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Frequently Asked Questions: Medicine in Italy
The IMAT or International Medical Admission Test, is a 100 minute, multiple choice question exam used for admission into Medicine in English in Italy.
The IMAT or International Medical Admission Test, is a 100 minute, multiple choice question exam used for admission into Medicine in English in Italy.
There are in total 19 universities that have an english medical programme. 14 of these are state-run (Public) universities, 5 of them are private. The public universities admission test is the IMAT and is separate from the private universities admission tests. 1 university offers Dentistry in English.
The IMAT has 5 sections in total.
- Section 1: Logical Reasoning (10 Questions) + General Knowledge (12 Questions)
- Section 2: Biology (18 Questions)
- Section 3: Chemistry (12 Questions)
- Section 4: Maths & Physics (8 Questions)
There is a total of 60 questions in the exam, split between 4 sections. The 54sections are divided by topics that you can find above. You get 1.5 marks for every correct answer, and a deduction of 0.4 marks for every incorrect answer. Out of a maximum 90 marks around the 50 mark has been a safe point for entry into any university of your choice in the past few years.
Italy is a beautiful country known for its food and culture, and renowned for its Medical Universities hosting the oldest university in Europe. Almost all of the universities rank worldwide for Medicine. It is extremely affordable in comparison to almost all of Europe and certainly for the US and the UK, to the point that people ask is medical school free in Italy?
The IMAT exam for entry into the public universities costs 120 Euro. The private universities all run their own version of the admission exam ranging from 120 to 160 euro.
No it is not free, however it is one of the most affordable countries in the world to study in. Additionally there are numerous ways to receive fee reductions, financial aid, and scholarships.
Depending on the city of the university you are admitted to living costs tend to range from 400-1200 euro per month for a room and food. As with all accommodation around the world, student or otherwise, it is dependent on the type of room, location, and quality, but certainly something for almost everyone’s budget can be found.
Fees for transport and university tuition are based on family and personal income. They can range from 500 euro a year to 4000 euro (maximum) a year for the public universities.
Click here for a more detailed breakdown of costs.
There are many scholarship programmes that are offered in every region of Italy. Some are not only based on academics but also take into account income.
Every university will also have separate grant programmes for their students. Some are:
ER.GO:
https://www.er-go.it/index.php?id=5963
EDISU:
https://www.edisu.piemonte.it/en
LAZIODISU:
You can read about it here.
Difficulty is always relative, but the IMAT is definitely less challenging than comparable admission tests such as the BMAT, GAMSAT, HPAT etc.
It also has one of the highest admittance rates and chances when considering available seats and number of applicants.
There are many recommend ways to prepare for this exam. A lot of sites will be sponsored to incorrectly and selfishly recommend certain books or expensive courses to prepare. A general rule of thumb is that it will be examined at an A-level standard (British schooling system). This goes for all sections including the logical reasoning. Unfortunately the only way to prepare for the general knowledge portion is to just learn about interesting things!
We will be writing a detailed post on this in the future.
There are many recommend ways to prepare for this exam. A lot of sites will be sponsored to incorrectly and selfishly recommend certain books or expensive courses to prepare. A general rule of thumb is that it will be examined at an A-level standard (British schooling system). This goes for all sections including the logical reasoning. Unfortunately the only way to prepare for the general knowledge portion is to just learn about interesting things!
We will be writing a detailed post on this in the future.
The exam is held in early September. The public IMAT is usually held a week later than the private admission tests.
You can take the IMAT at one of 14 Italian universities (public ones) and 17 international centres. If you are taking IMAT in Italy, you must register to take the test at your first-choice.
Check out here for a full list of exam centres to choose from.
There is a distinction between being an EU student, a non-EU student, and a Chinese student. How you register will be completely dependent on your citizenship status.
Once you have fulfilled all necessary criteria candidates register via the UniversItaly website and book the test through the payment system.
Registration usually opens early July
Registration closes usually 3 weeks after opening.
Click here to see a more detailed explanation if you are a non-eu student.
Click here to see a more detailed explanation if you are an eu student.
The IMAT is the admission test to study Medicine completely through English. You are not required to know any Italian (I only knew 4 words before I came over), however it is a good idea to learn while you are here. Italian is an easy enough to language to learn from immersion, and almost all of the universities offer free classes for their students.
While it is not required to know any Italian by the universities before enrolling, some embassies around the world require it from applicants before allowing them to register for the exam. If you are unsure check with your consulate again.
EU (including UK) candidates, and non-EU candidates who are residents in Italy, can select all of the universities if they wish to, listing them in order of preference.
Non-EU candidates (who are not residing in Italy) will be able to select all ten universities when they register; however, their applications will only be sent to their first-choice university. In rare circumstances 2nd or 3rd choices will be taken into consideration.
You must bring the following documents/items with you on the day of the test:
- Both of the confirmation emails that you received during the registration and payment process.
- The photographic form of identification you selected while registering
- Proof of confirmation from your first-choice university that any access arrangements (extra time etc.) required have been approved by them.
- Black pens
Before the test, you will be given an envelope containing your test documents. You must check everything carefully to make sure you have received the right papers, when instructed. Please read through the documents below so you will know what to expect on the day of the test.
Candidate instruction:
https://www.admissionstesting.org/for-test-takers/imat/preparing-for-imat/
Candidate data Sheet:
https://www.admissionstesting.org/Images/484432-imat-candidate-data-sheet-sample.pdf
Candidate answer sheet:
https://www.admissionstesting.org/Images/484431-imat-answer-sheet-sample.pdf
Cut-off scores change from university to university and year to year, as well as the citizenship status of the student (EU vs Non-EU), however in the past a score of around 50 has been a safe entry point.
YES. Here is a quick few reasons:
- Quite cheap and based on a scaling income so is fair for all financial backgrounds
- Beautiful country with amazing food and culture
- Very highly ranked with good status around the world compared to a few eastern European countries (Who tend to accept any student who is willing to pay)
- Exam is very efficient to prepare for, what you put into it you will get out of it.
- Opportunity to improve your English, and learn a new language (Who doesn’t want a doctor that can speak multiple languages ?)
- Medicine is your dream and passion, you should take every opportunity and chance you are given.