KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) is assuring students, teachers and parents that the reform of school-based assessments (SBAs) is not intended to increase pressure or anxiety for candidates.

Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Director of Operations at CXC, Dr Nicole Manning, said the changes, which will affect selected Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) subjects, are intended to strengthen the assessment process, while ensuring that students’ competencies are accurately measured.

She explained that the reform will not apply to all subjects, noting that practical-based subjects, including physics, biology and chemistry, will continue to use SBAs.

“For the practical-based subjects, SBAs remain,” Dr Manning said, adding that CXC is removing the alternative Paper 32 option for those subjects and will continue to accept SBAs.

Dr Manning stressed that Paper 32 should not be viewed as a traditional examination paper that requires students to memorise large amounts of information.

“The Paper 32 is not a Paper 2. The design is different. It is focused on application skills,” she said.

The assessment typically uses case studies that allow students to demonstrate competencies such as analysis, decision-making and the application of knowledge.

Dr Manning also noted that candidates will receive support to prepare for the assessment, including being provided with the topic one month before the examination and being allowed to carry reference notes into the exam.

“You can well imagine that candidates will be well prepared,” she said.

The CXC official explained that the reform was prompted by challenges identified within the current SBA system, particularly following the increased use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

Dr Manning said feedback from focus groups and surveys involving stakeholders highlighted difficulties in consistently detecting AI use and validating that students’ work was their own.

However, she emphasised that the reform is not intended to discourage the use of technology but rather to ensure that assessment methods continue to measure students’ abilities.

CXC will also continue to strengthen support for schools and teachers during the transition through sensitisation sessions, webinars and additional resources to help stakeholders better understand the changes.

The reform forms part of a wider educational assessment review being undertaken by CXC in collaboration with ministries of education across its 16 member states.

Dr Manning said the broader objective is to ensure that assessment strategies across the Caribbean remain relevant and continue to validate students’ skills and competencies.

“We have to pull together and really make some deliberate change and action where this is concerned,” she said.

Students, teachers and parents are encouraged to become familiar with the Paper 32 format, noting that specimen papers are available through CXC’s website to help candidates understand the assessment structure.

—JIS

READ: CXC introduces reforms to SBA framework to safeguard integrity amid rise of generative AI