MATSEC IM English study guide
MATSEC IM English · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
MATSEC Intermediate Level English is a subject examination offered under the MATSEC Examinations Board, the examinations body of L-Università ta' Malta. The Board publishes its own pages for Regulations, Guidelines and policies, Syllabi, Current Session Information, Applications, Past Papers, Marking Schemes and Exemplars, and Research and Reports, so candidates should treat the syllabus document for the current session as the authoritative statement of what the paper contains. The qualification is normally taken by candidates who need an intermediate-level English credential for matriculation or progression purposes, typically alongside other intermediate subjects. Because the Board does not publish a single consolidated fact sheet for the subject on its landing page, details such as paper structure, duration, weighting, grade boundaries and fees must be read from the current syllabus and current session information rather than assumed. Preparation should follow the published syllabus aims, then be tested against past papers and marking schemes, which show how responses are actually credited. This page is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the MATSEC Examinations Board or the University of Malta; always confirm administrative details directly with the Board at [email protected] or +356 2340 2814/5/6 before relying on them. Topics on this exam: English (Intermediate Level). The MATSEC IM English study guide has 1 section and about 369 words.
01English (Intermediate Level) - MATSEC IM
MATSEC Intermediate English (IM) tests reading, language accuracy and written production at a level beyond the Secondary Education Certificate but below Advanced. Paper I normally carries comprehension, summary, language exercises (tense, concord, conditionals, reported speech, prepositions, word formation) and a composition. Paper II tests literature or extended language work, depending on the session. The exam rewards precise, own-word answers and controlled syntax, not guessed content.
369 words, about 2 minMore study resources for MATSEC IM English
- Practice questionsIn the sentence 'The committee has finally reached a decision on the new syllabus', which word functions as the head of the noun phrase that acts as the subject?
- FlashcardsComma splice. An error in which two independent clauses are joined by a comma alone, with no coordinating conjunction.
- Cheat sheetRegister decision rule: formal writing avoids contractions, slang, first-person anecdote and phrasal verbs where a single Latinate verb exists (get rid of → eliminate); informal writing permits contractions, direct address and short sentences.
- Key termssimile. A comparison that uses 'like' or 'as' to link two unlike things, such as 'her voice was like gravel'.
- Study planDiagnose current strengths by completing one full-length timed reading and writing paper under exam conditions.
- Common mistakesUnder time pressure, copying feels safer than paraphrasing, and candidates do not realise that lifting long stretches of source text is penalised even when the content is accurate.
- Exam-day guideBring the ID document the exam centre accepted at registration (typically a passport or national ID card).