Smooth sitting of PEP Ability test, says education minister

The Ministry of Education and Youth is reporting smooth administration of the 2022 Grade Six Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Ability Test yesterday.

Portfolio Minister, Fayval Williams, indicated that 35,923 students from public and private schools sat the test at 1,052 designated centres, noting that the exam “went well”.

“These are all students who will be making their way to our high schools come September of this year and they would have had the greatest fallout in terms of learning loss [due to COVID-19]. So, I want to congratulate them for successfully completing the Ability component of the exam,” the minister said during the ministry's semi-virtual press conference today.

 Noting that yesterday marked the fourth year of the PEP exam's administration, Williams said, as has been the case previously, schools made provisions to accommodate special needs students, for whom there were 369 requests.

These, she outlined, included giving extra time for the test; assigning readers or writers, prompters or shadows; giving candidates preferential seating in the exam centre; making allowance for breaks during the exam; and providing interpreters for students whose first language is not English.

“We also had to make provisions for four of our students to sit the exam while they were hospitalised…this is obviously at their request. So, invigilators and officials from the Ministry of Education would have administered the Ability test at the Bustamante Hospital for Children and Savanna-la-Mar Hospital,” the minister informed.

She added that even in cases where two students arrived late because of extenuating circumstances linked to violence in the community, “they were accommodated as well”.

Williams said that in instances where a presiding examiner arrived at an exam centre late or did not show, “we had officers in the regions who were able to respond very quickly to resolve those situations”.

“So, we want to congratulate all our students for their resolve and their resilience. We know that these are trying times, but nevertheless, our students have persevered. Our parents, teachers and administrators and all who were involved to ensure the smooth operations of the test are to be commended as well,” Williams said.

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