MATSEC IM Philosophy

It sits under the MATSEC Examinations Board, which the University of Malta's own website lists as responsible for regulations, syllabi, current session information, applications, past papers and marking schemes. Contact the Board directly at [email protected] or +356 2340 2814/5/6 for authoritative answers about your registration.

Expect to be assessed on philosophical reasoning and on the areas named in the current Intermediate Level syllabus, not on recall alone. You should be able to reconstruct an argument, explain a philosopher's position in your own words, and evaluate objections. Read the syllabus document itself before buying any textbook.

I cannot state the duration, number of questions or paper structure, because the official pages retrieved do not specify them. Do not rely on second-hand claims. Download the current syllabus and a recent past paper from the MATSEC pages; the cover of the paper states the time allowed and the instructions.

The retrieved MATSEC pages do not state a pass mark. Grading and results procedures are set out in the Board's regulations and guidelines, which are published alongside the syllabi. Check those documents for the session you are entering rather than assuming a figure from an older year.

Retake arrangements are governed by the MATSEC regulations, not by the individual subject syllabus. The Board publishes regulations and guidelines on its site, and the current session information page sets out application windows. Read those before planning a resit, and confirm your position with the Board by email.

Start with the syllabus and map each listed topic to a short set of core readings. Then work backwards from past papers: attempt questions closed-book, mark yourself against the published marking scheme, and note recurring weaknesses. Build a one-page argument skeleton for each major topic so you can plan essays quickly under time pressure.

The usual causes are describing positions without evaluating them, ignoring the precise wording of the question, and asserting conclusions without reasons. Weak answers also fail to define key terms. Practise writing a clear thesis in the first paragraph, supporting it with numbered reasons, and stating one serious objection before concluding.

Fees and session dates are not given in the retrieved official pages, so I cannot quote them. The Board publishes current session information and application details on its site, and its staff can confirm fees and deadlines for your cohort. Verify before paying or booking anything.

No. This is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by L-Università ta' Malta or the MATSEC Examinations Board. Use it to plan your revision, but treat the Board's own syllabi, regulations and past papers as the only authoritative source.