Italy opens medical 'semestre aperto' registration with extended exam dates and fewer penalties

Registration opens for 2026-2027 cycle

The Ministry of University and Research has opened applications for the semestre aperto, Italy's filtering semester for prospective medical, dental and veterinary students. Enrollment runs from 13 July until 3 August 2026 via the Universitaly portal, with a 250-euro contribution to be paid by 5 August (one source lists 6 August) to the chosen university. Each applicant must indicate at least ten preferred course-location combinations for medicine or dentistry, as well as a related degree programme (such as biotechnology or pharmacy) and five possible seats for it, should they fail to secure a place in the main track.

What the semestre aperto includes

The model, unchanged in its core, grants free access to first-semester courses in physics, chemistry and propaedeutic biochemistry and biology. Admission to the degree proper occurs only after passing three national written exams in these subjects. The three courses together carry 18 university credits, and attendance is compulsory under rules set by each institution. Universities will hold courses from 1 September, with lectures required to finish no later than ten days before the first exam session.

Key dates and exam windows

The calendar has been stretched compared with the inaugural year. The first exam session is set for 10 December 2026, postponed from the previous year's 20 November, with results published on 23 December. A second sitting follows on 11 January 2027, with outcomes released on 20 January. The national ranking will be available from 22 January at 16:00, and the assignment of alternative courses can begin from 16 February.

Scoring changes and retake rule

Each exam consists of 31 questions: ten gap-fill items and 21 multiple-choice. A correct answer earns one point, a wrong one leads to a deduction of 0.1 points, and unanswered questions do not affect the score; the maximum mark is 30 with honours. The time available has been increased to 50 minutes (up from 45) and the break between papers stretches from 15 to 30 minutes. A decisive adjustment concerns students who sit both sessions for the same subject: the higher mark will automatically count for the ranking, provided it reaches at least 18 out of 30, eliminating the previous rule that could penalise a weaker second attempt.

Ranking and seat allocation

The national ranking is split into three sections. The top tier includes candidates who passed all three exams; the second, those with at least two marks of 18/30 or better; the third, those who passed only one. Within each tier, placement depends on the total points achieved. Students who are eligible but have not passed every exam can still be assigned to a place, and the parallel track for a related degree helps channel those who miss the medicine cutoff into adjacent fields of study.