Applicants (Full-Time Level 1 and/or Level 2 specific courses) who will require to sit for an Initial Assessment Test

Initial Assessment Tests (IATs) are administered amongst Level 1 and Level 2 courses' applicants with the main aim being to better understand if the applicant will as a student require particular assistance – according to the nature of the instance. This is an important formative assessment, and whoever is informed via email to attend the IAT session, is expected to do so accordingly….. otherwise the application will no longer be processed any further.

These particular IATs do not apply for applicants interested in doing Level 1 programmes at the Institute for the Trades or the Centre for Learning and Employability. In these cases, there are specific entry tests which will be administered.

• Applicants having an unrated SSQP will be required to sit for the Initial Assessment Tests in Maltese (or alternatively Maltese as a Foreign Language), English Language and Mathematics. Likewise applicants who do not submit any SSQP / SEC results slips or related documents by the Admissions set deadline, will be expected to sit for the IATs (in person at the MCAST Main Campus).
• Applicants who last year, or in any previous year, have already sat for an IAT at MCAST, will still be expected to sit for an IAT this year, in preparation for Admissions into academic year 2026/27…. please remember that this is a formative assessment and so one would need to consider any developments or otherwise from last time one would have sat for the IATs.
• Applicants with SEC/O-Levels at grades 6 or 7 (or related rubric on MATSEC result slip) in Maltese, English Language and Mathematics, or an SSQP equivalent rating to Level 1 or Level 2, will be exempted from sitting for the Initial Assessment Tests and will be directly placed on the Level 1 or Level 2 programme of studies depending on the achievement presented on the SSQP or SEC result slip. Were the required documentation is not properly presented by the Online Applications Admissions deadline, such vetting will not be possible and so the applicant will be expected to sit for the IAT as per the date and time which will be communicated via email.
• Applicants found to require significant support will be guided to join the Level 1 Introductory Certificate course (instead of the Level 2 course application they may have submitted).
• Applicants who will be asked to sit for one or more IATs, will be selected for the Level 1 or Level 2 course based on the results obtained following the Initial Assessment Tests in cases where the SSQP is not available or is unrated.
• Applicants who would be expected to sit for an IAT (or more) but would not show up on the set date of the Initial Assessment Test/s – whatever the reason provided by same candidate - will be considered as no longer interested in being considered for the course they would have applied for and therefore failing their IAT. Should they have applied for a Level 2 programme, they will be set to start on a Level 1 course (given the absence from the IAT session as scheduled for them). Such a decision will be final, following absence from IAT. Email communications are clearly sent out to the email address which the applicant would have submitted when creating one's own CMIS student profile.

The following are indicative samples of past Initial Assessment Tests (IATs) intended to act as an indication of what one would be expecting when sitting for these IATs – obviously, content will change. The IATs being administered in September 2026, are Computer Based.

• Sample IAT – English
• Sample IAT – Mathematics
• Sample IAT – Maltese