Reading skills and knowledge acquired during studies is the first block of the IMAT paper: 4 of the 60 questions. Each is worth the same as any other question — +1.5 if correct, −0.4 if wrong, 0 if left blank — so the whole block is worth 6 of the 90 points.
There is no list of topics to memorise. The questions start from short texts and check how precisely you read and how well you can place events, institutions and ideas in context. Our question bank holds only the 2026 items of this block, so this page gives an overview instead of a frequency analysis.
What the MUR Decree Says About This Section
Allegato A of DM 1005/2026 treats reading in English as a cross-cutting skill — every IMAT question is written in English — and names three abilities that are tested directly:
- understanding abstract, uncommon or specialist vocabulary in real contexts;
- recognising how a text holds together (cohesion and coherence);
- extracting and inferring specific information from the text.
The texts are short extracts of scientific essays, classic or contemporary fiction, or current-affairs articles from newspapers and general or specialist magazines.
From short texts on varied themes, the questions also check knowledge acquired in previous studies and general culture, including international topics and subjects of current public debate — in particular the ability to:
- place important historical and cultural phenomena in space and time;
- know the main national and international institutions;
- understand legal, economic and citizenship-related phenomena.
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 06-08-2026What the IMAT 2026 Reading Block Looked Like
In the official 2026 paper the block opened with three passage-based questions and closed with one general-knowledge question:
| Question | Type | What it asked |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Essay extract | The main claim of a passage on the long history of deception and ‘fake news’. |
| Q2 | Essay extract | What is handed down ‘from one generation to the next’ in a text on motherhood and sacrifice. |
| Q3 | Essay extract | The role of cities in Italian literary history, answered only from the text. |
| Q4 | General knowledge | The name of the economic system built on digital technologies and ICT. |
Question distribution
The decree does not fix how the 4 questions are split between reading and general knowledge, and our question bank does not yet hold the 2024 and 2025 items of this block. We will add a multi-year distribution once the data are in.
How to Prepare Without Overspending Time
With only 6 points at stake, this block should take a small, steady share of your preparation — most of your hours belong to Biology and Chemistry (38 questions).
- Read daily in English: 15 minutes of essays, quality journalism and classic fiction builds the vocabulary and stamina the passages assume.
- Answer from the text only: the stems say so explicitly — ‘on the basis of the information it contains’. Your own opinion or background knowledge is a trap.
- Keep a context map: a one-page timeline of major historical periods and a list of the main Italian, EU and international institutions covers most general-knowledge items.
- Follow the news: economic and civic terms (digital economy, inflation, citizenship rights) are typical general-knowledge material.
Not 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 Test5 Most Common Mistakes in IMAT Reading & General Knowledge
Answering from what you know
Passage questions reward what the text supports, not what is true in the world. If the passage does not say it or imply it, it is not the answer.
Half-right options
Distractors often repeat words from the passage but change one detail (a date, a cause, ‘always’ for ‘often’). Check every part of the option.
Over-investing
4 questions are worth 6 points. Do not let reading practice crowd out Biology and Chemistry.
Spending too long on the first page
The block opens the paper. Read efficiently, answer, and move on — time is shared across all 60 questions.
Guessing on general knowledge
A blind guess on the IMAT has a slightly negative expected value (). If you cannot rule out even one option, leave it blank.
10-Week Strategic Study Roadmap
Diagnostic & Foundations
Take a timed diagnostic; rebuild the topics marked ‘Easy’ and note every error type: concept, reading or calculation.
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.
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.
Full Mocks
One full 60-question, 100-minute IMAT mock per week; review every wrong and every guessed answer.
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.