Overview

The University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, opens one English-taught, single-cycle Master's degree programme — Italy's equivalent of an integrated MD — to candidates who sit the Parma IMAT 2026 admission test, governed by Ministerial Decree No. 1005 of 6 August 2026. The programme itself is legally a University of Parma degree, but it's taught at the Piacenza campus, so you'll see both names used for it. The call for applications for A.Y. 2026/2027, digitally signed by the Rector, Prof. Paolo Martelli, covers:

• Medicine and Surgery (Classe LM-41), Piacenza teaching location, in lingua inglese — a single-cycle Master's degree

The test is the same one used for the single-cycle degree programmes in Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics, and Veterinary Medicine taught in English across Italy, with identical content at every test location.

This guide walks through what the call actually says about the Parma IMAT 2026 process: who can apply, exactly what's due and when, how the test and rankings work, and what happens after a candidate wins a seat. It's a summary of a long, dense legal document — read the official PDF in full, or cross-check anything decision-critical against Parma's own admission test webpage before you act on it. For how this fits the national picture, see the IMAT 2026 hub.

Seats available

The Parma IMAT 2026 admission call runs under Italy's numero programmato (capped-place) system, taught entirely in English at the Piacenza campus. 130 places are available for 2026/2027, split across two candidate categories, per Table B annexed to Ministerial Decree No. 1005/2026:

The University verifies each candidate's correct quota, including after the test and any subsequent allocation of a place — non-EU candidates should complete the quota-determination form reproduced as Annex C to the official call.

Choosing Parma/Piacenza as a first preference locks in the test location for candidates sitting the test in Italy — candidates must sit the test wherever their first choice is, with no exceptions. The test can also be sat at a foreign venue listed in Table A of the ministerial decree. For how Parma's seat count compares elsewhere, see Locomotive's full list of IMAT universities in Italy.

Who's eligible

Candidates may take part if they hold an upper secondary school diploma granting access to university studies in Italy, or a foreign qualification recognised as suitable for access to the Italian university system. Enrolment is in any case subject to verification of the declared qualification's validity and, for foreign qualifications, verification of the relevant documentation.

EU candidates and non-EU candidates residing in Italy

Admission takes place within the national merit ranking list, shared across every participating Italian university.

Non-EU candidates residing abroad

Compete exclusively within Parma's own local ranking list, based on the pre-enrolment application submitted through Universitaly, following the deadlines and procedures set out in the Ministerial Circular. This is a separate ranking from the national list used by the EU/Italy-resident contingent, and it's specific to Parma — unlike some other Italian universities' shared processes.

Non-EU candidates residing abroad are invited to consult the ministerial procedures on entry, residence, enrolment and recognition of qualifications published on the Universitaly portal.

The full Parma IMAT 2026 deadline calendar

This is the single most important table on this page. The bando states plainly: all deadlines indicated as mandatory by ministerial provisions must be complied with irrespective of the reasons for any delay.

All deadlines run on Italian time (GMT+2) unless noted. The 4-day enrolment window and the 5-day confirmation-of-interest window for the EU/Italy-resident contingent both exclude Saturdays and public holidays, per the bando.

How to apply, by candidate category

Registration for the ministerial admission test runs entirely through Universitaly, the same mechanics used for every Italian university offering the IMAT (see the IMAT 2026 hub for the general national process). Parma's call adds the following category-specific steps.

All candidates, at registration

1. Register on Universitaly between 26 August 2026 and 9 September 2026, 15:00 (GMT+2), reading the privacy notice and providing the requested information, including a valid email address.
2. Declare any recognised language certificate you hold (relevant for tie-breaks).
3. Indicate, in order of preference, the university locations where you want your result considered — irrevocable once the deadline passes.
4. If sitting the test in Italy, your first-choice university automatically becomes your test location, with no exceptions. Testing abroad requires selecting one of the foreign centres in Table A of the ministerial decree.
5. Pay the test participation fee per the procedures published on Universitaly — payment alone, without registration, doesn't entitle you to sit the test.
6. Separately register with the UniPR – Esse3 university information system (unipr.esse3.cineca.it) for any subsequent enrolment.

Non-EU candidates residing abroad

1. In addition to the test registration above, submit a pre-enrolment application to the University of Parma through Universitaly, per the ministerial provisions for international students.
2. Complete a study-visa application through Universitaly where applicable.
3. You'll compete exclusively for the 50 places in Parma's local ranking list — inclusion requires having submitted the pre-enrolment application, completed test registration, taken the test, scored above zero, met the admission requirements, and (where applicable) completed the study-visa procedure.

Test day & format

A single test of identical content at every location: 60 multiple-choice questions (five options each, one correct answer), completed in a maximum of 100 minutes:

• Reading skills and knowledge acquired during previous studies — 4 questions
• Logical reasoning and problem solving — 5 questions
• Biology — 23 questions
• Chemistry — 15 questions
• Physics and mathematics — 13 questions

At Parma, candidates are summoned to the Integrated Biotechnology Centre, Via Volturno 39, Parma (Rooms A and B) at 8:30 a.m. for identification, and the test itself starts at 1:30 p.m. Candidates must bring a valid ID, their Universitaly registration receipt, their test-fee payment receipt, and — for non-EU candidates — the completed quota-determination form (Annex C). Final confirmation of the venue, rooms and access arrangements is published on Parma's dedicated admission-test webpage.

Only the black pen supplied by the University may be used to complete the answer sheet. Candidates are prohibited from bringing (or using) mobile phones, handheld devices, smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, earphones, webcams or similar equipment, as well as pens, pencils, personal stationery, manuals, textbooks, notes, blank paper or any other reference material.

To answer, candidates mark an X in the chosen box; only one previously given answer may be corrected, by fully blacking out the old box and marking a new one. To explicitly leave a question unanswered, candidates mark the dedicated circular symbol — once marked, that choice can't be changed. At the end of the test, candidates attach matching adhesive labels to their personal data form and answer sheet and personally verify the alphanumeric codes match, before placing both in their designated containers.

Grounds for annulment (per Annex 1 to Ministerial Decree No. 1005/2026) include: sitting the test in an unauthorised room; bringing in or using prohibited electronic devices or reference material; placing an identifying signature or mark anywhere on the answer sheet; interacting with, copying from, or exchanging materials with other candidates; and using a writing implement during the final submission procedure to modify, add to or correct the answer sheet.

Full conduct rules and marking instructions are set out in Art. 8 of the official call — see also Locomotive's IMAT 2026 hub for the general national format.

Scoring, minimum eligibility & tie-breaks

Out of a maximum 90 points:

• +1.5 points per correct answer
• −0.4 points per incorrect answer
• 0 points for a question left unanswered

EU candidates and non-EU candidates resident in Italy (Art. 39(5)) must achieve a minimum of 20 points to be included in the national ranking list; candidates below that threshold aren't ranked at all. The 20-point threshold does not apply to non-EU candidates residing abroad — only a score greater than zero is required, and candidates who leave every question blank are excluded from the local ranking list.

In the event of a tie, subject scores decide first, in descending order: Biology, then Chemistry, then Physics and Mathematics, then Logical Reasoning and Problem Solving, then Reading Skills and Knowledge Acquired During Previous Studies. If still tied, priority goes to candidates who, by the registration deadline, held and declared a recognised language certificate (Annex B); then to candidates with a certified invalidity of 66% or more, or a Law 104/1992 Art. 3(3) disability certification; and finally to the younger candidate. Candidates relying on the invalidity/disability tie-break must submit supporting documentation within 15 days of being assigned a place.

"Assigned" vs "Reserved" vs "Waiting": securing your place

This is the part of the process that catches people out. Once the national ranking is published — and updated as places free up — every eligible EU/Italy-resident candidate holds one of three live statuses:

Every candidate required to do so must confirm, via the Universitaly reserved area, that they wish to remain on the ranking list within five days of each update — specifically, by 12:00 noon on the fifth day following publication, including the publication day and excluding Saturdays/holidays. Failing to confirm results in exclusion from subsequent updates and loss of any right to enrol. Candidates are solely responsible for checking their own reserved area and the UniPR admissions webpages — no individual notifications are sent. The first ranking update is published by CINECA on 3 November 2026. Non-EU candidates residing abroad instead follow Parma's separate local-ranking schedule (see the deadline calendar above).

Enrolment & fees

Candidates shown as ASSIGNED or RESERVED-and-enrolling on Universitaly must log into the UniPR – Esse3 system (unipr.esse3.cineca.it), complete registration if not already done, and enrol in the Medicine and Surgery admission procedure via Student Administration > Admission Procedures, then finalise enrolment via Student Administration > Enrolment.

• The first tuition instalment is EUR 156.00, paid via PagoPA by the deadline for the relevant ranking update; electronic payment receipts are valid proof of timely payment.
• Students (including those registered for the test or awaiting a ranking update) can apply for a reduction of their personalised tuition fees through ER.GO by 4 November 2026, 17:00 — missing this means the maximum contribution under the 2026/2027 University Prospectus applies instead.
• Non-EU candidates residing abroad enrol from the local ranking list between 27 October and 10 November 2026, also via Esse3 (Student Administration > Enrolment). Missing the assigned deadline forfeits the place and allows the local list to be updated.
• Enrolled students must comply with health/vaccination requirements applicable to clinical placement activities and submit a vaccination certificate at enrolment; foreign students must submit a translated and legalised version, regardless of quota.
• Enrolment may be granted provisionally pending verification of foreign qualifications; the University reserves the right to verify declarations at any time and to cancel enrolment if they prove false or requirements aren't met.

Support for candidates with disabilities or SLDs

Candidates holding an invalidity certificate or Law 104/1992 certification, or a Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) diagnosis under Law 170/2010, may request assistance, compensatory measures and additional time. Requests must be submitted to the University of Parma at protocollo@unipr.it by 3:00 p.m. on 9 September 2026, using the application form available at unipr.it/cai/inclusione.

• Law 104/1992 (invalidity/disability): may be granted additional time of up to 50% of the standard 100 minutes.
• Law 170/2010 (SLD): may be granted additional time of up to 30% of the standard 100 minutes; SLD diagnoses must meet the timing and personal requirements of Art. 4 of Ministerial Decree No. 1005/2026.
• EU candidates and non-EU candidates residing abroad requesting personalised support must submit certification issued in their country of residence, legalised where applicable, with a sworn translation into Italian or English certified as corresponding to the original by an Italian diplomatic authority.
• Parma's Welcome and Inclusion Centre verifies that foreign documentation certifies a condition of disability recognised under Italian law, and the University reserves the right to request additional documentation.

Full requirements are set out in Art. 6 of the official call.

Recognised language certificates (tie-break advantage & enrolment requirement)

Declaring one of the certificates below at registration gives a tie-break advantage, and (unless exempt) proof of at least B2 is required from every student at enrolment. These are set nationally in Annex 3 to D.M. 1005/2026, so the same list applies at every Italian university sitting the IMAT, Parma included.

Certificates must be declared when registering on Universitaly to count for the registration-time tie-break. Candidates exempt from the enrolment-time B2 requirement are those from countries where English is an official language, or who were taught in English for at least one year.

Foreign qualification holders

Candidates holding a qualification obtained abroad must submit the documentation required by ministerial provisions and by UniPR's own procedures for A.Y. 2026/2027, detailed on the programme's enrolment procedures and deadlines page. Enrolment may be granted provisionally, subject to verification of the qualification's validity, and the University reserves the right to verify any declaration at any time and cancel enrolment if it proves false or requirements aren't met.

Non-EU candidates residing abroad must additionally have completed, where applicable, the procedure for obtaining a study visa as part of qualifying for Parma's local ranking list (Art. 12).

What the test covers (Annex A syllabus, in brief)

The full syllabus (Annex A to the ministerial decree) is extensive; the University of Parma's call reproduces it in full. In outline, the five sections test:

• Reading skills & knowledge from previous studies: understanding English texts of different types (scientific essays, literary excerpts, current-affairs pieces), plus general historical, institutional, legal, economic and civic knowledge.
• Logical reasoning & problem solving: completing a line of reasoning consistent with given premises, in symbolic or verbal form.
• Biology: chemistry of living organisms, cell structure and cycle, genetics (Mendelian, classical, molecular, human), mutation and evolution, biotechnology, human anatomy/physiology, and bioenergetics.
• Chemistry: states/structure of matter, atomic structure and the periodic table, chemical bonding, stoichiometry, solutions and equilibria, kinetics, redox, acid-base chemistry, and the fundamentals of organic chemistry and functional groups.
• Physics & Mathematics: number sets and algebra, functions, geometry, probability and statistics; and physical quantities and measurement, kinematics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and electricity/electromagnetism.

The preparation level expected corresponds to the National Guidelines for upper secondary schools and technical/vocational institutes, in line with State Examination preparation. See Annex A of the official call for the complete, itemised syllabus.

Contacts & who's in charge

Candidates are responsible for regularly checking their Universitaly reserved area, the UniPR webpages dedicated to the procedure, and the email address given at registration — publication on these channels constitutes official notification. The administrative procedure is led by Dr. Rosanna Antonino, Head of the Piacenza Campus Organisational Unit, who is also the contact for record-access requests under Italian Law No. 241/1990.

Frequently asked questions