An astronaut takes a spacewalk at a distance from the Earth's surface equal to three times the Earth's radius. What fraction of g corresponds to the acceleration experienced by the astronaut?
Pick an answer to see the explanation
The decree gives Physics and Mathematics 13 questions together and does not fix the split. In the official papers physics took 6 questions in 2024 and 2025 and 7 in 2026 — roughly 9–10 of the 90 points.
Questions test relations and proportional reasoning more than long calculations: how gravity scales with distance, how resistors combine, how pressure grows with depth. Numbers are chosen for mental arithmetic (g ≈ 10 m/s²).
Question distribution analysis
IMAT Physics Topics: Frequency
Which topics demand your deepest attention? Below is the topic breakdown from our IMAT question data:
| Topic | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity & Magnetism | 5 | |
| Kinematics | 3 | |
| Waves, Optics & Oscillations | 3 | |
| Dynamics & Gravitation | 2 | |
| Fluid Mechanics | 2 | |
| Work & Energy | 2 | |
| Thermodynamics & Gases | 1 |
*Question counts per topic in the official IMAT 2024, 2025 and 2026 papers (MUR), physics questions of the 13-question Physics & Mathematics block, tagged by the PrepTest question bank. Not every question is in our bank yet (2024: 5 of 6). Topics are grouped by PrepTest; the topic mix changes from year to year, so treat the table as a guide to priorities, not a prediction.
Key Takeaways
- Electricity & magnetism appears every year (5 questions in 3 years): Ohm's law, power, resistor networks, charges in magnetic fields.
- Mechanics — kinematics, dynamics, gravitation and energy — is the largest group overall (7 questions) and took 4 of the 7 physics questions in 2026.
- Fluids appeared in 2025 and 2026: pressure on container walls and pressure versus depth.
- Oscillations, waves and thermodynamics took 3 questions in 2024 and 1 in 2026 — learn the core relations only.
Difficulty analysis
Topic Difficulty & Recommended Study Allocation
Not all topics require the same time investment. Some need extensive problem-solving practice, others rely on precise conceptual recall:
Hard
Electricity & Magnetism 1.5 weeksMedium
Dynamics, Gravitation & Energy 1.5 weeksMedium
Kinematics 1 weekMedium
Fluid Mechanics 4–5 daysMedium
Thermodynamics 4–5 daysEasy
Quantities & Measurement 2–3 daysNot Sure Where to Begin Your Preparation?
Take the free IMAT diagnostic test: see your baseline in every section and get a personalised AI study plan.
Take Diagnostic TestOfficial syllabus breakdown
IMAT Physics Topics: How Each Is Tested
A topic-by-topic look at the Physics section of the official MUR IMAT syllabus (DM 1005/2026, Allegato A):
01
Physical Quantities & Measurement Easy
- Fundamental and derived quantities; SI and technical units; multiples and submultiples.
- Scientific notation and unit conversions.
- Scalars, vectors and vector operations.
How it appears on IMAT: Unit conversions inside other questions (km/h → m/s before computing kinetic energy) more than stand-alone items.
02
Kinematics Medium
- Velocity, acceleration, angular velocity and centripetal acceleration.
- Uniform and uniformly accelerated rectilinear motion; uniform circular motion.
- Harmonic motion.
How it appears on IMAT: Relative-motion and overtaking problems, definitions (which quantity measures the rate of change of position?) and simple harmonic motion.
03
Dynamics, Gravitation & Energy Medium
- Newton's three laws; weight, elastic force, static and kinetic friction.
- Impulse, momentum and its conservation; universal gravitation.
- Work, kinetic and potential energy, power; energy conservation and dissipation.
How it appears on IMAT: Inverse-square scaling of g, kinetic energy with unit conversion, and what happens to mechanical energy when friction acts.
04
Fluid Mechanics Medium
- Density, pressure; Pascal, Stevin and Archimedes.
- Flow rate and the continuity equation.
- Bernoulli's equation; viscosity.
How it appears on IMAT: Hydrostatic pressure versus depth (≈ 1 atm per 10 m of water) and the direction of forces a liquid exerts on walls.
05
Thermodynamics Medium
- Temperature, heat, calorimetry and specific heat; changes of state and latent heat.
- Ideal gas laws.
- First and second law of thermodynamics.
How it appears on IMAT: Gas-law proportionality (pressure at constant temperature when the volume triples) and conceptual first-law items.
06
Electricity & Electromagnetism Hard
- Coulomb's law, electric field and potential, capacitors.
- Current, resistance, Ohm's law, Joule heating; resistors in series and parallel.
- Magnetic fields, forces on moving charges, electromagnetic induction.
How it appears on IMAT: Equivalent resistance of networks, , the direction of charge carriers in a wire, and circular motion of an electron in a magnetic field.
Official MUR Syllabus
The official IMAT programme is Allegato A of the Ministry of University and Research decree for the 2026/27 admission test:
MUR — DM n. 1005 of 06-08-2026Solved exam problems
IMAT Physics Sample Questions & Elimination Tactics
See how IMAT physics questions are built and how disciplined elimination avoids the −0.4 penalty:
An electric circuit consists of 100 branches connected in parallel. Each branch has 10 resistors in series, each with a value of R. What is the equivalent resistance?
Pick an answer to see the explanation
To what depth must one dive in the sea for the pressure to double relative to that at the surface?
Pick an answer to see the explanation
Candidate trap analysis
5 Most Common Mistakes in IMAT Physics
Recurring conceptual and tactical errors that cost students crucial points:
01
Height vs distance from the centre
Gravitational formulas use the distance from the Earth's centre. Add the Earth's radius to the altitude.
02
Forgetting unit conversions
36 km/h is 10 m/s. Convert before squaring in — options are built from the unconverted value.
03
Current direction vs electron direction
Conventional current flows opposite to the electrons. In a metal wire only the electrons move.
04
Linear thinking
Gravity and Coulomb force go as ; kinetic energy and Joule power go as the square of speed or current.
05
Gauge vs absolute pressure
‘Pressure doubles’ refers to absolute pressure: the 1 atm of the atmosphere is already there at the surface.
Study roadmap
10-Week Strategic Study Roadmap
Weeks 1–2
Diagnostic & Foundations
Take a timed diagnostic; rebuild the topics marked ‘Easy’ and note every error type: concept, reading or calculation.
Weeks 3–5
Biology & Chemistry First
38 of the 60 questions are Biology and Chemistry. Work through their ‘Medium’ and ‘Hard’ topics in the order of the frequency tables.
Weeks 6–7
Physics, Maths & Logic
Cover the 13-question Physics & Mathematics block and the 5 logic questions with short mixed sets; aim for about 90 seconds per question.
Weeks 8–9
Full Mocks
One full 60-question, 100-minute IMAT mock per week; review every wrong and every guessed answer.
Week 10
Final Polish
Re-do your error log, revise the traps, and practise the skip-or-answer rule: a wrong answer costs −0.4, a blank costs nothing.