Relief for students as CSEC, CAPE pushed back

Students preparing to sit regional examinations expressed relief after the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) pushed back sittings by three weeks.

The announcement was made Wednesday afternoon at a press conference hosted by CXC, which administers the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

The examinations are now slated to commence on May 23.

Shamir Martin, head boy of Glenmuir High School, has now got the extra time he needed to try acing his subjects. He said the extension would build his confidence and buy extra time for preparation.

Kellits High 11th-graders Ghiselle Smith and Kionia Locke are also grateful for the extra time.

Before the postponement, they were worried about aspects of the syllabus that had not yet been covered.

Ghiselle, 16, said she is 80 per cent ready and will now use the additional time to refine her preparation.

“I am glad for the extra time. My performance will be even better than what I would do had it not been pushed back,” she said in a Gleaner interview.

Kionia, who believed she was already “sufficiently prepared” before the extension, is joyful nonetheless.

“Upon hearing the news that the exams have been pushed back, I am feeling very relieved because I feel that I will now be better prepared and get the grade ones that I am looking for,” the 17-year-old said.

Alexander Anderson, an 11th-grader at Old Harbour High, is appreciative of the delay as he reported not being mentally prepared because of personal challenges.

“This includes the loss of loved ones and school time. I will utilise these three weeks well. I am now feeling optimistic,” he said.

And Denbigh High’s Rhea Marie Walters, who is in grade 13 and will be sitting four CAPE subjects, is gearing up for the late May commencement.

“As much as I was okay with the time that CXC was working with, this extra time will not hurt at all,” Rhea Marie said.

cecelia.livingston@gleanerjm.com