International qualifications 2013 (pdf) - CUKAS

Qualifications currently offered
See also Overseas Examinations of UK Awarding Organisations
(Appendix A).
GRADING SYSTEM
SEC: 1 – 7 with Un as unclassified
MC: A – E pass grades with F as fail
EDUCATION SYSTEM
Pre-school provision in Malta starts at age three and is attended
by around 98% of the cohort. Compulsory primary education
begins at age five, continuing for six years.
State secondary education follows in two types of school – Junior
Lyceum, which has a qualifying examination for entry, or
Secondary School, with no qualifying entrance requirements. Both
school types have a five-year course of general education,
divided into a first cycle of common curriculum, followed by a
second cycle of common core and optional subjects. There is no
vocational orientation in compulsory education. After completion
of Form V, at age 16, all pupils sit the Secondary Education
Certificate. This is offered by the MATSEC Board of the University
of Malta. Since 2000, this consists of two papers – Paper I is a
core paper, Paper II has A and B options for different abilities.
The Matriculation Certificate Examination is offered in the
University of Malta Junior College, the Higher Secondary School
and non-state Sixth Forms and on condition of six passes at SEC
or six GCE O Level passes in specified subjects. The Matriculation
Certificate Examination covers a package of subjects from both
the humanities and the science areas. Candidates offer six
subjects in all, two of which must be at advanced level, and three
at intermediate level, in addition to ‘Systems of Knowledge’. Each
subject is graded separately, as well as an overall grade awarded
as an average of all six subjects. Medium of instruction are
English and Maltese.
ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION
The University of Malta is Malta’s only HEI. The main entry
qualification is the Matriculation Certificate.
Further requirements are Maltese, English and mathematics in
the SEC at grade 5 or better. Some courses may have additional
special requirements. Bachelor’s degrees last for three years
(ordinary degree) and four years (honours). Medicine is a fiveyear
course and law six years. Master’s degrees are of two years’
duration following a three-year first cycle degree and one year
preceded by an honours degree. PhD studies last for three to six
years.
Mauritius
EVALUATION
Cambridge School Certificate
Generally considered to be comparable to GCSE grade C or above
Cambridge Higher School Certificate
Generally considered to be comparable to GCE Advanced level
EDUCATION SYSTEM
There is universal provision of primary education for six years
(called Standard I – VI). Promotion is automatic, the only standard
which can be repeated being standard VI. The six years of
primary education culminates in the national Certificate of
Primary Education (CPE) examination, which serves as a selection
tool for entrance at secondary level, with only those passing the
CPE being allowed access to secondary schools. Primary
education was made compulsory in 1990.
Since 2005, education has been compulsory up to the age of 16
in Mauritius. The current transition rate from primary to
secondary is about 65%. There are consequently a sizable
number of the 27,000 annual CPE candidates who do not
succeed and need to re-sit the examination. Further to this re-sit,
there are still some 3500 children annually who do not succeed
in the CPE. These double failures are not allowed entrance to
mainstream secondary schooling but instead are channelled to
the prevocational schooling where both remedial and prevocational
education are carried out for three years, after which
the students can join the vocational sector. They can later join the
world of work, seek apprenticeship or follow further trade training
programmes. Several measures have, however, been introduced
to improve the pass rate at CPE, including the development of an
enhancement programme at Standard IV level to better prepare
students to schooling at upper primary level.
There are two main national examinations in the secondary
school system in Mauritius. These examinations are co-prepared
by the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate and Cambridge
International Examinations, UK. Students are awarded the
Cambridge School Certificate at the end of five years of
secondary schooling, and after two additional years can sit for the
Cambridge Higher School Certificate.
ACCESS TO POST SECONDARY AND HIGHER EDUCATION
There is currently a growing demand for post-secondary and
tertiary education with more students sitting for O and A levels in
Mauritius. As a result, more places have been provided for post
secondary schooling in both the public and private sectors.
Admission for a place in the public-funded institutions, more
particularly the two public universities (UoM and UTM), is
competitive. Although the admission requirement for
undergraduate courses is a pass at A level in the fields of study,
applicants usually need to have at least a grade aggregate at
HSC of 22 (A=10 points; B=8; C=6; D=4; & E=2) for securing
entrance, especially in the high demand management, IT and
engineering sectors.
Admission requirements at postgraduate and PhD levels are
similar to those in the UK, namely respectively a good degree or
master’s in the requested area of study.
There is an increasing number of private providers in tertiary
education offering programmes complementing the existing offer
in the public sector, with a new regulatory framework in place for
the setting up of private universities.
Efforts have also recently been focused on the development of
the TVET sector with an increase in the number of programmes
and intake of students at the level of Higher National Diplomas,
and it is expected that more programmes will be developed in
sectors where there is a growing demand in the local industry
and the world of work. The setting up of an Open University is
also envisaged, with the aim of further developing access to
tertiary education through distance education channels.
Mexico
EVALUATION
Bachillerato General
Considered comparable to at least GCSE standard (grades A, B,
C) on a subject for subject basis (except English language).
Bachillerato Tecnológico
Considered comparable to BTEC First Diploma /N(S)VQ Level 2.
INTERNATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS 41