IMAT Syllabus: Official Topics and a Study Checklist
Every topic in Allegato A of MUR Decree 1005/2026, the 2026 question split and a printable checklist to track your preparation.
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The IMAT syllabus is the official list of topics in Allegato A of MUR Decree 1005 of 6 August 2026: reading skills and general knowledge, logical reasoning, biology (12 topics), chemistry (13), mathematics (4) and physics (6). The 2026 test had 60 questions in 100 minutes, and biology alone carried 23 of them. The syllabus for the next IMAT is published with its decree, which has not appeared yet.
Where things stand: 8 October 2026
The 2026 IMAT was held on 29 September 2026 under MUR Decree 1005 of 6 August 2026. Its syllabus is Allegato A, written in Italian. This page maps every topic in it.
The decree for the next IMAT is not published yet. The last two were signed in early August (Decree 599 of 7 August 2025 and Decree 1005 of 6 August 2026). We update this checklist as soon as the new Allegato A appears.
In short
- Official source: Allegato A of Decree 1005/2026, in six sections. The 2026 questions were set on the basis of it.
- Question split in 2026: 4 reading and general knowledge, 5 logical reasoning, 23 biology, 15 chemistry, 13 physics and mathematics.
- Scoring: +1.5 for a correct answer, minus 0.4 for a wrong one, 0 for a blank. Maximum 90.
- Biggest return on study time: biology and chemistry are 38 of the 60 questions and 57 of the 90 points.
- Use the checklist below to tick off every Allegato A topic, then test yourself with the official IMAT past papers.
This guide is part of our Study in Italy guide, which covers every step from choosing a programme to the visa.
Planning to study medicine in English in Italy? Check your eligibility first; for eligible students, we manage registration, Universitaly and your deadlines while you study.
Check your eligibilityWhich IMAT syllabus is official right now?
The official IMAT syllabus is the one attached to each year's MUR decree. For the 2026 test it is Allegato A, titled "Programmi relativi ai quesiti delle prove di ammissione ai corsi di laurea magistrale in Medicina e Chirurgia (LM-41), in Odontoiatria e Protesi Dentaria (LM-46) e in Medicina veterinaria (LM-42) in lingua inglese". It covers Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine taught in English.
The annex is written in Italian and lists topics as bullet points under six headings: reading skills and general knowledge, logical reasoning, biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics. In the test itself, physics and mathematics form one block of 13 questions. Each year's decree carries its own annex, so treat this checklist as the 2026 syllabus until the next decree confirms or changes it.
How many questions does each IMAT section have?
Article 2 of Decree 1005 fixes the split. Points below use the official scoring of 1.5 per correct answer.
| Section | Questions (2026) | Maximum points | Share of the test | Allegato A topics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading skills and general knowledge | 4 | 6 | 7% | Section 1 |
| Logical reasoning and problems | 5 | 7.5 | 8% | Section 2 |
| Biology | 23 | 34.5 | 38% | 12 topics |
| Chemistry | 15 | 22.5 | 25% | 13 topics |
| Physics and mathematics | 13 | 19.5 | 22% | 6 physics and 4 maths topics |
| Total | 60 | 90 | 100% | 100 minutes |
A wrong answer costs 0.4 points and a blank costs nothing. Ties in the national ranking are broken by section score in this order: biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, logic, reading. That makes biology both the largest section and the first tie-breaker.
What does the IMAT biology syllabus cover?
Biology is 23 questions across 12 Allegato A topics, from the chemistry of living things to bioenergetics. The first column gives the opening words of each topic as written in the Italian annex, so you can match it to the source. The self-check column is ApplyAZ study advice, not part of the official syllabus.
| # | Allegato A topic (opening words) | What it covers | Self-check: you can... | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La chimica dei viventi | The chemistry of living things: water, carbon and the elements of life | Explain why water's polarity matters for cells | ☐ |
| 2 | L'importanza biologica delle interazioni deboli | Hydrogen bonds and other weak interactions | Name the weak bonds that hold DNA strands and protein shapes | ☐ |
| 3 | Le molecole organiche presenti negli organismi | Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids; enzymes | Sketch each monomer and describe how an enzyme lowers activation energy | ☐ |
| 4 | La cellula come base della vita | Cell theory; prokaryotic and eukaryotic, animal and plant cells; viruses | List three structural differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes | ☐ |
| 5 | La membrana cellulare: struttura e funzioni | Membrane structure, transport across membranes, organelles | Compare diffusion, osmosis, active transport and endocytosis | ☐ |
| 6 | Ciclo cellulare e riproduzione cellulare | Cell cycle, mitosis and meiosis, chromosomes | Draw each phase of mitosis and meiosis I and II | ☐ |
| 7 | Riproduzione ed ereditarietà | Life cycles; sexual and asexual reproduction | State the genetic outcome of each reproduction type | ☐ |
| 8 | Genetica mendeliana | Mendel's laws, classical and molecular genetics, the genetic code, protein synthesis, gene regulation, human genetics | Solve a dihybrid cross and a pedigree question in under two minutes | ☐ |
| 9 | Mutazioni. Selezione naturale e artificiale | Mutations, natural and artificial selection, evolution | Classify point, frameshift and chromosomal mutations | ☐ |
| 10 | Le biotecnologie | Recombinant DNA technology and its applications | Explain restriction enzymes, vectors and PCR in order | ☐ |
| 11 | Anatomia e Fisiologia degli animali e dell'uomo | Tissues, organ systems and homeostasis | For each organ system, name its main organs and one control mechanism | ☐ |
| 12 | Bioenergetica | ATP, redox reactions, photosynthesis, glycolysis, aerobic respiration, fermentation | Track where ATP and NADH are made in respiration | ☐ |
What does the IMAT chemistry syllabus cover?
Chemistry is 15 questions across 13 topics, running from the structure of matter to the basics of organic chemistry. Stoichiometry, solutions and acids and bases need the most practice, because they turn into calculations.
| # | Allegato A topic (opening words) | What it covers | Self-check: you can... | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La costituzione della materia | States of matter; mixtures, compounds and elements | Classify ten substances as element, compound or mixture | ☐ |
| 2 | Leggi dei gas perfetti | Ideal gas laws | Use PV = nRT with unit conversions | ☐ |
| 3 | La struttura dell'atomo | Subatomic particles, atomic number, isotopes, electron configuration | Write electron configurations up to krypton | ☐ |
| 4 | Il sistema periodico degli elementi | Groups, periods and periodic properties | Predict trends in radius, ionisation energy and electronegativity | ☐ |
| 5 | Il legame chimico | Ionic, covalent and metallic bonds; polarity; electronegativity; intermolecular forces | Rank boiling points from intermolecular forces | ☐ |
| 6 | Fondamenti di chimica inorganica | Nomenclature of oxides, hydroxides, acids and salts | Name 20 inorganic compounds without notes | ☐ |
| 7 | Le reazioni chimiche e la stechiometria | Atomic mass, the mole, Avogadro's number, balancing, reaction types | Balance an equation and do a limiting-reagent calculation | ☐ |
| 8 | Le soluzioni | Solvent properties of water, solubility, concentration | Convert between molarity, mass percent and dilutions | ☐ |
| 9 | Equilibri in soluzione acquosa | Equilibria in aqueous solution | Apply Le Chatelier's principle to three changes | ☐ |
| 10 | Elementi di cinetica chimica e catalisi | Reaction rates and catalysis | Explain how temperature and catalysts change rate | ☐ |
| 11 | Ossidazione e riduzione | Oxidation numbers, redox reactions | Assign oxidation numbers and identify the reducing agent | ☐ |
| 12 | Acidi e basi | Acid and base concepts, pH, hydrolysis, buffers | Calculate pH for a strong acid and explain a buffer | ☐ |
| 13 | Fondamenti di chimica organica | Formulas, isomerism, hydrocarbons, functional groups, nomenclature | Name and draw isomers of a C4 or C5 compound | ☐ |
What do the IMAT physics and mathematics topics cover?
Physics and mathematics share 13 questions. Allegato A lists 4 mathematics topics and 6 physics topics. Expect short calculations without a calculator, so mental arithmetic and unit conversions matter as much as the theory.
Mathematics
| # | Allegato A topic (opening words) | What it covers | Self-check: you can... | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insiemi numerici e algebra | Number sets, percentages, powers, roots, logarithms, basic combinatorics, polynomials, equations, inequalities and systems | Solve a quadratic inequality and a log equation | ☐ |
| 2 | Funzioni | Graphs, domain and range, monotonicity, elementary, composite and inverse functions, trigonometric equations | Sketch exponential, log and trig graphs from memory | ☐ |
| 3 | Geometria | Polygons, circles, measurement, degrees and radians, trigonometry, Cartesian geometry, conics | Find the equation of a line and a circle from given points | ☐ |
| 4 | Probabilità e statistica | Frequency distributions, graphs, events and probability | Compute a conditional probability and a mean and median | ☐ |
Physics
| # | Allegato A topic (opening words) | What it covers | Self-check: you can... | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grandezze fisiche e loro misura | SI units, prefixes, conversions, scalars and vectors | Convert units in a three-step problem without a calculator | ☐ |
| 2 | Cinematica | Velocity, angular velocity, acceleration; uniform, accelerated, circular and harmonic motion | Solve a projectile and a circular motion problem | ☐ |
| 3 | Dinamica | Newton's laws, weight, elastic force, friction, impulse, momentum, torque, work, energy, power | Use energy conservation on an incline with friction | ☐ |
| 4 | Meccanica dei fluidi | Density, hydrostatics, flow, continuity, Bernoulli, viscosity | Apply the continuity equation and Bernoulli to a pipe | ☐ |
| 5 | Termodinamica | Temperature, heat, calorimetry, phase changes, gas laws, first and second laws | Solve a mixing problem with a phase change | ☐ |
| 6 | Elettricità ed elettromagnetismo | Coulomb's law, field and potential, capacitors, Ohm's and Kirchhoff's laws, circuits, magnetic field, induction | Find currents in a two-loop circuit | ☐ |
What do the reading and logical reasoning sections test?
Section 1 of Allegato A tests comprehension of English texts (scientific writing, fiction and journalism), vocabulary, cohesion and the ability to infer information, together with general knowledge: history and culture, national and international institutions, and legal, economic and civic questions in current public debate. Section 2 tests reasoning from given premises and solving abstract or practical problems.
These two sections carry 9 questions and 13.5 points. They reward regular reading of quality English journalism and timed practice with past-paper logic questions more than memorisation.
How do you turn the syllabus into a weekly study plan?
Give each section study time in proportion to its questions, then cycle through the checklist and test it on past papers. Our 12-week IMAT preparation plan uses about 2 study hours per official question: roughly 46 hours for biology, 30 for chemistry, 26 for physics and mathematics, 10 for logic and 8 for reading, plus timed papers and mocks.
Keep a revision log next to the checklist. For every topic, record the date you studied it, your self-check result, the past-paper questions you got wrong and the date of your next review.
| Topic | Studied on | Self-check result | Past-paper errors | Next review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example: Mendelian genetics | Week 2 | 3 of 5 crosses correct | 2025 paper, two pedigree questions | Week 4 |
| Example: acids and bases | Week 3 | pH calculations fine, buffers weak | 2026 paper, one buffer question | Week 5 |
| Your topic |
The two example rows are illustrations, not a real student's results.
Which IMAT books and resources should you use?
Allegato A is the reference, so choose resources by how well they cover it. A practical rule is one solid pre-university textbook per subject whose contents you have checked against every row of the checklist above, plus the official past papers for timing and style. Commercial question banks help with volume, but check that their topics are on the current annex before spending time on them. No textbook is endorsed by MUR, and ApplyAZ has no commercial arrangement with any publisher.
Is the IMAT difficult?
The IMAT is demanding mainly because of time and competition, not because the topics go beyond school science. You have 100 minutes for 60 questions, which is 100 seconds per question, and wrong answers cost 0.4 points. EU and equivalent candidates need at least 20 points to enter the national ranking; non-EU candidates living abroad need a score above zero to be eligible for their university's local ranking.
Places are limited. For 2026/27, Table B of Decree 1005 reserved, for example, 61 Medicine places for non-EU candidates living abroad at Messina, 40 at Catania, 40 at Pavia and 11 at Bari (the last two include Marco Polo places). What score is enough depends on the university and the year: our IMAT cut-off guide and good IMAT score guide show the past numbers.
What is not yet announced for the next IMAT?
- The test date, the decree number and the syllabus annex for the next cycle.
- The question split. It was 4, 5, 23, 15 and 13 in 2025 and 2026, but each decree sets it again.
- Registration dates and the list of test countries.
- The places per university.
What is known: the Universitaly visa deadline for courses starting in 2027/28 is 31 October 2027. We add the new decree to this page as soon as MUR publishes it.
How ApplyAZ helps
ApplyAZ is an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, with offices in Milan and India. We have operations across all Italian regions, because each region sets its own regulations and deadlines and they change every year. For eligible students preparing for the IMAT, we choose the universities that fit your profile, handle the IMAT registration and Universitaly pre-enrolment, track the rankings and every scorrimento round, and prepare the visa file, so your time goes into studying.
Check your eligibility first. If you are eligible, you book a one-to-one consultation with one of our Italy experts, and after it you receive your personal Italy Roadmap, with every step ahead of you and when to do it. ApplyAZ never promises an admission, a scholarship or a visa: those decisions belong to the university, the regional body and the consulate. Our milestone payments and refund policies mean every service you pay for is either delivered or its service fee is refunded (terms apply).
Ready to plan your IMAT year? Check your eligibility, and we take care of registration, pre-enrolment and every deadline.
Check your eligibilityThe ApplyAZ Study in Italy guide series
Each guide answers one step of studying in Italy in depth. Start with the complete guide, or jump to the step you are on.
- Study in Italy: the complete step-by-step guide
- How to choose a public university in Italy
- A master's in Italy with a three-year bachelor's degree
- IMAT syllabus: official topics and a study checklist (you are here)
- Official IMAT past papers and how to review them
- IMAT registration, step by step
- Combining scholarships: DSU, MAECI, Invest Your Talent
- Universitaly pre-enrolment: steps and common errors
- Italy student visa checklist
Frequently asked questions
What is the IMAT syllabus?
It is the official list of topics in Allegato A of each year's MUR decree. For 2026 it was attached to Decree 1005 of 6 August 2026 and covered reading skills and general knowledge, logical reasoning, biology (12 topics), chemistry (13), mathematics (4) and physics (6).
How many biology questions are on the IMAT?
In 2026 there were 23 biology questions out of 60, worth up to 34.5 of the 90 points. Biology is also the first tie-breaker in the national ranking.
Is the IMAT syllabus the same every year?
Not necessarily. Each MUR decree carries its own Allegato A and its own question split. The 2025 and 2026 tests both had 4 reading, 5 logic, 23 biology, 15 chemistry and 13 physics and maths questions, but the next decree sets it again.
Is the IMAT syllabus in English?
The official Allegato A is written in Italian, although the test is in English. This page gives the opening words of each Italian topic next to an English description so you can match them.
When will the IMAT 2027 syllabus be published?
It is published with the decree for the next test. As of 8 October 2026 that decree has not appeared; the last two were signed on 7 August 2025 and 6 August 2026.
Sources
- MUR Decree 1005 of 6 August 2026: decree text (articles 2 and 3: questions, time, scoring, thresholds, tie-breaks), Allegato A, syllabus and Table B, places 2026/27
- MUR access portal, IMAT 2026: calendar and the official 2026 question paper
- Self-check tasks, study hours and the revision log: ApplyAZ study advice, based on the Allegato A topics and the 2026 question split.
Written by İrem Yılmaz, Student Experience Lead, and reviewed by Reeya Sharma, Student Success and Partnerships, at ApplyAZ. Published on 8 October 2026. Syllabus and test facts checked against MUR Decree 1005 of 6 August 2026 and its annexes on 8 October 2026.
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