A five-member CXC team recently visited the Education and Testing Services (ETS) in New Jersey, United States as part of a work/study tour in preparation for the introduction of electronic testing (E-testing) of CXC examinations. The tour provided much insight into the world of online testing and assisted members of the team in their quest to understand and in some cases, validate their own approaches to this most important move by CXC.
CXC plans to begin the roll out of e-testing services to its 19 Participating Territories during 2017 and team members are excited to be able to assist in preparing the next generation of test-takers with authentic, appropriate and modern ways of engaging their world.
CXC’s partnership with ETS is a strong and trusted one, going as far back to CXC’s formative years in 1974 when ETS assisted CXC in its establishment and subsequent training initiatives. The multiple choice papers offered in the first CSEC examinations in 1979 were also processed at ETS.
Great move.
Saves on paper and a step forward in the technological world.
This is great going forward and should reduce the marking time especially since the e-marking is currently problematic.
Keep up the good work so CXC can stay ahead with Technology
CXC strides into the new world.
Awaiting the mechanics of this move, and the implications for the education machinery in the 19 territories.
Way forward…..put technology to work.
Hope this is a temporary move and we will eventually be in charge of this in the caribbean. Keep the well needed resources and provide jobs for our people.
Great initiative but are the schools within the nineteen territories equipped with adequate and reliable computers to facilitate this new platform? What are the possible glitches? Who will foot this bill, the Ministry or CXC or will it be both groups? Deeply concerned….
I agree eith this comment.
Most schools does not even have enough computers for all the studens in one normal classroom I.T. setting.
Therefore, how then will this be accomodated?
Thoughts…..
While this has advantages I am concerned about how it will work in the centers. How many centers are equipped with sufficient number of PC/laptop/tablets for each candidate (especially in Maths and English)? Wasn’t the issues with resources the reason some territories stopped entering for IT in Technical proficiency and moved to general? Also what happens when there are power outages (whether scheduled or from natural causes) or is it that there will be more than one day to do each test? There are quite a number of things to think about as a part of the feasibility study.
The comment of K.Williamson regarding the readiness of the clients is very relevant and leaves many troubling concerns unanswered…Was a feasibility study conducted??
Must I understand here that candidates may be able to use their smartphones to write exams? I welcome use of technology as long as it is not restrictive, prohibitive nor problematic.