How School Grading Works in Malta: Global Mark, Continuous Assessment and Annual Exam

The Maltese education system uses a grading structure based on percentage scores and a combination of different types of assessment throughout the school year. Simply put, a student’s final grade in Malta is not determined by a single examination but by a combination of ongoing work completed during the year and a final assessment. The final result in a subject is known as the global mark and represents the student’s overall percentage score.

Unlike simpler systems where one exam determines the final outcome, Maltese schools assess students through several different components. Schools evaluate not only knowledge demonstrated in tests but also ongoing work throughout the year, practical skills and other forms of performance depending on the nature of the subject.

The global mark is therefore not a separate grade but a combination of several assessment components that together produce the student’s overall result.

How Weighted Assessment Works in Maltese Schools

The grading system used in Malta is based on the principle of weighted assessment. Different assessment components carry different levels of importance, and each contributes a specific percentage towards the final grade.

In many subjects, for example, ongoing assessment throughout the year (such as homework, projects and class tests) is combined with an end-of-year examination. The annual exam often accounts for a larger portion of the final result, while continuous assessment contributes a smaller but still significant percentage. In some subjects, the weighting may be more balanced, while others place greater emphasis on practical work.

The final global mark is calculated by applying the relevant weighting to each assessment component and then combining the results into a single percentage score.

What Is a Global Mark in Maltese Schools?

Maltese schools use several terms that frequently appear in school reports and official documents. Understanding these terms can help parents interpret their child’s results more easily.

Global mark refers to a student’s overall percentage result in a subject. It is calculated as a combination of continuous assessment (work completed throughout the school year) and the annual exam (the end-of-year examination).

Continuous assessment refers to assessment carried out during the school year. This may include class tests, projects, presentations, practical work or coursework, meaning larger assignments and projects completed over an extended period.

This part of the assessment is often divided into several components, such as ongoing tests, projects, presentations or research assignments. Each component may carry its own percentage weighting within the overall continuous assessment score.

Annual exam is the examination taken at the end of the school year. It usually covers the main topics studied throughout the academic year.

Global Mark = Continuous Assessment + Annual Exam

Why Global Marks Vary Between Subjects

Although the principle behind the global mark is fairly consistent throughout the Maltese education system, the weighting of individual assessment components may vary depending on the subject. This is because each subject focuses on different skills and competencies.

In more theoretical subjects, the annual examination often carries the greatest weighting. It assesses whether students understand the key concepts and can apply them successfully in exam questions. Continuous assessment throughout the year then provides additional evidence of how well students have mastered the material over time.

In science subjects, assessment is often divided between theoretical knowledge and practical work. Students may be assessed through laboratory experiments, projects or practical assignments that evaluate their ability to work with data, carry out measurements and interpret results.

Language subjects typically use a different structure. The final result often combines several language skills, such as reading comprehension, writing, listening and speaking. Each skill may form a separate assessment component so that the final grade better reflects the student’s overall language proficiency.

Even greater differences can be found in practical and creative subjects. In music or art, for example, a significant portion of the final grade may be based on practical performance, technical exercises, work with materials or long-term projects.

This highlights an important point: the global mark system is consistent in principle across Malta, but the structure behind it may vary from subject to subject. Each subject therefore assesses the combination of skills most relevant to that particular area of study.

How Is the Global Mark Calculated?

The concept of weighted assessment is easiest to understand through an example. Imagine a subject where the final grade is made up of two main components: continuous assessment and the annual examination.

A school may decide that work completed during the year contributes thirty percent of the final result, while the annual examination contributes seventy percent.

A student may achieve various results in class tests, projects and practical assignments throughout the year. These results are averaged to produce the continuous assessment score.

In this example, the student would achieve an overall result of 53%, because both assessment components have been included according to their weighting.

Why Can a Global Mark Be Low Even When a Student Did Well in a Test?

When parents read school reports or individual test results, some combinations of numbers can appear confusing. In reality, these situations are usually explained by the principles of weighted assessment and the global mark system.

A common example occurs when a student achieves a relatively good result in a particular test, but the overall subject result remains low. If that test carries only a small weighting within the overall assessment structure, its impact on the global mark may be limited.

In other cases, a strong performance in the annual examination may significantly improve the final result if that assessment component carries a large weighting.

The global mark should therefore always be viewed as a summary of a student’s performance throughout the entire school year rather than the result of a single test.

What Percentage Is Considered a Good Result?

When parents look at their child’s results during the school year, it is not always easy to judge how well they are actually performing. Individual tests usually represent only a small part of the overall assessment, and their impact on the final global mark may be limited. Numbers alone also do not tell the full story, which is why teacher feedback remains an important part of understanding a child’s progress.

It is generally more useful to focus on long-term trends rather than a single test result. A series of results over several weeks or months usually provides a much more accurate picture of how well your child is coping with the curriculum.

In Malta, 50% is generally considered the basic passing threshold. Results below 50% are often described as being below the passing mark. If a child consistently performs below this level, programmes such as Catch-Up Classes may provide additional academic support under the guidance of experienced teachers.

As a general guide, a result around 50% represents the minimum passing standard. Scores between approximately 60% and 70% are typically considered solid performance, while results above 70% indicate a very good level of understanding and achievement.

This is why a score that may not initially seem particularly high—such as 11 marks out of 20—can in fact represent a perfectly satisfactory result within a percentage-based grading system.