Comparing your European Baccalaureate with the Matriculation Certificate and SEC requirements for admission to UM
1. General Entry Requirements
1.1 The European Baccalaureate (EB) will be accepted as comparable to the general entry requirements available at: www.um.edu.mt/registrar/students/general_entry_requirements, if:
(a) the EB is obtained at 60% or higher overall, and
(b) the EB includes passes at least at grade 6/10 in a language, a science subject and a humanistic subject, as classified within the three compulsory subject groups of the Matriculation Examination, and
(c) the student has passed in the examinations taken at the end of Year 5 with at least grade 6/10 in English Language and Mathematics (unless the student has sat and passed examinations in these subjects at the end of Year 7), and
(d) the student has passed at grade 6/10 in an examination in Maltese as described in section 2.
2. Requirement of a Pass in Maltese
12(5)(a) a Maltese applicant who, for reasons of residence or education abroad over a significant period during the previous four years, has not received adequate teaching in Maltese, may be allowed to offer another language instead of Maltese, or, until September 2018, any other subject.
2.2 In the case of students holding Maltese citizenship or dual citizenship (including Maltese) who, as a result of the arrangements made by the Government of Malta, were given the opportunity to study at a school where Maltese is taught, the University will require a pass in Maltese.
2.3 The University Senate has agreed to accept passes in Maltese as satisfying the requirement of a pass in SEC Maltese as follows:
Normally,
EB Other National Language (ONL) ‐ pass at least at grade 6/10
Examination based on the ES syllabus for Years 6‐7 adapted from the syllabus for SEC Maltese
or
EB Language 3 ‐ pass at least at grade 6/10
Examination based on the ES syllabus for Years 6‐7 adapted from the syllabus for SEC Maltese
Exceptionally,
EB Language 4 ‐ pass at least at grade 6/10
Examination based on the ES syllabus for Years 4‐7 which is comparable to the syllabus followed in Forms 3 and 4 in Maltese schools
EB Additional subject ‐ pass at least at grade 6/10
Examination based on the ES syllabus for Years 4‐7 which is comparable to the syllabus followed in Forms 3 and 4 in Maltese schools
2.4.1 Based on the principle that students who had the opportunity to study Maltese are expected to have studied the language and to have passed in the subject, Senate expects students in European Schools to study and pass in the examination for EB BAC Maltese ONL/L3.
2.4.2 In exceptional verifiable circumstances where this cannot be achieved due to time‐table or school constraints or because of the choice of subjects to satisfy the Special Course Requirements of the University or due to other reasons deemed valid by the University Admissions Board, a pass in Maltese taken as ONL or L3, obtained at least at grade 6/10 in the examination taken at the end of Senior Year 5, based on the ES syllabus for Senior Years 1‐5 which is comparable to the syllabus followed in Forms 3 and 4 in Maltese schools will be accepted.
2.5 A pass in Maltese is not required from students who are not Maltese citizens. Such students would be required to offer instead a pass in their own language, according to regulation 7.1 (a) of the Admission Regulations.
For the medical course commencing in 2015 or later, all applicants who do not satisfy clause 2.3 above and who are not in possession of a SEC pass in Maltese at grade 5 or better, must present a Medical Maltese Proficiency Certificate which is awarded if applicants pass an examination set by the University.
3. Comparability with Advanced Matriculation Level
3.1 For a subject to be considered as taken at a level comparable to the Advanced Matriculation level, students must have studied the subject for at least 4 periods per week in Years 6 and 7.
3.2 Practical Work
The Advanced Matriculation examinations in Biology, Chemistry and Physics include a practical paper. Courses at the University of Malta assume that students registered on programmes that require passes in these subjects have reached the appropriate content and level in both theory and laboratory work.
Students intending to apply for courses which require Advanced Matriculation Level passes in Biology, Chemistry and Physics should choose lab periods as part of their European Baccalaureate. If their school does not provide them with lab periods in the subject/s indicated as special course requirements, they need to provide a signed statement by their school to this effect at the time of their application.
Students who did not have the possibility of following lab periods in a subject/s and who are admitted to a course that indicates these subject/s as special course requirements notwithstanding that they lack practical experience, assume full responsibility for joining a course that presumes that all students have the necessary practical skills. No concessions will be made during the course.
In the Matriculation Certificate, theory and practical examination papers in Biology, Chemistry and Physics are weighted as follows:
Biology: theory – 83%; practical – 17%
Chemistry: theory – 80%; practical – 20%
Physics: theory – 80%; practical – 20%
The grades awarded in the European Baccalaureate for the theory and practical papers in Biology, Chemistry and Physics will be worked out using the same weightings as those employed in the Advanced Matriculation Level Examination.
In cases where it was not possible for students to attend for lab periods, the grade in the subject will be based solely on the theory paper – 100%.
4. Comparability with Intermediate Matriculation Level
4.1 For a subject to be considered as taken at a level comparable to the Intermediate Matriculation Level, students must have studied the subject for at least 2 periods per week in Years 6 and 7.
5. Comparability of Grades
5.1 EB grades are considered as broadly comparable to those awarded in the Matriculation Certificate as follows:
Matriculation Certificate Grade A - European Baccalaureate Grade 8.2 or higher
Matriculation Certificate Grade B - European Baccalaureate Grade 7.7 – 8.1
Matriculation Certificate Grade C - European Baccalaureate Grade 6.8 – 7.6
Matriculation Certificate Grade D - European Baccalaureate Grade 6.3 – 6.7
Matriculation Certificate Grade E - European Baccalaureate Grade 6.0 – 6.2.
5.2 In undergraduate courses having a numerus clausus, applicants in possession of the required passes in the Matriculation Certificate who are placed in the same category as applicants in possession of the European Baccalaureate will take precedence.
Office of the University,
10 March 2016
Ver 4 /ex
