EXAMINATIONS ADMINISTRATION

Thirteen CSEC subjects (22 papers) were e-marked in January-February 2016, and 25 CSEC subjects (46 components), and 47 CAPE subjects (110 papers) were e-marked from the May-June examinations.

Seven CSEC and 5 CAPE subjects were marked using our traditional residential marking modality. This is last time that CXC will be conducting residential marking, as it is expected that all subjects will be electronically marked beginning in 2017.

The table indicates the growth in the number of papers which have been e-marked since January 2013:

The year 2016 also saw the introduction of a greater use of technology to enhance our quality assurance processes in marking. This involved closer surveillance of marking which was not within the accepted tolerance level, as well as an intensification of the some of the standardization mechanisms used in e-marking.

Registration increased in all programmes in 2016, with the exception of the January sitting. The decline in CSEC January subject entries was attributed to a decline in the number of candidates sitting the sciences from Trinidad and Tobago, consequent on that territory’s indicating that it would no longer support the laboratory component of the Paper 032 component for private candidates. All other examinations saw a moderate growth in subject entries.

The table below captures the relevant data:

The projected cost of the 2016 operations of the Division was $15.6 million but indications at the end of September 2016 are that the budgeted funds have been prudently managed to contain expenditure within the budgeted limits.

A meeting of Local Registrars was held at CXC’s Headquarters on 3 and 4 March 2016. Local Registrars discussed various issues including the electronic submission of SBAs, and the implementation of electronic testing of MC papers in 2017.

SBA SUBMISSIONS

The number of CSEC® SBA records expected was 317, 868 compared with 311,781 in 2015. This represented 99.76% submission compared with 94.00 % in 2015.

The submissions for CAPE® were received as stipulated by 30 May 2016 and of the 102,105 candidates registered, 101,971 or 99.85% of SBA scores were received, compared with 95.56% in 2015.

Pretests of multiple-choice questions for CSEC® and CAPE® were conducted between 24 - 29 April. Twenty-four CAPE® Units were pre-tested on 8,009 candidates from 12 territories, while 7 CSEC subjects were pre-tested using 3,553 candidates. During the period 16 -20 November, 2,010 candidates, in 10 territories, are expected to participate in the pre-testing of 4 CCSLC subjects.

SCRIPT MARKING 2016

i. CAPE and CSEC ELECTRONIC MARKING (e-Marking)
CXC continued implementation of its new e-Marking model with the January and June 2016 sittings being the second and third marking sessions, respectively, using the RM Assessor e-Marking tool.

All thirteen subjects offered for the January 2016 sitting, comprising 22 paper components, 250,868 scripts were e-Marked by a total of 731 participants during the period 18 January to 12 February 2016.

For the May-June 2016 administration, a total of 25 CSEC subjects comprising 46 components, and 47 CAPE subjects comprising 110 components, were e-Marked by a total of 3,737 CSEC and CAPE markers during the period 28 May to 31 July 2016.

ii. CAPE AND CSEC RESIDENTIAL MARKING
In July 2016, CXC conducted residential marking at three centres in Barbados with 436 markers, one centre in Jamaica with 343 markers.

CCSLC® 2016 SITTING

The total candidate entry for the CCSLC 2016 sitting grew by thirteen per cent, increasing from 5,707 in 2015 to 6,454.

Preparing for e-Testing
In the latter part of the year, the Division continued to carry out tests on the e-Testing platform to ensure that it is in readiness for the introduction of electronic testing for all the CSEC and CAPE Multiple Choice papers in 2017.

SYLLABUS AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

CAPE

Two new CAPE syllabuses – Green Engineering and Financial Services Studies were finalized and launched in 2016. The approved syllabuses and copies of the specimen examination papers, keys and mark schemes were released to schools in May–June 2016, for first examination in May–June 2017.

Two syllabuses were reviewed and recommendations made for amendments. These are Law and Literatures in English.

CSEC

A review of the syllabuses for Principles of Accounts, and Principles of Business was conducted in 2016. The amended syllabuses were distributed to schools in May/June 2016.

The syllabuses for Agricultural Science and Economics were revised and distributed to schools in May/June 2016.

CCSLC

SUBSEC received and approved concept papers for the development of a CCSLC® syllabuses in Dutch and Mandarin in order to expand the existing offerings of the Modern Languages Syllabus. The first meetings to facilitate the process was held in October 2016.

Examinations Development and Production
The Division is responsible for developing and preparing examination papers for CXC programmes, and other programmes that CXC is contracted by other organizations to develop and/or administer. In 2016, the Division developed the following examination papers:

  • CAPE 177 papers for 32 subjects
  • CSE 35 papers for 13 January examinations; 90 papers for 34 May/June examinations
  • CCSLC 6 papers for 6 subjects
  • CPEA 6 papers for 3 subjects

Paper Setting Meetings in 2016
The Paper setting meetings during 2016 budget period were conducted virtually and were intended to develop the examination papers to be used in 2018. However, a number of these meetings have been delayed due lack of, or late appointment of, Examining Committees.

The breakdown by program of the papers set in 2016 is as follows:

Preparing Question Papers for E-Marking
The Division continues to increase the number of subjects and examination papers being converted for electronic marking. This process started with two CSEC papers in May-June 2013 and continued through to 60 CSEC (51 examinations and 9 SBAs), and 92 CAPE (65 examinations and 27 SBAs) components in May-June 2016. In 2017, all external papers will be marked online and this has necessitated the conversion of 116 Papers in 2016.

Subject Reports
Eleven of thirteen subject report for CSEC January 2016 have been submitted for publishing by McMillan. Subject reports for May-June 2016 in the process to be completed with some slippage occasioned by the protracted 2016 June marking and review cycle. To date, 14 CAPE Subject Reports (48 per cent) and 10 CSEC (29 per cent) were received by 15th October 2016.

Grading Activities
In 2016, as in 2015, except for the Final Award Committee meeting, all other grading activities for CSEC and CAPE were conducted using teleconference between TAC members gathered at CXC Headquarters and Examining Committees in their homes or offices.

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