BRIEFS

Fewer students miss exams, but CXC remains concerned

The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) is reporting a decrease in the number of students who were absent from the May-June 2023 exam sitting. However, the council’s director of operations, Dr Nicole Manning, believes there remains a need for concern.

Almost 10,000 students were absent from the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) exams, down from more than 13,000 last year.

At the same time, more than 71,000 students did not show up for their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams, a reduction from the more than 103,000 students last year.

Additionally, Manning said both CAPE and CSEC had a candidate and subject entry increase. CAPE candidate entries moved from 25,536 to 26,424, while the subject entries increased from 99,797 to 101,340.

CSEC candidate entries increased from 106,151 to 116,131, while the subject entries moved from 485,335 to 525,442.

Probe ongoing into leak of CXC test papers

Investigations are still ongoing into two breaches that occurred in Jamaica during the sitting of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) May-June 2023 exams.

In May, the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Mathematics Paper 2 was leaked and then disseminated to other territories.

Weeks later, examination papers for nine CXC subjects were stolen from fireproof cabinets at a school in Jamaica.

Dr Nicole Manning, director of operations for CXC, said the organisation was working with the police to further investigate the matter. She made the revelation during the release of the examination results in St Kitts and Nevis yesterday.

“The investigation continues ... and we are working with the police to close that matter,” she said.

However, when contacted by The Gleaner, representatives of the Jamaica Constabulary Force could not immediately provide an update on the probe.

As a result of the mathematics paper leak, students’ grades were calculated through the use of the scores from the CSEC Mathematics Paper 1 and marks from the School-Based Assessment (SBA) or CSEC Mathematics Paper 3 – an alternative to the SBA research requirements.

Some 43 per cent of students received a passing grade for mathematics for this year, representing the highest past rate since 2021, Manning revealed.

She said another exam was issued on July 7 for the students who were affected by the theft from the cabinet.