CXC to replace SBAs with invigilated paper amid AI concerns

A major overhaul of examinations will see traditional coursework scrapped for most subjects by 2028, as the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) moves to curb the impact of artificial intelligence on student assessment.

The decision to phasing out school-based assessments (SBAs) for non-practical subjects, announced from CXC headquarters in Barbados, 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.

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 Wayne Wesley said the council is not seeking to wage a futile 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,” Dr Wesley said in the announcement.

“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.”

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, though the internal moderation of these assessments will be strengthened to prevent academic dishonesty.

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.

This is an existing alternative assessment conducted under strict, invigilated examination conditions. However, to preserve the spirit of independent research, critical thinking, and deep learning, the council has introduced three adjustments to how this paper is administered.

First, candidates will be given their examination topics approximately one month in advance, allowing them time to conduct thorough library research and preparation.

Second, additional time will be allocated for the completion of the assessment to reduce time-pressured anxiety. Finally, students will be permitted to bring their own prepared reference notes into the examination room, shifting the focus away from rote memorisation and towards critical analysis, synthesising data, and application.

In an official video statement, the CXC director of operations, Nicole Manning, explained that this redesign balances the benefits of extended learning with a guarantee of individual authorship. 

She urged the wider Caribbean parents and teachers to support the high standards of the regional qualification:

“A CXC qualification means something. It means something to employers, to universities, to parents, families and guardians, who have invested years of commitment and sacrifice into a child’s education. It is in our collective interest that we hold to this standard, which we have all worked so hard to build.”

Dr Manning also outlined the transition schedule, noting that candidates sitting the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) will transition fully to the new Paper 032 system in the May–June 2027 exam sitting.

For the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), the transition will be more gradual. In 2027, schools can choose whether their CSEC candidates sit the traditional SBA or the new Paper 032. However, by the May–June 2028 sitting, all CSEC candidates across the region must sit Paper 032. Furthermore, existing coursework scores will remain transferable under the established two-year rule, and from 2027, Paper 032 scores will also enjoy this transferability status.

(PR/RR)