MATSEC AM Information Technology
MATSEC Advanced Matriculation Information Technology
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ExploreAbout this exam
The MATSEC Advanced Matriculation (AM) Information Technology is one of the subject syllabi offered by the MATSEC Examinations Board at the University of Malta, listed alongside three other levels: SEC (Secondary Education Certificate), SEAC (Secondary Education Applied Certificate) and IM (Intermediate Matriculation). It is intended for post-secondary students preparing for university entry in Malta who want a computing-focused subject in their matriculation portfolio. The board publishes a separate syllabus document for each year and each level, and it states plainly that "A syllabus' year is the year in which the final assessment is scheduled." That sentence matters more than any other for planning: the syllabus you must study is the one labelled with the year of your examination, not the year in which you begin the course. Syllabi are currently listed for years 2011 through 2029, so a candidate can read the exact document governing their session. The published syllabus is the authoritative statement of what the examination covers, so treat any summary - including this one - as a pointer only. To prepare, download the syllabus for your year, work through its stated content, and use the board's Past Papers and Marking Schemes and Exemplars sections to see how questions are framed and marked. This page is independent study material and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced by the MATSEC Examinations Board or the University of Malta.
What you'll study
About MATSEC AM Information Technology preparation
Which syllabus year applies to me?
The board defines a syllabus' year as the year in which the final assessment is scheduled. So if you sit the examination in a given year, you study the syllabus carrying that year's label, even if your course started earlier. Check the syllabus listing for your session year before buying books or planning revision.
What levels does MATSEC offer, and where does AM sit?
The board lists four levels: SEC (Secondary Education Certificate), SEAC (Secondary Education Applied Certificate), IM (Intermediate Matriculation) and AM (Advanced Matriculation). AM is the advanced level, sitting above IM. Information Technology appears among the subject syllabi published for these levels, with a distinct document per year.
How do I find the official syllabus document?
Go to the MATSEC Syllabi page and choose the year of your examination from the year list, which runs from 2011 to 2029. Each year links to its own set of subject syllabi across the four levels. Download the Information Technology AM document for your year and read it in full before starting revision.
Where can I get past papers and marking schemes?
The board's website has a Past Papers section and a separate Marking Schemes and Exemplars section, both listed in its main navigation. Use them together: attempt a paper under timed conditions, then mark it against the scheme to see where credit is actually awarded rather than where you assumed it was.
How long is the exam and what is the pass mark?
Those details are set out in the syllabus document for your year, not on the board's general pages. This page does not state a duration, paper structure or passing score because the source material does not. Read your year's syllabus for the definitive paper structure, and contact the board directly if anything is unclear.
Can I retake the examination, and how many times?
The board's public pages do not state a retake policy, so no answer is given here rather than a guessed one. Retake rules, session availability and any limits are matters to confirm with the MATSEC Examinations Board. Use the contact details published on its site before you plan around a resit.
How should I order my study across the course?
Start from the syllabus for your examination year and turn its content statements into a checklist. Study in syllabus order so nothing is skipped, then move to past papers once the content is covered. Finish with timed papers marked against the published schemes, revisiting weak topics in the syllabus rather than in secondary summaries.
What are the most common ways candidates lose marks?
Two recurrences: studying a syllabus from the wrong year, and reading notes instead of the actual syllabus document. A third is practising papers without ever marking them against the published scheme, so weaknesses stay invisible. Always confirm the year label first, and treat the syllabus text, not any study guide, as the final word.
How do I contact the MATSEC Examinations Board?
The board publishes its contact details on its website: phone +356 2340 2814/5/6, email [email protected], and postal address MATSEC Examinations Board, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta. For syllabus-specific queries, the Syllabi page also offers a contact route. Note that the University's main switchboard is a different number.