IMAT 2026 – Studying Medicine in Italy (Advice & Guide)
Hi everyone,
I’ve noticed a few people asking about studying medicine in Italy.
If you’re applying to English-taught medical schools there, you usually need to take the IMAT (International Medical Admissions Test). It’s the entrance exam used by Italian public universities for medicine degrees.
A few facts about the exam:
- 60 multiple choice questions
- 100 minutes duration
- Subjects include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths and Logical Reasoning -
- Usually held in September each year
If anyone is researching IMAT 2026, this guide explains the application timeline, university choices and preparation strategies:
https://www.imatbuddy.com/imat-2026-the-complete-updated-guide-studying-medicine-in-italy/
I’ve noticed a few people asking about studying medicine in Italy.
If you’re applying to English-taught medical schools there, you usually need to take the IMAT (International Medical Admissions Test). It’s the entrance exam used by Italian public universities for medicine degrees.
A few facts about the exam:
- 60 multiple choice questions
- 100 minutes duration
- Subjects include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths and Logical Reasoning -
- Usually held in September each year
If anyone is researching IMAT 2026, this guide explains the application timeline, university choices and preparation strategies:
https://www.imatbuddy.com/imat-2026-the-complete-updated-guide-studying-medicine-in-italy/
Reply 1
1
I’ve been trying to figure out which universities in Italy actually offer the English-taught medicine degrees and it seems like quite a few public universities run them now.
The ones that keep coming up when I search are:
From what I understand they all use the IMAT for admission, but the number of places can vary quite a lot between universities which probably makes some of them more competitive than others.
Is anyone here already thinking about which universities they might apply to for IMAT 2026?
The ones that keep coming up when I search are:
•
University of Milan
•
University of Bologna
•
Sapienza University of Rome
•
University of Pavia
•
University of Padua
•
University of Naples Federico II
From what I understand they all use the IMAT for admission, but the number of places can vary quite a lot between universities which probably makes some of them more competitive than others.
Is anyone here already thinking about which universities they might apply to for IMAT 2026?
Reply 2
1
Just wondering if anyone here has already taken the IMAT before?
I’ve seen quite a few people mention that the logical reasoning section can be the hardest part because it’s quite time-pressured.
I’ve seen quite a few people mention that the logical reasoning section can be the hardest part because it’s quite time-pressured.
Reply 3
1
I’ve been looking a bit more into the IMAT structure and I’m actually a bit unsure how people approach the different sections.
From what I’ve read, biology seems to make up the biggest part of the exam, but at the same time a lot of people say logical reasoning is what really affects your score because of the time pressure.
I’m trying to work out what the best strategy is:
Also not sure how much time people realistically spend on physics/maths since it’s a smaller section?
If anyone here has taken the IMAT before, how did you prioritise your study?
I came across this breakdown of the syllabus/topics as well which helped a bit:
https://www.imatbuddy.com/imat-2026-syllabus/
Would be good to hear how others are approaching it 👍
From what I’ve read, biology seems to make up the biggest part of the exam, but at the same time a lot of people say logical reasoning is what really affects your score because of the time pressure.
I’m trying to work out what the best strategy is:
•
Focus heavily on biology because of the number of questions
•
Or spend more time on logical reasoning to avoid losing easy marks
Also not sure how much time people realistically spend on physics/maths since it’s a smaller section?
If anyone here has taken the IMAT before, how did you prioritise your study?
I came across this breakdown of the syllabus/topics as well which helped a bit:
https://www.imatbuddy.com/imat-2026-syllabus/
Would be good to hear how others are approaching it 👍
Reply 4
Hi, does anyone know if there have been any updates on when the IMAT exam is going to be this year and when the call for applications is going to be updated? Thanks
Reply 5
1
Yeah I was actually trying to find that as well, from what I’ve seen the official dates usually get released quite late compared to other countries.
Last year I think the exam was around September, and the application process opened a bit before that, but it wasn’t confirmed until closer to the time.
I haven’t seen anything officially released yet for this year though, seems like it’s still pending.
I did find this page which outlines the expected timeline based on previous years: https://www.imatbuddy.com/imat-2026-the-complete-updated-guide-studying-medicine-in-italy/
From what I understand, most people just start preparing early and then adjust once the official dates are announced.
Out of curiosity, have you started studying already or just waiting for the dates first?
Also if anyone else has taken it before, did the timeline feel rushed once everything was announced?
Last year I think the exam was around September, and the application process opened a bit before that, but it wasn’t confirmed until closer to the time.
I haven’t seen anything officially released yet for this year though, seems like it’s still pending.
I did find this page which outlines the expected timeline based on previous years: https://www.imatbuddy.com/imat-2026-the-complete-updated-guide-studying-medicine-in-italy/
From what I understand, most people just start preparing early and then adjust once the official dates are announced.
Out of curiosity, have you started studying already or just waiting for the dates first?
Also if anyone else has taken it before, did the timeline feel rushed once everything was announced?
Reply 6
I already started studying because i am taking a gap year and it has been a while since i have done physics and maths so i am trying to relearn everything again and i don't want to wait until the last minute.
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