MATSEC IM German study guide
MATSEC IM German · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The MATSEC Intermediate German (IM German) credential is a secondary-level qualification in German offered through the University of Malta's MATSEC examinations framework. It is designed for post-secondary candidates who want a recognised intermediate competence in German, typically to complement Advanced-level subjects, to support entry into tertiary study, or to demonstrate language ability to employers. The MATSEC IM German study guide has 4 sections and about 1,292 words.
01Listening (Hörverstehen): extracting detail from spoken German
The Listening paper tests whether you can follow spoken German at close to natural speed: short announcements, dialogues, interviews and radio-style segments, normally played two or three times with pauses to write. Marks come from pulling out specific information - a time, a price, a reason, a speaker's attitude - not from understanding every word.
347 words, about 2 min02Speaking (Mündliche Prüfung): fluency, range and interaction
The oral exam usually combines a short prepared or semi-prepared talk, a picture or situation prompt, and a discussion with the examiner. You are marked on pronunciation and intonation, fluency, range of structures and vocabulary, accuracy, and - crucially - interaction: can you keep the exchange going, react, and repair yourself?
327 words, about 2 min03Reading (Leseverstehen): gist, detail and distractors
The Reading paper presents authentic-style German texts - notices, advertisements, letters, emails, newspaper and magazine articles - with multiple-choice, matching, or true/false-plus-justification tasks. It rewards two different speeds: skimming for the overall message, then scanning for the exact line that proves an answer.
301 words, about 2 min04Writing (Schriftlicher Ausdruck): text type, register and verb position
The Writing paper asks you to produce a letter, email or short composition based on bullet-point prompts, and often to manipulate structures (rephrasing, completing sentences, transforming tenses). Marks are split between communication - did you cover every prompt point and use the right format - and language: range, accuracy, spelling and punctuation.
317 words, about 2 min