The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has sought to allay widespread concerns about the value of qualifications under its new Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC), assuring that measures will be taken to ensure that “there is no ambiguity regarding what each credential represents”.

The flood of concern followed CXC Registrar and Chief Executive Officer Dr Wayne Wesley’s announcement last Tuesday of the results for the CTEC pilot in mathematics which aims to correct “the perennial under-performance of students” in the subject.

Wesley had reported an 88 per cent pass rate among the 2,535 candidates who sat the module in the May-June 2026 exam. He said a total of 2,230 candidates passed.

CTEC, which was unveiled in April 2025, is at the same standard of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and utilises the same syllabus.

Last week, Wesley announced that the modularised examination format will now be applied to four other subject areas going forward, given the success of the maths module pilot. He also said the 2,535 candidates who were involved in the pilot will continue to enjoy doing the other modules free of cost. Those candidates, he indicated, have a four-year period to complete the tests and will receive CSEC certification at the end.

Those indications however, sparked questions which the CXC registrar, in a detailed op-ed on the weekend, said were welcomed by the entity.

He reiterated that “CTEC is one part of CXC’s response to… long-standing challenge in educational outcomes, particularly in mathematics” where “for decades, thousands of students have left our education systems each year without a recognised certification in a subject that is foundational to further education, training and employment”.

He emphasised that “CTEC does not lower standards”.

Explaining further the weight of the credentials, Wesley stressed that “the complete qualification is earned only when the required modules have been successfully completed and the prescribed certification requirements satisfied” pointing out that while a candidate who successfully completes a single module has demonstrated competence in the learning outcomes assessed within that module, such certification does not represent completion of the full subject qualification.

“Accordingly, CXC will continue to strengthen stakeholder guidance, transcript design, employer communications and certification documentation to ensure there is no ambiguity regarding what each credential represents. Our objective is simple: every learner’s achievement should be recognised accurately and transparently,” he stated.

Wesley, in the meantime, attempted to allay fears over whether the achievement accumulated across multiple modules reflects the same level of mastery as the achievement demonstrated through a traditional terminal examination.

“This is an important question and one that deserves careful examination. Assessment validity is not determined by whether learning is assessed at one point in time or across multiple points in time. Rather, validity depends on whether the assessment framework effectively measures the required competencies and whether qualification standards are maintained. The CTEC framework has been designed to ensure that candidates demonstrate achievement across the required learning domains before receiving the complete qualification. Nevertheless, CXC recognises that public confidence depends not merely on assurance but on evidence. For this reason, we are committed to ongoing evaluation of progression patterns, completion rates, performance trends and qualification outcomes as the programme develops,” he assured.

The Caribbean Examinations Council reported an 88 per cent pass rate among the 2,535 candidates who sat the Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate module in the May-June 2026 exam.

On the issue of the knowledge retention, the CXC registrar said the concerns about the “so-called pass and forget” phenomenon… are valid, particularly in a cumulative discipline such as mathematics.

“CXC does not dismiss this concern. As students progress they are naturally reinforcing earlier knowledge. That helps guard against the “pass and forget” challenge. We have also set a time limit on how long students can take to accumulate modules toward the full qualification. The phenomenon is not unique to CTEC but is a challenge for every programme of study at all levels where candidates are not afforded the opportunity for reinforcement, practice, and application,” Wesley said.

He assured that as the programme evolves, CXC will continue to monitor learner progression and use evidence to refine support mechanisms where necessary.

“Innovation must be accompanied by evaluation, and we remain committed to that principle,” Wesley said.

Addressing concerns that “CTEC could unintentionally reinforce educational inequalities if it becomes associated primarily with under-resourced schools while more privileged institutions continue to focus exclusively on traditional examination pathways”, Wesley said the regional body also takes this issue seriously.

“CXC did not design CTEC as a qualification for a particular category of learner, school, country or social group. It was designed to expand opportunities. It is intended to serve diverse learners, including in-school candidates, out-of-school youth, adult learners, and individuals pursuing flexible learning pathways,” the CXC boss said.

He, in the meantime, reinforced that “the success of CTEC will not be measured solely by participation rates or examination passes”.

“It must also be measured by access, learner progression, qualification completion, stakeholder confidence, and social impact. Our goal is not to create parallel systems of educational opportunity but to broaden access to meaningful certification while maintaining standards,” Wesley said.

In the meantime, Wesley said CXC welcomes public debate about the future of Caribbean education.

“The questions being raised are not obstacles to the success of CTEC; they are precisely the questions that responsible educational institutions must ask as they seek to improve learner outcomes. As we continue implementation, we remain committed to transparency, evidence-based decision-making, stakeholder engagement, and the maintenance of academic standards.

“Ultimately, the success of CTEC will not be determined by headlines, optimism, or criticism alone. It will be determined by whether more Caribbean learners are able to demonstrate real competence, earn recognised credentials, access further opportunities and achieve their full potential,” he said.