IMAT 2025: The Ultimate Guide From Start to Finish

The International Medical Admissions Test (IMAT) is a crucial exam that takes place every September or October and is designed for students who want to study medicine in English at universities in Italy. As of now, 16 universities use the IMAT as their primary entrance exam for international medical programs.

Hi, I’m Ari Horesh, and I took the IMAT back in 2019. Since then, the exam has undergone several significant changes. The most notable shift occurred with the IMAT 2023 when the responsibility for writing and managing the exam moved from the Cambridge Assessment to the Italian Ministry of Education. This change has introduced a new exam format and structure, making staying up-to-date with the latest information more important than ever.

What Is The IMAT exam?

As mentioned earlier, the International Medical Admissions Test (IMAT) is the exam you’ll need to take if you want to study medicine in Italy in English. It first started in 2011, with the University of Pavia leading the way as the first institution to offer medical programs in English. Now, 16 universities across Italy accept the IMAT as their primary (and only) entrance exam for these programs.

IMAT Exam Format

The IMAT is a 60-question multiple-choice exam with five options for each question. You’ll have 100 minutes to complete the entire exam, so time management is very important! The questions cover a wide range of subjects, including:

• Critical Thinking
• Problem-Solving
• General Knowledge
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Math
• Physics

One thing that makes the IMAT stand out is its scoring system. You’ll earn 1.5 points for each correct answer, but if you get a question wrong, you’ll lose 0.4 points. Since there’s no penalty for skipping questions, many students leave the ones they’re unsure about blank to avoid losing points.

Breakdown of IMAT Questions

Here’s how the 60 questions are divided across the different subjects:

• 2 General Knowledge questions
• 7 Logical Reasoning questions (problem-solving and critical thinking)
• 23 Biology questions
• 15 Chemistry questions
• 13 Math and Physics questions

As you can see, a large portion of the exam focuses on Biology and Chemistry, so it’s essential to dedicate plenty of study time to these subjects. Students usually tend to start with Biology and Chemistry during their preparation. I personally recommend starting with Biology just because it is more interesting and fun, so it will motivate you to stay consistent over the months.

When is the IMAT Exam, and What is the General Timeline for IMAT 2025?

For those planning to take the IMAT in 2025, the exam is expected to be held in September 2025. While the exact date isn’t confirmed yet, this is the typical timeframe based on previous years. Here’s a general timeline to help you plan:

• By June 2025: Students should have completed all necessary paperwork, including obtaining their Declaration of Value (DoV). Don’t worry—we’ll review the DoV and how to get it later!
• April to August 2025: Some universities, like Messina, Milan, and Pavia, usually offer a “pre-enrollment” phase. Pre-enrollment basically allows you to secure your spot in the university’s system before the actual exam. We’ll dive deeper into pre-enrollment and which universities offer it when we get closer to 2025.
• April to July 2025: If you plan to apply for a scholarship, this is the time to start preparing and translating the necessary documents. Many universities have early deadlines, and in some cases, you’ll need to submit these documents even before taking the IMAT—usually by August.
• July or September 2025: Registration for the IMAT could open anytime between July and early September, depending on the year. For example, in 2024, registration was between September 2nd and 12th, but it often opens in July. I’ll update this section as soon as the official dates are confirmed.
• July-August 2025: This is when we can expect the official IMAT syllabus to be released. Remember that the syllabus usually doesn’t change much year-to-year, so I’ll link the most recent one soon, and we can break down the topics together to help you prepare.

This timeline might seem a bit overwhelming at first, but I’ll be here to guide you through each step as new details emerge. Stay tuned for updates as we get closer to 2025! And by the way, if you want to make sure you are up to date, check the “communities” tab in our menu and join our WhatsApp group!

What Are the Topics for the IMAT 2025 (Syllabus)?

The topics covered in the IMAT are generally consistent from year to year. The Italian Ministry of Education releases an official decree outlining the syllabus—though it’s often in Italian (which, I agree, is a bit ironic considering this is for an English-taught exam!). But don’t worry; I’m here to break it all down so you don’t have to stress about translations.

The subjects included in the IMAT syllabus are typically high school level and don’t go too deep into complex topics. Based on my experience teaching students over the past five years, I’ve found that the real challenge of the IMAT isn’t necessarily the difficulty of the material itself, but rather the competitiveness of the exam. That makes it tough—you’re up against many other well-prepared students.

That being said, the material isn’t as intense as some other medical admission exams around the world, so with the proper preparation, you’ll be in good shape!

I’ve attached the previous syllabus here, which I expect to remain largely unchanged for IMAT 2025. The syllabus doesn’t vary much from year to year, so you can confidently use it to guide your studies. We’ll go over the key topics together to help you focus on what’s most important.

Because it is in Italian, I translated the file for you and made a few tables from them in English.

IMAT 2025 Topic List (Syllabus)

IMAT 2025 Biology Topics

Biology Topics
The chemistry of life
Biological importance of weak interactions
Organic molecules in organisms and their functions
Role of enzymes
The cell as the basis of life (cell theory, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, viruses)
Cellular membranes (structure and function)
Cell cycle and cell reproduction (mitosis, meiosis)
Reproduction and inheritance (Mendelian genetics, chromosomes)
Molecular genetics (DNA structure, replication, protein synthesis, gene regulation)
Human genetics (inheritance, genetic disorders)
Mutations, natural/artificial selection, evolutionary theories
Biotechnology (recombinant DNA, applications)
Anatomy and physiology of animals and humans (tissues, systems, homeostasis)
Bioenergetics (ATP, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, fermentation)

IMAT 2025 Chemistry Topics

Chemistry Topics
Composition of matter (states, mixtures, compounds, elements)
Laws of perfect gases
Atomic structure (elementary particles, isotopes, atomic numbers)
Periodic table (groups, periods, properties)
Chemical bonds (ionic, covalent, metallic, bond energy, electronegativity)
Basic inorganic chemistry (nomenclature, properties of compounds)
Chemical reactions and stoichiometry
Solutions (solvent properties of water, solubility, concentration)
Kinetics and catalysis
Oxidation and reduction
Acids and bases (pH, buffers, hydrolysis)
Organic chemistry (carbon bonds, isomerism, hydrocarbons, functional groups)

IMAT 2025 Physics Topics

Physics Topics
Physical quantities and their measurements
Kinematics (velocity, acceleration, circular motion)
Dynamics (force, mass, Newton’s laws, work, energy, momentum)
Fluid mechanics (density, pressure, Pascal’s law, Bernoulli’s principle)
Thermodynamics (temperature, heat, laws of thermodynamics)
Electricity and magnetism (charges, Coulomb’s law, electric fields, circuits)

IMAT 2025 Mathematics Topics

Mathematics Topics
Numerical sets and algebra (natural, integer, rational, real numbers)
Operations and properties, proportions, percentages
Exponents, logarithms, roots
Basic combinatorics
Equations and inequalities (first and second degree)
Functions (domain, continuity, maxima, minima, growth, decay)
Geometry (polygons, circles, lengths, areas, volumes)
Cartesian coordinates (distance between points, midpoint, line equations)
Probability and statistics (distributions, events, probabilities)

How to Register for the IMAT Exam

In this section, I’ll walk you through the entire registration process, step by step, so you can focus on preparing for the exam instead of stressing over the paperwork.

To get started, you’ll need to visit the official registration website: Universitaly.it, which is where all IMAT registrations happen. The system was updated for 2024, and I’ve made a video to help guide you through the new process. You can watch it below:

Key Steps to Register for IMAT 2025 (July-September 2025)

1. Go to Universitaly.it: Head over to the Universitaly website and find the section dedicated to IMAT 2025.
2. Log in: Sign in using your Universitaly email and password. If you’re a new user, you’ll need to create an account.
3. Select Your Universities: Once logged in, you’ll be prompted to choose the universities you’re applying to. You can select multiple universities, but make sure to choose your top preference carefully because it’s the most important one, you will learn later in this article why it is so crucial.
4. Provide Language Certification: If your chosen university requires an English proficiency certificate (and you didn’t study in an English-speaking country), you’ll need to upload it here. If your studies were conducted in English, select the appropriate option to skip this step. Some universities don’t require you to have an English certificate if you already studied English in your high school for at least one year.
5. Disability Section: If you don’t have any disabilities, simply click “Confirm” without selecting any options. Double-check this step, as it can affect the next stages of your application.
6. Review Your Application: Before moving on, carefully review all the details—especially your chosen universities and other personal information. Make sure everything is in the correct order and that you haven’t made any mistakes.
7. Payment: After reviewing, you’ll be directed to the payment page. Select your country and city, and choose the most suitable payment method for you. Once you’ve completed the payment, ensure the page confirms that your payment has been successfully made. The registration fee for IMAT 2025 should cost 130 EUR, similar to the cost of 2023 and 2024.
8. Email Confirmation: Keep an eye on your email for a confirmation from the test center. This email will provide details like your exam location, time, and further instructions. The most important email you will get is the payment confirmation. Sometimes students pay, but a few hours later, there is an issue they were unaware of as they didn’t check their email. Make sure you get a successful payment notice in your email.

And that’s it! Once you’ve completed these steps, you’re officially registered for the IMAT exam. Make sure to check your inbox regularly for updates and any important information regarding the exam day.

Once you register for the IMAT exam, you should receive an email that looks like this:

How to Study for the IMAT

As I mentioned earlier, the IMAT isn’t as tough as it initially seems. While it’s an entrance exam for medical schools, it’s pretty fair—what you put into it is what you get out of it. The more time and effort you dedicate to studying, the higher your score will be!

On my website, EnterMedSchool, and the IMAT forum at imat.entermedschool.com, you’ll find tons of resources—both free and paid—to help you prepare for the exam. There’s no “right” way to prepare, but I’ve put together a variety of materials to fit different learning styles.

Some Tips for Getting Started

No matter how you decide to prepare—whether through a course or self-study—there are some core science concepts you’ll have to master on your own. These basic topics are critical for the IMAT, and you can’t skip them! Understanding subjects like biology, chemistry, physics, and math is essential for success, so ensure you get comfortable with the fundamentals.

Here’s how I recommend getting started:

• Free Study Planner: I created a free study planner specifically for IMAT students to help you stay organized and on track. It’s a great way to ensure you cover all the necessary topics without getting overwhelmed. You can learn more about the planner by clicking here.
• Free Biology Book: Biology is a huge part of the IMAT, and I offer a free biology book that covers all the essential topics. It’s a great place to start building your foundation before you move on to other subjects.
• Summer Prep Course: If you prefer more structure, I offer a live summer preparation course and a recorded course I’ve worked on for over three years. These courses have helped hundreds of students pass the IMAT, and I’m proud of the high admission rate!

Even if you decide to join one of my paid courses, I always suggest starting with the free resources. They’re a great way to build a solid foundation before diving deeper into the more advanced material.

It’s all about consistency and effort. Whether studying with a course or on your own, putting in the time now will make a big difference on exam day. Many students believe that the more they spend, the higher their score will be, but at the end of the day, you guys are entering a field that is 90% self-studying at home.

How to Use Past IMAT Papers to Prepare

Using past IMAT papers is one of the smartest ways to prepare for the exam. After going through all the past papers myself, I’ve noticed that certain topics and question types show up every year, so it’s a great way to get familiar with what might come up.

But there’s something important to keep in mind: while I have a full breakdown of all the past IMATs here on the site, remember that from 2011 to 2022, the exam was written by Cambridge. Since 2023, however, the exam has been written by Italian organizations, and they will also be writing the IMAT 2025. So, while older papers are helpful, I highly recommend focusing on the most recent exams—especially 2023 and 2024—because they reflect the newer style and structure.

How to Get the Most Out of Past Papers

Here’s my personal approach to using past papers, which I’ve found works really well for students:

1. When to Start: Aim to start working on past papers about 2-3 months before the exam. This is when you’ll want to start simulating the real exam experience.
2. Simulate Exam Conditions: Print out the past papers, set a timer for 100 minutes, and try to recreate exam conditions as closely as possible. Find a quiet spot, no distractions, and try to work through the paper just like you would on the actual exam day. This will help you get used to the time pressure and the flow of the questions.
3. Review Everything: Once you’ve finished, don’t just check the answers you got wrong—go over every single question, even the ones you got right. Look for patterns, traps, or tricky wording that tends to repeat from year to year. You’ll notice that some tricks are reused almost every year, so getting familiar with them is super important.
4. Learn From Your Mistakes: When you come across mistakes, focus your revision on those topics. Also, keep an eye out for any recurring themes in the questions—recognizing these patterns will help you be more prepared when similar ones show up on exam day.

By practicing with past papers in this way, you’ll not only improve your time management but also train yourself to spot the common traps and recurring question types that make the IMAT challenging. Finding the common traps is actually the most important part of using past papers. Many students think that they should take past papers just to check their scores and see what they know, but in reality, analyzing your results! I made a video showing how I help my students analyze their mistakes and weak spots by using different apps and google sheets, you can check it out over here:

Which Documents Do I Need to Take the IMAT Exam, and What is Pre-Enrollment?

Technically, you can register for the IMAT without having all your documents fully translated or processed—just paying the fees will get you in. However, I strongly recommend that you sort out your Declaration of Value (DoV) before registering. Trust me, it’ll save you a lot of headaches down the line.

What is the Declaration of Value (DoV)?

The Declaration of Value is a document issued by the Italian embassy in your home country. You’ll need to translate your high school diploma into Italian (or just notarize it if it’s already in English). This document basically confirms that your education is equivalent to that of an Italian high school graduate, which makes you eligible to apply for Italian universities. It’s a formal way of saying your education has the same “value” as what’s required in Italy—hence the name “Declaration of Value.”

Other Documents You Might Need

Some universities might also require proof of your English proficiency. So far, it’s unclear which universities will ask for it in 2025, as applications haven’t opened yet. Stay tuned for updates as we get closer to the registration period, and make sure to follow any university-specific news.

What is Pre-Enrollment?

Pre-enrollment is a separate process from the main registration and can be a bit confusing because different universities handle it differently. Let’s break it down to make things clear:

1. Pre-Enrollment on University Websites: Some universities (like Messina, Milan, Pavia, Turin) may require you to pre-enroll on their specific websites. This is separate from the IMAT registration. You’ll likely have to pay a small fee, and this step gets your details into the university’s system early on. Keep an eye on this, as I’ll provide a separate article about the pre-enrollment process for specific universities once more details are available.
2. Pre-Enrollment on Universitaly.it: This is the main pre-enrollment process you’ll do through the Universitaly.it website. It’s mandatory and usually happens 2-3 months before the official IMAT registration. Creating an account here not only sets you up for IMAT registration but also helps non-EU students by streamlining the visa process—you can use it to show that you intend to take the IMAT exam.
3. IMAT Registration: This is the final step—actually paying for the IMAT exam and securing your seat. Once you’ve done this, you’re officially in!

So, to recap:

• Pre-enrollment on university websites: Only for some universities (I’ll keep you updated on which ones).
• Pre-enrollment on Universitaly.It is mandatory for everyone, and it is done a few months before registration, until a few days before the registration itself (but could be done during as well most of the time)
• IMAT Registration: The final step is to pay the exam fee and lock in your spot.

I know this process can sound a bit confusing at first, but remember you can use the message system and just send me a message if you need my help.

IMAT 2025 Test Centers

First things first, it’s important to know that the IMAT is a physical, offline exam. This means you won’t be able to take it online from the comfort of your home—you’ll need to go to an actual exam center. So, it’s all about finding the right location for you.

Based on previous years, we can get a pretty good idea of where the IMAT exam centers will be around the world. If you plan to take the exam in Italy, you’ll usually need to take it in the city of the university you chose as your first option. For example, if you selected the University of Pavia as your first choice, you’ll take the exam in Pavia.

If you’re taking the IMAT outside Italy, you have more flexibility. You can choose any exam center around the world, even if it’s in a different country than your own. Just make sure you have the necessary visa to enter that country! So, if you live in one country but want to take the exam in another, it’s possible as long as the paperwork is in order.

I’ll keep you updated as soon as the official list of exam centers for IMAT 2025 is released, but until then, we can rely on the previous exam centers to give us a good idea of where the exam will be offered. Please note that the times are in Italian time, CET.

Country	City	Exam Center	Time
Albania	New	Likely to stay in 2025
Azerbaijan	Baku	British Council	2pm
Brazil	Sao Paolo	Winner Idiomas	9am
Canada	Toronto	Center of English Studies	9am
China	Beijing
Cyprus	Nicosia	British Council Cyprus	1pm
France	Paris	The British School of Paris	12pm
Germany	Frankfurt	Provadis	12pm
Germany	Munich	Münchner Volkshochschule	1pm
Greece	Athens	British Council Athens	1pm
Hong Kong	Hong Kong	ITS Education Asia	6pm
India	New Dehli	BC Education India Private Limited	3.30pm
Italy	Bari	University of Bari	11am
Italy	Cagliari	University of Cagliari	11am
Italy	Milan	University of Milan	11am
Italy	Milan	University of Milan Bicocca	11am
Italy	Rome	University of Rome “La Sapienza”	11am
Italy	Rome	University of Rome “Tor Vergata”	11am
Italy	Naples	University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”	11am
Italy	Naples	University of Naples Federico II	11am
Italy	Bologna	University of Bologna	11am
Italy	Turin	University of Turin	11am
Italy	Catania	University of Catania	11am
Italy	Pavia	University of Pavia	11am
Italy	Parma	University of Parma	11am
Italy	Siena	University of Siena	11am
Italy	Messina	University of Messina	11am
Italy	Padua	University of Padua	11am
Italy	Ancona	Polytechnic University of Marche	11am
Ireland	New entry
Pakistan	Lahore	British Council Lahore	3pm
Poland	Warsaw	Lang LTC	12pm
Portugal	New entry
Saudi Arabia	Jeddah	British Council Jeddah	1pm
South Africa	Johannesburg	British Council Johannesburg	12pm
Spain	Madrid	British Council Madrid	12pm
Switzerland	Zurich	Zurich Flying Teachers	12pm
Turkey	Ankara	British Council Ankara	1pm
Turkey	Istanbul	British Side	1pm
UAE	Dubai	British Council Dubai	2pm
UK	London	Mobile Testing Solutions	11am
USA	New York	OHC New York	9am

IMAT Minimum Admission Scores

One important thing to remember is that each university has a different number of seats available for students, depending on whether you hold a European passport. Why does this matter? It directly affects the minimum score you need to pass the IMAT exam and secure a seat at your chosen university.

In general, non-EU students face tougher competition because there are fewer seats available for them than EU students. European applicants, especially Italians, typically have more seats allocated to them, which can make the competition a bit less intense. On the other hand, the limited number of spots for Non-EU students means the required scores tend to be higher.

How Do Admission Scores Work?

The number of available seats and the minimum admission scores for each university can be found under the “Universities” tab in the menu of this website. Each university page includes all the details about the seat allocation and historical scores.

It’s also important to note that there isn’t a fixed minimum score you need to hit, as admission is based on relative performance. The students with the highest scores secure the seats, meaning the cutoff changes yearly based on the competition. Typically, the admission score increases yearly as the IMAT becomes more competitive.

Once the IMAT 2024 admission scores are released, I’ll update this section with both 2023 and 2024 scores, so you can see the general trend and get a better idea of what to aim for based on the latest data.

Wrapping Up

In this article, we covered a lot about the IMAT—what the exam is, who’s responsible for writing it, how to best prepare, and what the general timeline looks like. The IMAT can seem overwhelming at first, but remember, you don’t have to go through it alone!

If you have any questions or need more clarification, don’t hesitate to use the chat system and leave me a message. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can because I know how confusing the process can be, and I’m here to help guide you through each step.

Also, don’t forget to join our WhatsApp chat community by clicking the link under the “Communities” tab in the menu. It’s a great way to connect with other students preparing for the IMAT, share tips, and stay updated on all the important dates. I’ll be posting regular updates there, so you won’t miss a thing.

Best of luck with your IMAT preparation, and remember—you’ve got this!