CXC: CTEC pilot programme oversubscribed

Registrar and CEO of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Dr Wayne Wesley has revealed that the Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC) programme has received much more interest than expected.

Speaking on Wednesday during the first CXC press conference of the year, Wesley said CTEC had been heavily subscribed throughout the region, with CXC initially planning for 3 000 participants for the pilot programme.

“We have received over 6 443 candidates. This is oversubscribed by more than 50 per cent, giving us an indication as to the extent to which this product is really being accepted by the region. It is actually being done in all 13 member states across 48 examination centres,” Wesley said.

CXC introduced CTEC, a modular qualification designed to give students greater flexibility in earning certification. The programme breaks traditional CSEC and CAPE subjects into smaller units, allowing learners to complete modules at their own pace. 

CTEC offers accelerated, general, or extended pathways, ensuring more students achieve some level of certification. While the syllabus remains the same, the focus shifts to competency, addressing the “all-or-nothing” challenge of traditional exams.

Alton McPherson, Senior Manager of Examinations Development and Production at CXC, provided further clarification on the pilot process.

“In May/June 2026, during the administration of the regular exam, CXC will pilot CSEC Mathematics Module One within the Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate programme. There are 13 territories participating,” McPherson said.

“These territories include Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saba, Saint Kitts, and Saint Lucia.”

McPherson outlined the candidate engagement and orientation process.

“The 6 453 candidates will be engaged from January to March. This will include orientation to the Surpass platform, which will be used to administer Paper 1 electronically and Paper 2 via a hybrid approach. They will also complete practice tests through the same platform,” he explained.

Candidates will also be registered using CXC’s new registration system, meaning they were not part of the regular registration period. From March to April, CXC will work with centres to ensure School-Based Assessments (SBAs) are uploaded, timetables downloaded, e-test readiness confirmed, and practice tests completed.

“During July and August, we’ll conduct final assessments and collect personal data. We will also gather qualitative feedback to address any issues that may arise on exam day and to ensure the rollout in June 2027 goes smoothly. The results will be released alongside the regular CSEC results in August,” McPherson said.

The pilot includes 1 334 candidates from Jamaica, spread across nine centres, highlighting the programme’s reach and regional scale. (LG)