Improving CXC Results

Preliminary results for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) May/June 2009 Examinations show a 5.6 percent increase in performance of students compared to 2008.  Seventy-seven percent of the subject entries taken received Grades I – III, which are acceptable Grades at CSEC.
 
English A, English B and Social Studies were among the subjects with the most notable improvements in 2009.  67 percent of entries received Grades I – III, compared to 45.8 percent in 2008; 50.6 percent of the entries for English B were awarded Grades I – III compared to 34.6 in 2008 and 90.7 of

the entries for Social Studies received Grades I – III compared to 73.4 percent in 2008.
  
Preliminary results also show that of the 34 subjects examined, performance improved in 17 subjects; while there was decline in 11 and the results in five subjects remained the same.  Agriculture Science was examined for the first time as a single subject.  Mathematics Basic was examined for the last time; consequently, all subjects will only be examined at the General and Technical Proficiencies in subsequent years.  Typewriting was also examined for the last time.   

On the other hand, preliminary results for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) show a 3.9 percentage point decrease compared to last year.  Ninety-one percent of the units sat were awarded Grades I – V, which are acceptable Grades at the CAPE level. 
For May/June 2009 thirty-three units were examined comprising of 18 Unit 1 and 15 Unit 2.  Performance improved in 11 Units; declined in 14 Units; remained the same in 10 Units.  Statistical Analysis, examined in 2008, forms part of the 2 Unit Applied Mathematics syllabus, whilst Information Technology Unit 2 was examined for the first time.
 
Accounting Unit 1, Biology Unit 2, History Unit 2 and Physics Unit 1 were among the subjects with the most notable improvements in 2009.  Hundred percent of the entries sat for Accounting Unit 1 received Grades I – V, compared to 83.3 percent in 2008; 100.0 percent of the entries for Biology Unit 2 were awarded acceptable grades compared to 85.7 last year and 100.0 percent of the entries for History Unit 2 and Physics Unit 1 received Grades I – V compared to 87.5 percent in 2008.
  
Candidate entries for CSEC 2009 showed a marginal increase of 1.6 percent compared to 2008 and the subject entries experienced a slight decrease of .6 percentage points while CAPE’s candidate entries increased by 1.5 percent compared to last year and the Unit entries decreased by 11 percent. At the CSEC level the two subjects with the highest entries continue to be English A with 2,738 entries and Mathematics with 2,211 entries. For CAPE Communication Studies with 109 entries and Caribbean Studies with 59 entries continue to be the most popular subjects.
 
Candidates with outstanding performance qualify for tuition scholarships and merit awards from the Ministry of Education and other corporate partners in education.