IMAT 2025: Minimum Score, Ranking and Seats Explained

Every year, the International Medical Admissions Test (IMAT) determines access to English-taught degree programs in Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, and Veterinary Medicine in Italy.

Understanding how the score is calculated, what the minimum scores mean, how seats are distributed, and how the national ranking works is essential to navigate the process calmly and efficiently.

In this article, we’ll go through each of these points in detail — from how points are awarded and subtracted to how the rankings and “scrolling” system operate — using only official sources such as the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) and Universitaly, so you always know where to find the information that really matters.

How the IMAT score is calculated

The IMAT consists of 60 multiple-choice questions divided into sections of reading comprehension, logical reasoning, biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. The total test duration is 100 minutes, and each question has five possible answers.

The scoring system is very precise:

• Each correct answer gives 1.5 points
• Each wrong answer subtracts 0.4 points
• Each blank answer gives 0 points

The maximum achievable score is 90 points.
These rules are established by the Ministerial Decree No. 599 of 7 August 2025, specifically in Articles 2 and 3. The full exam syllabus, including topics for every subject, can be found in Annex A to the same decree, published on the official MUR website.

Minimum score: how to estimate it and what past data show

When we talk about the “minimum score”, we’re actually referring to two different things.

The first is the eligibility threshold, the minimum score required to be included in the national ranking. According to Article 3 of the decree, EU candidates and non-EU candidates residing in Italy must score at least 20 points to be considered eligible. Non-EU candidates residing abroad have no minimum threshold but are excluded if they score zero.

The second concept is the cut-off score, which is the lowest score that allowed admission to each university in the final ranking. This number changes every year and depends on the number of seats available, the choices made by candidates, and how the ranking progresses with each round of admissions (“scrolling”).

The first official picture of these cut-offs is given on 13 October 2025, when the first ranking list is published on Universitaly. Afterwards, every new “scrolling” modifies the last admitted score. To analyze previous years, you can consult the archives of the Accesso Programmato portal, which contain official results and statistics.

Available seats and how they are distributed

The number of available seats for the IMAT is set each year by the Ministry. For 2025/2026, the data come from Table B of Ministerial Decree 599/2025.

Here’s what it shows:

• Medicine and Surgery in English: 1,510 seats for EU and non-EU candidates residing in Italy, plus 942 seats for non-EU candidates residing abroad.
• Dentistry in English: 52 seats for EU/Italy and 8 for non-EU abroad.
• Veterinary Medicine in English: 45 seats for EU/Italy and 5 for non-EU abroad.

These numbers may be adjusted through later corrections, like the rectification notice published on 29 August 2025, which updated the UniCamillus table. For this reason, it’s always best to verify the latest version of the decree before relying on any figure.

How the ranking works: national and local lists, preferences and assignments

The IMAT ranking for EU and non-EU residents in Italy is national, meaning that all candidates compete on the same list. Admission depends on your final score and the order of preferences you selected during registration on Universitaly (which closed at 3:00 p.m. on 9 September 2025).

Each candidate may be:

• Assigned, if their score secures them a place in their highest available choice.
• Booked (Prenotato), if their score gives them a place in a lower preference while waiting for possible movement in higher ones.

For non-EU candidates residing abroad, rankings are local, managed individually by each university based on their reserved quota of seats.
All these procedures are described in Annex 2 of the decree, available at the same official page.

Scrolling: timing, rules and what to expect

After the first national ranking is published on 13 October 2025, candidates marked as “assigned” must enroll at their designated university within four working days (excluding Saturdays and holidays). Candidates marked as “booked” must either enroll in their current option or confirm interest to remain in the next rounds of ranking.

Failing to confirm within five days means losing your place in all future rounds.
The first scrolling occurs on 20 October 2025, and the process repeats weekly until all seats are filled.

Every update and deadline appears directly in each candidate’s personal area on Universitaly, so checking regularly is essential. Full regulations are available in the Annex 2 of the decree.

How to read your score and results on the official portal

The entire publication process follows a fixed schedule:

• 25 September 2025: Anonymous scores (by label code) are published on the Accesso Programmato portal.
• 6 October 2025: Each candidate can access their personal area on Universitaly to see their score, the scanned answer sheet and their personal data form.
• 13 October 2025: The national ranking with names becomes visible, together with each candidate’s status (assigned, booked, waiting list, or out of places).

The official question paper and answer key are also published on the same portal so that you can check your own answers using the same criteria used by CINECA and MUR. You can view the complete 2025 test here: Compito Inglese 2025 PDF.

What to do if you don’t get in: appeals, alternatives and a productive “gap year”

If you believe an error occurred in your ranking position or in administrative procedures, you may file an appeal to the Lazio Regional Administrative Court (TAR) within 60 days, or a special appeal to the President of the Republic within 120 days. All legal timeframes and procedures are outlined in Annex 2 of the decree linked above.

For those who prefer to try again next year, it’s best to use the upcoming months as a structured preparation period rather than a passive break. Start from the official IMAT syllabus and practice regularly with mock exams and progress analysis.

This is exactly where TestBuddy can help: it offers official-format simulations, error analytics, and adaptive study tools that track your progress in real time. You can even import the official 2025 IMAT paper from the MUR portal and calculate your exact score using the official formula, while improving on weak topics identified through your practice sessions.

Building consistency and managing time under real exam conditions are key. Working weekly with simulations and gradually raising your score will help you approach the next IMAT with far less anxiety and much more control.

Additional official resources

• Full text of the Ministerial Decree 599/2025: https://www.mur.gov.it/it/atti-e-normativa/decreto-ministeriale-n-599-del-07-08-2025
• Rectification notice (29 August 2025): https://www.mur.gov.it/sites/default/files/2025-08/Avviso%20di%20rettifica%20tabelle%20DM%20599%20e%20600%20per%20Unicamillus%20%28002%29.pdf
• Accesso Programmato (IMAT section): https://accessoprogrammato.mur.gov.it/2025/
• Universitaly portal: https://www.universitaly.it/
• Official IMAT 2025 paper and key: https://accessoprogrammato.mur.gov.it/compiti/CompitoInglese2025.pdf