MATSEC SEC Chinese (Mandarin) case studies
MATSEC SEC Chinese (Mandarin) · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The MATSEC Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) in Chinese (Mandarin) is Malta's school-leaving qualification in Mandarin, awarded through the national MATSEC examination system. It is taken mainly by secondary-school candidates in Malta, but private candidates and adult learners also sit it, typically to show a recognised level of Mandarin for further study, employment, or personal goals. The syllabus is built around five skill areas: listening comprehension, reading comprehension, writing and composition, language use (grammar, vocabulary and characters), and an oral examination covering speaking and interaction. Because the exam tests all four communicative skills plus explicit grammar and character knowledge, preparation should be balanced rather than focused on a single paper. Topics on this exam: Listening comprehension, Reading comprehension, Writing and composition, Language use (grammar, vocabulary, characters), and Oral examination (speaking and interaction). The MATSEC SEC Chinese (Mandarin) case studies are 5 cases and about 3,190 words.
1听力第二部分：两个数字，一条笔记，二十秒
A candidate is sitting Section B of the listening paper. Each item is played twice, with 30 seconds of reading time before it and a 20-second pause only after the second playing. Item 7 is a 45-second conversation between a student, Lin, and a library assistant. The candidate's notes read: 闭馆 9点 / 借书 三天 / 学生卡 5月14号过期.
669 words, about 3 min2阅读理解：一个不认识的动词和一道态度题
A candidate has 45 minutes for four reading passages. Passages 1 and 2 have taken 18 minutes. Passage 3 is a 400-character article about a high-speed-train passenger who complained that another traveller was playing videos on his phone without earphones, and whose complaint led the crew to move the man to the dining car. The candidate is now on question 12 with 27 minutes left; 12 questions remain, including two 4-mark short-answer questions at the end.
641 words, about 3 min3写作：五十五分钟里的便条与短文
The writing paper has two parts and 55 minutes in total. Part 1 is a 便条 of about 80 characters worth 10 marks, where 称呼、正文、署名、日期 are separately marked. Part 2 is a 短文 of not fewer than 250 characters worth 30 marks. A candidate spends 32 minutes on the 便条, decorating it and rewriting the 正文 three times, and starts Part 2 with 23 minutes left.
674 words, about 3 min4语言运用：三道拿不准的题和一条时间线
The Language Use section has 60 items in 25 minutes. A candidate reaches item 34 with 12 minutes left and has flagged three items. Item 34: 这件衣服＿＿＿贵，我们再看看别的店。Options: A 一点儿 B 有点儿 C 一点 D 有点贵. Item 41: 他昨天打电话来说八点到，结果七点半＿＿＿到了。Options: A 才 B 就 C 已经才 D 刚.
619 words, about 3 min5口试：一次读错的音和在角色扮演里卡住
An oral exam has three parts. Part 1 gives 2 minutes' preparation and 90 seconds' reading aloud of a 120-character passage. Part 2 is a 2-minute monologue on 你最喜欢的季节 with 1 minute to prepare. Part 3 is a 3-minute role-play in which the examiner plays a landlord and the candidate plays a student asking about a flat.
587 words, about 3 min