by Maximiliano Crocamo
The University of Trieste hosted on Wednesday, 10 December, the second round of Italy’s newly restructured national admissions examinations for medical and dental programs, drawing more than 500 candidates to campus for a full day of testing.
The exams, held simultaneously at universities across the country on Dec. 10, are part of the “open semester” system introduced to replace Italy’s long-standing single-entry test. Scores from the session will contribute to a unified national ranking that determines admission to Laurea Magistrale programs in Medicine and Surgery, and in Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics.
At Trieste, 514 candidates registered for the physics exam, 425 for chemistry and 367 for biology. The tests took place in the H3 building on the main campus, where candidates were required to check in beginning at 8:30 a.m., with access closing at 10 a.m. The first test, scheduled nationally, began at 11 a.m.
Throughout the day, examinees completed three 45-minute tests — chemistry and introductory biochemistry, physics and biology — each separated by a brief pause. To ensure identical conditions nationwide, students were not permitted to leave the testing room until the final session ended, even if they were not registered for all subjects.
Each exam consisted of 31 questions, either multiple choice or completion. Candidates earned one point for each correct answer and lost 0.1 points for incorrect ones, with no penalty for unanswered questions. Scores will be converted to a 30-point scale, with 18/30 serving as the minimum passing grade.
Results from this second session are expected to be published by Dec. 23 on the national Universitaly platform.
In a statement, the University of Trieste emphasized that it had worked to ensure the exams proceeded “in the best possible conditions,” in line with national guidelines. The university said it would issue no further comments until the Ministry of Universities and Research releases final results and admissions procedures for the 2025 medical and dental programs.
