IMAT Cut-Off Scores 2026
By University & Admission Trends

No. Unlike centralized exams with predefined passing marks, IMAT has no fixed cut-off score set prior to the test. The cut-off score represents the exact score of the last applicant admitted to a specific medical faculty once candidate scores are ranked and available quotas are filled. Historical scores serve strictly as statistical reference points.

Italian medical seats operate under two separate quotas: EU citizens (plus non-EU residents in Italy) and Non-EU international candidates. EU candidates enter a single national ranking, can list backup universities, and benefit from weekly scrolling rounds (scorrimenti). Non-EU candidates must select only one university during Universitaly pre-enrollment and compete solely within that faculty's dedicated quota, causing Non-EU cut-offs to fluctuate more sharply.

IMAT is scored out of 90 points (60 questions; +1.5 for correct answers, -0.4 for incorrect, 0 for blank). In 2026, Non-EU Round 1 cut-offs reached 75–81 at top-tier universities (Milan Statale 80.6, Bologna 77.9, Rome La Sapienza 76.0, Pavia 75.3). Mid-to-high tier faculties settled at 71–74 (Padua, Marche, Parma), while southern hubs (Messina, Luigi Vanvitelli, Bari, Catania) sat around 70–71, and Cagliari stood at 61.5. For perspective: 50 correct answers with zero mistakes equals 75.0 points.

Bologna and Milan Statale are among the oldest and highest-ranked medical faculties in Europe. Extensive hospital networks, international clinical rotations, and metropolitan appeal attract high volumes of top-tier international students. Combined with limited Non-EU quotas (e.g., 15 at Milan Statale, 20 at Bologna), this concentrated demand drives cut-offs upward.

Scrolling rounds occur when admitted students decline their offer or fail to complete enrollment within the statutory window. Vacant seats are automatically reassigned to waiting list candidates. While EU applicants benefit from a centralized national scorrimento process that can drop cut-offs by 3 to 8 points over multiple rounds, Non-EU applicants only see local re-allocations if admitted students fail to register.

Because Non-EU applicants can select only one medical faculty on Universitaly with no option to change after the exam, strategic planning is essential. Decisions should not rely solely on university prestige; candidates must evaluate their realistic mock exam score distribution, the size of the university’s Non-EU quota (e.g., faculties with 40–50 seats provide a wider safety margin than those with 10–15), and past-year cut-off trends.

Under official Italian Ministry (MUR) decrees, when two or more candidates achieve an identical total score, merit priority is determined by individual section scores in this exact order: first Biology, followed by Chemistry, then Physics and Mathematics, and finally Logical Reasoning and General Knowledge. If all sub-scores remain identical, priority is granted to the younger candidate.

When exam preparation transitioned directly to MUR, the test format was restructured to emphasize sciences. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving questions were reduced, while Chemistry (15 questions) and Biology (23 questions) were expanded to 38 out of 60 questions (63.3% of the total score). This increased science focus enabled well-prepared candidates to accumulate higher raw scores, driving up cut-offs in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Chemistry (15 questions = 22.5 points) and Biology (23 questions = 34.5 points) total 57 out of 90 maximum points. Physics & Mathematics (13 questions = 19.5 points) and Logic (9 questions = 13.5 points) play supplementary roles. Scoring 50+ points across Chemistry and Biology alone provides the core foundation required to clear cut-offs at the vast majority of Italian medical faculties.

Led by Mustafa Hoca (METU Chemistry Graduate, 26+ years teaching experience), preparation begins with a 40-minute diagnostic session to assess the student’s chemistry terminology, stoichiometry, chemical equilibrium, and organic chemistry foundations. We evaluate the candidate's target university cut-off and build a personalized question-practice and negative-marking risk management roadmap.