Entry requirements to join the University’s Junior College have been eased to allow students to join the high school considered as the pathway to university education without a certificate in English or mathematics. The old requirement of a pass in Maltese or one of three sciences (physics, chemistry, or biology) has also been scrapped.
Requirements to join the Junior College are now less onerous than the Higher Secondary school in Naxxar where entry to a Matriculation course requires passes in Maltese, English, and mathematics.
To enter Junior College now, however, SEC certificates (colloquially known as O Levels) in any 6 subjects are sufficient if at least one of the 6 is a qualification in English, Maltese, or maths. That means that for the first time ever students without a qualification in two of three core subjects can still start a Junior College program.
The changes were introduced by Legal Notice last week. This website spoke to teachers working at the Junior College who described the introduction of the reduced requirements as “by stealth”. There were no discussions or consultations with Junior College lectures before prospective students were told of it.
English, Maltese, and mathematics SEC certificates are still required to start a university degree.
The old entry rules said that “Applicants must be in possession of six (6) passes in the Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) Examination at Grade 5 or better or when applicable their equivalent. The subjects must include English Language, Maltese, Mathematics and at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology.”
The new rules say that “Applicants may be admitted to the University of Malta Junior College if they are in possession of six (6) passes in the Secondary Education Certification (SEC) Examination or, when applicable, their equivalent at Grade 5/C or better. The subjects must include one of the following subjects: English Language, Maltese, or Mathematics.”
Confusingly, although the new rules no longer require a Maltese language certificate at all, the guidelines on the University’s website still advise non-Maltese applicants the conditions under which they can be exempted from the requirement of a Maltese O level. This suggests that for non-Maltese applicants and (as of 2025) for Maltese applicants who have spent some time living abroad, entry into Junior College will not require any certification whatsoever in any one of the core subjects.