O-levels explained
Everything on this page comes from MATSEC documents unless another source is named. Checked 7 November 2026.
What SEC is
SEC stands for Secondary Education Certificate. It is the Maltese O-level, run by the MATSEC Examinations Board of the University of Malta. Students sit it at the end of Year 11 (Form 5), usually at 16.
The result is a Level, not a grade
Each subject gives one of four results: Level 3, Level 2, Level 1 or NA (not attained). Level 3 is the highest, and it is the one sixth forms ask for.
The Level is built from two parts (SEC Regulations 2027, regulation 7):
| Part | What it is | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I | School-based assessment during Years 9–11 (coursework, practicals, oral work, depending on the subject) | 30% |
| Paper II | The written exam in April–June of Year 11 | 70% |
Inside each Level there is still a grade. Level 3 corresponds to the old grades 1 to 5, Level 2 to grades 6 and 7, Level 1 to grade 8 (Newsbook, results day 15 July 2026; Eurydice, February 2025). MATSEC describes grade 5 as the minimum acceptable for further studies.
The choice at registration that sets the ceiling
Paper II comes in two versions, and you choose one when you register:
| Paper II version | Grades reachable | Best possible Level |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1-2 | 6 to 8 | Level 2 |
| Level 2-3 | 1 to 7 | Level 3 |
| Level 3-3\* (Mathematics only) | 1 to 5 | Level 3 |
The Level 1-2 paper caps the result at grade 6. A student who sits it cannot come out with a Level 3, however well they do. Schools often steer weaker students towards the 1-2 paper; that is a reasonable choice for a pass, but it closes the door to sixth form in that subject. Decide this knowingly.
The 3-3\* paper in Mathematics is what the church sixth forms require for Pure Mathematics at A-level.
Private candidates
A student who is not registered through a school (home-educated, left school, resitting, or a school that does not offer the subject) sits as a private candidate. Private candidates do not do the school-based Paper I; they sit a controlled Paper I set by MATSEC instead. The certificate shows "PC" next to the subject. Registration is at um.edu.mt/matsec/register.
Key dates 2027
From the MATSEC Key Dates 2026–27.
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Registration (no base fee) | 26 October – 6 November 2026 |
| Late registration | 11–12 November 2026, €35 per subject |
| Very late registration | from 4 January 2027, €70 per subject, some subjects only |
| Written exams start | 21 April 2027 |
| Environmental Studies | 22 April 2027 |
| Maltese | 24 April 2027 |
| Business Studies | 7 May 2027 |
| Mathematics | 8 May 2027 |
| English Language | 15 May 2027 |
| Social Studies | 17 May 2027 |
| Geography | 21 May 2027 |
| Physics | 29 May 2027 |
| Last paper | 1 June 2027 |
| Results | about 15 July 2027 |
| Supplementary session: registration | 19–23 July 2027 |
| Supplementary session: exams | from 26 August 2027 |
| Supplementary results | about 30 September 2027 |
Two things parents get wrong: the exams start in April, not May, and the first subjects on the timetable are the ones with the least time left. Plan backwards from the subject's date.
After SEC
Sixth forms and MCAST each set their own entry rules, and they differ more than people expect: one needs one core subject, another two, another all three plus a science. The full table is on What each school needs.
Further on, the University of Malta still requires SEC grade 5 or better in Maltese, English Language and Mathematics on top of the Matriculation Certificate (Admissions Regulations 2016, regulation 12). A student can get into a sixth form without one of these and still have to pass it later.