antiguaobserver.com
An interesting occurrence has been observed in the 2023 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exams (CAPE), with Unit 1 and Unit 2 of some subject areas recording a significant difference in the pass rate.
According to local CXC Registrar Myrick Smith, who appeared on state media last week, Economics Unit 1 had an average pass rate of 31.3 percent, while Economics Unit 2 recorded an average pass rate of 77.8 percent.
There was also a wide gap between Units 1 and 2 for Applied Maths which saw pass rates of 57.1 and 83.3 percent, respectively.
The reasons for the disparities in the two subject areas were not disclosed by Smith, but the occurrences are worth noting.
Overall, college level students in Antigua and Barbuda have maintained the high pass rate usually seen over the years.
Smith said that the average pass rate in this year’s examinations stands at 87 percent, which may increase to last year’s figure of 88 percent after results are finalised.
Notably, some CAPE subject areas including Food and Nutrition, French, Geography and Green Engineering saw a 100 percent pass rate.
Meanwhile, the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) – done in second or third form – had a total of 128 sittings across five schools in Antigua and Barbuda, according to Smith.
Unlike CAPE, there isn’t a pass or fail grading system. Instead, students are assigned either ‘Mastery’, ‘Competency’, or ‘Developing Competency’.
Maths and English, two core subject areas for everyday life, had a combined total of 63 students sitting the exams.
Maths had 35 students, four of which were assigned Mastery, 23 assigned Competency, and eight assigned Developing Competency.
English had 28 sittings with one student achieving Mastery, 24 students obtaining Competency and three students securing Developing Competency.
Other subjects offered at the CCSLC level are Digital Literacy, Integrated Science, Social Studies, and Spanish, which saw a combined total of 62 sittings.
CAPE and CCSLC examinations fall under the purview of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) which was established in 1972 under agreement by participating Caricom governments.
The first CCSLC exams were offered in June 2007 to provide an opportunity for students with academic challenges, and allow those leaving the secondary school system prematurely to attain a qualification.
CAPE, first offered in 1998, was designed for students wishing to further their studies after completing five years of secondary school education, according to CXC’s website.
