The MATSEC Examinations Board has published the results for the 2026 examination session with around 4,148 candidates receiving their Matriculation results, and approximately 5,573 candidates receiving their Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) examination results, the Education Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
The publication of results on Tuesday was delayed by an outage on the government’s e-ID system.
The Minister for Education and Sport, Byron Camilleri, congratulated the students who achieved the results they had hoped for in these examinations. While describing this as an important milestone, he made it clear that students who wished to obtain better results should not lose heart, as they will find all the support they need. “Our commitment remains to create an environment in which students can realise their full potential and develop all of their skills,” said Minister Camilleri.
This is the second year in which the results reflect the changes introduced at SEC level. These changes continue to demonstrate the commitment of both the Ministry and MATSEC to making the assessment system more inclusive, diversified, and better adapted to evolving educational needs.
The new model includes assessment based on School-Based Assessments (SBA) together with the final examination. The SBA assesses students throughout the final three years of secondary education.
Candidates had the option of sitting examinations at two levels: Level 2–3 and Level 1–2, the latter being designed to certify basic knowledge for students who had completed the school year. In the case of Mathematics, candidates could choose between Level 3–3, Level 2–3, and Level 1–2. The level structure classifies results into performance bands, with Level 3 being the highest level. Level 3 remains the standard required for progression to post-secondary education, such as sixth form, while Levels 1 and 2 may be used to continue an educational pathway at other post-secondary institutions. This assessment model also allows candidates who did not achieve the required grade in the final examination to still attain an overall Level 3 if their performance in the SBA is sufficient to compensate for their examination result.
In core subjects such as Mathematics, English, and Maltese, the number of candidates achieving Level 3 remained stable compared with previous years. Subjects including Chemistry, Computing, Geography, and Dance, among others, recorded an increase in the number of students who obtained an SEC qualification at Level 3.
Meanwhile, Minister Camilleri recalled that the Government will once again offer free revision sessions during the summer for students wishing to improve their marks in the September examination session. “I have had the opportunity to visit these sessions in recent years, and I know they make a difference and have a highly positive impact,” said Minister Camilleri, who also thanked in advance all those involved in delivering this initiative.