CXC to launch region-wide literacy, numeracy tests in bid to tackle falling grades

The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) is to introduce region-wide diagnostic tests for secondary school students from 2026, aiming to reverse a sharp decline in literacy and numeracy rates across the Caribbean, registrar and chief executive Dr Wayne Wesley announced on Monday.

Following a stakeholder conference at the Radisson Aquatica, Dr Wesley told journalists the intervention was a vital step towards equipping Caribbean youth to thrive in a digital era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

“Our concern at CXC is that students must be literate and numerate to fully benefit from the power of AI,” he said. “To interact with AI, you must give it prompts. If you’re not giving the right prompt, you’re not going to get the right response. So your ability to master English and Mathematics is crucial.”

CXC’s intervention comes amid mounting concern over poor student performance in core subjects. In August 2024, the regional exams body revealed that only 36 per cent of students who sat the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Mathematics and English exams obtained acceptable grades. This figure does not include the many students who were not recommended to sit the exams at all.

To address these alarming statistics, Dr Wesley said CXC is finalising literacy and numeracy standards that will serve as the foundation for a new suite of low-stakes diagnostic assessments, targeting students between secondary school years seven and nine.

“These are not high-stakes examinations,” he explained. “It’s about determining where the weaknesses are, and then using AI to analyse those assessments to design personalised learning programmes. One student’s issue might be reading comprehension, another’s might be computation—but once AI identifies the gap, it can tailor a programme to help close it.”

CXC expects to begin rolling out the assessments next year, with the required standards already completed and investment underway in the technology needed to support the system, according to Dr Wesley.

“What we have come to realise is that once you can read, communicate and calculate, you can learn anything else,” he said. “We want to ensure students are comfortable with English and Mathematics well before they begin preparing for their external examinations.”

The diagnostic programme is part of CXC’s broader shift towards more flexible and inclusive assessment systems announced by the regional exam body. Another major innovation under development is the Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC), which aims to modularise learning and provide progressive certification pathways.

“Right now, with CSEC, you either pass or you don’t,” Dr Wesley said. “Under the new system, we’re breaking down subjects like English and Mathematics into three modules. Students who complete all three modules will still receive the full CSEC certification, but the modular approach allows them to master content progressively.”

He emphasised that neither the diagnostic assessments nor the modular certification pathways are profit-making ventures for CXC.

“Our concern is ensuring more students master English and Mathematics. That’s the bottom line,” he said. “We’re not trying to make money off this. We’re trying to complement what happens in the school system and give students a better chance of success.”

 (SZB)