What is the difference between the IMAT and the Medicine entry test in the Italian language? Can I sit both?

Differences between the two programs

Italy has a medical course conducted in Italian language and an English-taught medical course. They are similar in structure , although not entirely the same . They are both 6 year long programs, and the diploma gained at completion is equally recognized, but often the English-taught programs are structured to meet western models of medical education by leaving more time for clinical experience rather than theoretical knowledge.

Significantly more Universities in Italy offer an Italian-taught medical program than English ones . Certain Universities, only after having established their Italian courses, endeavor to open an International counterpart.

IMAT VS entry test for Italian-taught programs

IMAT (International Medical Admission Test) is the entrance test only for English-taught medical schools in Italy, and the English-taught dental school in Siena. The entrance test for Italian-taught programs is the selection criteria for medicine or dentistry taught in Italian language. For foreigners willing to study in Italian language, no further language certification is required. European candidates compete with Italian candidates and Non-Eu candidates only compete for a certain amount of places (decided by the given University) among other Non-Eu fellows. The level of competition for Non-Eu nationals is significantly lower than that of Eu citizens, and also much lower than for Non-Eu spots for the English-taught programs.

Both entry tests are structured similarly: a 100-minute long multiple-choice exam of 60 questions with 5 options each with negative scoring for wrong answers. Both tests contain the same subjects : logical reasoning, general knowledge, biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The general knowledge section for the Italian test focuses predominantly on Italian history, politics, art , etc., while the IMAT counterpart is generally more expansive and covers a wider section of general knowledge, not bound to a particular nationality.

Even though similarly structured, the two exams are created by different institutions: the IMAT is provided by Cambridge Assessment , while the Italian entry test is created by the Italian Ministry of Education (MIUR) in collaboration with CINECA. Because of this, the level of difficulty might sometimes differ between the two entry tests.

Can I sit both the Italian entry exam and the IMAT?

Yes, you can sit both exams in the same year . You could even sit them both in subsequent years. In fact, many Italians sit them both as a backup plan in case they don’t score enough on the Italian entry test.

Subscription for both exams is done at Universitaly . The subscription for the Italian test is under the name “ Accesso Programmato ”, and after that, the process is similar to the IMAT subscription.

A major difference to the IMAT is that for the Italian entry test there are no test centers outside of Italy . In fact, you are not given the option to pick your test center, but you must sit the exam in the University you selected as your first choice .

Why take the Italian entry test as a foreigner?

Finally, if you have some knowledge of the Italian language, trying to sit the Italian entry test together with the IMAT might be a good option for a couple of reasons, especially if you live close to Italy and the travel isn’t hard to arrange.

First, you might use it as a backup option in case something goes wrong with the IMAT. But studying medicine in Italian language? You might worry your Italian is not good enough. Be as it may, you’d be surprised how fast you’ll pick up the language once you start living in Italy.

Second, the Italian entry test is usually held a week before the IMAT . This provides a wonderful opportunity to get familiar with the test day and all the bureaucracy and emotions that go with it. The experience will greatly help your IMAT performance .

Last but not least, you’d be able to use significantly more resources for preparation since there are numerous Italian-written books, question banks, and simulations which of course would prove useful for your IMAT preparation also.