MATSEC IM French study guide
MATSEC IM French · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Intermediate Matriculation (IM) French examination is one of four examination levels offered by the MATSEC Examinations Board at the University of Malta, alongside SEC, SEAC and AM. It is a post-secondary qualification taken by candidates who have already completed their secondary schooling and who wish to present a recognised intermediate-level qualification in French, typically as part of a matriculation or access requirement. The Board does not publish a single consolidated description of the IM French content on the pages summarised here; instead, the authoritative statement of what the examination covers is the subject syllabus for the relevant year. Candidates should note the Board's own definition: a syllabus' year is the year in which the final assessment is scheduled, so a candidate sitting the examination in a given year must consult the syllabus labelled with that year, not an earlier one. Syllabi are published on the MATSEC website for years 2011 through 2029, and the same site hosts regulations, past papers, marking schemes and exemplars, current session information and access arrangements. Preparation should therefore begin with the current-year syllabus, followed by past papers and marking schemes to understand how performance is judged. Topics on this exam: French language (IM level) - content domains not enumerated in source. The MATSEC IM French study guide has 1 section and about 452 words.
01IM French - Grammar Accuracy and Independent Communication
The MATSEC Intermediate French paper tests whether you can operate independently in French across listening, speaking, reading and writing, not whether you can recite memorised phrases. Grammar and vocabulary are examined directly, but they are also the criteria used to grade your composition, your reading answers and your oral, so one accurate structure earns marks several times over. This section covers the structures that separate a secure IM candidate from a borderline one. Tense choice: passé composé for a single completed event, imparfait for description, background and habit; depuis + present for something still going on ( J'apprends le français depuis trois ans ).
452 words, about 2 minMore study resources for MATSEC IM French
- Practice questionsChoisissez la forme correcte : Hier soir, nous au cinéma avec des amis.
- FlashcardsPassé composé auxiliary être. Used with intransitive verbs of movement or state change (aller, venir, partir, arriver, naître, mourir, rester, tomber, monter, descendre, entrer, sortir, retourner) and all reflexive verbs; past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.
- Cheat sheetPassé composé: auxiliary avoir or être + past participle; être verbs are intransitive movement/reflexive (aller, venir, partir, sortir, arriver, naître, mourir, rester, tomber, monter, descendre, entrer, rentrer, retourner) and participle agrees with subject.
- Key termsle subjonctif. A verb mood used after expressions of doubt, necessity, emotion, or wish (for example after 'il faut que' or 'bien que'), showing that the action is subjective rather than stated as fact.
- Study planMap the full MATSEC Intermediate French syllabus requirements (four skill areas, oral, aural, written, reading) and list every task type you will be examined on.
- Common mistakesCandidates rehearse spoken French in class and transfer it into writing; the task prompt's audience and text type (letter to a newspaper, article for a school magazine) are skimmed rather than analysed for formality cues.
- Exam-day guideBring the ID document the exam centre requires (typically a passport or Maltese ID card).