A method for determining the amount of particulate that has accumulated in a particulate filter, comprising calculating an amount of particulate that has accumulated in the particulate filter on the basis of a physical model that uses measured and/or determined physical quantities, and subjecting the calculated particulate amount to validation on the basis of given validation criteria, the latter step envisaging validation of the calculated particulate amount in the case where said criteria are satisfied, and validation of a substitutive particulate amount which is a function of a previously validated amount and of an admissible rate of variation in the case where said criteria are not satisfied.