Official topics · annotated
Cattolica Medicine Test 2027: Full Topic List (Syllabus)
Cattolica's English-taught Medicine test has 65 questions: 20 Logical Reasoning, 18 Biology, 12 Chemistry, 5 Ethical-Religious Culture, 4 Physics, 4 Mathematics and 2 General Culture. The science topics are Annex A of the 2027/28 call (D.R. 2883), quoted here in full with their English, 49 in all, and the ethics questions draw on the 3 texts Cattolica recommends; logic and general culture have no official list.
All 52 topics of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore's official topic list, in its own words, each with what to know, the IvyTest lessons that teach it and the questions of our free sample test that test it. Tick a topic off when you have it; your ticks stay in this browser.
Based on "Allegato “A”: Programmi dei quesiti di cultura scientifica (2027/28 call, D.R. 2883)", dated 8 October 2026, the list Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore's entrance-exam page still links (checked 30 October 2026). The official wording is quoted as printed; the notes and links are IvyTest's.
Before you start
How to use this list
Art. 4 of the call puts the programme for the science questions in its Annex A and, for the ethics questions, refers candidates to the texts the university recommends on its website. Logical Reasoning and General Culture have no programme: for logic, Cattolica's Entrance exam page links a sample database of logic items, without answers, and a guide to them. The annex is in Italian and runs each subject's topics together without numbers, so each topic here is a run of its own sentences, divided where a new theme opens; read in order, they reproduce it word for word. Under each one is its English: for Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics Cattolica's own, from the 2019-20 topics PDF its Entrance exam page still links, which matches the current annex sentence for sentence (its Human genetics line reads "autosomal inherited diseases related to the X chromosome" where the Italian names autosomal and X-linked diseases); for Physics IvyTest's, because that PDF still has the physics programme the 2027/28 call replaced. The ethics texts are listed as the Entrance exam page prints them, and IvyTest's free study page on each has a summary and 10 practice questions. Work through a subject at a time: read the note, learn it from the lesson, then check yourself on the practice paper's questions before you tick it.
The lessons are part of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Complete Admissions System and open for students who have it; a lesson marked "members" links to the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore guide, which says what it includes.
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Cattolica Medicine Test
What's not on the test
Physics the 2026/27 annex named and the 2027/28 annex drops: the law of universal gravitation, the CGS system, the moment of a couple, specific weight, pressure units outside the SI and the effects (thermal, chemical, magnetic) of electric currents. The 2019-20 English PDF on the Entrance exam page still lists them; the call's annex is the current programme.
Nor does the annex name any ecology in Biology, any waves, sound, optics or atomic and nuclear physics in Physics, or any calculus (limits, derivatives, integrals) in Mathematics.
15 topics
Biologia (Biology)
In Cattolica's English list: The chemistry of living things. The biological importance of weak interactions. The organic molecules present in living organisms and their respective functions. The role of enzymes.
The Chemistry of Living Things
What to know: Why weak interactions (hydrogen bonds, ionic and hydrophobic interactions) matter to life, the four classes of organic molecule (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids) and what each does, and how enzymes catalyse reactions.
Lesson (members): Water, weak interactions & the chemistry of lifeLesson (members): Proteins & enzymesSample question 21Sample question 22Sample question 23
In Cattolica's English list: The cell as the basis of life. Cell theory. Cellular dimensions. The prokaryotic and eukaryotic, animal and plant cell. Viruses.
Cell Biology
What to know: Cell theory, cell sizes, prokaryotic against eukaryotic and animal against plant cells, and viruses as acellular agents.
Lesson (members): Cell theory, prokaryotes & eukaryotesLesson (members): Bacteria, viruses & microorganismsSample question 26
In Cattolica's English list: The cell membrane: structure and functions - transport across the membrane. Cellular structures and their specific functions.
Cell Biology
What to know: The fluid-mosaic membrane and how substances cross it (diffusion, osmosis, facilitated diffusion, active transport, endo- and exocytosis), then each organelle and its job.
Lesson (members): Cell structure & organellesSample question 25Sample question 27
In Cattolica's English list: Cell cycle and cell reproduction: mitosis and meiosis - chromosomal set and chromosomal maps.
Genetics and Inheritance
What to know: The phases of the cell cycle, mitosis and meiosis step by step and how they differ, the chromosome set (diploid, haploid, the karyotype) and what a chromosome map shows.
Lesson (members): Cell cycle & mitosisLesson (members): Meiosis & gametogenesisSample question 24
In Cattolica's English list: Bioenergetics. The energy currency of cells: ATP. Redox reactions in living things. Energy processes: photosynthesis, glycolysis, aerobic respiration and fermentation.
Bioenergetics and Metabolism
What to know: ATP as the cell's energy currency, redox reactions in metabolism, and the energy processes: photosynthesis, glycolysis, aerobic respiration and fermentation, with what goes in and comes out of each.
Lesson (members): ATP, redox & energy couplingLesson (members): Glycolysis & cellular respirationLesson (members): Fermentation & anaerobic metabolismLesson (members): PhotosynthesisSample question 28Sample question 29
In Cattolica's English list: Reproduction and Inheritance. Life cycles. Sexual and asexual reproduction.
Genetics and Inheritance
What to know: Life cycles (haploid and diploid phases) and sexual against asexual reproduction, with what each means for variation.
In Cattolica's English list: Mendelian genetics: the laws of Mendel and their applications.
Genetics and Inheritance
What to know: Mendel's laws of segregation and independent assortment, monohybrid and dihybrid crosses, test crosses and the ratios they give.
In Cattolica's English list: Classical genetics: chromosomal theory of inheritance - models of inheritance.
Genetics and Inheritance
What to know: Genes on chromosomes (the chromosome theory), linkage, and the patterns beyond simple dominance: incomplete dominance, codominance and multiple alleles such as the ABO groups.
Lesson (members): Non-Mendelian & human geneticsSample question 33
In Cattolica's English list: Molecular genetics: DNA structure and duplication; the genetic code; protein synthesis. The DNA of prokaryotes. The structure of the eukaryotic chromosome. Genes and regulation of gene expression.
Genetics and Inheritance
What to know: DNA structure and replication, the genetic code, transcription and translation, how prokaryotic DNA differs from the packaged eukaryotic chromosome, and how gene expression is regulated.
Lesson (members): Nucleic acids & nucleotidesLesson (members): DNA structure & replicationLesson (members): Transcription, RNA & translationLesson (members): Gene regulation, mutations & biotechnologySample question 32
In Cattolica's English list: Human genetics: transmission of mono and polyfactorial characters; autosomal inherited diseases related to the X chromosome.
Genetics and Inheritance
What to know: Single-gene and polygenic (multifactorial) traits in humans, autosomal dominant and recessive disease, X-linked inheritance and reading a pedigree.
Lesson (members): Non-Mendelian & human geneticsSample question 31
In Cattolica's English list: Biotechnologies: recombinant DNA technology and its applications.
Genetics and Inheritance
What to know: Recombinant DNA technology: cutting and joining DNA with restriction enzymes and ligase, vectors and cloning, and uses such as making human insulin in bacteria.
Lesson (members): Gene regulation, mutations & biotechnology
In Cattolica's English list: Inheritance and the environment. Mutations.
Genetics and Inheritance
What to know: How genotype and environment together set the phenotype, and mutations: point, chromosomal and genomic, their causes and effects.
Lesson (members): Gene regulation, mutations & biotechnology
In Cattolica's English list: Natural and artificial selection. The evolutionary theories. The genetic bases of evolution.
Evolution
What to know: Natural and artificial selection, Lamarck against Darwin and the modern synthesis, and the genetic basis of evolution: variation, mutation, drift and gene flow.
Lesson (members): Evolution & natural selectionSample question 34
In Cattolica's English list: Anatomy and Physiology of animals and humans. Animal tissues.
Human Anatomy, Physiology and Homeostasis
What to know: The four animal tissues, epithelial, connective, muscle and nervous, what each looks like and where it is found.
In Cattolica's English list: Anatomy and physiology of human systems and related interactions. Homeostasis.
Human Anatomy, Physiology and Homeostasis
What to know: Each human system, its anatomy and how it works, how the systems interact, and homeostasis by negative feedback (blood glucose, temperature, water balance).
Lesson (members): Levels of biological organization & homeostasisLesson (members): Integumentary systemLesson (members): Skeletal system, bones & jointsLesson (members): Muscular systemLesson (members): Nervous system & sensory physiologyLesson (members): Endocrine system & hormonesLesson (members): Cardiovascular system & bloodLesson (members): Respiratory system & gas exchangeLesson (members): Digestive system & nutritionLesson (members): Urinary system, kidney & osmoregulationLesson (members): Reproductive system & human developmentLesson (members): Integrated physiology & homeostatic controlSample question 35Sample question 36Sample question 37Sample question 38
11 topics
Chimica (Chemistry)
In Cattolica's English list: The constitution of matter: the aggregation states of matter; heterogeneous systems and homogeneous systems; compounds and elements. Perfect gas laws.
Matter and Atomic Structure
What to know: Solid, liquid and gas, homogeneous and heterogeneous systems, elements and compounds, and the ideal gas laws (Boyle, Charles, Gay-Lussac, pV = nRT).
Lesson (members): Measurement, quantities & the moleLesson (members): States of matter & gas laws
In Cattolica's English list: The structure of the atom: elementary particles; atomic number and mass number, isotopes, electronic structure of atoms of various elements.
Matter and Atomic Structure
What to know: Protons, neutrons and electrons, atomic and mass number, isotopes, and electron configurations by orbitals.
Lesson (members): Atomic structure & electronic configurationSample question 39Sample question 40
In Cattolica's English list: The periodic system of elements: groups and periods; transition elements; periodic properties of the elements: atomic radius, ionisation potential, electronic affinity; metallic property. Relationships between electronic structure, position in the periodic system and properties of the elements.
The Periodic Table and Chemical Bonding
What to know: Groups, periods and transition elements, and the trends across and down the table in atomic radius, ionisation energy, electron affinity and metallic character, read from electron configuration.
In Cattolica's English list: Chemical bonds: ionic bond, covalent bond and metallic bond. Bond energy. Bond polarity. Electronegativity. Intermolecular bonds.
The Periodic Table and Chemical Bonding
What to know: Ionic, covalent and metallic bonds, bond energy, electronegativity and bond polarity, and the forces between molecules (hydrogen bonds, dipole interactions, London forces).
Lesson (members): Chemical bonding & molecular structureLesson (members): Intermolecular forcesSample question 41Sample question 42
In Cattolica's English list: Fundamentals of inorganic chemistry: nomenclature and main properties of inorganic compounds: oxides, hydroxides, acids, salts.
The Periodic Table and Chemical Bonding
What to know: Naming oxides, hydroxides, acids and salts, and how each class behaves.
Lesson (members): Inorganic nomenclatureLesson (members): Inorganic compounds & properties of elements
In Cattolica's English list: Chemical reactions and stoichiometry: atomic and molecular mass, Avogadro number, concept of a mole and its application, elementary stoichiometric calculations, balancing of simple reactions, different types of chemical reactions.
Stoichiometry
What to know: Atomic and molecular mass, Avogadro's number and the mole, mass-mole calculations, balancing equations and the types of reaction.
Lesson (members): Measurement, quantities & the moleLesson (members): Stoichiometry & chemical equationsSample question 43Sample question 44
In Cattolica's English list: Solutions: water solvent properties, solubility, main ways of expressing solution concentrations. Equilibrium in aqueous solution. Elements of chemical kinetics and catalysis.
Solutions, Kinetics and Equilibrium
What to know: Water as a solvent, solubility, concentration as molarity, percentage and the rest, equilibrium in solution and Le Chatelier's principle, reaction rate and catalysts.
Lesson (members): Solutions, solubility & concentrationLesson (members): Reaction kineticsLesson (members): Chemical equilibriumSample question 45Sample question 46
In Cattolica's English list: Oxidation and reduction: oxidation number, the concept of oxidising and reducing. Balancing simple reactions.
Acids, Bases and Redox
What to know: Oxidation numbers, which species is oxidised or reduced, oxidising and reducing agents, and balancing simple redox equations.
Lesson (members): Redox & electrochemistrySample question 48
In Cattolica's English list: Acids and bases: the concept of an acid and a base. Acidity, neutrality and basicity of aqueous solutions. The pH. Hydrolysis. Buffer solutions.
Acids, Bases and Redox
What to know: Arrhenius and Brønsted-Lowry acids and bases, the pH scale and its calculation, salt hydrolysis and how a buffer resists a change in pH.
Lesson (members): Acids, bases, pH & buffersLesson (members): Hydrolysis, complexes & colloidsSample question 47
In Cattolica's English list: Fundamentals of organic chemistry: links between carbon atoms, rough and structured formulas, concept of isomerism. Aliphatic, alicyclic and aromatic hydrocarbons.
Organic Chemistry
What to know: Carbon's bonds, molecular and structural formulas, structural and stereo-isomerism, and alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, cyclic and aromatic hydrocarbons.
Lesson (members): Organic chemistry foundations & nomenclatureLesson (members): Hydrocarbons & aromatic compoundsLesson (members): Isomerism & stereochemistrySample question 49
In Cattolica's English list: Functional groups: alcohols, ethers, amines, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, amides. Elements of nomenclature.
Organic Chemistry
What to know: Recognising and naming alcohols, ethers, amines, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters and amides, and their typical reactions such as esterification.
Lesson (members): Organic chemistry foundations & nomenclatureLesson (members): Alcohols, phenols, ethers & thiolsLesson (members): Aldehydes & ketonesLesson (members): Carboxylic acids & derivativesLesson (members): Amines & nitrogen compoundsSample question 50
11 topics
Fisica (Physics)
In English (IvyTest's translation): Physical quantities and their measurement: fundamental and derived quantities. Systems of units: International and Technical. Multiples and submultiples. Scientific notation. Main conversions between units of different systems. Scalar and vector quantities. Vectors and operations on vectors.
Measurement and Kinematics
What to know: SI base and derived units, prefixes, scientific notation and unit conversions, scalars and vectors, and adding and resolving vectors.
In English (IvyTest's translation): Kinematics: description of motion. Velocity and angular velocity, acceleration and centripetal acceleration. Uniform straight-line motion, uniformly accelerated motion, uniform circular motion, harmonic motion.
Measurement and Kinematics
What to know: Displacement, velocity and acceleration, the equations of uniform and uniformly accelerated motion, uniform circular motion with angular velocity and centripetal acceleration, and simple harmonic motion.
Lesson (members): KinematicsLesson (members): Oscillations, waves & soundSample question 51
In English (IvyTest's translation): Dynamics: the concept of force as an interaction between bodies. Forces as applied vectors. The principle of inertia. Mass and the 2nd principle of dynamics. Examples of forces: weight, elastic force, static and dynamic friction. Action and reaction: the 3rd principle of dynamics.
Dynamics, Work and Energy
What to know: Newton's three laws, forces as vectors, weight, the elastic (Hooke's law) force and static and dynamic friction.
In English (IvyTest's translation): Impulse and momentum. Principle of conservation of momentum. Moment of a force and angular momentum.
Dynamics, Work and Energy
What to know: Impulse and momentum, conservation of momentum in collisions, the moment (torque) of a force and angular momentum.
Lesson (members): Momentum, impulse & collisionsLesson (members): Statics, equilibrium & gravitation
In English (IvyTest's translation): Work and kinetic energy. Conservative forces and potential energy. Principle of conservation of mechanical energy. Power.
Dynamics, Work and Energy
What to know: Work, kinetic and potential energy, conservative forces, conservation of mechanical energy, and power.
In English (IvyTest's translation): Fluid mechanics: density and compressibility of fluids. Gases and liquids. Hydrostatics: pressure and the principles of Pascal, Stevino and Archimedes.
Fluids and Thermodynamics
What to know: Density, why liquids are nearly incompressible and gases are not, pressure, Pascal's principle, Stevino's law (pressure with depth) and Archimedes' principle.
In English (IvyTest's translation): Dynamics of liquids: one-dimensional motion, flux and flow rate, continuity equation. Ideal fluids and Bernoulli's equation. Viscous forces in real fluids.
Fluids and Thermodynamics
What to know: Flow rate, the continuity equation (Av constant), Bernoulli's equation for ideal fluids, and viscosity in real fluids. All new in the 2027/28 annex.
Lesson (members): Fluid statics & dynamicsSample question 53
In English (IvyTest's translation): Thermodynamics: equilibrium, the concept of temperature, thermometers. The concept of heat and calorimetry. Ways heat propagates. Heat capacity and specific heat. Changes of state and latent heats. Ideal gas laws. First and second principles of thermodynamics.
Fluids and Thermodynamics
What to know: Thermal equilibrium and temperature scales, heat and calorimetry (Q = mcΔT), conduction, convection and radiation, latent heat, the ideal gas laws and the first and second laws of thermodynamics.
Lesson (members): Gases & molecular physicsLesson (members): Heat & thermodynamics
In English (IvyTest's translation): Electricity and electromagnetism: electric charges. Forces between charges and Coulomb's law. Electric field and potential, equipotential surfaces. Dielectric constant, capacitance, capacitors. Electrostatic energy. Capacitors in series and parallel.
Electricity and Magnetism
What to know: Charge and Coulomb's law, electric field and potential, equipotential surfaces, the dielectric constant, capacitance, capacitors in series and parallel, and the energy a capacitor stores.
In English (IvyTest's translation): Generators. Voltage. Electric current, resistivity, resistance, resistors. Ohm's law. Resistors in series and parallel. Kirchhoff's principles. Work, power, the Joule effect. Direct and alternating current. Period and frequency.
Electricity and Magnetism
What to know: EMF and voltage, current, resistivity and resistance, Ohm's law, resistors in series and parallel, Kirchhoff's rules, electrical power and the Joule effect, and direct against alternating current with its period and frequency.
Lesson (members): Current, circuits & electrical powerSample question 54
In English (IvyTest's translation): Magnetic field of an electric current. Forces on electric currents in a magnetic field. Electromagnetic induction.
Electricity and Magnetism
What to know: The magnetic field around a current-carrying wire, the force on a current in a magnetic field, and electromagnetic induction (Faraday's and Lenz's laws).
12 topics
Matematica (Mathematics)
In Cattolica's English list: Numerical sets and algebra: natural, whole, rational, real numbers. Sorting and comparison; order of magnitude and scientific notation. Operations and their properties. Proportions and percentages.
Numbers and Algebra
What to know: Natural, integer, rational and real numbers, ordering, orders of magnitude and scientific notation, the properties of the operations, proportions and percentages.
Lesson (members): Arithmetic, fractions, ratios & percentagesLesson (members): Sets, number systems & intervals
In Cattolica's English list: Powers with an integer exponent (rational exponent) and their properties. Radicals and their properties. Logarithms (in base 10 and in base e) and their properties.
Numbers and Algebra
What to know: The rules for powers with integer and fractional exponents, radicals, and logarithms in base 10 and base e with their properties.
Lesson (members): Powers, roots, exponentials & logarithmsSample question 55
In Cattolica's English list: Overview of combinatorial calculus.
Numbers and Algebra
What to know: Counting with permutations, arrangements and combinations, and the factorial.
In Cattolica's English list: Algebraic expressions, polynomials. Notable products, n-th power of a binomial, factorization of polynomials. Algebraic fractions.
Numbers and Algebra
What to know: Manipulating polynomials, the special products and the binomial expansion, factorising, and simplifying algebraic fractions.
Lesson (members): Algebraic expressions & equationsLesson (members): Polynomials & quadratics
In Cattolica's English list: First and second degree algebraic equations and inequalities. Equation systems.
Equations and Inequalities
What to know: Linear and quadratic equations and inequalities, and systems of equations.
Lesson (members): Algebraic expressions & equationsSample question 56
In Cattolica's English list: Functions: basic notions about functions and their graphical representations (domain, codomain, sign, maxima and minima, growth and decline, etc.). Elementary functions: whole and fraction algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric. Compound functions and inverse functions.
Functions and Graphs
What to know: Domain, range, sign, maxima and minima and where a function rises or falls, read from its graph; the graphs of polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions; composite and inverse functions.
Lesson (members): Functions & graphsLesson (members): Powers, roots, exponentials & logarithms
In Cattolica's English list: Trigonometric equations and inequalities.
Equations and Inequalities
What to know: Solving equations and inequalities in sine, cosine and tangent.
In Cattolica's English list: Geometry: polygons and their properties. Circumference and circle. Measurements of lengths, surfaces and volumes. Isometries, similarities and equivalence on the plane. Geometric places.
Geometry and Trigonometry
What to know: Polygons, the circle, perimeters, areas and volumes, transformations (isometries, similarity, equivalence) and loci.
In Cattolica's English list: Measuring angles in degrees and radians. Sine, cosine, tangent of an angle and their notable values. Trigonometric formulas. Solution of triangles.
Geometry and Trigonometry
What to know: Degrees and radians, sine, cosine and tangent and their values at 30°, 45° and 60°, the trigonometric identities and solving triangles.
In Cattolica's English list: Cartesian coordinate system in the plane. Distance of two points and the midpoint of a segment. Equation of the line. Conditions of parallelism and perpendicularity. Distance of a point from a line. Equation of the circumference, the parabola, the hyperbola and the ellipse, and their representation in the Cartesian plane.
Geometry and Trigonometry
What to know: Distance and midpoint, the equation of a line, parallel and perpendicular lines, the distance from a point to a line, and the equations of the circle, parabola, hyperbola and ellipse.
In Cattolica's English list: Pythagorean theorem. Euclid's theorems (first and second).
Geometry and Trigonometry
What to know: Pythagoras' theorem and Euclid's first and second theorems on the right-angled triangle.
In Cattolica's English list: Probability and statistics: frequency distributions according to the type of character and main graphical representations. The concept of random experiment and event. Probability and frequency.
Probability and Statistics
What to know: Frequency distributions and the charts that show them, random experiments and events, and probability as a ratio of outcomes compared with observed frequency.
Lesson (members): ProbabilityLesson (members): Statistics & data interpretationSample question 57
3 topics
Religious texts
Bioethics and the Dignity of the Person
What to know: The 2008 Instruction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, approved by Benedict XVI: the human being is to be respected as a person from conception, and what that means for IVF and embryo freezing, then for gene therapy, cloning and research on embryos. IvyTest's study page summarises it with 10 practice questions.
Charity in Truth and Integral Human Development
What to know: Benedict XVI's 2009 encyclical on integral human development in charity and truth, which revisits Paul VI's Populorum Progressio: development and the economy, gift and gratuitousness, globalisation, the environment and technology. IvyTest's study page summarises it with 10 practice questions.
Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
What to know: Leo XIV's first encyclical, signed on 15 May 2026, on safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence: the principles of the Church's social doctrine applied to technology and power, then truth, work and freedom. New on the list for 2027/28, in place of Laudato si'. IvyTest's study page summarises it with 10 practice questions.
Next step
Test yourself on the list
The free sample test sets 65 questions in the exam's own format, every one explained. The Cattolica Medicine Test guide has the format, dates and scoring in full.