In this article, you will find the scope and detailed subject areas of the IMAT exam, based on the official syllabus established for the admission tests conducted in English for Medicine and Surgery (LM-41), Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics (LM-46), and Veterinary Medicine (LM-42).
The IMAT is designed to measure candidates’ skills in analyzing various types of written texts, logical reasoning abilities, and general knowledge (focusing on history, geography, society, and institutions), as well as to assess their academic knowledge in Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology.
The knowledge and skills assessed in this exam are based on standard scientific and academic education provided at the secondary level and align with the expected learning outcomes of a high school diploma. Therefore, the exam possesses an international character, allowing students from countries outside of Italy to effectively prepare for this syllabus using resources compatible with their own educational systems.
Source: Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) – Ministerial Decree no. 1005 of August 6, 2026, Annex A.
1. Reading comprehension and knowledge acquired during studies
- Reading comprehension: The ability to understand written texts in English of different types and with different communicative purposes is a cross-disciplinary skill, since all types of questions will be formulated in English, including through the use of symbolic language. In particular, candidates are required to:
Understand abstract, uncommon, or specialized vocabulary in real contexts.
Identify phenomena of textual cohesion and coherence.
Extract and infer specific information from the text.
These skills will be assessed through short texts from scientific essays or classic and contemporary fiction, or through short texts on current affairs published in newspapers and general-interest or specialized magazines.
- General Knowledge: Also through short texts of various types and subjects, or through direct questions, the skills acquired in previous studies and knowledge of general culture or topics that are the subject of contemporary public debate will be assessed. Specifically:
The ability to orient oneself in the space and time represented, that is, to place relevant historical and cultural phenomena in space and time.
Knowledge of the main national and international institutions.
An understanding of phenomena relating to the fields of law, economics, and citizenship.
2. Logical reasoning and problems
Questions are aimed at assessing the candidate’s ability to logically complete a line of reasoning in a manner consistent with the premises. These premises are stated in symbolic or verbal form and concern cases or problems, including those of an abstract nature, whose solution requires the use of different forms of logical reasoning.
3. Biology
- The chemistry of living things: The biological importance of weak interactions. Organic molecules present in organisms and their respective functions. The role of enzymes.
- The cell as the basis of life: Cell theory. Cell size. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, animal and plant cells. Viruses.
- The cell membrane: Structure and functions; transport across the membrane. Cell structures and their specific functions.
- Cell cycle and cell reproduction: Mitosis and meiosis; chromosome sets and chromosome maps.
- Reproduction and heredity: Life cycles. Sexual and asexual reproduction.
- Mendelian genetics: Mendel’s laws and their applications.
- Classical genetics: Chromosomal theory of inheritance; patterns of inheritance.
- Molecular genetics: DNA structure and replication, the genetic code, protein synthesis. DNA in prokaryotes. The structure of the eukaryotic chromosome. Genes and the regulation of gene expression.
- Human genetics: Transmission of monofactorial and multifactorial traits; autosomal and X-linked hereditary diseases.
- Evolution: Mutations. Natural and artificial selection. Evolutionary theories. The genetic basis of evolution. Heredity and environment.
- Biotechnology: Recombinant DNA technology and its applications.
- Anatomy and Physiology of animals and humans: Animal tissues. Anatomy and physiology of human systems and organs and their interactions. Homeostasis.
- Bioenergetics: The energy currency of cells: ATP. Oxidation-reduction reactions in living organisms. Energy processes: photosynthesis, glycolysis, aerobic respiration, and fermentation.
4. Chemistry
- The constitution of matter: States of matter; heterogeneous and homogeneous systems; compounds and elements.
- Ideal gas laws.
- Atomic structure: Elementary particles; atomic number and mass number, isotopes, electronic structure of the atoms of the various elements.
- The periodic table of elements: Groups and periods; transition elements. Periodic properties of the elements: atomic radius, ionization potential, electron affinity, metallic character. Relationships between electronic structure, position in the periodic table, and properties of the elements.
- Chemical bonds: Ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds. Bond energy. Bond polarity. Electronegativity. Intermolecular bonds.
- Fundamentals of inorganic chemistry: Nomenclature and main properties of inorganic compounds: oxides, hydroxides, acids, salts.
- Chemical reactions and stoichiometry: Atomic and molecular mass, Avogadro’s number, the concept of the mole and its application, elementary stoichiometric calculations, balancing simple reactions, various types of chemical reactions.
- Solutions: Solvent properties of water; solubility; main ways of expressing the concentration of solutions. Equilibria in aqueous solutions.
- Chemical kinetics and catalysis: Elements of chemical kinetics and catalysis.
- Oxidation and reduction: Oxidation number, the concepts of oxidizing and reducing agents. Balancing simple reactions.
- Acids and bases: The concepts of acid and base. Acidity, neutrality, and basicity of aqueous solutions. pH. Hydrolysis. Buffer solutions.
- Fundamentals of organic chemistry: Bonds between carbon atoms; molecular and structural formulas; the concept of isomerism. Aliphatic, alicyclic, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Functional groups: alcohols, ethers, amines, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, amides. Elements of nomenclature.
5. Mathematics
- Algebra and numerical sets: Natural numbers, integers, rational numbers, real numbers. Ordering and comparison; order of magnitude and scientific notation. Operations and their properties. Proportions and percentages. Powers with integer and rational exponents and their properties. Radicals and their properties. Logarithms (base 10 and base e) and their properties. Elements of combinatorics. Algebraic expressions, polynomials. Special products, nth power of a binomial, factorization of polynomials. Algebraic fractions. Linear and quadratic equations and inequalities. Systems of equations.
- Functions: Fundamental concepts of functions and their graphical representations (domain, codomain, sign, continuity, maxima and minima, increasing and decreasing behavior, etc.). Elementary functions: polynomial and rational algebraic functions, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions. Composite and inverse functions. Trigonometric equations and inequalities.
- Geometry: Polygons and their properties. Circumference and circle. Measurement of lengths, areas, and volumes. Isometries, similarities, and equivalences in the plane. Geometric loci. Measurement of angles in degrees and radians. Sine, cosine, and tangent of an angle and their notable values. Trigonometric formulas. Solving triangles. Cartesian coordinate system in the plane. Distance between two points and midpoint of a line segment. Equation of a straight line. Conditions for parallelism and perpendicularity. Distance from a point to a straight line. Equations of the circle, parabola, hyperbola, and ellipse and their representation in the Cartesian plane. Pythagorean theorem. Euclid’s theorems (first and second).
- Probability and statistics: Frequency distributions according to the type of variable and the main graphical representations. Concepts of random experiment and event. Probability and frequency.
6. Physics
- Physical quantities and measurement: Fundamental and derived physical quantities. Systems of units of measurement: International System and Technical System. Multiples and submultiples. Scientific notation. Main conversions between units of measurement belonging to different systems. Scalar quantities and vector quantities. Vectors and operations on vectors.
- Kinematics: Description of motion. Velocity and angular velocity, acceleration and centripetal acceleration. Uniform rectilinear motion, uniformly accelerated motion, uniform circular motion, harmonic motion.
- Dynamics: The concept of force as an interaction between bodies. Forces as applied vectors. Principle of inertia. Mass and the second law of dynamics. Examples of forces: weight force, elastic force, static and dynamic friction. Third law of dynamics. Impulse and momentum. Principle of conservation of momentum. Moment of a force and angular momentum. Work and kinetic energy. Conservative forces and potential energy. Principle of conservation of mechanical energy. Power.
- Fluid mechanics: Density and compressibility of fluids. Gases and liquids. Hydrostatics: pressure and the principles of Pascal, Stevin, and Archimedes. Fluid dynamics: one-dimensional motion, flow rate, continuity equation. Ideal fluids and Bernoulli’s equation. Viscous forces in real fluids.
- Thermodynamics: Equilibrium, the concept of temperature, thermometers. The concept of heat and calorimetry. Modes of heat transfer. Heat capacity and specific heat. Changes of state and latent heat. Ideal gas laws. First and second laws of thermodynamics.
- Electrostatics and electrodynamics: Electric charges, forces, and electric fields. Coulomb’s law. Electric field and electric potential. Equipotential surfaces. Dielectric constant and capacitance of a capacitor. Capacitors in series and parallel. Electrostatic energy. Generators. Voltage and electric current. Electrical resistance and resistivity, Ohm’s laws. Resistors in series and parallel. Kirchhoff’s laws. Work, power, Joule effect. Direct and alternating current. Period and frequency. Magnetic field of an electric current. Forces on electric currents in a magnetic field. Electromagnetic induction.
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