MATSEC IM Computing

MATSEC lists four levels: SEC, SEAC, IM (Intermediate Matriculation) and AM (Advanced Matriculation). IM is the intermediate level, taken between the secondary certificate and the advanced matriculation qualification. Check the IM syllabus for your examination year for the exact content, since the Board publishes a separate syllabus for each level and year.

Use the syllabus for the year in which your final assessment is scheduled. The MATSEC Syllabi page states that a syllabus' year is the year in which the final assessment is scheduled, and it lists years from 2011 to 2029. Do not study from an earlier year's document unless the Board confirms it is unchanged.

The MATSEC Examinations Board website has sections for Past Papers and for Marking Schemes and Exemplars, alongside Syllabi, Regulations and Guidelines and policies. Work through the most recent papers first, then use the marking schemes to see how marks are awarded. The Board's contact details are published on the same site if a paper is missing.

The available MATSEC source pages do not state the paper format, duration, number of questions or pass mark for IM Computing. These details are set out in the syllabus and regulations for your examination year. Download the syllabus for your year and read the assessment section rather than relying on second-hand summaries.

Retake arrangements are governed by the MATSEC regulations, not by this page. The Board publishes Regulations and Guidelines and policies on its website. Check those documents for the rules that apply to your session, and contact the Board at [email protected] or +356 2340 2814/5/6 if your situation is not covered.

Start with computer systems so you understand hardware, data representation and basic architecture, then move to programming and algorithms, where you practise writing and tracing code by hand. Follow with data and information management, including databases and SQL, and finish with computing in context, which draws on the other three areas.

Typical losses come from vague definitions, incomplete traces of algorithms, and answers that describe a concept without applying it to the scenario given. In database questions, marks are often lost through missing keys or incorrect SQL syntax. Practise writing precise answers under time pressure and compare them against the published marking schemes.

Phone +356 2340 2814/5/6 or email [email protected]. The address is MATSEC Examinations Board, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta. General University of Malta enquiries use +356 2340 2340 or [email protected]. For syllabus questions, the Syllabi page directs candidates to contact the Board via its contact page.