Checked 29 September 2026. Syllabus from Annex A of DM 1005/2026, reprinted in English in the University of Parma's call. The NCERT and NEET mapping is our own reading, not an official comparison; the question split is official.
The official IMAT syllabus is Annex A (Allegato A) of Ministerial Decree 1005 of 6 August 2026; the University of Parma reprints it in English in its admission call. It is written for students coming out of Italian upper-secondary schools. For an Indian student who has prepared for NEET-UG through the NCERT books, much of it is familiar — but not all. This guide walks through the syllabus section by section and marks our reading of where NCERT and NEET preparation already covers it, where it only partly does, and where you would be starting from scratch.
Our starting assumption is a student who took Physics, Chemistry and Biology in Classes 11 and 12 and prepared for NEET-UG. NEET-UG tests those three subjects; it has no mathematics or general-knowledge section. Check the current NTA information bulletin for the exact NEET syllabus — we do not reproduce NEET's pattern here.
Where the marks are
The split of the 60 questions is fixed by the decree. The subject that NEET students know best — biology — is also the biggest block, which is good news. The parts they know least are small in question count but not negligible.
| Section (DM art. 2) | Questions | Maximum marks (ours) | Covered by NCERT / NEET prep? (our reading) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 23 | 34.5 | Mostly |
| Chemistry | 15 | 22.5 | Mostly |
| Physics and mathematics | 13 | 19.5 | Physics mostly; mathematics not for PCB students |
| Logical reasoning and problems | 5 | 7.5 | No |
| Reading skills and knowledge from studies | 4 | 6.0 | No |
Put simply, 38 of the 60 questions (biology and chemistry) sit mostly inside NEET preparation. The remaining 22 are split between physics and mathematics (13, with no fixed split between the two), logic (5) and reading and knowledge (4). The mathematics, logic and reading questions need material NEET students have not studied.
The full syllabus, as a checklist
The tracker below is a condensed checklist of 52 lines that we built from Annex A: the grouping and the shortened wording are ours, and several of the decree's topics are merged into one line. Use it to plan revision; for the exact wording, read Annex A itself. Your ticks stay in this browser only.
IMAT 2026 syllabus checklist (condensed from Annex A)
Our condensed checklist of the decree's topics. Start with the sections your NEET preparation did not cover.
0 of 52 done
Ticks are saved only in this browser on this device.
| Section | Lines in our checklist | First line | Last line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading skills and knowledge from studies (4 questions) | 7 | Understanding abstract, uncommon or specialist vocabulary in context | Law, economics and citizenship |
| Logical reasoning and problem solving (5 questions) | 2 | Completing a line of reasoning consistent with stated premises | Premises in symbolic or verbal form, including abstract problems |
| Biology (23 questions) | 15 | Chemistry of living organisms; biological importance of weak interactions | Bioenergetics: ATP, redox, photosynthesis, glycolysis, aerobic respiration, fermentation |
| Chemistry (15 questions) | 14 | Constitution of matter; states; homogeneous and heterogeneous systems | Functional groups and basic nomenclature |
| Mathematics (part of 13 questions) | 8 | Number sets; orders of magnitude; scientific notation | Probability and statistics basics |
| Physics (part of 13 questions) | 6 | Quantities, SI and Technical System units, vectors | Electricity and magnetism: Coulomb, field, potential, capacitors, circuits, Kirchhoff, induction |
Biology: mostly covered, with gaps in the other direction
IMAT biology follows the NCERT biology you already know: biomolecules and enzymes, the cell, the cell cycle, Mendelian and molecular genetics, human genetics, evolution, biotechnology, human physiology and bioenergetics. A NEET student has studied almost every line.
The gap runs the other way. In our reading, Annex A says nothing about plant morphology and anatomy, taxonomy and the living world, plant physiology beyond photosynthesis, ecology, or human health and disease — large parts of NEET botany and zoology. Time spent on those is not wasted for NEET, but for IMAT it earns nothing. Put that time into human genetics (autosomal and X-linked diseases, multifactorial traits) and the regulation of gene expression, where IMAT asks more directly.
| Biology topic (Annex A) | NCERT / NEET coverage (our reading) |
|---|---|
| Cell, membrane transport, cell cycle | Covered |
| Mendelian, classical and molecular genetics | Covered |
| Human genetics: autosomal, X-linked, multifactorial traits | Partly — revise in more depth |
| Regulation of gene expression | Partly (operon); widen to eukaryotes |
| Biological importance of weak interactions | Partly — framed chemically |
| Human anatomy and physiology; homeostasis | Covered |
| Bioenergetics: glycolysis, respiration, fermentation, photosynthesis | Covered |
| Plant morphology, taxonomy, ecology | Not in Annex A — NEET-only |
Chemistry: covered, with Italian-school emphases
The chemistry list is the core of Class 11 and 12 physical, inorganic and organic chemistry. Three emphases differ from NEET practice. Inorganic nomenclature of oxides, hydroxides, acids and salts is asked directly. Equilibria in aqueous solution, pH, hydrolysis and buffers get their own lines. And organic chemistry stops at functional groups and basic nomenclature — there is no list of named reactions, so the heavy NEET organic-reactions load is, in our reading, beyond what Annex A asks.
| Chemistry topic (Annex A) | NCERT / NEET coverage (our reading) |
|---|---|
| Atomic structure, periodic table, bonding | Covered |
| Stoichiometry, the mole, solutions and concentration | Covered |
| Inorganic nomenclature: oxides, hydroxides, acids, salts | Partly — practise naming directly |
| Aqueous equilibria, pH, hydrolysis, buffers | Covered |
| Kinetics and catalysis; redox | Covered |
| Organic: isomerism, hydrocarbons, functional groups | Covered — named reactions go beyond Annex A |
Physics and mathematics: the real gap
Physics in Annex A is mechanics, fluids, thermodynamics and electricity and magnetism — all inside NCERT Class 11 and 12. The one oddity is the "Technical System" of units, an older engineering system (kilogram-force and related units) that Indian books do not teach; learn its base units. "Stevin's law" is simply the Italian name for the hydrostatic pressure relation you know as p = p0 + ρgh.
Mathematics is the real gap for a PCB student. Annex A expects logarithms, basic combinatorics, polynomials and inequalities, functions and their graphs, trigonometric equations, and coordinate geometry up to the ellipse and hyperbola, plus basic probability and statistics. That is broadly CBSE Class 11 mathematics, with some Class 12 functions. The questions are school level, but they have to be learned, not recalled.
| Area | Coverage for a PCB student (our reading) |
|---|---|
| Physics — mechanics, fluids, thermodynamics, electricity | Covered by NCERT Class 11-12 |
| Physics — "Technical System" of units | Not taught in Indian books |
| Mathematics — logarithms, combinatorics, inequalities | Not studied — CBSE Class 11 Mathematics |
| Mathematics — functions, trigonometric equations | Not studied — CBSE Class 11-12 Mathematics |
| Mathematics — conic sections, probability, statistics | Not studied — CBSE Class 11 Mathematics |
Logic, reading and general knowledge
The five logic questions test reasoning from premises, given in words or symbols. They are closer to aptitude-test puzzles than to anything in a science syllabus, and the best preparation is timed practice on similar questions.
The four reading and knowledge questions are the least familiar part for Indian students. Annex A says they test understanding of short scientific essays, literary extracts and current-affairs texts, and also general knowledge: placing historical and cultural events in time and place, the main national and international institutions, and law, economics and citizenship. "National" here is written for Italian students. Annex A does not list specific institutions or periods, so the preparation column below is our suggestion only: European and international institutions and general world history are where we would start.
| Skill (Annex A) | Preparation (our suggestion) |
|---|---|
| Vocabulary in context; cohesion; inference | Read English editorials and science essays under time |
| Historical and cultural phenomena in time and place | Our suggestion: a world-history timeline; major European events |
| National and international institutions | Our suggestion: EU, UN and major international bodies; Italian state basics |
| Law, economics and citizenship | Basic civics and economics concepts |
| Logical reasoning from premises | Timed aptitude-style puzzle practice |
Where other pages get this wrong
IMAT includes general knowledge as well as reading comprehension.
Commonly published instead: Many prep pages describe the first section only as "reading skills" or "critical thinking".
Annex A of DM 1005/2026 explicitly adds knowledge of history, geography, national and international institutions, law, economics and citizenship to the reading section.
How the ProSyllabus quizzes map to the syllabus
Our ten IMAT topic quizzes cover the science and logic sections. There is no reading or general-knowledge quiz yet, and every quiz uses four options per question, where the real paper uses five — so use them to drill topics, not to judge your score.
| ProSyllabus quiz | IMAT section |
|---|---|
| Cell Biology | Biology |
| Genetics | Biology |
| Human Physiology | Biology |
| Biology: Biomolecules and Metabolism | Biology |
| Chemistry: Atomic Structure and Bonding | Chemistry |
| Chemistry: Stoichiometry and Solutions | Chemistry |
| Physics: Mechanics | Physics and mathematics |
| Physics: Electricity and Thermodynamics | Physics and mathematics |
| Mathematics | Physics and mathematics |
| Logical Reasoning and Problem Solving | Logical reasoning and problems |
Practise it, don't just read it
Start with the sections your NEET preparation did not cover: mathematics and logic.
The ProSyllabus IMAT library has ten topic quizzes: Cell Biology, Genetics, Human Physiology and Biomolecules and Metabolism; Atomic Structure and Bonding and Stoichiometry and Solutions; Mechanics and Electricity and Thermodynamics; Mathematics; and Logical Reasoning and Problem Solving. They use four options per question, where the real paper has five, and there is no reading or general-knowledge quiz yet — treat them as topic drills, not a mock.
What is the IMAT syllabus?
Annex A of DM 1005/2026: reading skills and general knowledge, logical reasoning, biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics, at the level of Italian upper-secondary school. The University of Parma's call reprints it in English.
Is the IMAT syllabus the same as NEET?
No. Biology, chemistry and physics overlap heavily with NCERT, but IMAT adds mathematics, logic, reading comprehension and general knowledge, and leaves out much of NEET botany and ecology. This mapping is our reading, not an official comparison.
Is there maths in IMAT?
Yes. Physics and mathematics share 13 questions, and the maths list includes logarithms, combinatorics, functions, trigonometric equations, conic sections and basic probability.
Does IMAT have general knowledge questions?
Yes. The reading section (4 questions) also tests history and geography in context, national and international institutions, and law, economics and citizenship.
How many biology questions are in IMAT?
23 of the 60, worth up to 34.5 marks.
Does IMAT organic chemistry cover as much as NEET?
In scope, less. Annex A lists isomerism, hydrocarbons, functional groups and basic nomenclature, without the named reactions NEET preparation covers. That compares the syllabus lists only; it says nothing about how hard individual questions are.
Sources
- official — MUR — DM 1005/2026, Allegato A (syllabus)
- official — University of Parma — call for Medicine and Surgery 2026/27, English version (PDF)
- official — MUR — Decreto Ministeriale n. 1005 of 6 August 2026 (IMAT 2026 decree), with its annexes
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
