KINGSTON, Jamaica — The preliminary report and analysis of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) exams showed that for both CAPE Unit 1 and Unit 2, there was a pass rate of over 92 per cent.

Minister of Education, Youth and Information Fayval Williams made the revelation at a digital press conference this morning, where she also announced the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate pass rates.                       

The results of both Caribbean Examinations Council-administered exams were released yesterday.

Williams noted that there were 42,431 entries for CAPE Unit 1, with the total number of sittings being 39,562. Of this number, Williams said 36,469 attained grades one to five, for a 92 per cent pass rate – 14 per cent getting ones, 22 per cent getting twos, 23. 6 per cent getting threes, 20 per cent getting fours and 12.8 per cent getting fives.

The minister noted that financial services studies, French, performing arts, and physical education and sport recorded a 100 per cent pass rate.

“Digital media as well as animation and game design had a 98 per cent pass rate, physics had a 95 per cent pass rate, while chemistry had an 85 per cent pass rate,” Williams said.

Meanwhile, the minister said there were 19, 571 entries for CAPE Unit 2, with the total number of sittings being 18, 288. Of this number, the minister said 17,002 students attained grades one to five, for a pass rate of 93 per cent.

She had earlier stressed that given the closure of schools and the subsequent rescheduling of the exams in the wake of COVID-19, the results cannot be compared to those of 2019.

In addition to pushing back the dates to July and August, CXC modified the exams to include the administration of a multiple choice assessment that was combined with the School-Based Assessments (SBAs) and Paper 032 for private candidates. Some candidates were expected to complete additional components in areas of modern languages, human and social biology and visual arts.