Single-cycle (Medicine) — MBBS, Dentistry & more

International Medical Admissions Test (IMAT)

How IMAT works

National paper-based admission test (English) for English-taught single-cycle degrees in Medicine and Surgery (LM-41), Dentistry and Dental Prosthodontics (LM-46), and Veterinary Medicine (LM-42) at Italian universities. For A.Y. 2026/2027 the test is regulated by MUR DM n. 1005 of 6 August 2026; questions are prepared by CINECA (not Cambridge Assessment).

Who needs it: Anyone applying to English-taught public (and participating private) Medicine, Dentistry, or Veterinary single-cycle programmes covered by the national call. Italian-taught Medicine uses a different access model (semestre filtro) and does not use IMAT. English Pharmacy (e.g. Bologna–Rimini) does not use IMAT.

Timeline: Registration on Universitaly: 26 August 2026 – 9 September 2026 at 15:00 (GMT+2) — confirm annually · Test day: 29 September 2026 (Italian venues start 13:30 local; foreign venues adjust for time zone) — confirm annually · Anonymous scores by barcode: 8 October 2026 — confirm annually · Personal paper/score/anagraphic sheet on Universitaly: 19 October 2026 — confirm annually · Named national rankings and first assignments (EU/EU-equivalent): 26 October 2026 — confirm annually · First subsequent scrolling round: 3 November 2026 — confirm annually

IMAT registration is on Universitaly only. Non-EU residents abroad must ALSO complete Universitaly international pre-enrolment (https://www.universitaly.it/studenti-stranieri) for the university whose non-EU seats they want; without validated pre-enrolment an IMAT score cannot convert into a non-EU seat. Confirm annual deadlines on Universitaly and each university call.

Test sections

• · Reading skills and knowledge acquired in studies — 4 questions
• · Logical reasoning and problems — 5 questions
• · Biology — 23 questions
• · Chemistry — 15 questions
• · Physics and mathematics — 13 questions

Documents to prepare early

• · Valid passport / identity document for Universitaly registration and the test day
• · Upper secondary diploma (or equivalent) meeting Italian university entry rules for foreign qualifications — confirm Pakistan HSSC / A-Level pathway with the university and CIMEA guidance
• · Universitaly IMAT registration (and payment of the participation fee shown on the portal)
• · Universitaly international pre-enrolment dossier for non-EU residents abroad (https://www.universitaly.it/studenti-stranieri)
• · Optional English language certificate (Annex 3 of the decree) — not required to sit IMAT; may help in tie-breaks / enrolment
• · Study visa documents after assignment (financial means, accommodation, insurance) — follow the Italian Embassy/Consulate checklist for Pakistan

Key notes

• · 60 multiple-choice questions, 5 options each, 100 minutes; max score 90 (+1.5 correct, −0.4 wrong, 0 omitted).
• · At registration choose irrevocably Medicine+Dentistry track OR Veterinary track (separate national rankings for EU/EU-equivalent).
• · Non-EU residents abroad compete on each university’s local ranking for reserved non-EU seats; they must also complete Universitaly pre-enrolment for the chosen university (see https://www.universitaly.it/studenti-stranieri).
• · EU/EU-equivalent minimum eligibility score: 20/90. Non-EU abroad: score > 0 (candidates with all answers blank are not ranked).
• · English language certificates are not required to sit IMAT; they may be used only for tie-breaking (Annex 3 of the decree).
• · Some 2026/27 courses are marked *in fase di accreditamento* in Tabella B (Florence Medicine; Padua MedTech; Naples Federico II Veterinary)—final seat delivery depends on accreditation.
• · IMAT is distinct from the Italian-taught ‘semestre filtro’ reform.