KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Education has announced sweeping changes to national and regional examinations for the 2025-2026 academic year, citing widespread disruption caused by Hurricane Melissa.

In a bulletin issued to schools on Wednesday, the ministry said the Category 5 hurricane, which struck the island on October 28, 2025, led to student and teacher displacement, extended interruptions to learning and caused psychological trauma across affected communities.

“Based on this context, the ministry has sought to ensure that the 2026 examination administration remains fair, responsive and sensitive to the realities faced by schools and communities, while maintaining the integrity and credibility of the national assessment framework,” the ministry said.

At the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) level, schools that were not affected by the hurricane will sit the standard Papers 1 and 2, with concessions for school-based assessments (SBAs), exemption from late fees and the option to defer exams if necessary.

However, schools in the most severely affected parishes will be given the option to sit Paper 1 only, also with SBA concessions, exemption from late fees and deferral where required.

At the national level, the Grade Two Diagnostic Test will be suspended until the 2026–2027 academic year, but a diagnostic tool will be provided for teachers to administer as a school-based assessment at the end of grade two.

Likewise, the Grade Nine Achievement Test (GNAT) will be suspended for 2026, with regional education officers overseeing students’ reintegration into the formal education system.

The ministry also announced multiple deadline extensions for the June 2026 sitting of City & Guilds Mathematics Skills #3850, English Skills #3850 and Customer Service #8992. It said the exam dates remain June 10, 11 and 12, 2026, respectively, with registration and assessment entries extended to February 27, 2026.

Speaking and Listening (S&L) assessments have been expanded from one to three weeks and positioned as a first opportunity for candidates; S&L results submission has been extended into July 2026; a three-week S&L re-sit window has been introduced as a second opportunity; and results will be released on August 28, 2026.

To support learning recovery, free student workbooks in Mathematics and English (stages one to three) and Customer Service (level one) will be distributed in hard copy to the most affected regions by the end of January 2026. Digital versions will be shared nationwide and virtual capacity-building sessions will also be offered to educators and students upon request, the ministry said.

Where necessary, an emergency November 2026 exam series will be offered in which registrations will be accepted until May 29, 2026 or as late as August 31, 2026; S&L window offered as opportunity three for one week (re-sit or first attempt); exams proposed for 11/12/13 November 2026 respectively; S&L results file upload deadline positioned as January 15, 2027; and results released on February 25, 2027.

The 2025 National Vocational Qualification of Jamaica examinations have also been postponed.

In addition to the government’s examination subsidy, students in the hardest-hit parishes will receive further fee reductions totalling $197.66 million, underwritten by the Overseas Examinations Commission.