UNIVERSITY OF MALTA
THE MATRICULATION CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
ITALIAN
MAY 2006
EXAMINERS’ REPORT
MATRICULATION AND SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE
EXAMINATIONS BOARD
IM Examiners’ Report – May 2006
IM ITALIAN
MAY 2006 SESSION
EXAMINERS’ REPORT
Table 1: Distribution of Grades May 2006
Grade
N of
Grades
% of Total
A
B
C
D
E
F
Abs
Total
21
55
110
42
49
37
2
316
6.6
17.4
34.8
13.3
15.5
11.7
0.6
100
The results obtained by the candidates in the May 2006 session were almost identical to those
obtained in 2005. The percentage of passes Grade A - E (87.6) can be considered satisfactory
but there was practically no improvement on last year’s overall performance. The examiners
expect more grades A and B from post O Level students, who ought to be more motivated and
certainly enjoy favourable learning conditions at the Junior College and Sixth Forms. The
impression is that students do not do their utmost in preparing for the Intermediate Exams.
As to the more technical aspects, it is evident that candidates are not aware of the difference
between the written and the spoken register. Since most of the output is written, they must
understand that writing skills should be given more care: spelling is fundamental, and should be
near perfect in students who have studied the language for a minimum of five or a maximum of
seven years. The colloquial register should be discouraged, especially in writing the general
essays and the answers to literature questions. Of course, over a period of two years students
should read more books than those set for the exam. Lack of reading shows up in the very limited
vocabulary and the elementary syntax produced by the majority of candidates.
The following table shows the performance in the various parts of the examination.
It is evident that results hover just above the half-way mark, which proves that students are
mainly interested in obtaining a passmark. The averages for the oral, the comprehension and the
essay are surprisingly close, and disprove the impression that passive skills, like the
comprehension, are easier. This fact shows that students do not even read newspapers and
magazines.
Exercise
Oral
Aural
Comprehension
Essay
Literature
Totals
Average
12.92
5.88
12.29
12.37
15.82
59.28 = C
Maximum
20
10
20
20
30
100
Minimum
10
5
10
10
15
50 (passmark 44)
Chairman,
Board of Examiners
September 2006
2