International Medical Admissions Test
The International Medical Admissions Test (IMAT), sometimes incorrectly referred to as the "Italian Medical Admissions Test", is an aptitude test used as part of the admissions process for some Italian universities. These universities, with the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR), offer undergraduate courses that are taught in English and open to applicants outside of Italy.
Participants
The following Universities offer a number of places for both home and overseas students to study medicine as part of this initiative:
- University of Bari
- University of Milan
- University of Pavia
- Sapienza University of Rome
- University of Rome Tor Vergata
- Second University of Naples
Applicants for the existing courses taught in Italian currently take an Italian admissions test (developed by the Italian Commission), with the available places awarded to those scoring highest on the test. In 2011, MIUR asked Cambridge Assessment’s Admissions Testing Service to develop and deliver the English language equivalent of this Italian admissions test. The English-language version is called the International Medical Admissions Test (IMAT).
Format and Timing
The test consists of the following two sections:
- Section 1: Thinking Skills (Critical Thinking and Problem Solving),30 multiple-choice questions
- Section 2: Scientific Knowledge covering Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics, 30 multiple-choice questions.
Candidates are allowed a total of 90 minutes to complete the test. All questions have five options, of which one is correct. A correct answer awards 1.5 point, a blank answer 0 points and a wrong answer subtracts 0.4 points from the final score. A 20 points minimum threshold was set by MIUR in order to be positioned in the final ranking list.
The IMAT usually takes place in September, although in 2013 it is scheduled for April 15.