The Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) has taken the decision to push back its suite of exams by two weeks.
A combination of reasons was given, among them the continued challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic within the region and the volcanic eruption in St. Vincent.
CXC registrar Dr. Wayne Wesley said the regional examinations body took the decision following consultations with the ministers of education of the participating territories and input from the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT).
“We have engaged in a regional consultation with governments and other stakeholders to make sure that we come with the concept that would lead to the proper planning of a regional examination that would redound to the benefit of the majority if not all within the region,” he said in a virtual media conference.
“The special council meeting convened yesterday (Tuesday) and accepted and reviewed a report from the School’s Examination Committee, which made recommendation for a strategy for the 2021 regional exams.”
The Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) examinations, which were scheduled to commence on June 15, have now been pushed back to Thursday, June 28.
“CXC shall maintain the administration of the CAPE, CSEC and CCLSC, in their original format,” Wesley said. “Council also approved the delay of the sitting of examinations by a further two weeks. This would provide candidates extra time to prepare for the examination.”
Wesley said the exam will maintain its original format, which is a Paper 1 and Paper 2, in addition to the school-based assessment (SBA).
He said the deadline for those wishing to defer has been extended until May 30 and an extension up to June 30 was also granted for the submission of SBAs.
Wesley said the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be taken into consideration during the grading process.
Special considerations are also being worked out for the students of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, who continue to be displaced by the volcanic eruptions.
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