BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Friday March 27, 2020 – The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has announced that exams scheduled for May/June will now be held in July with modifications, as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impact the region.
CXC yesterday said the revised examinations strategy was aimed at yielding valid grades and minimizing the disruption to the education system during these unprecedented times.
“While the proposed revised administration schedule for the May/June 2020 examinations is July 2020, we continue to be guided by national protocols across the region,” the Council said.
“Rest assured that as the management and staff of the Council continue to monitor the emerging situation, our first priority is the health and well-being of all our stakeholders.”
Students sitting the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exam and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) will be given one common multiple-choice paper and final grades will be derived from that as well as School-Based Assessments (SBAs). For private candidates, the final grade will come from the common multiple-choice paper and a paper that will serve as an alternative to SBAs.
The only exceptions to that process, where candidates will be required to complete additional components, are: Modern Languages (Spanish, French and Portuguese); Human and Social Biology; and Visual Arts.
CXC said the strategy will employ the e-Testing modality (online and offline) in order to reduce the examinations administration processing time resulting in the shortest turn-around time for marking and the release of examination results.
“In addition, it will provide an opportunity for the timely presentation of grades to facilitate matriculation to higher education or to access employment. This also minimizes disruption to the 2020/2021 academic year,” it added.
