The Italian Ministry of University and Research has officially established the rules governing the International Medical Admissions Test for the 2026/2027 academic year. Ministerial Decree No. 1005 of 6 August 2026 defines the admission procedure for English-taught single-cycle degree programmes in Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry and Dental Prosthodontics, and Veterinary Medicine. The decree was formally published by the Ministry on 7 August 2026 together with its technical annexes, the official syllabus, the table of examination countries and Italian centres, and the table of available university places.
The decree is especially important this year because admission to English-taught medical programmes remains separate from the new system introduced for Italian-taught Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine. While the Italian-language programmes operate under the new “semestre aperto” or open-semester system, candidates applying to the corresponding programmes taught in English continue to sit a competitive national admission examination. IMAT therefore remains the central selection mechanism for these English-taught programmes for the 2026/2027 academic year.
The Final IMAT 2026 Exam Date: 29 September 2026
The official IMAT 2026 examination will take place on Tuesday, 29 September 2026. This is particularly important because earlier MUR communications created some confusion around the date. An earlier national admission calendar referred to 30 September 2026, but this was subsequently corrected, and Ministerial Decree No. 1005 definitively establishes 29 September as the examination date. Candidates should therefore disregard older pages or screenshots that continue to show 30 September.
In Italian examination centres, the test will begin at 13:30 Italian time, or GMT+2/CEST. Candidates sitting IMAT outside Italy will take the examination at an appropriately adjusted local time so that the test can be administered internationally in coordination with the Italian sitting. The examination itself lasts 100 minutes.
IMAT 2026 Registration Dates
Registration for IMAT 2026 opened on 26 August 2026 exclusively through the Universitaly portal. The application window closed definitively at 15:00 Italian time on 9 September 2026. The deadline was expressly described as non-extendable, meaning applications could not be submitted after that time. Since the deadline has now passed, only candidates who correctly completed the Universitaly procedure within that period are eligible to sit IMAT 2026.
Registration was not simply an expression of interest. Candidates were required to complete the application procedure specified by Universitaly and finalize payment according to the instructions provided through the portal. Candidates also had to indicate whether they intended to compete for Medicine and Surgery/Dentistry or for Veterinary Medicine. Under the decree, this fundamental choice became irrevocable when registration closed on 9 September. Candidates applying for Medicine and Dentistry could order their eligible university choices according to preference, while Veterinary Medicine operates through its corresponding separate admission route.
For candidates belonging to the EU and equivalent category, the order of university preferences is extremely important because it is later used by the national ranking system to determine whether a candidate becomes assigned, booked or remains waiting. Candidates classified as non-EU citizens residing abroad are treated differently: they compete for the reserved quota of the university at which they completed their pre-enrolment procedure rather than moving through the same nationwide preference system used by EU and equivalent candidates. The decree expressly states that non-EU candidates residing abroad compete for the local ranking of the university connected to their pre-enrolment.
IMAT 2026 Test Structure
The 2026 examination contains 60 multiple-choice questions, with five possible answers for each question and only one correct response. Candidates are given 100 minutes to complete the entire examination. The overall structure remains heavily oriented toward the sciences, particularly Biology and Chemistry.
Of the 60 questions, 4 questions concern reading skills and knowledge acquired during previous studies, 5 concern logical reasoning and problem solving, 23 are Biology questions, 15 are Chemistry questions, and 13 cover Physics and Mathematics. Biology alone therefore represents the largest individual component of the examination, while Biology and Chemistry together account for 38 of the 60 questions.
The familiar IMAT scoring system also remains in place. A correct answer is worth +1.5 points, an incorrect answer results in a penalty of −0.4 points, and an unanswered question receives 0 points. The maximum possible score is therefore 90 points. This means candidates must continue to balance knowledge with strategic decision-making, since incorrect guesses can reduce the final score.
For candidates belonging to the EU and equivalent category, the decree sets a minimum eligibility threshold of 20 points. A candidate who scores below 20 is considered non-eligible and is not included in the relevant national ranking. For non-EU candidates residing abroad, the basic eligibility rule is different: a score above zero is required, although actual admission depends on the competition for the reserved places at the selected university and therefore usually requires a considerably higher result.
IMAT 2026 Results: 8 October 2026
The first important date following the examination is 8 October 2026. On this date, CINECA publishes candidates’ scores through Universitaly using their anonymous identification or label code. This publication does not yet represent the final named national ranking. Instead, it allows candidates to see the distribution of scores while candidate identities remain protected.
The anonymous-score publication is particularly useful for understanding the general performance of the candidate pool, but it should not be interpreted as a final admission result. University preferences, candidate status, quotas and the final ranking procedures still need to be applied before admission positions can be determined.
Personal Exam Paper and Score: 19 October 2026
On 19 October 2026, candidates will gain access to more detailed personal information through their reserved area on Universitaly. They will be able to view their own examination paper, their calculated score and their personal candidate identification sheet. This stage allows each candidate to connect the previously anonymous score with their individual examination record.
This date is therefore different from 8 October. The publication on 8 October concerns scores identified through anonymous codes, whereas 19 October gives candidates access to their own documentation and personal result.
National Ranking: 26 October 2026
The next major date is 26 October 2026, when the national named merit rankings are scheduled to be published through the reserved student section of Universitaly for EU citizens and candidates treated according to the same ranking rules. Official university admission information also confirms 26 October as the national ranking date.
At this stage, the candidate’s IMAT score is combined with the ordered university preferences submitted during registration. Candidates may consequently appear with statuses such as ASSEGNATO, meaning assigned to the highest currently available preference for which they qualify, PRENOTATO, meaning a seat is available at a lower preference while the candidate may still wait for a higher one, or a waiting status when a place is not yet available. The ranking therefore does considerably more than simply order candidates by score; it also dynamically allocates available places according to preference order and vacancies.
Candidates classified as non-EU residents abroad should remember that their situation is different. Their admission is based on the reserved quota and ranking managed by the university connected to their pre-enrolment rather than the normal EU national scrolling mechanism. The decree explicitly separates these admission channels.
First Ranking Scroll: 3 November 2026
The first subsequent national ranking scroll is scheduled for 3 November 2026. Places that become available because candidates fail to enrol, choose another university or otherwise leave the procedure can therefore pass to candidates positioned further down the ranking.
Candidates participating in the national ranking must follow these stages extremely carefully. The admission procedure imposes short deadlines for enrolment and for confirming continued interest in the ranking. An assigned candidate normally has a limited period in which to complete enrolment, while candidates continuing through the scrolling process must periodically confirm their interest through Universitaly. Missing these procedural deadlines can result in exclusion from subsequent ranking rounds.
The Complete IMAT 2026 Timeline
Taken together, the official 2026 timeline begins with the opening of registration on 26 August 2026, followed by the absolute registration deadline at 15:00 on 9 September 2026. The examination itself is held on 29 September 2026 at 13:30 Italian time, with 100 minutes available to complete the test. Anonymous scores are released on 8 October 2026. Candidates gain access to their individual examination paper, score and identification information on 19 October 2026. The national named ranking for the relevant candidate categories follows on 26 October 2026, and the first subsequent ranking scroll takes place on 3 November 2026.
These dates should be treated as distinct stages rather than as interchangeable “results dates.” In particular, 8 October is the anonymous-score publication, 19 October is the personal-paper and score-access date, and 26 October is the national named-ranking date.
IMAT 2026 Test Locations Outside Italy
Table A attached to Ministerial Decree No. 1005 establishes a very broad international network of examination locations. The countries listed for IMAT 2026 outside Italy are Albania, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, China, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Kenya, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates with Dubai specifically indicated, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Together with Italy, the decree therefore provides examination coverage across 26 countries.
It is important to distinguish between what appears in the original ministerial Table A and the later operational venue information. The original decree primarily identifies the countries in which foreign examination centres will operate rather than providing every exact building and street address. The Ministry subsequently issued an additional notice dated 26 August 2026 specifically concerning corrections to the IMAT examination centres listed in Table A, making it important for candidates to rely on their final assigned centre and the latest venue communication rather than on older copies of the original location table.
The subsequently published operational network covers 32 international test centres across 30 cities in 25 countries outside Italy. Current centre information places the examination in Tirana in Albania; Baku in Azerbaijan; São Paulo in Brazil; Toronto in Canada; Beijing in China; Nicosia in Cyprus; Paris in France; Frankfurt in Germany; Athens in Greece; Hong Kong; Chennai and New Delhi in India; Dublin in Ireland; Nairobi in Kenya; Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore in Pakistan; Warsaw in Poland; Lisbon in Portugal; Jeddah in Saudi Arabia; Johannesburg in South Africa; Madrid in Spain; Lugano in Switzerland; Tunis in Tunisia; Ankara and Istanbul in Turkey; Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; London and Birmingham in the United Kingdom; and New York in the United States. Some of these cities contain more than one examination venue, which explains why there are 32 centres across 30 cities.
Candidates sitting the examination abroad should therefore check the exact centre specified in their registration documentation rather than assuming that the city alone identifies the venue. Capacity is also relevant because individual international centres can fill during the registration period.
IMAT 2026 Test Locations in Italy
Within Italy, Table A identifies 17 university examination centres. The test is held through the University of Bari in Bari; the University of Milan and University of Milano-Bicocca in Milan; Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Rome Tor Vergata in Rome; the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” and Federico II University of Naples in Naples; the University of Bologna in Bologna; the University of Turin in Turin; the University of Pavia in Pavia; the University of Parma in Parma; the University of Siena in Siena; the University of Messina in Messina; the University of Padua in Padua; the Polytechnic University of Marche in Ancona; the University of Cagliari in Cagliari; and the University of Catania in Catania.
These examination centres should not automatically be confused with the teaching campus of every English medical course. For example, certain degree programmes may be taught at a satellite campus even though the ministerial examination centre is associated with the main university. Candidates should therefore follow the exact exam-day address communicated by the university or through the official admission procedure.
Available Places for 2026/2027
Table B attached to Decree No. 1005 also defines the overall number of places available in English-language Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine programmes. For Medicine and Surgery, the table contains 2,430 places for EU candidates and non-EU candidates resident in Italy or treated as equivalent, and 1,362 places for non-EU candidates resident abroad. For Dentistry and Dental Prosthodontics, there are 49 places in the EU/equivalent category and 11 places for non-EU candidates resident abroad. For Veterinary Medicine, the corresponding figures are 63 and 7 places. This produces an overall ministerial total of 3,922 English-language places: 2,542 in the EU/equivalent category and 1,380 in the non-EU-resident-abroad category.
These totals require an important clarification. Table B covers the ministerially regulated English-language programmes included in the national seat determination, and therefore also contains places at several private universities and specialised programmes that operate their own admission procedures. Consequently, the figure of 3,922 should not be interpreted as meaning that all 3,922 places are ordinary public-university IMAT seats. Candidates comparing IMAT competition between public universities should examine the individual university rows rather than using the overall ministerial total alone.
Among the public Medicine and Surgery programmes, the 2026 table includes significant capacity changes and several newer programmes. Bari is allocated 89 EU/equivalent and 11 non-EU-abroad places; Bologna 140 and 20; Cagliari 80 and 18; Luigi Vanvitelli 70 and 50; Catania 40 and 40; Florence 50 and zero; Messina 55 and 61; Milan 60 and 15; Milano-Bicocca 40 and 20; Federico II 35 and 45; Padua’s MedTech programme 70 and 15 and its Venice Medicine programme 75 and 25; Parma 80 and 50; Pavia 103 and 40; Marche in Ancona 30 and 50; Sapienza 52 and 13; Tor Vergata in Rome 65 and 20; Tor Vergata’s Tirana programme 0 and 320; and Turin 73 and 32. Some newly proposed programmes are explicitly indicated in the table as subject to completion of the accreditation process.
For Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome has 19 EU/equivalent and 6 non-EU-abroad places, while the University of Siena has 30 and 5 respectively. English Veterinary Medicine includes 45 EU/equivalent and 5 non-EU-abroad places at Bologna’s Ozzano dell’Emilia programme, together with 18 and 2 places at the Federico II programme in Naples, the latter being indicated in the ministerial table as subject to accreditation.
What Candidates Should Remember
The 2026 decree confirms that IMAT remains a highly structured national selection procedure despite the major changes introduced for Italian-taught Medicine. Candidates have one common 60-question examination lasting 100 minutes, with the familiar +1.5/−0.4 scoring system, and the examination will be administered simultaneously across a large international network on 29 September 2026.
For students already registered, the most important upcoming date is now the examination itself. After 29 September, attention moves rapidly to 8 October for anonymous scores, 19 October for individual examination documents, 26 October for the national named ranking, and 3 November for the first subsequent ranking scroll. Candidates should monitor Universitaly and the website of their chosen university throughout the process, particularly because examination-room instructions, local non-EU procedures and enrolment deadlines can be communicated separately by individual universities.
Overall, Ministerial Decree No. 1005 provides the complete legal framework for one of the most international admission procedures in the Italian university system. With examination centres extending from Tirana, London and Paris to New York, Toronto, Dubai, Beijing, New Delhi and Johannesburg, and with thousands of places distributed among English-language Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine programmes, IMAT 2026 remains the principal gateway for candidates seeking admission to these programmes for the 2026/2027 academic year. The date that now matters is definitive: Tuesday, 29 September 2026.