Secondary Education Certificate Examination Regulations, 2014

L.N. 389 of 2014

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Secondary Education Certificate Examination Regulations, 2014

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred upon him by articles 74 (5) and 75

(6) of the Education Act (Cap. 327), the Chancellor of the University of Malta has

promulgated the following regulations made by the Senate of the University of Malta

by virtue of the powers conferred upon it by articles 73 and 79 of the said Act

Citation and Interpretation

(1) These regulations may be cited as the Secondary Education Certificate

Examination Regulations, 2014.

(2) In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires -

“the Examination” means the Secondary Education Certificate Examination;

and

“the MATSEC Board” means the Matriculation and Secondary Education

Certificate Examinations Board.

(3) The MATSEC Board retains to itself the interpretation of the regulations

and syllabuses relating to its examinations.

Applicability

(1) These regulations shall apply to the Examination held from the 20 th

June 2014 onwards.

(2) The Examination shall also be subject to the Conduct of the Matriculation

and Secondary Education Certificate Examinations Regulations, 2013, published as

Legal Notice 132 of 2013, and to any other relevant statutes, regulations and bye-

laws of the University.

Sessions and Time-Tables

There shall be two sessions of the Examination: the Main Session and the

Supplementary Session. There shall also be continuous assessment as specified in the

syllabi and learning and assessment programmes approved by the MATSEC Board.

Subjects of the Examination

(1) In the Main Session the subjects offered shall be the following

Accounting, Agribusiness*, Arabic, Art, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry,

Classical Culture and Civilisation, Commerce, Computer Studies, Design &

Technology, Economics, English Language, English Literature, Engineering

Technology*, Environmental Studies, European Studies, French, Geography,

German, Greek, History, Health and Social Care*, Home Economics, Hospitality*,

Information Technology*, Italian, Latin, Maltese, Mathematics, Music, Physical

Education, Physics, Religious Knowledge, Russian, Social Studies, Spanish, and

Textiles and Design.

*These subjects shall have continuous assessment.

(2) In the Supplementary Session, subject to the provisions of paragraphs

(3) and (4) of regulation 5, the subjects offered shall be the following

English Language, Maltese, Mathematics, and, subject to the provisions of paragraphs

(3) and (4) of regulation 5, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Choice of Subjects

(1) No subject may be taken in both the Secondary Education Certificate

Examination and the Matriculation Certificate Examination at Advanced or

Intermediate Level in the same session.

(2) Candidates may not sit for the examination in Business Studies with any

of Accounting, Commerce, and Economics in the same session.

(3) Candidates are eligible to register for the Supplementary Session in any

of the subjects in regulation 4 (2) only if, in the Main Session, they had obtained

Grade 6 or lower, or if they were absent, except for Biology, Chemistry and Physics

which are regulated by paragraph (4) of this regulation.

(4) In the Supplementary Session, candidates may sit for only one examination

in either Biology, or Chemistry or Physics, provided that they did not already obtain a

Grade 5 or better in any of these three subjects.

Structure of the Examination

(1) With the exception of the subjects marked with an asterisk in regulation

4 (1) the Examination in all other subjects shall consist of two papers, each of two

hours’ duration: Paper I and Paper II as specified in the respective syllabi.

(2) The papers shall be structured as follows

(a) Paper I shall be the core paper to be taken by all candidates registered for

the examination in the subject, and may include an oral/aural/coursework/practical

component; and

(b) Paper IIA comprises more demanding questions than those in Paper IIB.

(3) Candidates shall be required to indicate on their application form which

of Paper IIA or Paper IIB they wish to sit for.

(4) In the Supplementary Session, only Paper I and Paper IIB shall be

offered.

(5) In all the subjects marked with an asterisk in regulation 4 (1) there shall

be continuous assessment by the class teachers with internal verification by peers and

external verification by the MATSEC Board. Continuous assessment shall include

elements of controlled assessment as indicated in the respective syllabi.

Grades

(1) Grades shall be awarded on a seven-point scale, according to the criteria

laid down in paragraph (2) of this regulation. Grade 1 shall be awarded for the

highest level of achievement, whereas Grade 7 indicates the minimum satisfactory

performance.

(2) Grades shall be awarded in accordance with the following criteria

Grade 1: Indicates an overall excellent grasp of the subject and the level of

attainment that is expected of the ablest candidates.

Grade 2: Indicates a very high level of achievement overall.

Grade 3: Indicates a high level of achievement but falls below this level in

certain sections of the examination.

Grade 4: Indicates a good overall level.

Grade 5: Indicates a good level, but not overall, and is the minimum level

acceptable for further studies in the subject.

Grade 6: Indicates a general grasp of the subject but not a sufficiently deep

understanding of it.

Grade 7: Indicates a low level of attainment, and is the minimum certifiable

grade.

(3) Candidates sitting for Paper I and Paper IIA may qualify for Grade 1, 2,

3, 4 or 5. The results of candidates who do not obtain at least Grade 5 shall remain

unclassified and shall be denoted as U.

(4) Candidates sitting for Paper I and Paper IIB may qualify for Grade 4,

5, 6 or 7. The results of candidates who do not obtain at least Grade 7 shall remain

unclassified and shall be denoted as U.

(5) Candidates taking the subjects marked with an asterisk in regulation 4

(1) may qualify for Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7. The results of candidates who do not

obtain at least Grade 7 shall remain unclassified and shall be denoted as U.

Registration

(1) Only candidates who have completed their studies in Form V of

secondary education or who attain the age of sixteen by 31 December of the year of

certification shall be allowed to register for the Examination.

(2) With the exception of the subjects marked with an asterisk in regulation

4(1), registration for the Main Session of the Examination, on the appropriate

application form and accompanied by the relevant fee, must be made by the closing

date as published in the notice for registration. Applications submitted after the

closing date but by the published date for late applications shall be accepted if an

additional fee is paid.

(3) The Registrar may, at his/her discretion, accept applications for

registration for the Main Session at a later date against the payment of a further

additional fee.

(4) Registration for the subjects marked with an asterisk in regulation 4 (1)

shall be made by the closing date as published in the notice for registration when the

candidates are commencing studies at the beginning of Form 3 (Year 9). Registration

must be made on the appropriate form and accompanied by the relevant fee.

(5) Registration for the Supplementary Session shall be made during

the week following the publication of the Main Session results. Candidates shall be

allowed to register for the Supplementary Session only if they had also registered for

the Main Session of the examination and subject to the provisions of paragraphs (3)

and (4) of regulation 5.

(6) The Registrar may, at his/her discretion, accept late applications for the

Supplementary Session after the closing date if an additional fee is paid.

(7) Alterations to the application form may only be made by the candidates

subject to the same conditions and additional fees applicable for late registration.

Enquiries upon Results

The marking of papers, the assessment of assignments and coursework,

and the results shall be final and binding on all candidates, and the MATSEC Board

shall not, except in its absolute discretion, enter into correspondence about results

with candidates or their parents or any other person.

Revision of Grade

(1) In terms of regulation 9 of The Conduct of the Matriculation and

Secondary Education Certificate Examinations Regulations, 2013, candidates who

are not satisfied with the grade awarded to them in any of the subjects for which they

sat, may request a review of their examination scripts, within the period specified by

the MATSEC Board and against a fee as determined by the University.

(2) In the subjects marked with an asterisk in regulation 4 (1), candidates

who are not satisfied with the result awarded to them in any of the units may request

a review of their assessment by an additional external verifier within the period

specified by the MATSEC Board and against a fee as determined by the University.

(3) The revised result shall be final.

Certificates

(1) A certificate showing the grade obtained in each subject, together with

the criteria for the award of the grade as laid down in paragraph (2) of regulation 7,

shall be issued once only to candidates who obtain a grade from 1 to 7.

(2) An authenticated copy of the result may be obtained from the MATSEC

Support Unit against a fee as determined by the University.

Conduct during the Examination

(1) Candidates shall not be allowed into an examination room after

the first half hour of the examination, and they shall not be allowed to leave the

examination room, temporarily or permanently, during the first half hour and during

the last quarter of an hour of an examination.

(2) Mobile phones, books, note-books and any other unauthorised aids to

the examination (including electronic aids) must be left outside the examination room

or delivered to the invigilator before the examination questions are distributed.

(3) Candidates shall be provided with one or more examination booklets,

which must be filled in accordance with the directions printed on the cover of the

booklet. No part of an examination booklet may be torn off, and no examination

booklet or part thereof may be taken outside the examination room.

(4) When an index number is used, candidates must not write their names on

any part of the examination booklet or make any mark thereon calculated to disclose

their identity to a marker.

(5) Candidates caught cheating, or attempting to cheat, during an examination

or in any way caught taking, or attempting to take, an unfair advantage over other

candidates shall be subject to disciplinary procedures as laid down in regulation 10 of

The Conduct of the Matriculation and Secondary Education Certificate Examinations

Regulations, 2013.

Coursework

(1) School-based assessment of coursework shall only be accepted from

schools approved by the MATSEC Board.

(2) When a syllabus for a particular subject requires the submission

of coursework, such coursework must be available at the candidates’ school for

moderation by the Markers’ Panel.

(3) The coursework assessment results awarded by the candidates’

schools must reach the MATSEC Support Unit by the date specified by the

MATSEC Board.

(4) Coursework assessment results shall be retained for the

Supplementary Session.

(5) Coursework assessment results may also be retained for subsequent

sessions of the Examination unless the respective syllabus states that the set

coursework is no longer valid, but the candidates may, at their option, present new

coursework. The assessment results of the new coursework replace the results of the

previous coursework.

(6) Private candidates are required to submit their coursework by the

specified date and as established by the MATSEC Board, with a dated endorsement

showing where it was carried out.

(7) Candidates who have never studied a subject which involves a

practical at school but have covered the coursework privately shall be expected

to present their coursework to the MATSEC Board by the date indicated by the

MATSEC Board. Such candidates shall be asked to attend for an oral examination

about their practical work.

Oral/Aural Components of the Examination

(1) Marks obtained in the oral and aural components of an examination

during the Main Session shall be retained for the Supplementary Session.

(2) Candidates who re-sit an examination in subsequent years shall be

required to re-take the oral and aural components of that examination.

(3) A Supplementary Session for the oral/aural components shall be

made available to candidates who are marked absent for the Main Session of the

oral/aural examination, provided that they are either covered by a medical certificate

presented within three days of the oral/aural examination or they are absent for a

reason deemed valid by the MATSEC Board. Candidates who are absent for the oral/

aural examination in the Main Session without a valid reason shall not be awarded

any marks and shall not be entitled to a supplementary oral/aural examination.

Examination Materials

(1) No texts or dictionaries are permitted in the examination room unless

specifically indicated in the syllabus.

(2) With the exception of the part of Paper I in Mathematics for which a

calculator cannot be used, and unless otherwise indicated in the syllabus and in the

examination paper, the use of non-programmable electronic calculators is permitted

in Mathematics, science subjects and related subjects.

(3) Scientific and mathematical formulae shall be provided by the

MATSEC Board where appropriate.

(4) All work submitted in connection with the Examination, including

written work and coursework, shall remain the property of the MATSEC Board, but

may be returned to the candidates at the MATSEC Board’s discretion.

Candidates with Special Needs

(1) Candidates with special needs may be given the option to be exempted

from being examined in a particular component of the examination, such as an oral

or a practical examination. When candidates accept the option and their mark is pro-

rated to compensate for the missing component, their certificate shall be endorsed as

follows

‘Special arrangements were made to enable the candidate to be assessed

in this subject. Details may be obtained from the Registrar.’

(2) Such certificates shall only be issued as a last resort when ways

cannot be found of supporting candidates with special needs to satisfy examination

requirements.

(3) Applications requesting special arrangements shall be made on the

appropriate form, within the date stipulated by the MATSEC Board, and must

be endorsed by the Head of the candidate’s school and supported by appropriate

medical or other professional evidence issued within the two years previous to the

examination.

Quality of Language

Candidates are expected to bear in mind the necessity for good expression

and orderly presentation in their examination answers.

Language of Examination

The language/s in which the questions are set shall be indicated in the

syllabus of each subject. Candidates are required to answer in the language the

questions are set, unless otherwise specified in the examination paper.

Repeal

The Secondary Education Certificate Examination Regulations, 2005

published as Legal Notice 188 of 2005, shall be deemed to cease to be in force as

from 20 th June 2014.

€0.72