UNIVERSITY OF MALTA
THE MATRICULATION EXAMINATION
ADVANCED LEVEL
ART
MAY 2013
EXAMINERS’ REPORT
MATRICULATION AND SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE
EXAMINATIONS BOARD
AM Examiners’ Report – May 2013
AM ART
MAY 2013 SESSION
EXAMINERS’ REPORT
The examiners’ panel for the May 2013 Art examination at Advanced Level submits the following
report on the general performance of the candidates who sat for the said examination.
One hundred and two candidates registered for the examination. The breakdown of the Grades
obtained by the candidates was as follows:
GRADE
Number
% of Total
A
B
2
2.0
14
13.7
MAY 2013 RESULTS
C
D
E
26
25.5
21
20.6
15
14.7
F
Abs
Total
18
17.6
6
5.9
102
100
In general the candidates who sat for the examination did not perform so well; the work shows a
lack of the commitment expected throughout the course of study.
Some coursework and project work included works that carried the signature of the candidate or
photographs of the candidate at work. It is to be stressed that anything that might disclose the
identity of the candidate goes against the MATSEC regulations and is strongly prohibited.
Coursework
In general the average mark obtained for the coursework was quite low. The markers’ panel
notes that despite the concern shown repetitively in the reports on previous examinations, a good
percentage of candidates are still presenting works that do not show the commitment expected of
students at advanced level throughout the two-year course.
A good number of coursework presented does not show the development of the student during
the two-year course of study, or that the candidate has acquired the necessary basic technical
and intellectual skills to express oneself through the visual arts. A number of candidates included
copies in their coursework; although such works are not to be outrightly condemned as a source
of study, these should not substitute the candidate’s personal work from direct observation or
imagination. Well studied project works were generally missing in the coursework; a number of
students opted for quantity rather than quality in the work presented.
It was positively noted that superfluous mounting was not a common trend.
In general the sketchbooks did not reflect good practice during the course of study; the sketch
book should be regarded as an important tool rather than as a mere syllabus requisite.
Project – Composition from a Theme
The projects generally reflected the lack of performance in the coursework.
Notwithstanding the clear instructions in the syllabus and the examination paper, a number of
candidates presented a final work with scanty or no preparatory work. In a good number of
cases, the preparatory work for the project consisted mainly of pictures downloaded from the
internet. The internet is a good source for research, and may provide secondary sources which
can be utilized and included as part of the preparatory work. However, these should not be
included unless they contribute to the development of the candidate’s work.
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AM Examiners’ Report – May 2013
Paper II - History of Art
A good number of students did quite well in this paper. However, a number of candidates
demonstrated a very superficial art-historical knowledge of the works being discussed. This was
more pronounced in Section I, where the candidates were to write three short essays on works
from the given list. In general the content was limited and of a descriptive nature, and candidates
showed a lack of vocabulary and artistic terminology. The candidates should aim for an analysis
which focuses on style, content, iconography and context.
Paper I – Work from Observation
In general the work presented in this paper, especially the still-life, was of a better quality than the
coursework and projects. Notwithstanding, most of the students lack the necessary skill and
understanding in their drawing.
Chairperson
2013 Examination Panel
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