This is an advisory assessment of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC®) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exam (CAPE®) qualifications awarded by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC®).

The CXC® is a regional examining body that provides secondary and post-secondary examinations in 16 English-speaking Caribbean countries and territories (Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Turks and Caicos Islands).

The examination for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC®) is designed to be taken after eleven years of elementary and secondary education and constitutes the standard secondary school leaving qualification in the CXC® member states and territories. WES considers this certificate equivalent to a high school diploma in the U.S. and a secondary school diploma in Canada. The official language of instruction in the 16 countries is English; the examinations are conducted in English.

The Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exam (CAPE®) is a further university-preparatory program for high school graduates. It is designed as a two-year program taught at sixth form colleges or community colleges, although candidates can also sit for the exams independently, without attending a school program. WES considers the CAPE® exams comparable to the British Advanced Level Examinations and other strong university-preparatory qualifications, such as the International Baccalaureate. In addition, WES considers each CAPE® subject passed at both Unit 1 and Unit 2 levels equivalent to eight undergraduate credits in the U.S. and Canada. The CAPE® exams are conducted in English; they prepare students for university programs taught in English.

As is the case with all our evaluation statements, we would like to emphasize that this assessment is strictly advisory in nature and not binding for any institution or organization. For any questions regarding this assessment, please contact Beka Tavartkiladze, Senior Director of Global Education and Knowledge at btavartk@wes.org.

World Education Services (WES) is a private, not-for-profit social enterprise and international credential evaluation service based in Canada and the United States. WES evaluates foreign-earned academic qualifications and provides advisory assessments of how these qualifications compare to credentials awarded in the Canadian and U.S. systems of education. Our evaluation reports are used by higher education institutions, regulatory bodies, companies, and government agencies to determine the eligibility of internationally educated individuals for university admissions, licensing, employment, or immigration.

WES is one of the largest credential evaluation services in the world. It was founded in 1974 and has since provided credential evaluations to more than three million individuals from more than 190 countries. WES is a charter member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), the trade association of independent credential evaluation services in the U.S., and the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada (AESEC). WES is also a designated credential evaluation provider for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

WES adheres to the principles of the UNESCO Lisbon Convention on the recognition of higher education qualifications. Our evaluation methodology is based on the rigorous assessment of the level, scope and intent of academic programs and credentials. We take into consideration the admissions requirements and length of educational programs, as well as the depth and breadth of the curriculum, and the options for further study and professional employment afforded to holders of the qualification.