is considered the most unique part of the IMAT. It tests your ability to break down problems, recognize flawed reasoning, and think logically. In contrast to Biology or Chemistry, this section isn’t based on a syllabus—it requires mental agility. Mastering this area means doing logic puzzles, reading arguments, and practicing inference-based questions.
The scientific portion of IMAT cover basic to advanced school-level topics. Biology often includes genetics, Chemistry covers periodic table, while Physics and Math focus on equations. These questions aren’t just about definitions—they require logical application. Students are advised to revise all key topics and focus on calculations and interpretation.
