Majority of CAPE, CSEC students receive passing grades - Williams

Minister of Education Fayval Williams is reporting that a majority of students who sat Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams in June-July received passes in one or more subjects.

This represents 85.8 percent of students, where in 2020 preliminary data showed that 76.5 percent of students were awarded grades 1-3.

Williams, who was speaking at a virtual press briefing this morning, further informed that students performed better in seven CSEC subjects when compared to last year, while performances in 27 subjects were either similar or recorded declines.

Improved performances were recorded in Agricultural Science, Human and Social Biology, Integrated Science, Music, Theatre Arts, Visual Arts and Textile, Clothing and Fashion. 

Williams shared that Mathematics continues to be a challenge, with only 38.2 percent of students receiving passing grades, a decline from 61.2 percent last year.

Performance in English A also declined, moving from 83.9 percent in 2020 to 73.3 percent in the June-July exams this year. 

“A slightly higher percentage of males received grades one, two or three in four subjects, than did females. These are Agricultural Science (Double Award), Economics, French and Principles of Business,” Williams said. 

The highest passes were recorded in the following subjects:

Agricultural Science (Double Award) - 94.7%
Agricultural Science (Single Award) - 87.1%
Food, Nutrition and Health - 88.1%
Information Technology - 85.6%
Physical Education and Sport - 89.9%
Textile, Clothing and Fashion - 86.8%

Performance in Science subjects:

Chemistry - 58.5%
Physics - 61.7%
Biology - 71.6%
Integrated Science - 57.2%
Human and Social Biology - 64.2%

Meanwhile, 88.8 percent of Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) subject entries received a passing grade.

CAPE Unit 1 had a pass rate of 88.3 percent, while CAPE Unit 2 recorded a 90 percent pass rate. 

Students performed better in five units, namely Accounting, Animation and Game Design, Chemistry, Entrepreneurship and Physical Education and Sport, when compared to last year. 

In Unit 1, 17 subject areas had greater than 90 percent of students receiving passes and French Unit 1 recorded a 100 percent pass rate. 

The poorest performance was recorded in Applied Mathematics, with 47.3 percent of CAPE students receiving a passing grade. 

“Females outperformed males in most subject areas, except Animation and Game Design, Applied Mathematics, Financial Services Studies, Green Engineering, Logistics and Supply Chain Operations Unit 1 and Spanish,” Williams said. 

In CAPE Unit 2, twenty-one subjects had pass rates of 90 percent and higher. 

Four subjects recorded 100 percent passes -  Animation and Game Design, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology Unit 2, Performing Arts Unit 2, Cinematic Arts and Performing Arts (Drama),” the education minister detailed. 

Similar to Unit 1, females outperformed males in most subjects, except Applied Mathematics, Geography, History and Logistics and Supply Chain Operations Unit 2.  

- Judana Murphy 

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