MATSEC AM Arabic study guide
MATSEC AM Arabic · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The MATSEC Advanced Matriculation (AM) Arabic examination is administered by the MATSEC Examinations Board, the examinations body of L-Università ta' Malta, and is delivered as a written examination. It is an advanced, pre-tertiary qualification in Arabic, aimed at candidates who already have a solid secondary-level grounding in the language and who need a matriculation-level qualification in Arabic - typically for admission to university programmes, for entry to Arabic- or Middle East-related degree courses, or to evidence language competence for employment and further study. The MATSEC AM Arabic study guide has 5 sections and about 1,935 words.
01Reading Comprehension of Modern Standard Arabic Texts
The MATSEC Advanced Arabic reading paper sets unseen Modern Standard Arabic prose - usually a report, an editorial or a literary extract of roughly 200–400 words - with questions in Arabic and a short glossary. It tests gist, detail, inference, the writer’s attitude and the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary from context, so you must read for structure, not just decode word by word.
422 words, about 2 min02Grammar, Morphology and Syntax
This section tests productive control, not just recognition: you are asked to parse words (إعراب), supply correct case endings, transform verbs between tenses, voices and forms, and fix agreement errors. Two systems run in parallel - morphology (root and pattern, أوزان) and syntax (governing particles and case, إعراب).
377 words, about 2 min03Translation (Arabic–English and English–Arabic)
The paper sets both directions. Arabic→English tests whether you can carry meaning, register and cohesion into natural English; English→Arabic tests whether you can produce correct MSA structures rather than word-for-word calques.
388 words, about 2 min04Composition and Essay Writing in Arabic
You are asked to write 200–350 words in MSA on a set topic: an opinion essay, a letter to an editor, a report or a descriptive/narrative piece. Marks reward a clear thesis, organised paragraphs, varied and correct sentence structure, and a register that stays formal throughout - not length.
371 words, about 2 min05Literature, Culture and Civilisation
This section asks you to place texts and authors in context and to write about them analytically: the development of Arabic poetry and prose, the classical canon, the Nahḍa revival, and landmarks of Arab-Islamic civilisation. Answers are marked for accurate specifics - names, periods, genres, terms - and for analysis rather than plot summary.
377 words, about 2 min