In this article, you will find the scope and detailed subject areas of the IMAT exam, based on the official syllabus established for the Medicine and Surgery (LM-41) admission test conducted in English.
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. 599 of August 7, 2025, Annex A.
1. Reading comprehension and knowledge acquired during studies
- Reading comprehension: The ability to understand and analyze written texts in English of various types (scientific essays, classic and contemporary fiction, newspapers, and magazines) and with different communicative purposes. This includes understanding abstract, uncommon, or specialized vocabulary in real contexts, identifying cohesion and consistency in texts, and extracting/inferring specific information.
- General Knowledge: Skills acquired in previous studies and knowledge of general culture topics (including international ones) and contemporary public debate. Specifically:
- The ability to situate relevant historical and cultural phenomena in space and time.
- Knowledge of the main national and international institutions.
- An understanding of events in the fields of law, economics, and citizenship.
2. Logical reasoning and problems
Questions are aimed at ascertaining the candidate’s ability to pursue an argument logically, consistent with the premises. These premises are expressed either symbolically or verbally and focus on cases and problems (including abstract ones) that must be solved through different forms of logical reasoning.
3. Biology
- The chemistry of living things: The biological importance of weak interactions. Organic molecules in living organisms and their respective functions. The role of enzymes.
- The cell: Cell theory, cell size. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells (animal and plant). Viruses. Cell membrane structure and functions, membrane transport. Cell structures and their specific functions.
- Cell cycle and reproduction: Mitosis and meiosis, chromosomal sets and maps. Sexual and asexual reproduction.
- Genetics:
- Mendelian genetics: Mendel’s laws and their applications.
- Classical genetics: Chromosome theory of inheritance, models of inheritance.
- Molecular genetics: DNA structure and duplication, genetic code, protein synthesis. DNA of prokaryotes. Chromosome structure of eukaryotes. Genes and regulation of gene expression.
- Human genetics: Transmission of mono- and multi-factorial traits, autosomal and X-linked hereditary diseases.
- Evolution: Mutations. Natural and artificial selection. Evolutionary theories. The genetic basis of evolution. Inheritance and environment.
- Biotechnology: Recombinant DNA technology and its applications.
- Anatomy and Physiology: Animal tissues. Anatomy and physiology of human body systems and their interactions. Homeostasis.
- Bioenergetics: The energy currency of cells: ATP. Oxidation-reduction reactions in living things. Energy processes: photosynthesis, glycolysis, aerobic respiration, fermentation.
4. Chemistry
- The constitution of matter: Aggregate 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 atoms of the elements.
- The periodic table: Groups and periods, transition elements. Periodic properties (atomic radius, ionization potential, electron affinity, metals and non-metals). Relations between electronic structure, position in the periodic table, and properties.
- Chemical bonds: Ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds. Bond energy. Bond polarity. Electronegativity. Intermolecular bonds.
- Inorganic chemistry: Nomenclature and main properties of inorganic compounds: oxides, hydroxides, acids, salts.
- Chemical reactions and stoichiometry: Atomic and molecular mass, Avogadro’s number, concept of mole, elementary stoichiometric calculations, balancing of simple reactions, types of chemical reactions.
- Solutions: Solvent properties of water, solubility, ways of expressing concentration. Equilibria in aqueous solutions.
- Kinetics and catalysis: Elements of chemical kinetics and catalysis.
- Oxidation and reduction: Oxidation number, oxidizing and reducing agents. Balancing of simple reactions.
- Acids and bases: Concepts of acid and base. Acidity, neutrality, and basicity of aqueous solutions. pH. Hydrolysis. Buffer solutions.
- Organic chemistry: Bonds between carbon atoms; molecular, structural, and displayed formulae; 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 and real numbers. Ordering and comparison, scientific notation. Operations and properties. Proportions and percentages. Powers, roots, and their properties. Logarithms (base 10 and base e). Elements of combinatorics. Algebraic expressions, polynomials. Special products, factorization, algebraic fractions. Linear and quadratic equations and inequalities. Systems of equations.
- Functions: Basic concepts (domain, codomain, sign, continuity, maxima/minima, etc.). Elementary functions: algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric. Composite and inverse functions. Trigonometric equations and inequalities.
- Geometry: Polygons and their properties. Circle and circumference. Measurement of length, area, and volume. Isometries, similarities, and equivalences in the plane. Geometric loci. Measurement of angles (degrees and radians). Sine, cosine, tangent and their significant values. Trigonometric formulas. Solving triangles. Cartesian reference system. Distance between points, midpoint. Equation of a line, parallel/perpendicular conditions. Equations of the circle, parabola, hyperbola, ellipse. Pythagorean theorem. Euclid’s theorems.
- Probability and statistics: Frequency distributions and graphic representation. Concepts of random experiment and event. Probability and frequency.
6. Physics
- Physical quantities and measurement: Fundamental and derived quantities. International System (SI) and Technical System. Multiples and submultiples. Scientific notation. Unit conversions. Scalar and vector quantities. Vectors and operations.
- Kinematics: Description of motion. Velocity, angular velocity, acceleration, centripetal acceleration. Uniform rectilinear motion, uniformly accelerated motion, uniform circular motion, harmonic motion.
- Dynamics: Forces as interactions. Principle of inertia. Mass and the 2nd law of motion. Weight, elastic force, friction. Action and reaction (3rd law). Impulse and momentum. Conservation of momentum. Work and kinetic energy. Conservative forces and potential energy. Conservation of mechanical energy. Power.
- Fluid mechanics: Density and compressibility. Hydrostatics (pressure, Archimedes’, Pascal’s, Stevin’s principles). Fluid dynamics (flow rate, continuity equation, Bernoulli’s equation). Viscous forces.
- Thermodynamics: Equilibrium, temperature, thermometers. Heat and calorimetry. Heat propagation. Heat capacity and specific heat. Changes of state and latent heat. Ideal gas laws. First and second laws of thermodynamics.
- Electricity and electromagnetism: Electric charges and forces (Coulomb’s law). Electric field and potential. Dielectric constant, capacitors, electrostatic energy. Series and parallel capacitors. Generators. Electric tension and current. Resistance, resistivity, Ohm’s law. Series and parallel resistors. Kirchhoff’s laws. Work, power, Joule effect. Direct and alternating current. Period and frequency. Magnetic field of an electric current. Forces on currents in magnetic fields. Electromagnetic induction.
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The IMAT Guide Question Bank is meticulously crafted based on this latest official syllabus, ensuring your preparation is 100% aligned with the real exam requirements.
