BREAKING: CXC makes major adjustments for all exams due to COVID-19, St Vincent’s volcanic eruption

Last Updated on Thursday, 15 April 2021, 10:54 by Denis Chabrol

Statement from the Caribbean Examinations Council

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Caribbean Examinations Council® (CXC®) is cognisant of the  many challenges across the region at this time including the debilitating impact of COVID-19  on all areas of society, and all stakeholders operating within the education sector, coupled  with the explosive volcanic activity on La Soufrière in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

CXC® stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in St Vincent and the Grenadines at  this time, and all our stakeholders across the region affected by the ongoing COVID-19  pandemic. As a result, CXC® stands ready to listen and to engage in dialogue with our critical  stakeholders across the education landscape.

CXC® also recognises that some candidates across the region, based on their particular  circumstances, may not be ready for assessment during the June/July 2021 examinations cycle.

Given these circumstances, CXC® has reduced the SBA requirements by as much as 50 per  cent in some subjects. This 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® website and shared via social media in November 2020 and February 2021.

In addition, CXC® will share the Broad topics to be assessed on Paper 02 for CSEC® and  CAPE® subjects with the Ministries of Education for distribution to all candidates on 10 May  2021 (5 weeks before the start of the examinations), for subjects where such details are not  already available in the syllabus. Candidates are however reminded that the entire syllabus  is assessed on Paper 01.

Following extensive consultations with regional Ministries of Education, CXC® has also  implemented a facility for candidates to defer sitting examinations and submitting School  Based Assessments (SBAs), until the January 2022 (CSEC®) or the May/June 2022 (CAPE®,  CSEC® and CCSLC®) examinations cycle.

Accordingly:

I. SBA scores can be transferred for use in the next examination sitting, where the  subject is offered.

II. The rules pertaining to the reuse of SBA scores for resit candidates remain  unchanged.

III. Candidates may also:

∙ submit a new SBA

∙ delay submission of SBAs until the chosen sitting

IV. 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 1 May 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 on Friday, 26 March 2021 and Friday, 9 April 2021 and  communications placed on the CXC® website: www.cxc.org

In preparation for exams, students can also access a range of examination related resources  via www.cxc.org/student-central/.

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 well being of all stakeholders, and that the administration of examinations does not  disenfranchise the region’s students.