BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Welcome to the Caribbean Examinations Council’s press conference following the decision of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) – Education, granting approval on Friday 8 May 2020 for the administration of CXC’s regional examinations in July 2020, with results released in the 1st week of September 2020.
Modified Examinations Administration Framework
The modified examinations strategy to yield valid grades, assess critical competencies, and minimise the disruption to the education system during these unprecedented times will preserve the integrity of the examinations. The modified examination process is as follows:
1. Administration of at least one common paper (Multiple Choice Assessments)
1.1 For a public examinations body such as CXC®, administering assessment across countries, it is imperative that a common measure/paper be administered.
1.2 In addition, a common paper structure for the examination is required to facilitate assessment comparison across years.
2. School Based Assessments (SBAs) and Paper 032s (Alternative to SBA) for private candidates
2.1 An expanded moderation process that will conduct moderation across all centres and subjects.
3. Award final grades based on the moderated SBAs and Multiple-Choice Papers
3.1 During grading, CXC’s Quality Assurance Process will apply the appropriate weighting to ensure that candidates are treated fairly and in an unbiased manner.
The following are exceptions to the aforementioned process where candidates will be required to complete additional components such as paper 02, orals and a visual art journal:
Modern Languages (Spanish, French and Portuguese)
- Human and Social Biology (HSB)
- Visual Arts
| Subject | Additional Components |
|---|---|
| CSEC® French, Portuguese and Spanish | Paper 01
Paper 02 Paper 03 – Orals |
| CSEC® HSB | Paper 01 and Paper 02 |
| CSEC® Visual Arts | SBA and Reflective Journal |
| CAPE®
French and Spanish |
Paper 01, Paper 02, Paper 03
SBA (School Candidate)
Paper 01, Paper 02, Paper 03 Paper 042 (Private Candidates) |
This strategy will employ the e-Testing modality (online and offline). However, in territories where the infrastructure challenges are insurmountable, candidates will be allowed to sit the examinations using the paper-based modality.
Health and Safety
The Council’s number one priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of stakeholders during these unprecedented times. All examination centres and invigilators will follow the guidelines of national health protocols as it relates to social distancing, the wearing of masks, and sanitization.
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.
For a full recording of these remarks and questions from the media, please visit: https://youtu.be/zs2tm2CZ_ys
For further information, kindly contact us at +1 (246) 227-1700 or email cxcezo@cxc.org (Barbados), or for queries in Jamaica at + 1 (876) 630-5200 or email: cxcwzo@cxc.org
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