Ministry clarifies criteria for CSEC top performer award

The Ministry of Education today issued a clarification on the CXC criteria in the declaration of the top CSEC student at this year’s examination.  The ministry’s clarification follows:

𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐗𝐂 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐒𝐄𝐂 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝

In light of recent public discussion regarding the award criteria for the Caribbean Examinations Council’s (CXC) Regional Top Performer designation, the Ministry of Education (MoE) issues this advisory to provide clarity on the rules that govern this prestigious regional accolade.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 (𝐂𝐗𝐂)

The criteria used to determine the overall CSEC Top Student are mandated entirely by the Caribbean Examinations Council. The Ministry of Education – Guyana, as a participating territory, is obligated to adhere strictly to these pre-established, uniform, and very public criteria. The Ministry has no jurisdiction to modify or override these regional rules.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞

The CXC criteria require candidates to achieve the highest possible grade—Grade One—in every subject within a specific mandatory cluster to qualify for the Regional Top Performer Award.

This mandatory cluster is structured and designed to ensure comprehensive excellence across foundational areas. It routinely includes:

• English A (Language)
• Mathematics

• A Foreign Language (Spanish, French, or Portuguese)

• A Science Subject (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Integrated Science)

• A Humanities/Social Science Subject (e.g., Social Studies or Caribbean History)

For consideration of the highest regional awards, the CXC policy dictates that failure to meet the Grade One requirement in any single subject within this mandatory cluster, regardless of the total number of subjects written or the volume of other Grade One passes, results in ineligibility for the award.

These rules are applied uniformly across the entire Caribbean region.

While these strict regional criteria limit the eligibility for the CXC Top Performer Award, the Ministry continues to celebrate all of Guyana’s high-performing students, their teachers, and their parents.

Persons can also visit CXC’s official website for more information: