Following efforts lobbying for a change in date to the scheduled sitting of the May-June 2022 Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams, Education Minister Fayval Williams has welcomed the Council’s announced three-week delay to the beginning of the sitting.

The Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) exams, initially scheduled to begin on May 2, will now start on May 23—allowing students more time to prepare for the high school exit examinations.

According to Williams, who was a tireless advocator for the date change, following CXC’s announcement of the delay, there was much relief among Jamaica’s students, parents and teachers as it was recognised that more time was needed to complete and submit School-Based Assessment projects as well as to prepare for the exams.

The education minister had previously written to the CXC in January and March, and last week made a special appeal to the chair of CARICOM’S Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) to call an emergency meeting to address the concerns of Jamaican students.

“We could not proceed as normal given the prolonged absence of students from face-to-face classes and the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years. It is only fair that we should give our students a fighting chance to do well,” stated Williams.

CXC announced the amended dates following a meeting of representatives of the Ministries of Education from across the region and its Schools’ Examinations Committee as well as other education stakeholders.

CXC Registrar Dr Wayne Wesley also announced the extension of the date for the submission of School-Based Assessment projects for CSEC and CAPE from June 30 by a further two weeks.

He informed that the Council will further share with the Ministries of Education for communication with candidates the broad topics to be assessed on Paper 2 of the exams.

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