General knowledge is a section in the IMAT that most students find impossible to prepare for. There is a feeling among students that it just tests you on random content that is impossible to predict. But do not worry! There are effective ways to prepare! The IMAT writers do not simply pick random things to test you on (it would be a pointless thing for them to do), they always ask specific things with a reason behind every question. We are here to help you prepare for what will be asked in the test.
Hundreds of Original High Yield Questions and Questions Translated from Other Italian Exams
We already have links on our website to past IMAT papers where you can see what has been asked before. But did you know that the IMAT is not the only Italian university entrance exam with a general knowledge section? There are for instance the entry tests to medicine in the Italian language, as well as many others. These are all in Italian, but we have translated the questions into English. We have noticed that these questions often get asked more than once, so these are super high-yield to practice on!
On top of this, we have analysed what topics the writers for all these tests like to ask, and created our own in a similar manner. We also explain what it is you should study to prepare for these types of questions. By the time you are done, you will be a general knowledge master!
We Analysed The IMAT and Related Exams
In making our own original questions you can rest assured we did not just pick random things to ask you about. We have specifically studied all the Italian entrance exams that have a general knowledge section and identified what topics they like to ask about, what specifically in those topics they ask, and how they like to word their questions. We have then produced our own in the exact same style. It is the best way possible to practice for the IMAT!
IMPORTANT: Questions Repeat!
It is not that common that you will get a former IMAT question in a later IMAT exam. However, versions of the same (or at least very similar) general knowledge questions from one Italian entrance exam tend to show up in other Italian entrance exams. This is particularly important this year since Cambridge will not be writing the IMAT anymore. So you could potentially be asked one of the questions in our question bank! Do not miss out on these golden extra marks!
IMPORTANT: How to Use our Question Bank
We have already compiled hundreds of questions, and working on hundreds more! But it is important you know how to use these questions. Do not just skim through them, you will not remember the content that way.
Instead, do one quiz per day (each quiz has 10 questions). For all the questions you did not know the answer to, put the content in your Anki cards. Make sure to briefly research the options in the answers as well, since oftentimes the IMAT will ask about these options in a later exam.
Here is an example of what you should do for each question in our question bank…
Which monarch is correctly paired with their country of rule?
A. King Zog – Albania
B. Catherine the Great – Greece
C. Louis XIV – Norway
D. Frederick the Great – Sweden
E. Rezza Shah – Egypt
The answer is A. In your Anki cards (and written notes if you wish) you will now add a card about King Zog and that he was the king of Albania. You will also do this for the other options, researching that Catherine the Great was the Empress of Russia, Louis XIV was the king of France… and so on. For some questions, it is not necessary to do this, but for questions like this one, you should do it. It may seem tedious, but it is not going to take that long.
Step 1: Download Anki
If you have not already, download Anki and start using it for your note-taking. General knowledge is vast, so it will be much easier to remember all this content with active recall. It is scientifically proven to be the best way to remember things for exams!
Step 2: Our General Knowledge Lessons
Before starting our new general knowledge quizzes make sure to watch our lessons on how to actually study for general knowledge. You can find them on our homepage. Make sure to watch this introductory video on general knowledge as well if you have not already. Please note that the amount of questions and marks for general knowledge this year in the IMAT has not been decided yet.
You should study general knowledge regularly, but remember not to invest too much time in it. The sciences are still the main focus of the IMAT, and logical reasoning is important also! So try to spend about 30 minutes to an hour researching the topics related to general knowledge, and add it to your Anki cards.
Step 3: Our General Knowledge Question Bank
As mentioned, we’ve created hundreds of questions that will help prepare you (and are making more!). Once you understand how to study for general knowledge you will then do one quiz per day, and make notes to put in your Anki cards.
Step 4: Our General Knowledge Practical Lessons
We also have many video lessons where we solve questions on video, explaining tips and tricks you can use and what the question is actually testing you on. These are important to watch as well since they will help you understand the logic behind this section in the IMAT. As mentioned, most students think the IMAT writers just pick random questions, they do NOT do this! Knowing how the writers of the test think will help you prepare for the types of questions they ask.
Final Thoughts
General knowledge is usually the most hated section of the IMAT. But think strategically, if most of your competition hates this section and does not understand how to prepare for it, then that gives YOU a tremendous advantage. The IMAT is a competition, so having an edge in this section could be what gets you into med school!
