In breve: Biology is 23 of the 60 IMAT questions — the single largest section, worth up to 34.5 points of 90. The official programme runs from the chemistry of living things to human anatomy and physiology, with genetics and the cell as the two blocks that return every year.
This page is the biology programme as the ministerial decree states it, translated and grouped, with a note on what each block is actually worth. For the exam as a whole — dates, scoring, rankings — start from the IMAT 2026 guide.
1. Why biology decides the paper
The IMAT is 60 questions in 100 minutes. Biology is 23 of them, chemistry 15, physics and mathematics 13 together, logical reasoning 5 and reading comprehension 4. At +1.5 a question, biology alone carries 34.5 of the 90 available points.
| Section | Questions | Maximum points |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 23 | 34.5 |
| Chemistry | 15 | 22.5 |
| Physics and Mathematics | 13 | 19.5 |
| Logical reasoning and problems | 5 | 7.5 |
| Reading skills and acquired knowledge | 4 | 6 |
A candidate who is strong everywhere except biology cannot pass on the other sections: even a perfect score outside biology leaves 55.5 points on a paper where the competitive range sits far above the 20/90 eligibility line.
2. The chemistry of living things
The programme opens where biology meets chemistry: the biological importance of weak interactions, the organic molecules present in organisms and their respective functions, and the role of enzymes.
Not decree wording, our reading of that heading: in practice this usually means carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids — structure and function — plus enzyme behaviour at the level of what changes a reaction rate. The annex names the heading, not the molecules under it; treat this paragraph as study guidance, not as an extra decree bullet.
3. The cell
The programme asks for the cell as the basis of life: cell theory, cell dimensions, the prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell, animal and plant, and viruses. Then the cell membrane — structure, function, and transport across it — and the cell structures with their specific functions.
4. Cell cycle, reproduction and inheritance
Cell cycle and cell reproduction: mitosis and meiosis, the chromosome complement and chromosome maps. Then reproduction and heredity: life cycles, sexual and asexual reproduction.
The examinable distinction is mitosis versus meiosis, phase by phase, with the chromosome and chromatid counts at each step. Candidates who learn the two processes separately answer the definition questions and lose the comparative ones, which are the ones actually asked.
5. Genetics
The programme names four layers, and all four are examinable.
Mendelian genetics
Mendel's laws and their applications: monohybrid and dihybrid crosses, dominance and recessiveness, the test cross, expected ratios.
Classical genetics
The chromosome theory of inheritance and the models of inheritance — linkage, codominance, incomplete dominance, multiple alleles, sex-linked traits.
Molecular genetics
DNA structure and replication, the genetic code, protein synthesis; prokaryotic DNA, the structure of the eukaryotic chromosome, genes and the regulation of gene expression.
Human genetics
Transmission of monofactorial and polyfactorial traits; autosomal and X-linked hereditary diseases. Pedigree questions live here, and they are answerable by method rather than memory: identify the mode of inheritance first, then the genotypes.
6. Mutation, evolution and biotechnology
Mutations. Natural and artificial selection. Evolutionary theories. The genetic basis of evolution. Heredity and environment. Then biotechnology: recombinant DNA technology and its applications.
Not decree wording: "mutations" and "recombinant DNA technology and its applications" are the annex's own terms; the techniques usually taught under that heading — PCR, restriction enzymes, cloning vectors, gene therapy — are our reading of what a biotechnology question can draw on, not additional topics the decree lists by name.
7. Human anatomy and physiology
The programme asks for the anatomy and physiology of animals and humans: animal tissues, the anatomy and physiology of human systems and their interactions, and homeostasis.
This is the block most often under-prepared, because it rewards breadth rather than depth and cannot be derived from first principles. The systems that recur: circulatory, respiratory, digestive, excretory, nervous, endocrine, immune. Homeostasis is the thread — several questions are really "what happens to X when Y changes", and the answer is the feedback loop.
8. Bioenergetics
The energy currency of cells: ATP. Oxidation-reduction reactions in living things. The energy processes: photosynthesis, glycolysis, aerobic respiration and fermentation.
What gets asked is the accounting: where each process happens, what goes in, what comes out, how much ATP. Learning the intermediate steps of the Krebs cycle by name is a poor use of time compared with knowing the inputs, outputs and locations cold.
9. What to study first
The programme does not rank its own topics — this order is ours, from what the weighting and the recurring question types imply:
- The cell and membrane transport. Foundational, and it makes the rest readable.
- Molecular genetics and protein synthesis. Dense, examinable, and stable year to year.
- Mitosis and meiosis, compared. Cheap points if learned side by side.
- Human anatomy and physiology. Broad, slow, and the block that separates candidates.
- Bioenergetics. Small, well-defined, high yield per hour.
- Mendelian and human genetics. Method-based: practise problems, do not read them.
- Evolution and biotechnology. Few questions, quick to cover last.
10. FAQ
How many biology questions are on the IMAT?
23 out of 60 — more than any other subject, and more than chemistry and physics-and-maths combined. Biology alone is worth up to 34.5 of the 90 available points.
What biology topics does the IMAT cover?
The ministerial programme lists: the chemistry of living things, the cell, membranes and transport, the cell cycle and reproduction, Mendelian and molecular genetics, human genetics, mutations and evolution, biotechnology, human anatomy and physiology, and bioenergetics.
Is human anatomy really on the syllabus?
Yes. The programme asks for the anatomy and physiology of human systems and their interactions, plus homeostasis. It is the block candidates most often skip because it is not 'molecular', and it is examinable.
How deep does the genetics go?
Further than most candidates expect: Mendel's laws and their applications, the chromosome theory of inheritance, DNA structure and replication, the genetic code, protein synthesis, gene regulation, and human genetics including monofactorial, polyfactorial, autosomal and X-linked conditions.
Do I need to know plant biology?
Only what the programme names: the plant cell as distinct from the animal one, and photosynthesis among the energy processes. There is no botany section.
Where does the official syllabus come from?
Annex A to the ministerial decree that regulates the exam — D.M. n. 1005 of 6 August 2026 for the IMAT. The subject programme is the same one used for the Italian-language health professions paper.
Fonte: MUR — Annex A to the ministerial decree setting the admission-test programmes (D.M. n. 1005 of 6 August 2026 for the IMAT); topic list quoted from the archived annex. Ultima verifica: .