MATSEC SEC English Literature study guide
MATSEC SEC English Literature · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) English Literature is a MATSEC qualification administered by the MATSEC Examinations Board at the University of Malta. It is designed for secondary-school candidates in Malta who are building a record in literary study, and it also serves private candidates preparing for further study in English, the humanities, or education. The syllabus is organised around four skill areas that carry equal weight: prose and drama set texts, poetry set texts, unseen texts and literary analysis, and critical and personal response with essay writing. In practice this means you need both knowledge of your chosen texts and the ability to read an unfamiliar poem or passage cold, then write a structured, evidence-based argument about it. The MATSEC SEC English Literature study guide has 4 sections and about 1,128 words.
01Prose and Drama (Set Texts)
The Prose and Drama section asks you to show secure knowledge of the whole set text and to use that knowledge as evidence for an argument. Questions typically focus on character, theme, relationships, setting, structure, narrative or dramatic technique, and the writer's choices.
322 words, about 2 min02Poetry (Set Texts)
The Poetry section tests your ability to read set poems closely and to write about how they work, not merely what they say. Questions may ask about a theme, a voice, a moment, a relationship or a technique, and may invite comparison between two poems.
282 words, about 1 min03Unseen Texts and Literary Analysis
The unseen section tests literary analysis without prior knowledge of the text. You may meet an unfamiliar poem, prose extract or drama extract, and you must build an interpretation from the language on the page.
273 words, about 1 min04Critical and Personal Response / Essay Writing
This domain tests the quality of your argument and the discipline of your personal response. 'Personal' does not mean autobiographical: it means a judged, evidence-based view, expressed with critical confidence.
251 words, about 1 min