Amid calls for action from regional governments and education stakeholders, for the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to address the apprehensions of teachers and students with regard to the sitting of upcoming examinations, the council has outlined several relief measures aimed at allaying concerns.

In a statement released today (April 15), the council said it is cognizant of the many challenges across the region at this time, including the debilitating impact of COVID-19 on all areas of society, coupled with the explosive volcanic activity on La Soufrière in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Events that the council recognises may lead some candidates across the region based on their particular circumstances, to not be ready for assessment during the June/July 2021 examinations cycle.

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Given these circumstances, the CXC says it has reduced the SBA requirements for some subjects by as much as 50 per cent and will share the broad topics to be assessed on Paper 02 for CSEC® and CAPE® subjects with the Ministries of Education for distribution to all candidates on 10 May  2021 (5 weeks before the start of the examinations).

In addition to the above relief measures, the CXC says following extensive consultations with regional ministries of education, it has also implemented the following measures:

• A facility for candidates to defer sitting examinations and submitting School  Based Assessments (SBAs), until the January 2022 (CSEC® ) or the May/June 2022 (CAPE®,  CSEC® and CCSLC®) examinations cycle.

• SBA scores can be transferred for use in the next examination sitting, where the  subject is offered.

• The rules pertaining to the reuse of SBA scores for resit candidates remain unchanged.

• Candidates may also, submit a new SBA or delay their submission of SBAs until the chosen sitting

• For the first time, the CXC will accept SBAs in January 2022 for candidates deferring to sit examinations for subjects offered in that period.

The granting of examination deferrals will be managed by the principal, for in-school candidates, and by the CXC Local Registrar, for private candidates.

Candidates wishing to defer from an examination within the June/July 2021 examination cycle should do so by May 1, 2021. There will be no fee charged for the deferral of examinations.