EXAM RESULTS STAND

CXC Registrar 
Dr Wayne Wesley. -
CXC Registrar Dr Wayne Wesley. -

DESPITE a regional flood of concerns, queries and in many cases, tears, over the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) 2020 results, Caribbean Examinations Council Registrar Dr Wayne Wesley said there is no need for a full review of the results. He was speaking Friday during a virtual media conference.

Education ministries and various education bodies across the Caribbean, including in Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and here in TT, have expressed concerns about the results and a change.org petition calling for a full review of CAPE’s “inaccurate” results has received more than 16,000 signatures.

Wesley said this year was like no other due to covid19 and CXC had to create a modified approach for administration. He noted since the release of the 2020 results concerns have been raised from various regional ministries of education. CXC met with the ministers earlier Friday and Wesley reported CXC committed to addressing concerns in a fulsome way to provide clarity and a detailed report.

He said, however, there was an increase in performance in acceptable grades: for CAPE it was 93.25 compared to 92.98, 92.39 and 91.79 in the three previous years; and for CSEC it was 79.57 compared to 78.31, 77, and 75.35 in the three previous years. However, Wesley did not explain exactly what was an “acceptable” grade.

“Overall the region registered improved performance for CAPE and CSEC.” He added: “I think the notion that there was less than acceptable achievement in grades is not borne out.”

He further reported the number of students receiving Grade 1 in CAPE was a little less than in 2019, while for Grade 2 and Grade 3 it was higher. He said for CSEC there were similar results.

He said for School Based Assessments there was 100 per cent moderation for all subjects and he explained some students may have received ungraded because CXC was still awaiting an additional component.

Wesley said if there were queries about absent/ungraded no payment would be required but queries for grades there is a fee associated. Asked by the media how many queries CXC received, Wesley said he did not have that information on hand. He added that apart from the representation from the ministries of education CXC has received no formal complaint from anyone. When asked which territories had made queries he replied he preferred the individual countries make that announcement themselves.

Asked about teachers who said they knew students would have performed better in CAPE based on their previous performance, Wesley said he would not speak on any assessment not administered by CXC.

Wesley also said there was no anomaly with the results and CXC was satisfied with service to students in the Caribbean, though there is always room for improvement. Asked about calls for a full review he replied CXC has a rigorous quality assurance mechanism process.

“We ensure a detailed check of every single subject.” Asked about the regional concerns he said CXC did its internal checks and data has not revealed what was being said. He also said there was no consideration being given to a waiver of fees for queries.

“The vast majority (of students) have received acceptable grades. Those who don’t can make queries.” He explained the results issued are preliminary and the query period is up to October 23, and thereafter final results would be issued. CXC advised students to submit their queries as soon as possible.

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