UNIVERSITY OF MALTA
THE MATRICULATION CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION
ADVANCED LEVEL
RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE
May 2007
EXAMINERS’ REPORT*
MATRICULATION AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS BOARD
*[NOTE: The following is a summary of the examiners’ full report.
The original can be consulted at the Matsec Office.]
AM RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE
May 2007 Session
Examiners’ Report
Statistics
Grade
N
%
A
17
11.3
B
37
24.5
C
47
31.1
D
15
9.9
E
7
4.6
F
9
6.0
Abs
19
12.6
Total
151
100.0
General Remarks
1. For the 2007 May session, 151 candidates registered for Religious Knowledge at
Advanced level. A significant 12.6% of all the candidates, 19 in all, did not turn
up for the exam.
2. The exam consisted of three papers :
Paper I covering the fundamental issues of faith and world religions, the
formation and authority of the Bible, the doctrine of God, Jesus Christ, sin
and salvation.
Paper II covers doctrine on the Church, the liturgy and the history of the
Church.
Paper III dealing with moral issues, including the dignity of the human
person and Catholic social teaching.
3. The general feeling, particularly for Paper II, where Church doctrine and Church
history are concerned, was that this year reflected a steady improvement on last
year’s exam.
4. Very few candidates are opting to answer the questions in English. This may be
due to the fact that the texts suggested are mainly in Maltese. But the standard of
grammar and of writing in Maltese leaves much to be desired. Unfortunately, this
confirms a very diffused perception that our candidates at the Advanced level are
becoming increasingly weak in writing both English and Maltese. The low
standard of grammar, especially orthography as far as Maltese goes, is
conspicuous. Writing their answers in Maltese, candidates nowadays are getting
into the habit of neglecting and omitting completely the ‘għ’ which is an
important and essential element of the Maltese language.
5. A problem that persists in practically all Papers is the lack of references to the
Biblical sources as well as to other sources like documents of the magisterium of
the Church and encyclical letters. References to the Second Vatican Council
which figures quite significantly in the syllabus are rare.
6. In Papers I and II, where the focus is on the Bible and fundamental doctrine, the
tone of the written answers continues to be ‘homiletic’ and preachy, which
indicates lack of immediate preparation on the part of the candidates for the
examination.
7. This applies particularly to questions regarding original sin, God’s revelation of
his love in Jesus Christ, the importance of the Bible in the life of the Christian,
and the understanding of faith.
8. When dealing with the Question specifically referring to the Gospel of Mark
indicated as a basic text of reference in the syllabus, candidates tend to restrict
themselves to being descriptive of parables and miracles, rather than indicating
the interpretation or meaning of what the Gospel is reporting.
The Chairperson
Board of Examiners
July 2007