English Healthcare Professions Italy 2026 Guide

English-Taught Healthcare Professions Test 2026: what you really need to know

Students approaching the English-taught Healthcare Professions admission test often face the same doubts. They want to understand whether there are official updates for 2026, what changes compared to the previous year, how the exam is structured, how scoring works, how enrolment rules apply, and most importantly how they should prepare without confusion or unnecessary stress.

In this article we address these questions one by one, explaining what is already officially defined and what is still awaiting publication. We start from the regulatory framework that governs national restricted-access programmes and sets the rules for the exam, then translate those rules into clear guidance on what actually matters during preparation.

Official updates for 2026: what is confirmed and what is not

When discussing official updates for 2026, the first thing to clarify is the real status of the institutional documents. At the moment, no specific admission call for the 2026/2027 academic year dedicated to the English-taught Healthcare Professions test has been published.

This means that no officially approved changes currently exist regarding exam structure, scoring system, subject areas, enrolment requirements or calendar dates for 2026. The most recent complete regulatory framework available is the one that governed the 2025/2026 academic year.

For students preparing now, this point is crucial. Until a new official document is published, the valid reference remains the most recent regulated edition. Preparation, simulations and time management must therefore be based on those rules.

This is also where method becomes important. Training with tools that reflect the real exam structure, that track performance and highlight strengths and weaknesses, helps maintain clarity even when future updates have not yet been released. That is exactly why we built software designed to work with data, simulations and continuous performance analysis.

Differences between the 2025 and 2026 tests: the real comparison

At present, the comparison between the 2025 and 2026 tests does not concern differences in content, but rather a difference in regulatory status.

For 2025, complete official documentation exists and has defined:

• the exam date for the English-taught test, set on 10 September 2025
• the exam structure
• the scoring system
• the management of rankings
• the number of available places

For 2026, however, no equivalent official document has yet been published. No exam date has been announced, nor have any changes to the existing rules been confirmed.

As of today, therefore, there are no officially established differences between 2025 and 2026, because the 2026 framework has not yet been issued. Any serious comparison must start from this fact. Claims of certain changes without an official document are not supported by evidence.

Knowing this prevents major mistakes, such as preparing for imaginary formats or delaying study in anticipation of changes that may not occur.

Exam structure, scoring system and admission rules

The reference structure remains the one defined by the official ministerial decree governing the latest edition.

The exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions, each with 5 answer options, to be completed in 100 minutes. Questions cover clearly defined areas, including reading comprehension, logical reasoning and scientific knowledge acquired during secondary education.

The maximum achievable score is 90 points. Each correct answer is worth 1.5 points, each incorrect answer results in a penalty of -0.4 points, and unanswered questions score 0 points. Admission to the ranking list requires a score above 0.

Enrolment procedures follow specific rules. The exam is organised by individual universities, each publishing its own call with deadlines and administrative procedures. Separate ranking lists are drawn up for European Union candidates and non-European Union candidates legally resident in Italy, and for non-European Union candidates residing abroad.

Understanding these rules is not only about avoiding administrative errors. It is about preparing effectively, training under real conditions of time pressure, scoring logic and difficulty. This is where an artificial intelligence–based simulator becomes valuable: not to replace study, but to measure real readiness.

How these rules affect preparation

Until official updates for 2026 are published, preparation must be based on the currently valid framework. This has a very concrete implication: there is no benefit in waiting for hypothetical changes. Instead, preparation must focus on the confirmed structure, timing and scoring system.

Students need to become comfortable managing 100 real minutes, deciding when to answer and when to skip, and understanding the impact of negative marking. These skills are not acquired by reading regulations, but through consistent, realistic practice.

A guided approach that shows performance data, recurring mistakes and progress over time allows official rules to be transformed into a practical study strategy. This is precisely the type of experience we aimed to create with TestBuddy: reducing uncertainty and turning preparation into a controlled, data-driven process.

Official timeline of reference documents

To navigate correctly, it is useful to know which documents have been published and when.

On 31 July 2024, the decree regulating admission to Healthcare Professions courses for the 2024/2025 academic year was adopted, including the English-taught test.

On 14 May 2025, the ministerial notice announcing exam dates for the 2025/2026 academic year was published.

On 6 August 2025, the decree defining exam structure and content for 2025/2026 was issued.

On 7 August 2025, the decree establishing the number of available places was published.

As of today, no equivalent document for the 2026/2027 academic year is available. The publication date of the next official act is not indicated in the accessible documents.

How to stay updated without missing official information

The official framework does not provide a personalised alert or notification system for this test. Updates are released through institutional channels, particularly the section dedicated to regulatory acts and the national university information portal.

This means candidates must monitor official publications, verify dates and always ensure that information is supported by an official document.

At the same time, using a structured preparation tool allows continuous progress without restarting every time a new notice appears. Preparation becomes a steady process rather than a reaction to last-minute updates.

Official reference sources

The information presented is based exclusively on the institutional documents governing admission to Healthcare Professions degree programmes.

• Acts and regulations of the Ministry of University and Research
• Official notice on exam dates
• Ministerial decree on exam structure
• Ministerial decree on available places
• Universitaly portal