No word yet from CXC on mark re-do

Amid growing impatience at its failure to provide an update on a promised remarking of this year’s exam scripts, the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) said today the “process would be completed shortly”.

The examining body provided no clear timeline, only saying that it would “provide a further update next week via a media briefing”.

CXC had scheduled a briefing last Friday but later postponed the event until today. That too was called off.

In a brief statement, the CXC however assured that it continues to “work assiduously to complete Queries and Requests for Reviews, in order to finalise grades for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination July/August Examinations.

It added: “We understand the psychosocial impact of the extended COVID-19 related circumstances and have heard the concerns of ministry officials, teachers, parents and students.

“These concerns are being addressed with further consideration of the hardships that students and their parents may have been experiencing.

“In addition to the Requests for Reviews which have been submitted, CXC in accordance with the Independent Review Team (IRT) Report has been reviewing borderline cases, in particular single grade changes, as well as the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. This approach will help to expedite the process of reviews.

“We are committed to a thorough and speedy completion of the review process as we understand that the wait has been long for many. It is expected that this process will be completed shortly and we therefore request your continued patience and support as we carefully navigate this challenging period.”

The explanation is unlikely to sit well with anxious students, teachers and parents who have been waiting for more than a month.

This year, after making changes to its exam marking scheme, the CXC faced a backlash over the results and received an unprecedented number of queries and review requests, particularly for CAPE and CSEC.

At issue were “ungraded” results or unsatisfactory grades received by students from at least 20 countries where the exams were written this year.

To remedy the situation, CXC registrar Dr. Wayne Wesley, and its chairman, UWI Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, told the media in October that CXC would be increasing its marking capacity and putting several other measures in place to handle the queries and reviews in a timely manner. (SD/PR)