CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

Examinations 2021: CXC® COVID-19 Response Strategy

Introduction

1. The global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented crisis in

all areas including health, travel and education. As a result, a large number of students are unable
to attend school because of wide-scale closures mandated by regional governments in an effort
to contain the spread of the virus.

2. In early 2020, there was massive closure of educational institutions across the Caribbean,
and face to face classes were abandoned in some countries from as early as March. While most
territories moved swiftly to the online modality as a way to continue the teaching learning
process, this delivery modality has posed a number of challenges.

3. The implementation of online teaching as a way to continue the engagement of students

has presented its own set of challenges:

I. connectivity issues in a number of CXC® Participating Territories;

II. lack of access to devices; and,
III. low participation by students. Many of CXC® Participating Territories are reporting
participation rates as low as 20 percent for a number of schools.

4. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disruptions in the teaching learning process
resulting in reduced instructional/contact time as a result of the delayed start to the 2020-2021
academic year. In some instances, schools resumed classes in October 2020 rather than the
traditional September start of the academic year.

5. In light of the foregoing, the Council has reviewed the options regarding registration,
scheduling, administration of examinations and release of results. Additionally, there have been
calls from a number of territories for the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC®®) to give
consideration to the revision of requirements for syllabus coverage as well as the School-Based
Assessment (SBA).

The CXC® Response

6. The CXC® has been very proactive and systematic in the approach to examining the
treatment of the syllabuses and SBA for the 2021 examinations cycle. A small internal team has
been mobilized to conduct a careful analysis of the situation and make relevant

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recommendations. As part of the process, the team has also consulted with external resource
persons for each syllabus to determine the most effective way of treating with the requirements
for each syllabus.

7. In developing the recommendations, the following stakeholders were consulted:

a. Examining Committees for the different subjects;

b. Teachers/Moderators;
c. Curriculum Officers; and,
d. Past members of Examining Committees.

8. Additionally, an examination of what is being done by other examinations boards was

done. Consistent with what is being proposed by the CXC®, other examinations boards are not
adjusting the syllabus coverage, rather, they are proposing modifications to the assessment in
response to the disruptions in teaching and learning as a result of COVID-19.

Syllabus Coverage

9. In relation to the call for a reduction in syllabus coverage, the decision is that there will
be no reduction in syllabus coverage for any of the products offered by the Council.

10. The syllabuses, designed for various levels, are intended to provide a comprehensive
coverage of the requirements for candidates at that level. That is, the CCSLC syllabus represents
a comprehensive coverage of the requirements at the lower secondary level, CSEC represents a
comprehensive coverage of the requirements at the upper secondary level, and CAPE at the post-
secondary level. The knowledge, skills and abilities required at each of the levels distinguish one
level from the other.

11. Any change to the programme of studies at any level offered by the Council, can prove
disadvantageous to our stakeholders and impact the Council’s ability to compare results across
years in terms of equivalence of certification. That is, a CSEC syllabus offered in 2020-2021 must
represent the same scope of coverage as that from previous or subsequent years to maintain
confidence that the candidate has received an equivalent CSEC certificate.

12. The construct has been clearly defined and validated for given subjects and for the
different levels of examinations and certification offered by the Council. Therefore, the CXC®
cannot randomly remove topics from a syllabus without impacting the scope of coverage
required for that syllabus and certification requirements at the different levels. If the scope of a
syllabus changes, the syllabus can no longer be defined as a CCSLC, CSEC or CAPE syllabus.

13. Therefore, the Council cannot take a decision to reduce syllabus coverage without
compromising the value of the certification. The scope and demand must be maintained to
ensure the construct remains the same.

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Treatment of the SBA

14. The SBA is the internal assessment component. It is a set of assessment

tasks/assignments/projects conducted in the school; carried out by the student following
guidelines provided by CXC® and assessed by the teacher using criteria provided by CXC®. The
scores awarded by the teacher are moderated by CXC®. The SBA score contributes to the
candidate's overall examination grade.

15. The SBA is an integral part of the assessment process. It is intended to assist students in
acquiring certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are associated with the subject.
The activities for the SBA are linked to the syllabus and should form part of the learning activities
that will enable the students to achieve the objectives of the syllabus.

16. The SBA serves a number of important functions. The SBA:

a. provides opportunities to gather data on student performance over time.

Obtaining assessments data on student performance over an extended period of
time and developed by those who know the students best – their subject teachers,
consequently it provides a more reliable assessment of each student;

b. serves to motivate students by engaging them in meaningful authentic activities

that are relevant to them;
c. aligns assessment with curriculum and instruction;

d. provides students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate their competences;

e. allows students to be active participants in the learning and assessment processes;

f. gives credence and recognition to the teachers’ informed judgments about

students’ performance;

g. allows teachers to be critical leaders in the assessment process;

h. promotes positive teaching and learning experiences;

i. reinforces curriculum aims for teachers, promote good teaching practices, guides
future planning and captures students’ performance for course duration;

j. supports the development of twenty first century skills among learners such as
collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication;

k. caters to the divergent needs of students; and,

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 l. adds to the validity of the assessment outcome by facilitating a more
comprehensive measurement of learning outcomes and by focusing classroom
instruction on the development of critical skills.

17. In determining what, if any adjustments can be made to the SBA requirements for
individual syllabuses, a detailed look at the nature of the subject, and the skills and competencies
to be developed for each syllabus was done to ensure equivalence in certification across years.
Additionally, a careful examination was done to guarantee that the assessment package
comprehensively covered and required a demonstration of competence in all the relevant skills
that would have been defined in the syllabus as critical for each subject area.

18. In light of the forgoing, three broad recommendations were made:

I. No change to be made to the SBA as, the SBA, as defined in the syllabus, would
not require any major adjustments as a result of COVID-19.
II. Changes to the SBA requirements: Reduction in the number of
practicals/assignments.
III. Changes to the approach to the implementation of the SBA.

No change to SBA requirements

14. Generally, for those syllabuses where candidates are required to complete a research
paper, research project or a portfolio to fulfill the requirements for the SBA, no changes are
recommended. We have noted however, that the research can be conducted via electronic
means.

15. The following CSEC subjects require no change to the SBA:

SUBJECT SBA COMMENT

ADDITIONAL MATHEMATICS Research Project

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE Investigative Project
CARIBBEAN HISTORY Research Project
ECONOMICS Research Project
ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT & EDPM Assignments
PREPARATION MANAGEMENT Portfolio
ENGLISH A Oral Presentation Required
ENGLISH B Portfolio
This may be done online using the
camera so that teacher can mark
the presentation. This was utilized
in 2020 June.

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 SUBJECT SBA COMMENT

HUMAN AND SOCIAL No SBA for 2021 examination cycle

BIOLOGY
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Practical Project
MATHEMATICS Project
MODERN LANGUAGES No changes to locally administered
component
MUSIC Project No changes to the requirements of
the SBA. Amendments to the
way/method in which it is to be
done.
OFFICE ADMINISTRATION Project
PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTS Research Project
PRINCIPLES OF BUSINESS Research Project
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Research Paper
SOCIAL STUDIES Project
TECHNICAL DRAWING No change necessary if CAD is used
Table 1: No change to CSEC SBA

16. The following CAPE subjects require no change to the SBA:

SUBJECT SBA COMMENTS

ACCOUNTING Unit 1: Project

Unit 2: Unit Tests
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE Teachers to design a schedule
to facilitate the practical work
ANIMATION AND GAME Production
DESIGN
APPLIED MATHEMATICS Project
BUILDING & MECHANICAL Design Portfolio
ENGINEERING DRAWING
UNIT 2
CARIBBEAN STUDIES Research Project Students may use available
technology to collect data for
analysis.
COMMUNICATION STUDIES Portfolio Major adjustment needed.
Presentation component may
be done online, recorded and
submitted if needed.
COMPUTER SCIENCE Research Project
DIGITAL MEDIA Production pieces

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 SUBJECT SBA COMMENTS

ECONOMICS Research Project

ENTREPRENEURSHIP Unit 1: Report and oral
presentation
Unit 2: Research Project
FINANCIAL SERVICES Research Project
STUDIES
FOOD & NUTRITION UNIT 1 Research Project
FRENCH A similar policy to that used in
2020 should be put in place to
allow teachers to conduct the
recordings remotely where
face to face interactions are
not possible.
GREEN ENGINEERING Unit 1: Research
Unit 2: Development of
Product
HISTORY Research Project
INFORMATION Research Project
TECHNOLOGY
INTEGRATED MATHEMATICS Research Project
LAW Research Project
LITERATURES IN ENGLISH Written report/commentary
LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY Research Project
CHAIN OPERATIONS
MANAGEMENT OF BUSINESS Research Paper
PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND Coaching Programme
SPORT UNIT 1
PURE MATHEMATICS Module Tests
SOCIOLOGY Research Project
SPANISH Same as French
TOURISM Research Project
Table 2: No change to CAPE SBA

Changes to SBA requirements: Reduction in the number of practicals/assignments

17. For those subjects that require the completion of laboratories and practical assignments,
we are recommending changes to the requirements for the SBA in terms of a reduction in the
number of assignments to be completed and the relaxation of some of the rules for the
completion of these assignments for the 2021 examinations administration cycle.

18. A reduction in the number of practicals/assignments is proposed for the following CSEC
and CAPE subjects:

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 CSEC CAPE
Biology Art and Design
Chemistry Biology
Family and Resource Management Chemistry
Food, Nutrition and Health Building and Mechanical Engineering Drawing Unit 1
Integrated Science Environmental Science
Physics Physics
Textiles, Clothing and Fashion
Table 3: Subjects at CSEC and CAPE with reduction in number of practicals/assignments

Changes to the approach to the implementation of the SBA

19. For the following CSEC subjects, we are recommending some adjustments to be made to
the implementation approach of the SBA:

1. Geography
a. Fieldwork is still required. However, recommend adjustments to type of field
work- from physical to human: use of technology and smaller groups

2. Theatre Arts
a. Critique: Teachers assign a play which they have access to online/saved and
students complete the critique as if they went to the production? The production
would be seen online/in class as if students were attending a live performance and
complete the critique accordingly.
b. Research Paper
i. For the research paper, candidates will have to carry out the interviews
online/by telephone if face to face is not possible.
3. Visual Arts
a. Teachers to create illustration videos for all expressive forms to guide student and
have students record the processes involved in making artefacts.

20. Similarly, at the CAPE level, the following adjustments are being recommended:

I. Geography
a. Students will still be required to conduct Field Work.
b. The following are being suggested to support this activity
i. Use of small groups for field study or students visit the location on their
own with instructions clearly given by the teacher, regarding the
collection of data
ii. Where the regular primary research cannot be done, the use of
secondary research can be undertaken using secondary research tools
such as Google Earth, Google Maps/ virtual field trips to gather data

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 iii. Interviews/surveys can be conducted online/telephone

II. Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology

a. Candidates will still be required to complete the project and write the report. It is
being recommended that candidates use free simulation software in lieu of
practical.

III. Physical Education and Sport Unit 2

a. Students can choose an event that is suited to the electronic environment; for
example, a sports conference, seminar or workshop. The Research and Planning
sections of this SBA remains the same.

Implementation Support Strategies

21. The following strategies are being proposed to support the implementation of the SBA
for the 2021 examinations cycle:

1. The CXC® to conduct training for teachers;

2. The CXC® to provide targeted resources such as demonstrations, simulations and
other relevant resources to teachers and students; and,
3. For ease of reference, the CXC® will create a dedicated webpage on the Council’s
website to outline, in detail, the adjustments being proposed for each syllabus.

Registration, Scheduling, Administration and Release of Results for 2021 Examinations

22. In addition to the SBA considerations, the following is being proposed for the registration,
scheduling, administration and release of 2021 Examinations. Given possible implications for
candidates who may not be able to sit examinations in 2021, the Council has also given
consideration for options for 2022 Examinations.
The details are as follows for the May/June 2021/2022 Examinations:
1. Full Administration in 2021 (Examination administered in its original format)
o Amendment of components of SBAs Coverage
o 100 per cent moderation across all centres and subjects
o Examinations rescheduled to June/July 2021, commencing 14 June 2021
o Release of Results by 27 September 2021

2. Increase in the number of subjects administered January 2022 & June/July 2022
(Examination administered in its original format)
o Rationale for expanded January 2022 sitting is to facilitate candidates who may
not be ready for 2021 Examinations
o Amendment of components of SBAs Coverage

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 o 100 per cent moderation across all centres and subjects
o Commencing 1st week in January

3. Regular Administration January 2022 & May/June 2022(Examination administered in

its original format & Participate in examinations in 2022)
o Assuming all is back to normal

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