AcadIMAT

Non-EU Scrolling for the IMAT Explained

The non-EU ranking and scrolling for the IMAT seems a lot more unfair compared to the EU scrolling for the IMAT. There is technically scrolling for non-EU students. Compared, however, to their EU counterparts it is almost completely non-existent and so a lot of students wonder ‘Why do EU students get scrolling in the IMAT?’

For non-EU candidates the first choice of university is especially important, as there is no “aggregated list or ranking” in contrast to EU students. Non-EU candidates must check with their 1st choice university to see the ranking once it’s released, and to explain scrolling simply I’m going to give you example; let’s pick the medicine and surgery at Tor Vergata University.

Tor Vergata releases the non-EU ranking list on the day of the official IMAT results. Let’s imagine there were a total of 14 non-EU Students who registered for the IMAT Exam, and completed the pre-enrollment with Tor Vergata as their first choice out of the 10 spots that the Tor Vergata medicine in English programme offers for non-EU candidates. 

The top ten students will be ASSIGNED and asked to enroll into the university online or in person (there is usually a deadline).

Out of the first 10 people lets assume the 5th and 7th candidate on the ranking didn’t make it to the deadline (or enrolled into another course or changed their mind and decided to be a farmer somewhere else), so they REJECT THEIR OFFER.

There are now two free spots, and these two seats will got to the 11th and 12th candidate on the ranking list. The university will either contact them personally; or the university will release a new ranking list and the people will need to contact the university.

Screenshot of the Tor Vergata Medicine in English ranking for non EU applicants. It is a list of codes that represents students and their scores.

Above is the ACTUAL Tor Vergata University Non-EU ranking list (page 1 of 2 for a total 68 applicants), so you can better understand what it will look like. As you can see the first 10 were supposed to enroll into the university, but after the first week the university released a new ranking list which you can see below.

One person from the initial 10 students who were offered a seat didn’t enroll and so the seat was offered to the next candidate in line. And that was the end of the entire scrolling for non-EU students.

The Non-EU rankings do not scroll a lot, as there are usually only a couple of seats if any that are forfeited, and there could be a lot of reasons for this.

Remember that regardless of your score, if you see that one candidate didn’t enroll into a university and you want to enroll, they won’t let you because there are more candidates who had their 1st choice as that university. They get priority and this is the exact way the EU scrolling works.

This means that for non-EU (also EU) candidates the university will always prioritise candidates who picked that university as their first choice, and no matter how high you scored they will always offer seats to candidates on their own ranking list before external ones regardless of other factors.

However there is another, albeit rare, situation in which a candidate can enroll into a university that was not their first choice, if that university has open spots that weren’t filled in the IMAT ranking.

35 thoughts on “Non-EU Scrolling for the IMAT Explained”

  1. Hello! I have a question. Let’s say I get enrolled in Messina as my first choice as a non eu student and I start studying there for a while and then later for whatever reason I wanna switch to Milan or la sapienza the next year,,is it possible for me to do that by taking the test next year while still being a med student in italy? Cuz I saw u say it’s harder to switch to another university after being enrolled in one university in another comment.
    Thanks!

  2. I have a question
    As this year University of Cagilari has offered 20 seats for non-European students but approval from MUIR is still pending. If I register Cagliari as my first choice and another university as second. If unfortunately this year Cagliari did not receive approval from the Ministry. Can my application be forwarded to another university or will it be rejected?

  3. i had applied for campania and marche and now applied for turin but i want turin to be my first preference
    what should i do? kindly guide me

    1. Anastasia (AcadIMAT)

      You can only pre-enroll for one university, so make sure you cancel the other applications.

    1. Anastasia (AcadIMAT)

      Before the IMAT.
      You have to pre-enroll way in advance in your first choice university, you select it when you are paying for the IMAT exam 🙂

      1. Hello,
        Is it possible for me to change my first choice university (already pre- enroled) after taking the IMAT exam as a non-eu candidate?

  4. u can only choose one uni as ur choice and what if u dont get in ur first choice like can u apply to other ones as safety opiton?? and 12 seats mean only 14 students in english course enrolled?? isnt that v v less??

  5. Hi, there, i have question.
    If I take 2024exam, and it work out as approved at school,
    do I work on since 2024 november or 2025 november?
    No matter figuring out I couldn’t find when they intake.

    Thanks.

  6. im planning to pre enroll in bari what the deadline to pre enrollment and what document do i need and is cimea madatory ??? plz do reply

    1. Anastasia (AcadIMAT)

      There isn’t any deadline yet.
      You can do CIMEA or DoV through your embassy, but you should verify with them!

  7. Hello, I first registered for Universitaly de Messina as a non-EU student. Then I pre-enrolment for Messina and registered. I made a sorting error here. After Messina accepted my application, I had to register at Universitaly. I realized later. Is it possible to fix this?

  8. Pingback: Why EU Students in the IMAT Ranking Get Multiple Rounds

  9. We did pre enroll, we chose the university, but we have not yet been able to make payment and exam place. Is there a certain date for payment and exam place selection?

  10. Hi Serra,
    I read that some universities, in case your status is ASSIGNED, require to complete the enrollment and fees process within 4 days from scrolling announcement (non-EU). This deadline supposedly includes the completed and verification of documents like foreign 12-years of schooling. Based on your understanding,
    1. Does the deadline usually includes completion of the Visa, or only initial enrollment to the university and payment of registeration fees?
    2. I recall there are usually two dates announcement of test score. One is annonymous (?) and the other one, I am not sure. Which one are they referring to by “within 4 days”?
    If we’re looking at previous years, what is the expected date of the announcement they’re referring to? How many weeks from the exam date itself?
    Thank you!

    1. Hello!
      1. The 4 day deadline usually includes initial payment and scans of identity documents. The visa process cannot be completed until after being accepted, so that is not required until later.
      2. The 4 day deadline applies to neither. It is after a uni sends you an email offering you a seat.
      3. September 26, 2024 – anonymous ranking
      October 3, 2024 – candidates can check their test paper, score
      October 10, 2024 – EU-scrolling

      Please read our article on IMAT 2024 for the most updated info!

      1. Hi, does the order of non eu university preferences matter? (The rest except for the 1st option)

        Also by any chance if there is an available seat in another university after ranking, which i have not added as a preference when applying, will i still be able to apply for that?

        1. Hello i entered the exam and i am non eu. Cagliari anounced the list and i am ,19th after the candidates. Is it still possible for me to enter the Cagliari as an non eu person? Please answer i really really want to enter the Cagliari.

          1. Non-EU scrolling is rare. If someone misses an enrolment deadline, drops out in the first year, or fails to obtain their visa, then the next candidates will be offered a seat. As far as I know, this may happen with one or two seats.

  11. Hi , i am a non eu student in romania. Therefore I hold a residence permit there . Am I considered Eu or non eu stduent ?

    1. If it’s an actual residence permit (not just a student visa) then you should be considered EU. You can email all of your top choice universities, to check your status from the official sources.

  12. If I enroll in a university and don’t adapt, can I drop out of the course? Do I have to pay a fee for dropping out of the course?

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