CXC to discontinue SBAs for most CSEC subjects by 2028 – News Source Guyana
The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has announced a major overhaul of its Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations which will see traditional coursework or school based assessments being scrapped for most subjects by 2028, as the Council moves to curb the impact of artificial intelligence on student assessment.
In a release, CXC said the decision to phase out school-based assessments (SBAs) for non-practical subjects, represents one of the most significant structural shifts in the history of the regional examining body, which was established to oversee secondary education credentials in the Commonwealth Caribbean in 1972.
It noted that the rapid proliferation of sophisticated, accessible artificial intelligence tools has prompted educational authorities worldwide to reconsider how student competencies are measured.
Speaking on the reforms, CXC Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Wayne Wesley said the Council is not seeking to wage a war against technological progress in the classroom.
Instead, the initiative is designed to ensure that the grades awarded to Caribbean students remain authentic, rigorous, and respected on the global stage.
“CXC will always act in the best interest of the region, even when that requires difficult decisions. The SBA has served Caribbean students well for nearly half a century, and we do not reform it lightly. But the integrity of our qualifications is not negotiable. When the system that was designed to assess a student’s work can no longer reliably do so, we have an obligation to act, and to act decisively. That is precisely what this reformed framework represents,” Dr Wesley said in the announcement.
He said the Council remains clear-eyed about modern technological challenges, and is committed to the standards that regional families, educators, and employers trust.
The changes follow an extensive consultation process spanning 21 Caribbean states and territories. The new framework is scheduled to take effect in the 2027 academic year, allowing schools, teachers, and students a transition period to adapt to the new expectations.
Under the new guidelines, the council is drawing a clear line between practical and non-practical subject areas. For subjects that are inherently hands-on and project-based, where physical demonstration is vital to proving competence, the traditional coursework component will be retained.
Agricultural science, visual arts, music, physical education, technical drawing, and food, nutrition and health will continue to require SBAs.
For non-practical academic disciplines, the traditional take-home SBA will be abolished. This change affects core curriculum subjects including mathematics, English, Caribbean history, social studies, principles of business, and information technology.
In place of the traditional coursework, students of non-practical subjects will be required to sit Paper 032 – an alternative written exam for private candidates who cannot complete the standard SBA.
