IMAT Test 2023 Decree | Application, Test Structure, Reserved Seats, Test Locations

The Italian Ministry of Education (MIUR) has released the official rules and regulations for the IMAT 2023 test (International Medical Admissions Test); this decree contains all the essential updates for this year’s IMAT, such as the number of reserved places in each medical school, admissions, IMAT tes t center locations, and all the essential information for studying Medicine and Dentistry in English in Italy!

This decree is a fundamental document if you’re planning to sit the IMAT this year and get into medical school.

New medical school in 2023:

One of the most exciting surprises in the MED school community this year is the opening of the new international medical school in Catania (Sicily) . Unfortunately, not many details about the new course are known at this point, as it is being accredited. We’ll post more as soon as more details become available.

Reserved seats for EU and non-EU Students:

[Warning]: The number of available places stated in the decree is provisional! Slight changes may occur, so a subsequent decree will be released confirming the available places with certainty.

This year we’ve got a significant increase in places ! This is mainly due to the opening of the new medical program in Catania which brings a whole lot of seats to the table. The other big change is the drastic increase in Eu places in almost every medical school .[Warning]: The number of available places stated in the decree is provisional! Slight changes may occur, so a subsequent decree will be released confirming the available places with certainty.

Available seats for the academic year 2023/2024

** still going through accreditation process

IMAT Test Centers Worldwide:

You can sit the IMAT either in Italy or in 21 countries worldwide.

The list of exam locations is quite rich, including countries like the US, the UK, India, Israel, Brazil, China, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. For European candidates, several EU countries like Germany, France, Spain, and Poland do offer one or more test centers, meaning that it’s going to be pretty easy to sit the IMAT close to you.

In the table, we just linked there is also the starting time for the exam in each test center for every time zone.

*** exact info in this field is to be confirmed

IMAT test structure:

As for previous years, the test will be a multiple-choice quiz with 5 options per question, lasting 100 minutes for 60 questions in total (that is roughly 1.6 minutes per question!). Each correct question will grant 1.5 points, incorrect answers will cost you 0.4 points, while no answer results in 0 points .

According to the IMAT test 2023 decree, this year the number of questions will be adjusted as follows::

• General knowledge – 5 questions
• Logical reasoning – 4 questions
• Biology – 23 questions
• Chemistry – 15 questions
• Mathematics and Physics – 13 questions

The general knowledge section has been a hot discussion topic lately – up until 2018, it only used to contain 2 questions. It is commonly regarded by applicants as the most unpredictable section ; questions revolve around a variety of topics, from recent events to history, literature, and so on. It’s not easy to prepare for these subjects, and generally, it requires lots of reading newspapers and high school textbooks. Luckily this year the number of GK questions has been reduced by significanly from last year and this section now includes only 5 questions.

If you want to maximize your chances of ranking very highly on the IMAT 2023 score, we have our very own online course held by expert IMAT teachers , for a fraction of the price of hard courses that are held in some parts of Italy. Check out our website for more information on how to subscribe and what is offered!

IMAT Exam dates and enrollment deadlines:

As previously established, the IMAT will be held on October 17th, 2023 . Enrollment will be possible starting from September 18th, 2023 all the way to September 29th , 2023.

It sounds like there’s loads of time, right?

However, if you consider all the bureaucracy involved in the application process these 2 weeks will be over before you know it!

Remember to keep an eye on the calendar.

Minimum entry score:

This hasn’t changed again in the last few years, but it’s still worth noticing. There is a minimum entry score for every candidate of 20 points . This means that, if you have scored less than 20 as an EU student, there is no possibility of being accepted, irrespectively of the ranking.

Language certifications: when are they useful?

As for previous years, English language certifications are not required to enroll in IMAT . They do come into play in case of equal scores between two applicants, but not always!

According to the IMAT test 2023 decree, if two candidates score equally, the single scores for the different test sections will be calculated: the one who has scored higher in the General knowledge and Logical reasoning part will be ranked higher; if this score is the same, they will look at biology. If also the two biology scores are the same, then chemistry will count more, then mathematics and physics at last.

If all the scores for each section are the same, then the candidate with higher English language certification will prevail. You can see that this possibility is highly unlikely , isn’t that right?

And still, if you have an English language certificate or have studied at least one year of your high school education taught in English, you can attach your certificate/ proof of education to university while subscribing for the IMAT. You can find the full of recognized certifications here.

How to Apply for IMAT:

For this year as well, all the applications must be sent through the Universitaly website . We made a step-by-step video on how to register for IMAT . When you subscribe to this website and send in your IMAT application, you will also have to point out your University choices, from the first to the last. Remember that you must also provide your email address and any English language certification you may possess at this moment.

You’re still confused about which university should be your first choice? Feel free to consult our page comparing all the Italian medical schools in English to find out which one suits you best!

Now, a few rules you definitely should keep in mind:

• For Non-EU candidates, pretty much only the first choice matters because of all the pre-enrollment procedures
• During this step, you must also indicate your test location
• If you wish to sit the IMAT in Italy, you will necessarily have to take the exam in your first-choice university
• Here is when you should pay the entrance fee

Feel free to read the official regulations (including the test rules) I’m linking here . They’re obviously in Italian, unfortunately.

Finally, if you need help with enrolling to Universitaly, try and watch our updated Youtube video guide from last year.