IMAT preparation, in English from the very first lesson.
The IMAT is the admission test for the English-language Medicine degrees at Italian state universities, and it is not "the Italian test translated": the language changes, the style of the questions changes, and so does the best way to spend your time. I work with you on the questions directly in English, not on last-minute mental translations, with timed practice tests modelled on CINECA. Among my IMAT students, 97% pass the test.
In English from the first lesson.
The students I work with
- Italian students with good English who want to study Medicine in an international environment, in degrees taught entirely in English.
- International or bilingual students who choose Italy for Medicine and need the Italian science syllabus (biology, chemistry, physics, maths) turned into an effective study method.
- Students weighing the IMAT against the TOLC-MED as alternative routes, who want to understand, with the facts in hand, which road makes more sense for their profile.
How it works
- First lesson: a cold practice test in English, to see the real gaps, which are often different from the ones the student imagines.
- A tailor-made plan, subject by subject, with exercises in English from the start: no studying in Italian and testing in English only at the end.
- A building phase on chemistry, physics and maths; biology under continuous review, because it needs more volume and more time to settle.
- In the last 4-6 weeks, full timed practice tests in English, with question-by-question analysis.
- Specific work on time management: when to flag a difficult question and move on, and when to go back to it.
The main areas of the IMAT.
The exact number of questions and the breakdown of the score change from one call to the next: always check the latest official CINECA call before you register. Below are the stable main areas around which we build the preparation; in recent years the weight of the science subjects has increased compared with reasoning and general knowledge.
- Logical reasoning and general knowledge
- Sequences and syllogisms
- Understanding argumentative passages in English
- General knowledge (weight varies from call to call)
- Automatic skills to hone with repeated practice
- Biology
- Cell and molecular biology
- Genetics and metabolism
- Basic physiology
- Structure and function of biomolecules
- Fine distinctions (mitosis vs meiosis, transcription vs translation)
- Chemistry
- Atomic structure and the periodic table
- Chemical bonding and molecular geometry
- Stoichiometry
- Equilibria, acids and bases
- Redox reactions
- Physics and maths
- Mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, optics
- Functions, equations, analytic geometry
- Elementary probability
- Quick application under time pressure, not advanced theory
A complete guide with a study plan and typical mistakes: how to prepare for the IMAT.
IMAT: frequently asked questions.
What is the difference between the IMAT and the TOLC-MED?
The TOLC-MED is in Italian and gives access to Medicine degrees taught in Italian; the IMAT is in English and gives access to Medicine degrees taught entirely in English (Pavia, Milan Statale, Bologna, Padua, Rome Sapienza and others). It is not the same test translated: the style of the questions changes, and it is best to train on questions in English from day one.
Is the IMAT easier because some places are reserved for students from outside the EU?
No. The places reserved for students from outside the EU do not lower the bar for those competing for the EU places, and the competition is international. The admission thresholds in the most sought-after degrees remain very high.
Do I need to be fluent in English already to start preparing?
You do not need to be fluent already, but you do need to start studying and practising on questions directly in English, not translating mentally from Italian. Studying in Italian and testing yourself in English only at the end is one of the most common mistakes I see: students who train on English questions from the start reach the test without the mental cost of translation.
Does the structure of the test change every year?
Yes, content, number of questions and scoring criteria have been revised several times in recent years. The main areas (reasoning and general knowledge, biology, chemistry, physics and maths) stay stable, but for the exact numbers (how many questions, how much time, how many points for a correct and a wrong answer) we always look at the official CINECA call for the year you are sitting it.
Do you also work on the scoring criteria and the answering strategy for the year?
Yes, it is part of the preparation: understanding how much a correct answer is worth and how much a wrong one costs changes the strategy, whether it is worth answering when you have ruled out a couple of options or better to leave it blank.
Ready to prepare?
We start with a diagnostic practice test in English. We find out where you are and build the lesson plan around your real gaps.