KINGSTON, Jamaica — Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr Grace McLean, has announced that the inaugural Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations will be conducted on five days in 2019.

“Based on suggestions that we got to move the Performance Task from December 4 and 5, we have now shifted the Performance Task, which will be held on March 27 and 28. We will now have the Ability Test on February 26, and finally the Curriculum Based Test will be done on April 16 and 17,” McLean said.

She was addressing the media at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information’s Quarterly Press Conference at their offices in downtown Kingston, on Thursday.

McLean is encouraging teachers, parents, students and PEP stakeholders to access the PEP website at pep.moey.gov.jm for all information the Ministry has to offer, which are related to the new examination.

“We’re happy for the response that we have received with the development of our website and PEP app. You can go to the Playstore and download the [PEP mobile] app, and the website is up and running with all the information that can assist. It has the curriculum, practice questions and lesson plans. There is also a link to various book publishers where you can also access the information,” she said.

“I can also assure you that in January, we will be providing additional practice questions to support our students,” McLean pointed out.

PEP is the series of tests which has replaced the GSAT as the national secondary school entrance examination. It is intended to provide a better and more complete profile of students’ academic and critical thinking capabilities at the end of primary level education.