Secondary Education Certificate Examination (Amendment) Regulations, 2021

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L.N. 450 of 2021

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Secondary Education Certificate Examination (Amendment) Regulations, 2021

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 75 (3) and 79 (b) of the said Act

Citation

These regulations may be cited as the Secondary Education Certificate

Examination (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 and shall be read and construed as one

with Secondary Education Certificate Examination Regulations, 2014, published as

Legal Notice 389 of 2014, hereinafter referred to as “the principal regulations”.

Applicability

(1) Regulation 3 of these regulations shall apply to the examinations held

from January 2022 onwards or January 2023 onwards as indicated in the regulation.

(2) Regulations 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10 of these regulations shall apply to the

examinations held from January 2022 onwards.

(3) Regulations 5 and 7 of these regulations shall apply to the examinations

held from January 2023 onwards.

Amendment of regulation 4 of the principal regulations

For paragraph (1) of regulation 4 of the principal regulations there shall

be substituted the following

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

For examinations held from January 2022 onwards

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

Classical Culture and Civilisation, Commerce, Computing, Design & Technology,

Economics, English Language, English Literature, Engineering Technology*,

Environmental Studies, Ethics, European Studies, Fashion and Textiles*, French,

Geography, German, Greek, History, Hairdressing and Beauty*, Health and Social

Care*, Home Economics, Hospitality*, Information Technology*, Italian, Latin,

Maltese, Mathematics, Media Literacy*, Music, Physical Education, Physics,

Religious Knowledge, Retail*, Russian, Social Studies and Spanish”; and

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For examinations held from January 2023 onwards

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

Classical Culture and Civilisation, Commerce, Computing, Design & Technology,

Economics, English Language, English Literature, Engineering Technology*,

Environmental Studies, Ethics, European Studies, Fashion and Textiles*, French**,

Geography, German**, Greek, History, Hairdressing and Beauty*, Health and

Social Care*, Home Economics, Hospitality*, Information Technology*, Italian**,

Latin, Maltese, Mathematics, Media Literacy*, Music, Physical Education, Physics,

Religious Knowledge, Retail*, Russian, Social Studies and Spanish**”

Amendment of regulation 5 of the principal regulations

For paragraph (2) of regulation 5 of the principal regulations there shall be

substituted the following

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

any of Commerce, and Economics in the same session.”

Amendment of regulation 6 of the principal regulations

For paragraph (2) of regulation 6 of the principal regulations there shall be

substituted the following

“(2) With the exception of the subjects marked with two asterisks in regulation

4 (1) 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.”

Amendment of regulation 7 of the principal regulations

For paragraphs (2) and (5) of regulation 7 of the principal regulations

there shall be substituted the following

“(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.

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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. Grade 8: Indicates a basic level

of attainment.

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

(1) may qualify for Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8. The results of candidates who do not

obtain at least Grade 8 shall remain unclassified and shall be denoted as U.”

The following paragraph (6) shall be added after paragraph (5) of

regulation 7 of the principal regulations

“(6) Candidates taking the subjects marked with two asterisks 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.”

Amendment of regulation 8 of the principal regulations

For paragraphs (1), (3) and (7) of regulation 8 of the principal regulations

there shall be substituted the following

“8. (1) Only candidates who have completed their studies in Year 11(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.

(3) The Executive Director 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.

(7) The Executive Director may, at his/her discretion, accept late

applications for the Supplementary Session and the synoptic test after the closing date

if an additional fee is paid.”

Amendment of regulation 12 of the principal regulations

For regulation 12 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted

the following

“12. The conduct of the examination will be regulated by the MATSEC

Examinations Candidate Guidebook, in force at the time, as approved by the MATSEC

Examinations Board and Senate, as well as The Conduct of the Matriculation and

Secondary Education Certificate Examinations Regulations, 2013, published as

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Legal Notice 132 of 2013 and any statutory or regulatory provisions consolidating,

amending, substituting, replacing, supplementing or interpreting Legal Notice 132 of

2013.”

Amendment of regulation 16 of the principal regulations

For paragraph (1) of regulation 16 of the principal regulations there shall

be substituted the following

“16. (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 prorated 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 Executive Director.’”

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