By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has reduced the workload for the June/July examinations and CXC is allowing pupils defer examinations to 2022. This is the first time that CXC is permitting such a deferral.
In a press release issued on Thursday, CXC, the governing examination body for the Caribbean stated that the School Based Assessment (SBA) requirement was reduced by as much as 50% in some subject areas.
CXC stated that as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic now coupled with the recent volcanic explosion in St Vincent, CXC will be engaging in discussions with critical stakeholders for decision making.
“As we all do our best to manage in these uncertain times, CXC continues to collaborate with regional ministries of education and other stakeholders to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all stakeholders, and that the administration of examinations does not disenfranchise the region’s students.”
The SBAs’ information is outlined in the SBA Student Handbook: Treatment of Syllabuses and School-Based Assessment for the Administration of Examinations, published and posted on the CXC’s website and shared via social media.
In addition, CXC will share the broad topics to be assessed on Paper 2 for Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) subjects with the ministries of education for distribution to all candidates on May 10 which would be five weeks before the start of the examinations, for subjects where such details are not already available in the syllabus.
Candidates are reminded that the entire syllabus is assessed on Paper 1. Following extensive consultations with regional ministries of education, CXC stated that it has also implemented a facility for candidates to defer sitting examinations and submitting SBAs, until the January 2022 (CSEC) or the May/June 2022 examinations cycle.
According to CXC, SBA scores can be transferred for use in the next examination sitting, where the subject is offered. The rules pertaining to the reuse of SBA scores for re-sit candidates remain unchanged.
Candidates may also submit a new SBA or delay submission of SBAs until the chosen sitting.
For the first time, CXC will accept SBAs in January 2022 for candidates deferring to sit examinations for subjects offered in that period. The granting of the deferral will be managed by the principal, for in-school candidates, and by the CXC Local Registrar, for private candidates.
Candidates should indicate an intent to defer from the June/July 2021 examination cycle by May 1, 2021. There will be no fee charged for the deferral of examinations.
The deferral procedures were shared directly with all ministries of education and local registrars from across the region and communications placed on CXC’s website.
