MATSEC IM Economics study guide
MATSEC IM Economics · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The MATSEC Intermediate Level Economics examination is offered by the MATSEC Examinations Board, the examinations body of L-Università ta' Malta, based at Msida. It is an intermediate-level secondary qualification typically taken alongside other MATSEC Intermediate subjects, and it suits candidates who want a structured grounding in economic reasoning without the depth of the Advanced Level. The syllabus, regulations and past papers sit under the Board's own pages, which list Regulations, Guidelines and policies, Syllabi, Current Session Information, Applications, Past Papers, and Marking Schemes and Exemplars. Because the Board publishes syllabi and marking schemes, preparation should begin from the current syllabus document rather than from memory or older notes: check the unit content, the assessment structure and any prescribed weighting before you plan revision. Work through past papers and exemplars under timed conditions, then mark your own answers against the published schemes to see how marks are actually awarded. Build a glossary of core concepts and practise applying them to real Maltese and international examples, since intermediate economics rewards accurate definitions plus clear application. Topics on this exam: Economics (Intermediate Level). The MATSEC IM Economics study guide has 1 section and about 423 words.
01MATSEC Intermediate Economics - Core Micro and Macro Applications
MATSEC Intermediate Economics (IM) assesses how confidently you apply core microeconomic and macroeconomic models, including to Malta's small open economy. Expect compulsory short-answer calculations, diagram-based reasoning and extended writing on market failure, policy and international trade. Scarcity and opportunity cost: every choice sacrifices the next-best alternative; production possibility frontiers illustrate this, and shifting out requires more or better resources. Demand and supply: movements along a curve follow own-price changes; shifts follow income, tastes, related prices, expectations, costs, technology, taxes and subsidies.
423 words, about 2 minMore study resources for MATSEC IM Economics
- Practice questionsIn economics, what does the term 'opportunity cost' refer to?
- FlashcardsOpportunity cost. The value of the next-best alternative forgone when a choice is made.
- Cheat sheetOpportunity cost: the value of the next-best alternative forgone; every choice with scarce resources has one, and it is measured in real terms, not money alone.
- Key termsScarcity. The condition in which available resources are limited while human wants are unlimited.
- Study planMap the full Intermediate Economics syllabus into a one-page topic checklist covering microeconomics, macroeconomics, and Maltese/global applied contexts.
- Common mistakesCandidates memorise labels from revision lists without learning the underlying relationship, so under exam pressure they can only rephrase the term itself.
- Exam-day guideBring the identity document the exam centre requires.