The International Medical Admissions Test (IMAT) is an aptitude test used for admissions into undergraduate medicine and dentistry programs at select Italian universities. These programs are distinct from their Italian-taught counterparts, as they are delivered in English and are primarily designed for international students.[1]
As of 2023, the IMAT is administered solely by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities, and Research (MIUR). Previously, the test was conducted in collaboration with Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing, which is no longer involved in its administration.[2]
Participants
The following universities offer a number of places for both home and overseas students to study medicine as part of this initiative. There is a separate ranking between EU and non-EU candidates, therefore the minimum scores to enter each university differ between the two as well. The following is the number of seats allocated for both EU and NON-EU students at universities in Italy for the year of 2024:[3]
Applicants for the existing courses taught in Italian currently take an Italian admissions test (developed by the Italian Commission), with the available places awarded to those scoring highest on the test. In 2011, MIUR asked Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing to develop and deliver the English language equivalent of this Italian admissions test. The English-language version is called the International Medical Admissions Test (IMAT).[citation needed]
Humanitas University in Italy also uses IMAT for its Medicine and Surgery degree course. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (RNRMU) uses the test for admission to its bachelor's degree in Biomedicine (English taught, with the University of Turin) and Medicine and Surgery degree (English taught, with the University of Milan).[citation needed]
The candidates can sit for the IMAT either in Italy or in test centers located in over 20 countries worldwide. In order to apply for a spot in the medicine course, the candidates must rank the universities in order of preference. The candidates who choose Italy as their test center must sit for the IMAT at their first-choice university. Disabled candidates and candidates with dyslexia are allowed extra time to complete the test.[citation needed]
Format and timing
As of 2023, the format of the IMAT is as follows:
- Section 1: Reading Skills and General Knowledge. This section tests skills in understanding arguments in paragraphs and the general knowledge of the candidate (4 questions).
- Section 2: Logical Reasoning. This section tests the candidates' logical reasoning ability (5 questions).
- Section 3, 4 and 5: Scientific Knowledge. These sections test a candidate's ability to apply scientific knowledge from school science. The scientific fields tested are Biology (23 questions), Chemistry (15 questions), and Physics and Mathematics (13 questions combined)
Recently candidates have been allowed a total of 100 minutes to complete the test (60 questions). All questions had five options, of which one was correct. A correct answer was awarded 1.5 points, a blank answer 0 points and a wrong answer subtracted 0.4 points from the final score.
The score for each section is calculated separately, then combined and ranked. If two candidates have the same combined score, the one who scores higher in Logical Reasoning and General Knowledge will be ranked higher. If the score in Section Logical Reasoning and General Knowledge is also the same, then the ranking is based on the one who scores higher in Biology, followed by Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. If the scores for each section are the same, then the candidate who has an English Language certification (IELTS, TOEFL) will be ranked higher. If both candidates have all the necessary documents, then younger candidate will be ranked higher.[4]
For Italian and EU candidates, there is a minimum cumulative score of 20 points in order to be eligible for entry. For Non-EU citizens, the minimum cumulative score for entry is more than 0.
The format of the test is confirmed when the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) publish the IMAT decree.
IMAT takes place usually in September. The enrollment is normally opened in June or July for about 2 to 3 weeks.
The IMAT test date and registration process for Humanitas University and Russian National Research Medical University are different from the main IMAT session and candidates should visit the respective university websites for more information.[5]
In 2019, there were 10,450 candidates competing for 500 available seats in Medicine in English in all of Italy.[6]