MATSEC SEC Social Studies study guide
MATSEC SEC Social Studies · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) is a qualification awarded through the MATSEC Examinations Board, which is listed on the University of Malta website as a distinct section alongside Regulations, Guidelines and policies, Syllabi, Current Session Information, Applications, Past Papers, and Marking Schemes and Exemplars. Social Studies is one of the subjects offered at SEC level, and it is typically taken by secondary school students in Malta as part of their portfolio of SEC subjects, and also by private candidates who register directly through MATSEC. The subject draws on ideas from sociology, geography, history, economics, politics and citizenship education, and asks candidates to apply concepts to Maltese and wider social realities rather than simply recall definitions. Because MATSEC publishes a syllabus for each subject, the syllabus is the single most reliable statement of what the exam covers, how it is assessed and what skills are rewarded. Preparation should therefore begin with the current syllabus, then move to the published past papers and marking schemes, which show the standard expected and the way marks are allocated. Candidates should practise structuring written answers, using specific examples and correct terminology, and interpreting data such as tables, charts and short extracts. Topics on this exam: Social Studies. The MATSEC SEC Social Studies study guide has 1 section and about 395 words.
01Social Studies
The Social Studies domain tests how candidates use social-science ideas to explain Maltese and wider social life, not merely to recall definitions. Questions typically ask you to interpret a short source, identify stakeholders and values, explain causes and consequences, and propose a reasoned response using concepts such as socialisation, culture, identity, inequality, citizenship, sustainability and interdependence. Socialisation is the lifelong process through which family, school, peers, media, religion and work transmit norms, values and roles. It shapes identity but does not fully determine behaviour.
395 words, about 2 minMore study resources for MATSEC SEC Social Studies
- Practice questionsWhich document sets out the fundamental rights and freedoms that are enforceable in Maltese courts?
- FlashcardsSocialisation. The lifelong process by which individuals learn the norms, values, roles and skills of their society, beginning in the family and continuing through school, peers, media and work.
- Cheat sheetSocial Studies examines how people live together: it draws on sociology, geography, history, economics, politics and law to explain human behaviour in society.
- Key termsDemocracy. A system of government in which power comes from the people, who choose their leaders through regular, free and fair elections and can hold them accountable between elections.
- Study planMap the full SEC Social Studies syllabus into a one-page checklist of every named topic and skill area, then rate your confidence on each from 1 to 5.
- Common mistakesCandidates treat Social Studies as comprehension and reproduce the stimulus in their own words, because in earlier schooling recall of content earned marks and the command words ('explain', 'discuss') are not decoded.
- Exam-day guideBring a valid photo ID such as an identity card or passport.