Cattolica · Italian and English courses

Cattolica Medicine in Italian or in English: two different tests

Checked against the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore's official pages on 27 October 2026. The 2027/28 call for the English-taught Medicine and Surgery has been out since 14 October 2026; the 2027/28 call for the Italian-taught Medicina e chirurgia was not yet published on 27 October 2026.

Key figures

places: Italian course 2026/27, English course 2027/28
488 vs 110
test rounds: two in 2026/27 (Italian), one day (English)
2 vs 1
logical reasoning questions out of 65
15 vs 20
participation fee, not refundable
€250 vs €210

Università Cattolica teaches Medicine in Rome twice over: Medicina e chirurgia in Italian and Medicine and Surgery in English. Each has its own call, its own test and its own ranking, and the tests differ in where they are sat, how many rounds there are and how the 65 questions are split. This page sets them side by side, from the 2026/27 call for the Italian course (the 2027/28 one is not out) and the 2027/28 call for the English one.

In short

  • Both tests have 65 five-option questions in 65 minutes, scored +1, −0.25 and 0, with at least 20 out of 65 needed.
  • The English test is sat once, from home, on 17 March 2027. The Italian test had two in-person rounds in 2026/27, and the better score counted.
  • The split differs: the English test has 20 logic questions and 2 of general culture; the Italian one 15 logic questions, 45 of science with 10 of physics, and no general culture.
  • The ethics reading lists differ too: three texts for the English test, five for the Italian one in 2026/27.

The two tests side by side

The Italian column is from the 2026/27 call, the latest published; the English column from the 2027/28 call.

ItemMedicina e chirurgia (Italian), 2026/27Medicine and Surgery (English), 2027/28
Places48840 EU + 70 non-EU, on separate lists
WhereIn person, on computer, in 8 Italian citiesFrom home, under remote proctoring
SittingsTwo rounds (27–28 February, 17–18 April 2026); best score countsOne day, 17 March 2027 (extra sessions 18 March)
Questions15 logic; 15 chemistry, 15 biology, 10 physics, 5 mathematics; 5 ethics and religious culture20 logic, 18 biology, 12 chemistry, 4 physics, 4 mathematics, 2 general culture, 5 ethics and religious culture
Time65 minutes + 6 reserve questions in 6 minutes65 minutes + 7 reserve questions in 7 minutes
Scoring+1, −0.25, 0; at least 20 out of 65+1, −0.25, 0; at least 20 out of 65
Ethics textsCompendium of the Catechism, New Charter for Health Care Workers, Dignitas personae, Caritas in veritate, Laudato si'Dignitas personae, Caritas in veritate, Magnifica humanitas
Participation fee€250€210
First instalment to keep a place€2,500€4,000

Tuition also works differently: see the fee calculator for both courses.

Applying to both

They are separate competitions, each with its own registration and its own fee, and neither call we read rules out applying to the other. In 2026/27 the dates did not clash: the Italian rounds were in late February and mid-April, the English test on 25 March 2026. Whether the 2027 dates clash will only be known when the Italian call is out.

The preparation overlaps more than the formats suggest. Both tests ask logic, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and ethics; the Italian one weighs physics far more (10 questions against 4), and the English one logic (20 against 15) and adds general culture.

Medicina e chirurgia, MedTec and Odontoiatria

  • In 2026/27 one Italian-language competition covered three degrees: Medicina e chirurgia (488 places), Medicina e chirurgia a indirizzo tecnologico, MedTec, run with Roma Tre (90 places), and Odontoiatria e protesi dentaria (40 places).
  • Candidates chose either Medicina/MedTec or Odontoiatria, not both. Choosing Medicina/MedTec put you on both lists, which are in the same order.
  • Pre-enrolling in one of Medicina and MedTec cancels your place on the other list, at any stage; to wait for the one you prefer, you let the other offer lapse.
  • The English-taught Medicine and Surgery is outside that competition, with its own call and lists.

What is not known yet for 2027

On 27 October 2026 Cattolica's page for the Italian course still showed the 2026/27 call; for 2027/28 it announced a 150-hour remote preparation course aimed at students who have just finished the penultimate year of school. Its FAQ says penultimate-year students cannot sit the test or keep a score for 2027/28.

The national rules matter here. MUR's D.M. 941 of 10 July 2026 applied Italy's new semestre filtro to neither English-taught courses, at any university, nor, for 2026/27 only, the courses of non-state universities such as Cattolica. What applies to the Italian-taught course in 2027/28 has not been set by a decree yet; the English course stays outside it.

Questions

Is the Cattolica test the same for the Italian and English Medicine courses?

No. Both have 65 questions in 65 minutes with the same scoring and 20-point minimum, but the English test is sat from home on one day and the Italian one was sat in person over two rounds in 2026/27, with a different split of subjects and a different ethics reading list.

Can I apply to both Medicina e chirurgia and Medicine and Surgery at Cattolica?

They are separate competitions with separate registrations and fees, and neither call says you cannot. In 2026/27 their test dates did not overlap. The 2027/28 Italian call, with its dates, is not out yet.

How many places does Cattolica Medicine have in Rome?

Medicina e chirurgia in Italian had 488 places in 2026/27, after the ministry's decree raised them from 480. Medicine and Surgery in English has 110 for 2027/28: 40 on the EU list and 70 on the non-EU list.

Does Cattolica's Italian course have general culture questions?

Not in 2026/27: its 65 questions were 15 logic, 45 science and 5 ethics and religious culture. General culture, 2 questions, is in the English test only.

Official sources

Every figure on this page was read on the source itself on the date above. (27 October 2026)

Practise in the real format

A free practice paper in the 2027/28 format: 65 five-option questions (20 logical reasoning, 18 biology, 12 chemistry, 4 physics, 4 mathematics, 2 general culture, 5 ethics and religious culture), in English like the real test, with every answer explained and a PDF to download. Written by IvyTest, not an official Cattolica paper.

Try the free practice paperSee Cattolica preparation

The Cattolica Medicine Test, one question at a time

Also on IvyTest