Every year, students either over-study Physics like an engineering exam or ignore it completely.** Both mistakes cost marks. IMAT Physics is compact, conceptual, and designed to reward understanding—not memorisation or advanced mathematics. Studied correctly, it becomes one of the easiest ways to gain a ranking advantage.

Physics in the IMAT Exam: What You Are Really Being Tested On

Physics constitutes a fixed portion of the IMAT paper, with around 5–6 questions according to the current IMAT pattern. These questions are placed under the Mathematics & Physics section, which constitutes a total of 13 questions.The questions themselves are not lengthy, but they demand clarity. Calculations are usually simple, yet the challenge lies in identifying the correct physical principle quickly. Unlike previously, since 2023 IMAT does not reward memorisation of formulas; instead, it rewards students who understand when and why a formula applies.

Why Physics Matters More Than You Think

Physics plays a decisive role in IMAT scoring. The reason Physics becomes highly competitive is that not everyone has a strong hold on it. Many students either avoid Physics or prepare it superficially, which creates a clear scoring gap. As a result, students who study Physics properly and gain control over the subject can score significantly better than those who lack conceptual understanding.

Even answering three to four Physics questions correctly can lead to a noticeable improvement in overall rank. Because fewer candidates score well in Physics, it naturally becomes a differentiating subject and a powerful opportunity for students who prepare it strategically.

The comparison between IMAT 2024 and 2025 makes it evident that IMAT does not follow fixed topic weightage in Physics. A topic that carries multiple questions in one year may disappear completely the next. This strongly indicates that selective preparation is risky, and students must aim to cover all the major topics instead of going deep into only one topic.

Physics Syllabus for IMAT

The Physics syllabus for IMAT includes topics such as Physical Quantities, Kinematics, Dynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics, and Electromagnetism. The LOCOMOTIVE Team has prepared a very detailed interpretation of the syllabus and divided it into many topics and subtopics, which has been very useful to students.

Please note that you are not expected to perform long derivations of formulas or use very advanced mathematics. However, you are expected to understand physical relationships intuitively—for example, how changing one variable affects another, or how a system behaves in limiting cases.

How Much Time Should You Give to Physics?

The time required to prepare physics for the IMAT depends strongly on a student’s prior exposure to the subject. As a general guideline, students with a reasonable background in high-school physics can usually complete focused IMAT-level preparation in two to three months, whereas students without prior exposure and starting from scratch should plan for around six months of preparation.

This longer timeline is not because Physics must be studied intensively every day, but because it should be studied gradually and consistently, alongside other IMAT subjects. Basic mathematical fluency in topics such as ratios, percentages, multiplication, division, and unit conversions can significantly speed up problem-solving during the exam.

Moreover, IMAT is an international exam taken by students from diverse educational backgrounds, and high-school curricula are not uniform. As a result, certain topics or subtopics in the IMAT Physics syllabus may not have been covered in a student’s own high-school education. For this reason, it is essential to review the official syllabus carefully and begin preparation early, rather than assuming that prior exposure alone is sufficient or leaving Physics for the final weeks before the exam.

The Right Way to Study Physics for IMAT

Physics should always be studied in layers. Jumping directly into question practice without conceptual clarity is one of the most common mistakes IMAT aspirants make. Equally problematic is over-studying theory without applying it to exam-style questions. IMAT physics sits exactly between these two extremes.

Finally, regular revision is crucial, but it must be active rather than passive. Effective revision should combine theory review with consistent question practice. An equally important part of physics preparation is revisiting mistakes—students should deliberately practise more questions from their weaker topics instead of avoiding them. While practising, simply arriving at the correct answer is not the ultimate goal. What truly matters is understanding the method used to reach the answer and recognising why the other options are incorrect. This approach strengthens reasoning skills, promotes active recall, and ensures that students can confidently answer both conceptual and numerical questions based on a solid understanding of theory.

Choosing the Right Resources

One of the biggest challenge students come across is resource overload. For IMAT Physics, you do not need multiple textbooks or endless problem sets. What you need is a small, well-chosen set of resources that cover concepts clearly and provide IMAT-relevant practice.

The LOCOMOTIVE Physics Course

The Locomotive Physics Course is designed specifically around the IMAT syllabus and exam style. Students are provided with structured, concise notes that focus only on the relevant topics and subtopics tested in IMAT, avoiding the overload often found in standard textbooks. These notes are supported by recorded lectures, allowing students to study theoretical concepts at their own pace.

During classes, concepts are taught from the basics to the advanced level wherever required, with a strong emphasis on understanding the physical meaning behind formulas rather than memorising them. To further strengthen understanding, students also receive exclusive resource guides with carefully selected YouTube video links for specific topics, helping them visualise concepts and gain additional clarity when needed. In terms of practice, the course offers a continuous and structured testing system, including topic-based tests and unit tests, all aligned with the IMAT pattern. Detailed solutions are provided for every test, allowing students to analyse mistakes and refine their approach.

The overall aim of the course is to build confidence, clarity, and problem-solving ability, ensuring that students are not only prepared to answer IMAT Physics questions but also understand the logic behind every step they take.

Final Thoughts

Physics is not the enemy of IMAT aspirants—poor strategy is. With the right approach, Physics can become one of the most rewarding and controllable sections of the exam, even for students who do not come from a strong technical background. Conceptual clarity, consistent practice, and familiarity with IMAT-style questions matter far more than speed or advanced mathematics. In recent years, however, rising cut-offs for medical universities, particularly for non-European applicants, have made it increasingly difficult to ignore any section of the IMAT exam. Relying solely on Biology and Chemistry is no longer sufficient. Students must aim to develop enough understanding in Physics to confidently secure at least 3–4 out of 6 questions, which can make a decisive difference in overall ranking. When prepared strategically, Physics stops being a risk and instead becomes an opportunity to gain an edge on exam day.