hhaannddbbooookk ffoorr pprriinncciippaallss · 19. the principal may submit, through the local...
TRANSCRIPT
CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
HHAANNDDBBOOOOKK FFOORR
PPRRIINNCCIIPPAALLSS
Administration of Examinations
March 2011
( i )
TTAABBLLEE OOFF CCOONNTTEENNTTSS
Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1
Role of CXC ................................................................................................................. 1
Recognition of Educational Institutions .................................................................... 1
Communication between the Council and Schools .................................................. 2
CXC Year Planner ........................................................................................................ 2
Registration of Candidates .......................................................................................... 2
Fees ................................................................................................................................ 3
Refund of Fees .............................................................................................................. 3
Timetables ..................................................................................................................... 4
Custody of Question Papers and Other Materials .................................................... 4
Notices to Candidates and Penalties for Misconduct ............................................... 5
Arrival Times for Examinations ................................................................................. 6
Stationery....................................................................................................................... 7
Unauthorised Materials and Equipment .................................................................... 7
Instructions for Orals and Practical Examinations ................................................... 7
Distribution of Question Papers: Visual Arts/Art and Design ................................ 7
School Based Assessment ........................................................................................ 7
Malpractice in SBA ................................................................................................... 9
Special Arrangements for SBA ............................................................................... 9
Late SBA Submission ............................................................................................... 9
Lost Coursework ....................................................................................................... 9
Re-Use of SBA Marks .............................................................................................. 9
(ii)
Calculators ................................................................................................................... 10
Mathematical Tables/Science Booklets ................................................................... 10
Administration of Examinations: Meeting with Supervisors ................................ 10
Identification of Candidates ...................................................................................... 11
Persons Permitted in the Examination Room ......................................................... 11
Provisional Results ..................................................................................................... 11
Conditions for Results ............................................................................................... 12
Investigation of Irregularities .................................................................................... 12
Non-Receipt of Results: Registration-Related Issues ............................................ 12
Enquiries about Results ............................................................................................. 12
CAPE® Associate Degree ........................................................................................... 13
Issue of Certificates/Diplomas/Associate Degrees................................................. 13
Access to ORS by Candidates .................................................................................. 13
Regulations for Candidates with Disabilities/Affected by Adverse
Circumstances .......................................................................................................... 14
Special Assessment Conditions ............................................................................. 14
Identification of Candidates: Special Assessment Conditions .......................... 14
Additional Time ....................................................................................................... 14
Examination Assistant ............................................................................................ 14
Modified Question Papers ...................................................................................... 15
Means of Presenting Responses ............................................................................ 15
Separate Accommodation Arrangements ............................................................. 15
Special and Compassionate Consideration .......................................................... 15
Inspection of Centres and Candidates‟ Work ......................................................... 16
(iii)
School Reports ............................................................................................................ 16
Resource Personnel .................................................................................................... 17
Marking .................................................................................................................... 17
Itemwriting ............................................................................................................... 17
Summary of Revisions in Current Handbook ......................................................... 17
(iv)
APPENDICES
II Syllabuses Offered by CXC
IIII DOs and DON‟Ts – CSEC
IIIIII DOs and DON‟Ts – CAPE
IIVV Reports Available in the ORS
VV CXC Fees
VVII Guidelines for Candidates Writing Examinations Offered by CXC
VVIIII Extract from SBA Manuals for Principals – CSEC
VVIIIIII Extract from SBA Manuals for Principals – CAPE
IIXX SBA Declaration Form – CSEC
XX SBA Declaration Form – CAPE
XXII Application for Special Assessment Arrangements (Form EXA 51)
XXIIII Administering Examinations to Candidates with Special Needs
XXIIIIII Application for Compassionate Consideration – CSEC and CAPE
(Form EXA 52)
HANDBOOK FOR PRINCIPALS
INTRODUCTION
1. This Handbook is intended to guide Principals/Heads of Centres and their staff in identifying the
activities that must be undertaken in accordance with the regulations and procedures established by the
Council. Staff members should be advised that the Handbook is also available on the Council‟s
website (www.cxc.org).
2. The Handbook must be read in conjunction with the current documents titled Regulations for the
Conduct of the Council’s Examinations (Definitions, Regulations and Procedures), hereinafter called
the “Regulations” and the Manual for Supervisors and Invigilators.
ROLE OF CXC
3. The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) was established in 1972. The mission of CXC is
to:
provide the Region with syllabuses of the highest quality; valid and reliable examinations and
certificates of international repute for learners of all ages, abilities and interests; services to
educational institutions in the development of syllabuses, examinations and examinations
administration, in the most cost-effective way.
4. Candidates from 16 territories that are members of Council (normally referred to as
“Participating Territories”) write examinations offered by CXC. The territories are: Anguilla, Antigua
and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, The British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Commonwealth of
Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the
Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands. Candidates from three territories,
Saba, St Maarten and Suriname, that are not members of Council (normally referred to as “External
Territories”) write examinations offered by CXC.
5. Since 1979, CXC has provided examinations and certification at the secondary and post-
secondary levels. The Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC®) examination is offered to
learners who have reached the end of the secondary education cycle. The Caribbean Advanced
Proficiency Examination (CAPE®) is offered to post-secondary learners entering the world of work
and learners who wish to continue their further education at the tertiary level. The Caribbean
Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC®) responds to the changing demands of
education, and is designed to certify the knowledge, generic competencies, attitudes and values that
all secondary school leavers should have attained. Appendix I lists the syllabuses offered by CXC.
RECOGNITION OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
6. The Local Registrar will be guided by Procedure 2.1 (page 26) of the Regulations in recognising
educational institutions for the purpose of processing entries for the Council‟s examinations.
7. The Council reserves the right to refuse, withdraw or impose conditions regarding recognition of
any educational institution upon confirmation of any irregularity in the conduct of the examinations by
the institution.
8. An institution that is no longer recognised by the Council may not apply for reinstatement of
such status before the expiration of two years.
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COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND SCHOOLS
9. Except in special circumstances initiated by the Council, ALL communication between the
Council and schools (examination centres) shall be through the Office of the Local Registrar.
CXC YEAR PLANNER
10. Dates by which entries and other documents must be sent to, or received from, the Council shall
be given in the “CXC Year Planner” (calendar). The CXC Year Planner will be sent to all schools by
15 January of each year. Principals and Heads of Examination Centres must liaise with the
Local Registrar about deadline dates given in the CXC Year Planner since those dates may be
different than the ones set by the Local Registrar for schools in the given territory. For example,
the deadline given in the CXC Year Planner for the submission of CSEC School Based Assessment
(SBA) marks is 30 April, however, the Local Registrar may set a deadline date of 15 April or earlier,
by which schools must submit the marks to his/her Office.
REGISTRATION OF CANDIDATES
11. The Online Registration System (ORS) is the only method that should be used for the
registration of candidates for the Council‟s examinations. By 15 September each year, the Local
Registrar should provide a Username and a Password for the ORS to each school. Schools may view
or download training videos and manuals on the ORS from the Council‟s website (www.cxc.org).
Principals must ensure that all eligible candidates are entered by the deadline dates and that
their personal and subject particulars are accurately keyed in the ORS. Attached at Appendices
II and III are two documents on “DOs and DON‟Ts” that provide guidelines for users when registering
candidates and submitting SBA marks and samples for CSEC and CAPE, respectively.
12. There are numerous reports available in the ORS that users should review to verify the accuracy
of the data keyed into the system. Appendix IV lists the reports available in the ORS but users should
be aware that other reports may be added from time to time to assist in improving the registration
process and to provide users with information for decision-making purposes.
13. When the data for all candidates have been keyed in the ORS, the Principal should ensure, before
the files are forwarded (exported) to the Local Registrar for approval, that each candidate receives a
printout of his/her personal (name, date of birth and gender) and subject details for verification. The
personal and subject details are available in the ORS in a report called “Subjects Registered”.
Principals should also allow candidates to view electronically the Subjects Registered report by
providing them access to the ORS – see paragraphs 77-78. Principals can obtain, at any time, the
current data loaded for candidates by the Council into its operating system by accessing a report in the
ORS called “CXC Final Register”. The CXC Final Register in the ORS has identical data to that
contained in the hard copies of the CXC Preliminary Register and the CXC Final Register. As a
consequence, the Council has discontinued the issuing of hard copies of both documents to schools for
the verification of candidates‟ records. Schools must undertake regular reviews of the CXC Final
Register in the ORS to ensure that the personal and subject details of candidates are correct, and all
updates have been captured and recorded by CXC.
14. The biggest challenge in getting candidates who have written examinations at a previous sitting
properly registered at a later sitting, occurs when candidates present a different name format at the
later sitting. Thus, John Michael Brown at one sitting must NOT be presented as John Brown or John
M Brown at a subsequent sitting. The operating system in use at the Council will only recognise a
candidate from a previous sitting if the candidate‟s personal details are identical in both the earlier and
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later sittings. The person keying the registration data on behalf of candidates should use the search
engine in the ORS to locate and select the previous registration data for all candidates who have
written examinations at a previous sitting.
15. The Local Registrar must provide each school with the deadline dates for the submission of
candidate entries, late entries and amendments. Principals must follow the dates given by the Local
Registrar since the deadline dates published by CXC for the submission of candidate entries and
amendments by the Local Registrar to CXC may be different from those applicable to schools.
16. The Council‟s registration procedures are under review. One proposal being considered is the
issuing of a unique personal identification number (PIN) to each candidate. The PIN would be
required when registering for any of the Council‟s examinations or when accessing other online
services that might be made available to candidates.
FEES
17. The ORS contains a facility that allows users to obtain the fees payable to CXC for candidate
entries, late entries and amendments being submitted. Users should run the “CXC Fees” report in the
ORS to ascertain all fees payable to CXC for a given sitting. The appropriate data for fees must be
keyed in the “Fees Set-up” menu in the ORS by the user in order to produce the CXC Fees report.
18. Any change in the scale of examination fees, which are normally quoted in BDS$ (currency of
Barbados), will be communicated to the Local Registrar nine (9) months prior to the date of
submission of entries to the Council. The Local Registrar will in turn communicate to the schools the
scale of fees. Appendix V sets out the fees payable by candidates. The scale represents fees charged
by CXC and does not include any local or additional fees that may be imposed by the Local Registrar
to meet administrative and other costs.
REFUND OF FEES
19. The Principal may submit, through the Local Registrar, requests for refund of fees on behalf of
candidates following their withdrawal from, or inability to write, the examination(s). Although the
refund of fees is granted solely at the discretion of the Council, the criteria below would normally be
used when considering a refund.
Percentage Refund
Reasons
100 percent In the event of the death of a candidate (a Death Certificate
must be presented). Requests for refund must be submitted
to the Council‟s Headquarters no later than 01 June in
respect of the January CSEC sitting, and no later than 31
October in respect of the May-June CSEC, CAPE and
CCSLC sittings.
Where an examination was disrupted for reason or cause not
attributable to the candidates. Requests for refund must be
received at the Council‟s Headquarters no later than 01
March in respect of the January CSEC sitting, and no later
than 01 August in respect of the May-June CSEC, CAPE
and CCSLC sittings.
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Percentage Refund
Reasons
90 percent Candidates who cancel their registration and the notice of
cancellation is received at the Council‟s Headquarters no
later than 31 October in respect of the January CSEC
sitting, no later than 31 December in respect of the May-
June CSEC and CAPE sittings, and no later than 15
February in respect of the June CCSLC sitting.
Candidates who were successful at the January CSEC sitting
and who had also registered for an identical subject(s) at the
May-June CSEC sitting. Requests for refund in these
circumstances must be received at the Council‟s
Headquarters no later than 15 April. Once the refund has
been approved by CXC, candidates will not be eligible to
write the subject(s) at the May-June CSEC sitting. 50 percent Candidates who did not write examinations on medical
grounds (a medical certificate must be presented). Requests
for refund must be received at the Council‟s Headquarters no
later than 01 March in respect of the January CSEC sitting,
and no later than 01 August in respect of the May-June
CSEC, CAPE and CCSLC sittings.
20. Refunds will not be given to candidates who withdraw from examinations because of clashes in
their timetable or for reasons not given in the above table.
TIMETABLES
21. A supply of master timetables will be sent to schools by the Local Registrar at least three months
before the start of the examinations. Principals are reminded that they should consult the master
timetables (draft or final) on the Council‟s website (www.cxc.org) before registering candidates for
examinations in order to avoid, as far as possible, clashes on the candidates‟ timetable.
22. One month prior to the start of the examinations, all candidates will be sent individual timetables
indicating their candidate numbers, and the dates and times of all papers for which they have been
registered. Principals may allow candidates to view their individual timetables by providing them
access to the ORS – see paragraphs 77-78.
23. No changes may be made to the published timetable except with the expressed permission of the
Council which will be communicated to the Local Registrar.
CUSTODY OF QUESTION PAPERS AND OTHER MATERIALS
24. The Local Registrar may invite Principals to provide secure storage facilities for question papers
and examination materials in advance of the examinations. In such cases, the room in which the
materials will be stored must be secured and preferably, be located on the upper floor of the building.
Any windows in the room should be permanently shut and burglar-proofed. The installation of
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electronic surveillance devices would be an added protection. Within the room, the question papers
and other examination materials MUST be secured ideally in a strong metal safe or in a vault.
25. Upon receipt of the question paper packets, the Principal or his/her nominee must follow the
procedures outlined by the Local Registrar for the handling of question papers. The Local Registrar
must be notified immediately if there are any problems, such as:
(a) discrepancies between the materials received and the contents of the despatch note;
(b) material received which does not appear to meet the examination centre‟s requirements;
(c) material which has been significantly damaged in transit;
(d) any apparent breach of security while the material was in transit;
(e) evidence of tampering with the seal of any envelope containing question papers.
26. CXC may direct the Local Registrar to pack question papers in security bags when the
question papers must be delivered by the Local Registrar‟s office and stored overnight or weekly at
schools. At the local level, the Local Registrar will develop guidelines for the handling of “live”
question papers including the use of security bags and tamper-evident tape. Where schools are being
used as examination centres, Principals should familiarise themselves with the security guidelines
established by the Local Registrar.
27. A report called “Allocation of Question Papers to Centres” is available in the ORS to provide
information on the number of question papers by subject that will be sent to each centre for a given
examination sitting. Principals should review the report so that a shortfall or any other irregularity in
the allocation of question papers to their centre may be identified and brought immediately to the
attention of the Council. The Allocation of Question Papers report is available from 1 December for
the January CSEC sitting, 1 April in the case of the May-June CSEC and CAPE sittings and 1 May
in respect of the CCSLC June sitting.
28. Unused stationery, data booklets or any printed material issued by the Council for the conduct of
the examinations must be returned to the Local Registrar for secure storage at the end of the
examinations. Under no circumstances should these materials be used other than for the Council‟s
examinations.
NOTICES TO CANDIDATES AND PENALTIES FOR MISCONDUCT
29. Important guidelines to candidates with respect to their conduct during the examinations are
printed at the back of the candidates‟ individual timetables. The Examination Supervisor must display
the poster called “Notes for Guidance to Candidates” in a conspicuous location at the entrance to, or
in, the examination room. The poster contains guidelines identical to those printed at the back of the
candidates‟ individual timetables.
30. Principals are advised to hold briefing sessions for candidates immediately prior to the start of
the examination sitting to reinforce the provisions of the Council‟s Regulations which govern the
conduct of candidates. Principals must advise all candidates to read the document “Guidelines to
Candidates Writing Examinations Offered by CXC” which is attached at Appendix VI. The
document can also be found on the Council‟s website (www.cxc.org). Candidates should also be
made aware specifically of the following examples of misconduct and the related penalties:
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OFFENCE PENALTIES
PPoosssseessssiioonn ooff mmoobbiillee tteelleepphhoonneess oorr ootthheerr
eelleeccttrroonniicc ddeevviicceess,, wwhheetthheerr iinn aann ““ooffff”” oorr ““oonn””
ppoossiittiioonn..
Disqualification
(cancellation of results for all subjects).
CCooppyyiinngg ffrroomm,, oorr ccoolllluussiioonn wwiitthh,, aannootthheerr
ccaannddiiddaattee((ss)) iinn tthhee eexxaammiinnaattiioonn rroooomm iinn oonnee
eexxaammiinnaattiioonn ppaappeerr..
Cancellation of the results in the subject. If the
evidence in the script(s) indicates that the
candidate(s) copied from was/were party to the
copying/collusion, the same penalty is imposed.
UUnnrruullyy ccoonndduucctt:: ffaaiilluurree ttoo oobbeeyy iinnssttrruuccttiioonnss
ggiivveenn bbyy tthhee iinnvviiggiillaattiinngg ssttaaffff..
Loss of a grade (mark down of grade),
depending on the gravity of the offence.
UUnnrruullyy ccoonndduucctt:: ccoonndduucctt iinn tthhee eexxaammiinnaattiioonn
rroooomm wwhhiicchh iinntteerrffeerreess wwiitthh tthhee pprrooppeerr
aaddmmiinniissttrraattiioonn ooff tthhee eexxaammiinnaattiioonn..
Cancellation of the results in the subject.
RReemmoovvaall ooff ccoonnffiiddeennttiiaall CCXXCC mmaatteerriiaall ffrroomm
tthhee eexxaammiinnaattiioonn rroooomm..
Cancellation of the results in the subject.
UUnnwwiittttiinnggllyy oobbttaaiinniinngg eexxaammiinnaattiioonn qquueessttiioonn
ppaappeerrss oorr rreellaatteedd mmaatteerriiaall bbeeffoorreehhaanndd..
Cancellation of the results in the subject.
WWiittttiinnggllyy oobbttaaiinniinngg eexxaammiinnaattiioonn qquueessttiioonn
ppaappeerrss oorr rreellaatteedd mmaatteerriiaall bbeeffoorreehhaanndd..
Disqualification and debarment.
CCooppyyiinngg iitteemmss aanndd ttaakkiinngg tthheemm ffrroomm tthhee
eexxaammiinnaattiioonn rroooomm..
Cancellation of the results in the subject.
PPllaaggiiaarriissmm,, ffoorr eexxaammppllee,, iinn SSBBAA aassssiiggnnmmeennttss
aanndd aarrttwwoorrkk..
Cancellation of the results in the subject.
PPeerrssiisstteenntt ccooppyyiinngg ffrroomm,, oorr ccoolllluussiioonn wwiitthh,,
aannootthheerr ccaannddiiddaattee((ss)):: ooccccuurrrriinngg iinn mmoorree tthhaann
oonnee sseessssiioonn..
Disqualification
(cancellation of results for all subjects).
PPeerrssiisstteenntt uunnrruullyy ccoonndduucctt:: ooccccuurrrriinngg iinn mmoorree
tthhaann oonnee sseessssiioonn..
Disqualification
(cancellation of results for all subjects).
TTaakkiinngg tteexxttbbooookkss,, wwoorrkkeedd aannsswweerrss iinncclluuddiinngg
aarrttwwoorrkk aanndd nnootteess rreellaatteedd ttoo tthhee eexxaammiinnaattiioonnss
iinnttoo tthhee eexxaammiinnaattiioonn rroooomm..
Disqualification
(cancellation of results for all subjects).
TTaammppeerriinngg wwiitthh ssccrriippttss aafftteerr tthheeyy hhaavvee bbeeeenn
ssuubbmmiitttteedd ffoorr mmaarrkkiinngg..
Disqualification and debarment.
CCoonnssppiirriinngg ttoo ttaammppeerr wwiitthh ssccrriippttss aafftteerr tthheeyy
hhaavvee bbeeeenn ssuubbmmiitttteedd ffoorr mmaarrkkiinngg..
Disqualification and debarment.
IImmppeerrssoonnaattiioonn.. Disqualification and debarment.
31. The normal period of debarment of a candidate from examinations is two years.
ARRIVAL TIMES FOR EXAMINATIONS
32. Candidates should be advised to arrive for examinations about 30 minutes before their scheduled
start, unless otherwise advised by the Local Registrar. Candidates will NOT be permitted to write an
examination after the elapsed of the first 30 minutes of the examination. Candidates who arrive after
this time will be marked “Absent”.
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STATIONERY
33. Candidates must provide their own pens (black or dark-blue), ink, pencils (3B for multiple choice
examinations), erasers, rulers, and where permitted, calculators, dictionaries and geometry sets. All
other stationery required by candidates to enable them to write the examination will be provided by the
Council through the Local Registrar.
UNAUTHORISED MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
34. Candidates are not permitted to take unauthorised materials and equipment into the
examination room. Unauthorised materials and equipment include:
(i) MOBILE TELEPHONES, iPods, MP3/4 players and other electronic devices,
whether in an “off” or “on” position;
(ii) calculators and dictionaries, unless specifically stated that they are permitted for the
subject paper;
(iii) books, notes, plain paper, paper for rough work, bags, boxes of instruments bearing
data or any other article bearing data, blotting paper, graph paper or tracing paper.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ORALS AND PRACTICAL EXAMINATIONS
35. Where confidential material, such as instructions for practical examinations, are to be opened in
advance of the examination, strict precaution must be taken to safeguard the material after they have
been opened; the material must not be removed from the school and when not in use must be kept
secured under the conditions at paragraph 24 above. The information in these documents must not
reach the candidates, directly or indirectly, before the stipulated times. Subjects for which confidential
materials will be sent out in advance of the examinations include: CAPE® single sciences, CSEC®
Electronic Document Preparation and Management, and orals for Modern Language (CSEC and
CAPE).
DISTRIBUTION OF QUESTION PAPERS: VISUAL
ARTS/ART AND DESIGN
36. Question papers for CSEC® Visual Arts and CAPE® Art and Design (excluding those for Unit 1
Paper 1) are normally issued by the Examination Supervisor to the candidates in advance of the dates
of the examinations in order for candidates to complete their preparatory work. The Visual Arts paper
should be issued two weeks before the start of the examination and the Art and Design papers should
be issued three weeks before the start of those examinations. Principals must ensure that candidates
are present at the times stipulated in the master timetables, usually in mid-April, so that they may
receive the question papers for these subjects.
SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT
37. The acronym “SBA” will be used in this Handbook to refer to School Based Assessment,
whether for CSEC, CAPE or CCSLC examinations. In other literatures, it would be found that IA
referred to Internal Assessment for CAPE and TA referred to Teacher Assessment for CCSLC.
8
38. The Principal‟s obligations to the Council are to ensure that:
(a) each teacher/Head of Department receives the appropriate guidelines and that teachers comply
with the requirements of the examination;
(b) adequate supplies of the coursework material and forms provided by the Council are received
from the Local Registrar. See extracts from the SBA Manuals for Principals - CSEC and CAPE
at Appendices VII and VIII, respectively;
(c) teachers carry out the following tasks:
(i) assist candidates by making suggestions for topics, investigations and models as
required for the various assignments;
(ii) indicate to candidates sources of information and materials relevant to the course of
study;
(iii) give guidance as to length, approach and treatment of a subject matter;
(iv) supervise candidates‟ work continuously in order to discourage undue assistance,
monitor progress, and prevent plagiarism or any other malpractice;
(v) ensure that they are able to supply evidence of continuing supervision of the work and
efforts to ensure the authenticity of candidates‟ work;
(vi) ensure that the work is completed in accordance with the syllabus requirements and can
be assessed in accordance with the specific criteria and procedures that are
documented;
(vii) assess candidates‟ SBA work in accordance with criteria provided by the Council;
(d) ensure that all SBA marks are:
(i) entered into the ORS;
(ii) forwarded to the Local Registrar by the deadline stipulated in the Local Registrar‟s
schedule;
(e) ensure that specified samples of coursework/project pieces and their respective marks are
submitted by the deadlines given by the Local Registrar. Labels for packages containing such
material are available from the Local Registrar;
(f) print, complete and sign the “Declaration Form” for CSEC and CAPE (Appendices IX and X,
respectively) found in the ORS. The Declaration Form attests to the integrity of the school‟s
SBA submissions;
(g) submit the signed "Declaration Form" by the stipulated deadline;
(h) obtain from the Local Registrar, a receipt detailing the materials submitted;
(i) submit, through the ORS, the candidates‟ “Estimated Order of Merit” (estimated grades) by the
stipulated deadline. The submission of the Estimated Order of Merit through the ORS is
also a requirement for subjects that do not have an SBA component such as CSEC® English
A and Mathematics.
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MALPRACTICE IN SBA
39. Candidates will be severely penalised for any sample piece submitted to the Council bearing
evidence of plagiarism or any other form of malpractice. Plagiarism will result in cancellation of the
result in the subject.
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR SBA
40. If a candidate, due to no fault of his/her own, is prevented from completing his/her SBA, the
Council may accept, after careful consideration of the circumstances and at the request of the
Principal, a reduced amount of work without penalty. In all cases, an application to this effect must
reach the Council no later than 30 April.
LATE SBA SUBMISSION
41. If for some unavoidable reason a teacher is unable to meet the deadline date for the submission of
the SBA marks and samples, the Principal must seek, through the Local Registrar, written consent
from the Council for a later submission date.
42. SBA records and samples submitted late and accepted by the Council will normally attract a fee
in accordance with the schedule of fees outlined at Appendix V.
43. Candidates who fail to submit SBA in a subject (where the submission is a requirement) will not
be eligible for the award of a grade in that subject.
LOST COURSEWORK
44. The Council will not penalise candidates for loss of SBA assignments in circumstances such as
fires, natural disasters or theft. Where a substantial amount of unmarked work is lost, an estimated
mark MAY be awarded, provided that a full written report of the circumstances with supporting
documentation is made by the Principal to the Council through the Office of the Local Registrar.
RE-USE OF SBA MARKS
45. For CCSLC subjects, a candidate will be eligible to register as a “Resit” if the candidate attained
a moderated mark which was at least 50 percent of the total SBA marks in any of the previous two
years‟ June sittings. CCSLC® SBA marks may be reused on two occasions after the first sitting.
46. For CSEC subjects with an SBA component, a candidate will be eligible to register as a “Resit”
if the candidate attained a moderated mark which was at least 50 percent of the total SBA marks in the
previous year‟s May-June sitting. CSEC® SBA marks may be reused on one occasion: either at the
January or May-June sitting which immediately follows the first sitting, but not at both sittings.
47. All CAPE candidates may register as “Resit”, regardless of the moderated SBA marks obtained,
for up to two consecutive years immediately following the first sitting. CAPE candidates may transfer
SBA marks in nine subjects from one Unit taken in the first sitting to the other Unit in the same
subject taken at that sitting and/or taken within two years immediately following the first sitting. The
subjects in which the transfer of SBA marks is allowed are Economics, French, Geography, History,
Law, Literatures in English, Management of Business, Sociology and Spanish. The person keying the
10
candidates‟ registration data must ensure that the appropriate “Resit” or “Transfer” option is selected
in the ORS for candidates re-using their SBA marks.
48. Moderated SBA mark is the mark awarded by CXC after a review process was undertaken of
the SBA mark/sample submitted by the school. The moderated mark awarded by CXC may be higher,
lower or the same as the mark awarded by the school.
CALCULATORS
49. Electronic calculators may be used in examinations only when specifically permitted.
Candidates must be informed prior to examinations that the following conditions apply:
they may use silent non-programmable scientific calculators. They may NOT use
pocket-organisers, hand-held computers, lap-top computers, electronic writing pads or
pen-input devices, calculators with typewriter-like keypads known as QWERTY,
calculators with tape, calculators with graphical display, calculators that make noise or
talk, calculators in mobile telephones, or calculators that require an electrical outlet.
50. Calculators must not be capable of retrieving data stored, performing symbolic mathematical
manipulation, integration or differentiation. The calculators must not have the function to
communicate with other devices, whether internally or externally. Instruction manuals and external
storage media (for example, card, tape, disk, smartcard or plug-in modules) are not permitted in the
examination room.
51. Principals should provide guidance to candidates prior to the examination sitting on the
suitability of the candidates‟ calculators for use during examinations. Also, Principals should ensure
that teachers or members of staff with knowledge of calculators are available on the day of the
examination to assist the Examination Supervisor, if required, in determining whether a particular
calculator is suitable for use during an examination.
MATHEMATICAL TABLES/SCIENCE BOOKLETS
52. Mathematical tables for CSEC will be provided by the Local Registrar for use in the examination
room even though it appears that most candidates prefer to use silent non-programmable scientific
calculators over mathematical tables. Candidates are not allowed to take their own mathematical
tables into the examination room.
53. The following are provided for CAPE:
(a) Statistical Tables and List of Formulae for Applied Mathematics and Pure Mathematics;
(b) Data Booklet for Chemistry;
(c) List of Formulae for Electrical and Electronic Technology;
(d) List of Physical Constants for Physics – usually supplied in the question papers.
ADMINISTRATION OF EXAMINATIONS: MEETING WITH SUPERVISORS
54. Supervisors and Invigilators appointed by the Local Registrar are responsible for the conduct of
the Council‟s examinations. The duties and responsibilities are set out in the Manual for Supervisors
and Invigilators. The Council will make available to each Principal a copy of this manual so that they
may familiarise themselves with the arrangements made for the candidates while they are under
examination conditions.
11
55. About a week in advance of each examination sitting, the Supervisor is required to visit the
school in order to determine the suitability of the facility as a centre for examination purposes. On the
request of the Supervisor, the Principal or his/her nominee is required to hold discussion with the
Supervisor about the rooms that will be available for examinations and their suitability in terms of
size, lighting, ventilation, heating and noise level, et cetera. The discussion should also include
providing standby assistance in cases of emergency during an examination and the identification of a
„safe area‟ for candidates to assemble in the event of a disaster such as a bomb threat, fire, volcanic
activity or earthquake. Focus should also be placed on accommodating candidates with special needs.
56. The Principal should ensure that reference materials which might be helpful to candidates are
removed or covered in the rooms to be used for examinations.
57. In cases where the school is required to provide a clock for use during examinations, the Principal
must ensure that the clock is in working condition and is of such size to be visible and legible to all
candidates in the examination room.
58. The Principal must ensure that when the school‟s facility is being used for practical examinations
such as CSEC® Physical Education and Sport, and CAPE
® single sciences, the equipment and
materials made available should be in such condition as to bring out the candidates‟ highest level of
attainment.
IDENTIFICATION OF CANDIDATES
59. The Supervisor must be satisfied as to the identity of each candidate attending every examination
session. The Principal or his/her nominee must be on hand to assist the Supervisor in checking the
identity of candidates.
60. Where candidates from a school are required to write an examination at another examination
centre, the Principal of the school should make arrangements for a representative of the school to visit
the host examination centre in order to assist in the identification of the school‟s candidates. If the
candidates from the school have acceptable identification, it may not be necessary to send a
representative to the host centre.
PERSONS PERMITTED IN THE EXAMINATION ROOM
61. The Principal should ensure that members of the school‟s staff do not enter the examination room
unless requested by the Supervisor to undertake a specific task such as the identification of candidates
or accompany a candidate to the rest room. Principals must obtain in advance special permission from
the Local Registrar to visit the examination room while examinations are in progress.
62. Members of staff must be forbidden from attempting to obtain access to question papers during
the conduct of an examination. Members of staff must be advised that even after the examination has
been administered, access to the Council‟s Multiple Choice question papers is forbidden.
PROVISIONAL RESULTS
63. Preliminary examination results in the form of a Preliminary Results Slip (pre-slip) will be
issued to the Local Registrar‟s office on the date published in the CXC Year Planner. Principals are
responsible for forwarding pre-slips to candidates. Principals may allow candidates to view their pre-
slips by providing them access to the ORS – see paragraphs 77-78.
12
64. Principals may access, through the ORS, the results of candidates from their school in reports
such as “Results – Broadsheets” and “Results – Preslips”. The top performing candidates may also
be obtained in a report called “Results – Merit List”.
CONDITIONS FOR RESULTS
65. Candidates MUST sit all papers and, where applicable, meet the SBA requirements stipulated in
the syllabus in order to receive an award (grade) in the subject/Unit.
66. A candidate who is marked “Present” for a session but for whom no script was received for that
session, will be reported “Ungraded” in the subject/Unit. A candidate who does not submit SBA,
notwithstanding completion of the externally assessed components of the examination, will be
reported “Ungraded – SBA component not received”.
INVESTIGATION OF IRREGULARITIES
67. In cases where candidates‟ results have been withheld pending investigation of an irregularity,
the Principal may be required by the Council or the Local Registrar to assist with the investigation into
the irregularity concerning his/her students. Principals should make every effort to expedite such
investigations and submit their written reports in a timely manner.
68. Letters advising candidates that their results have been cancelled or that they have been
disqualified, are usually forwarded to the Principal to be issued to the candidates concerned.
NON-RECEIPT OF RESULTS: REGISTRATION-RELATED ISSUES
69. On the receipt of the school‟s results, the Principal must compare the results against the names of
all bona fide candidates who wrote the examinations to ensure that all candidates have received their
results. The Council will withhold the release of the results of those candidates whose registration
status was not regularised at the time the results are released for all other candidates. Queries must,
therefore, be raised with the Local Registrar on behalf of all candidates for whom results were not
received or whose results were listed as “Withheld Registration”. Queries must be raised within the
deadline period given by the Local Registrar since queries received outside the deadline will NOT be
processed by the Council.
ENQUIRIES ABOUT RESULTS
70. Principals may submit enquiries about results on behalf of an individual candidate or groups of
candidates. The submissions may take the form of enquiries about candidates issued with “Ungraded”
results, enquiries seeking a clerical check on the accuracy of the marks comprising the grade or
enquiries seeking a review or remark of scripts.
71. All enquiries about results, whether in the form of a query or a review, must be submitted
through the ORS. Principals will not be able to submit enquiries after the deadline date has passed
since the ORS will be closed. Principals should obtain from the Local Registrar the deadline dates for
submitting queries or reviews. Enquiries submitted by email or by any paper-based medium will not
be processed. Requests for the review of scripts will only be processed on receipt of the appropriate
fee – see Appendix V.
13
72. Where it has been found, after remarking the script, that the candidate has not gained additional
marks to place him/her in a higher grade category, the fee will be forfeited. If the candidate receives a
higher grade, the fee will be refunded. Principals should note that the process of awarding of grades
after remarking of scripts is under review. Consideration is being given to awarding a lower grade to a
candidate in cases where the Chief Examiner, after remarking the script, adjudged that the marking
which led to the award of the original grade by the Examiner was too lenient.
CAPE®® ASSOCIATE DEGREE
73. A specific option (for example, Business Studies, Humanities or Science) should be chosen at the
time of registration by a candidate who is pursuing a course of study leading to the award of the
CAPE® Associate Degree. When a candidate is being registered for the seventh (7th
) Unit in the
CAPE programme, the ORS would provide a prompt, and the registering officer (person keying the
candidate‟s registration data) must choose the type of Degree that should be awarded to the candidate.
74. The selection of a specific Degree at the time of registration will ensure that candidates will
receive, at no cost to the candidates or school, the Associate Degree and transcript when they become
qualified. Candidates who do not indicate at registration the type of Degree to be awarded and who
apply after the registration deadline has passed, will be required to pay a fee – see Appendix V.
ISSUE OF CERTIFICATES/DIPLOMAS/ASSOCIATE DEGREES
75. Certificates/Diplomas/Associate Degrees will be issued to Local Registrars on the date published
in the CXC Year Planner. Principals are required to issue certificates/Diplomas/Associate Degrees to
candidates as soon as possible after receipt.
76. Certificates/Diplomas/Associate Degrees not collected by candidates from the school after three
or more years may be returned to the Local Registrar‟s office for disposal. Principals should maintain
a record of all certificates/Diplomas/Associate Degrees that were returned to the Local Registrar‟s
office.
ACCESS TO ORS BY CANDIDATES
77. The ORS provides a facility for candidates to access databases that show the:
(a) “Subjects Registered” report;
(b) candidates‟ individual timetable;
(c) Preliminary Results Slip (pre-slip).
78. In order to log on to the ORS, a candidate must have the current candidate number (to be
provided by the school), last name and date-of-birth. All candidates must be allowed access to the
Subjects Registered database. The ORS gives Principals the option to prevent candidates, if so
desired, from accessing the databases with their timetables and pre-slips details. If this option is not
exercised by Principals, candidates will be able to view the records containing their timetables and
pre-slips. The web address for access to the ORS by the candidates is www.ors.cxc.org/studentportal.
14
REGULATIONS FOR CANDIDATES WITH
DISABILITIES/AFFECTED BY ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES
SPECIAL ASSESSMENT CONDITIONS
79. Principals may seek permission from the Council for candidates with disabilities to sit
examinations under special conditions. Such requests must be submitted on Form EXA 51, Appendix
XI, to reach the Council at the time of registering the candidate or immediately after the disability is
known. However, applications for Braille, modified or parallel question papers for the hearing or
visually impaired candidates must be received by the Council no later than 15 September for the
January CSEC sitting, and 15 October for the May-June CSEC, CAPE and CCSLC sittings.
IDENTIFICATION OF CANDIDATES: SPECIAL ASSESSMENT CONDITIONS
80. Principals may make an application on behalf of a candidate who experiences difficulties in any
of the following areas:
(a) Reading Accuracy: the candidate is likely to experience severe difficulty in reading the
examination material with sufficient accuracy to avoid making mistakes that will affect the
understanding of what he/she reads.
(b) Reading Speed: the candidate‟s speed of reading is so slow that he/she loses the sense of what
has been read.
(c) Spelling:: the candidate‟s very weak spelling ability creates difficulties which significantly slow
his/her work rate.
(d) Handwriting Speed: the candidate‟s writing speed may be so slow that he/she will be unable to
complete the paper without special assistance.
(e) Handwriting Legibility: the candidate may be one who is unable to write legibly even if given
additional time to complete the examination.
ADDITIONAL TIME
81. Additional time may be granted to candidates with disabilities for written and practical
examinations. Normally up to 15 additional minutes in the hour of the examination time may be
granted in accordance with professional advice on the candidate‟s needs. In severe cases, supervised
breaks will be permitted in addition to the grant of extra time.
EXAMINATION ASSISTANT
82. A Reader, Amanuensis (scribe) or both may be granted in appropriate circumstances and where
such examination assistance is given additional time as well as separate accommodation will be
available to the candidate. The Examination Assistant appointed by the Local Registrar in
consultation with the Principal must NNOOTT be the subject teacher, caregiver, relative or a family friend.
15
MODIFIED QUESTION PAPERS
83. Enlarged Print and Braille question papers may be provided for candidates who are severely
visually challenged. The examination questions may also be presented on a compact disc (CD) where
the text is converted into voice or audio through the use of screen reading software. This medium may
be suited to the visually challenged candidate who is not familiar with Braille. A Reader will be
allowed if access to the paper is not possible through other means.
MEANS OF PRESENTING RESPONSES
84. Candidates who are unable to write or experience difficulty in writing, (excluding untidy
writing), may use mechanical or technological aids if this is their usual method of “written”
communication. The use of Word Processors or Braille machines falls into this classification.
SEPARATE ACCOMMODATION ARRANGEMENTS
85. A candidate who requires assistance from a Reader, Amanuensis (scribe) or both should be
accommodated separately from other candidates at the examination centre. Under exceptional
circumstances, such as medical reasons or temporary confinement in an institution, arrangements may
be made, with the expressed approval of the Local Registrar, to have the examination conducted in the
home, hospital, or other such institution. There are guidelines governing the administration of
examinations for candidates with special needs. The guidelines are given at Appendix XII.
86. The Council, in making the decision pursuant to paragraphs 79-85 above, shall consider the
professional advice required on Form EXA 52, Appendix XIII, and shall take cognisance of any
special condition granted to the candidate by the school in preparing him/her for the examinations.
87. If a special arrangement is approved by the Council, the candidate's pre-slip and certificate may
be endorsed with a statement which indicates that special examinations conditions applied.
88. Special provisions granted by the Council are intended to:
(a) remove, as far as possible, effects of the challenge on the candidate‟s performance and enable the
candidate to demonstrate his or her level of attainment;
(b) ensure that the special arrangement does not give the candidate an unfair advantage over other
candidates in the subject;
(c) avoid misleading the person evaluating the certificate about the candidate‟s level of attainment in
the subject.
SPECIAL AND COMPASSIONATE CONSIDERATION
89. Principals may apply for special consideration on behalf of candidates who, due to exceptional
circumstances beyond their control, consider that their performance in any paper or papers has been
seriously impaired. The application must be submitted on Form EXA 52 no later than 31 January in
respect of the January CSEC sitting and 30 June in respect of the May-June CSEC, CAPE and
CCSLC sittings, and should be supported by appropriate medical or documentary evidence to inform
the final decision by the Awarding Committees.
90. The Council will NOT normally grant special consideration in the following situations:
16
(a) a candidate examined under unfavourable physical conditions. It is the responsibility of the
Principal to ensure that proper accommodation facilities are provided to the candidates;
(b) a candidate with a minor indisposition;
(c) where the candidate has already been allowed special arrangements or concessions under the
regulations for a specific disability;
(d) disruption or indisposition during the course of study (for example, staff changes).
91. Principals may apply for the award of an Assessed Grade, if the candidate, through no fault of
his/her own, has not written a minor component of the examination. Assessed Grades may be awarded
in cases of illness, natural disasters or states of emergency. In all cases, supporting documentation
must be provided.
92. In the event of illness at the beginning of the examination sitting, Principals are advised to either
consider the Assessed Grades provision under Regulations 9.1-9.6 (pages 23-24) or to withdraw the
candidate completely from the examinations and enter the candidate for the next examination sitting.
93. Principals must ensure that the application on behalf of a candidate for compassionate
consideration or an Assessed Grade, reaches the Office of the Local Registrar no later than 31
January in the case of January CSEC sitting, and 30 June in the case of May-June CSEC, CAPE
and CCSLC sittings.
INSPECTION OF CENTRES AND CANDIDATES’ WORK
94. As part of the Council‟s security measures, unannounced visits are made by officials of CXC and
the Ministry of Education (Overseas Examinations Commission in the case of Jamaica) to examination
centres at various times of the year. The main focus of the visits is to ascertain whether the Council‟s
Regulations are being enforced. The nature of the visits include the inspection of:
(a) SBA coursework. Inspectors from the Council may request samples of the candidates‟ work or
may ask to see all the coursework for a particular subject, and compare the marks against those
submitted through the ORS to determine the validity of marks and the authenticity of the
candidates‟ work;
(b) procedures being followed in the examination room during the conduct of examinations;
(c) facilities for the storage of secure and semi-secure materials.
95. Principals should be aware that infringements of the Regulations or breaches in security by the
school and officials are subject to penalties, including the disqualification of candidates and the
debarment of the school from operating as an examination centre. Principals must ensure that
coursework not sent to the Council as samples are retained and available for inspection. If a school is
unable to present the SBA when requested by the Council, the candidate(s) concerned will be reported
“Ungraded – paper component not received”. The discovery by CXC Inspectors of false or unearned
SBA marks by candidates will be subject to the appropriate penalties including the cancellation of
results.
SCHOOL REPORTS
96. The Council issues reports on the performance of candidates in each subject area after the
conclusion of the CSEC and CAPE sittings. Principals should ensure that the teachers responsible for
the preparation of candidates for examinations review the reports in order to identify any areas of
weakness and to develop strategies to overcome them. The reports may be found on CXC’s website
(www.cxc.org).
17
RESOURCE PERSONNEL
97. Some of the services provided by the Council require the use of personnel employed in the
teaching service. Where the release of personnel is required, the Council will seek approval from the
Ministry of Education or the Board of Management of the institution. Principals will also be notified
about persons at their schools for whom release has been requested.
MARKING
98. Principals should encourage all members of their teaching staff to participate in CXC’s script
marking activities. Some of the benefits that accrue from being a member of a marking team include:
(a) improved understanding of CXC‟s syllabus requirements;
(b) improved practical experience with the marking process - teachers can better prepare their
students for the examinations;
(c) greater ability to set in-class tests for students;
(d) increased opportunity to discuss pedagogical issues with their local and regional colleagues.
99. In order to join the marking team or obtain additional information, Principals should advise
teachers to visit CXC‟s Examiners Portal at http://www.cxc.org/markers.
ITEM WRITING
100. Teachers are invited to submit Multiple Choice and essay-type items to the Council. Teachers
who are interested in submitting items should email [email protected] indicating their subject area(s) of
interest.
101. Principals should encourage teachers to be a part of this standing arrangement for the submission
of items. Teachers will be paid for all items accepted by the Council. In addition, the research and
preparation necessary to produce good items will help teachers to keep up-to-date with current
knowledge and developments in their disciplines. Teachers also benefit from feedback on the
strengths and weaknesses of the items they submit which in turn helps them to create better tests to use
in their own classrooms.
SUMMARY OF REVISIONS IN CURRENT HANDBOOK
102. A summary of the notable changes in this Handbook is given below.
1. Communication between CXC and schools – para 9.
2. Deadline dates in the CXC Year Planner versus those given by the Local Registrar – para 10.
3. Use of Online Registration System (ORS) to register candidates for examinations – paras 11-
16.
4. “DOs and DON‟Ts when registering candidates and submitting SBA – para 11, Appendices II-
III.
5. List of reports available in the ORS – para 12, Appendix IV.
6. Unique personal identification number (PIN) for candidates – para 16.
7. Fees update – paras 17-18, Appendix IV.
8. Refund of fees – paras 19-20.
9. Avoiding timetable clashes – para 21.
10. Use of security bags and tamper-evident tape – para 26.
11. Allocation of Question Papers to Centres report – para 27.
18
12. Guidelines for Candidates Writing Examinations Offered by CXC – para 30, Appendix VI.
13. Penalties for misconduct – paras 30-31.
14. Arrival times for examinations – para 32.
15. Use of unauthorised materials and equipment by candidates – para 34.
16. Distribution of question papers for CAPE® Art and Design – para 36.
17. SBA – paras 37-48, Appendices VII-X.
18. Submission of Estimated Order of Merit through ORS – para 38.
19. Use of calculators – paras 49-51.
20. Use of mathematical tables and science data booklets – paras 52-53.
21. Administration of examinations: meeting with Supervisors – paras 54-58.
22. Identification of candidates – paras 59-60.
23. Persons permitted in the examination room – paras 61-62.
24. Access by schools to examination results through the ORS – paras 63-64.
25. Non-receipt of results: registration-related issues – para 69.
26. Use of ORS to submit results queries and reviews – para 71.
27. Awarding of grades after remarking of scripts – para 72.
28. CAPE® Associate Degree – paras 73-74.
29. Issue of certificates/Diplomas/Associate Degrees, paras 75-76.
30. Access to ORS by candidates – paras 77-78.
31. Modified question papers – para 83.
32. Administering examinations to candidates with special needs – para 85, Appendix XII.
33. Award of Assessed Grades – paras 91-93.
34. Inspection of centres and candidates‟ work – paras 94-95.
35. School Reports – para 96.
36. Resource persons for marking and item writing – paras 97-101.
31 March 2011
Copyright © Caribbean Examinations Council 2011
CSEC®
, CAPE®, CCSLC
® are registered trademarks of the Caribbean Examinations Council
Appendix I
CAPE SYLLABUSES
SYLLABUSES LAST REVISED
EFFECTIVE YEAR
OF
EXAMINATION
Current Syllabus(es)
Accounting 2001* 2002
Applied Mathematics 2007 2008
Art and Design 2010 2005 and 2012
Biology 2007 2008
Caribbean Studies 2003* 2004
Communication Studies 2010 2011
Chemistry 2006 Unit 1 – 2007
Unit 2 – 2008
Computer Science 2008 2009
Economics 2009 2010
Electrical and Electronic Technology 2005* 2006
Environmental Science 2010 2011
Food and Nutrition 2004* 2005
French 2005* 2006
Geometrical and Mechanical Engineering
Drawing
2005
2006
Geography 2009 2010
History 2004 2005
Information Technology 2008 2009
Law 2009 2010
Literatures in English 2010 2006 and 2012
Management of Business 2003* 2004
Physics 2007 2008
Pure Mathematics 2007 2008
Sociology 2004* 2005
Spanish 2005* 2006
* Under review N.B: The existing syllabuses are valid for examinations until revised ones are issued.
2
CSEC SYLLABUSES
SYLLABUSES
FIRST ISSUED/
LAST REVISED
EFFECTIVE YEAR
OF
EXAMINATION
Current Syllabus(es)
Additional Mathematics (NEW) 2010 2012
Agricultural Science 2006 2008
Biology 2002* 2004
Chemistry 2002* 2004
Caribbean History 2009 2011
Economics 2005 2007
Electronic Document Preparation and
Management
2003* 2005
English 2009 2012
Geography 2005 2007
Home Economics 2002* 2004
Human and Social Biology 2009 2011
Industrial Technology 2000* 2002
Information Technology 2008 2010
Integrated Science 2009 2011
Mathematics 2008 2010
Modern Languages 2005 2007
Music 2009 2011
Office Administration 2004* 2006
Physical Education and Sport 2003* 2005
Physics 2002* 2004
Principles of Business 2006 2008
Principles of Accounts 2006 2008
Religious Education 2010 2007 and 2012
Social Studies 2008 2010
Visual Arts 2009 2011
Theatre Arts 2010 2003 and 2012
Technical Drawing 2000* 2002
* Under review
N.B: The existing syllabuses are valid for examinations until revised ones are issued.
3
CCSLC SYLLABUSES
SYLLABUSES
FIRST ISSUED/
LAST REVISED
EFFECTIVE YEAR
OF
EXAMINATION
Current Syllabus(es)
Mathematics 2010 2007 and 2012
English 2010 2007 and 2012
Integrated Science 2006* 2007
Modern Languages 2006* 2007
Social Studies 2006* 2007
* Under review
17 March 2011
N.B: The existing syllabuses are valid for examinations until revised ones are issued.
Appendix II
2
Appendix III
R E V I S E D
CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
CARIBBEAN ADVANCED PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION (CAPE)
Do register candidates for SBA when submitting new SBA marks
Do register candidates for SBA when they are repeating a Unit and submitting
new SBA marks
Do register candidates for SBA if they do not wish to reuse their previous SBA
marks
Do register candidates as Resit when they are reusing the SBA marks from a
previous sitting or the previous two sittings
Do submit samples and records by stipulated deadline
Do submit the samples identified by the Online Registration System (ORS). NO
SUBSTITUTES WILL BE ACCEPTED
Do submit all supporting documentation with the samples e.g. moderation sheet,
mark schemes, solutions, copy of examination, etcetera
Do label clearly and correctly all Art and Design work, for example, Piece 1,
Piece 2, Piece 3 by Module and Unit
DON’T’S
Do not enter zero (0) for candidates unless that was the mark earned for the SBA
Do not enter zero (0) for candidates if no SBA was submitted
Do not enter “No SBA submitted” for candidates registered as Resit or Transfer
Do not key SBA marks for candidates registered as Resit or Transfer. If you do,
the ORS will generate a request for samples which will render the candidates
“ungraded” - no sample received
DO NOT PACK Examination pieces for Art and Design with the SBA pieces
Do not change the sample identified by the ORS
Do not submit photographs in lieu of actual work. While photographs are
helpful, they DO NOT constitute the actual examination work
Do not submit damp batik and tie-dyed pieces
Please Turn Over
Don’ts
REGISTRATION and SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT (SBA) DOs and DON’Ts
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS
DOs
2
TRANSFER OF SBA MARKS
THERE ARE NINE (9) SUBJECTS FOR WHICH THE SBA COMPONENT IN UNIT
1 AND UNIT 2 MAY BE TRANSFERRED BETWEEN UNITS: ECONOMICS FRENCH GEOGRAPHY HISTORY LAW LITERATURES IN ENGLISH MANAGEMENT OF BUSINESS SOCIOLOGY SPANISH
GUIDELINES FOR REGISTRATION
The scenarios in the table below are ONLY applicable to the 9 CAPE subjects (listed above) in which the SBA is transferrable between Units
Scenario/Case How to Register Example
Candidate registering for Units 1 and 2 at the same sitting for the first time – candidate submitting only one SBA
(1) Register for SBA in
the Unit for which the
SBA is being
submitted
(2) Register as Transfer
in the Unit to which
the SBA is being
transferred
Candidate is registering for Sociology Units 1 and 2 for the first time in 2011. Register candidate as SBA in Unit 1 and as Transfer in
Unit 2 – assuming candidate is submitting the SBA in Unit 1. The reverse would apply if the candidate was submitting the SBA in Unit 2
Candidate registering for both Units at the same sitting but has registered previously for one of the Units and wishes to reuse the previous SBA mark for both Units
(1) Register as Resit in
the Unit which was
written previously
(2) Register as Transfer
in the Unit which will
be written for the
first time
Candidate submitted SBA for Spanish Unit 1 in 2009 or 2010 and wants to use this SBA for Spanish Units 1 and 2 in 2011. Register candidate as Resit in Unit 1 and as Transfer in Unit 2
Candidate registering for one Unit for the first time but has written the other Unit previously – not submitting SBA in the new Unit
(1) Register as Transfer
in the new Unit to be
written
Candidate submitted SBA for Law Unit 2 in 2009 or 2010 and wants to use the SBA mark for Law Unit 1 in 2011. Register as Transfer for Unit 1
Candidate registering for the same Unit which was written previously – candidate re-using SBA mark from the same Unit
(1) Register as Resit Candidate submitted SBA for Economics Unit 2 in 2009 and wants to use this SBA for Economics Unit 2 in 2011. Register candidate as Resit in Unit 2
N.B. If a candidate has not submitted SBA in a particular Unit, the candidate must be registered as Transfer in that Unit,
regardless of the number of times the candidate has written that particular Unit within a two-year period
Appendix IV
REPORTS AVAILABLE IN THE ONLINE REGISTRATION SYSTEM (ORS)
Allocation of Question Papers to Centres
Amendment History Report By School
Amendment History Report By Territory
Candidate Subjects XLS
Candidate Subjects XLS II
Candidate Time Table
Candidates with outstanding fees
Candidates without Fees
Candidates without Sequence Numbers
Candidates without subjects
Centre Forward Status
Centre Forward Status (CXC to Action)
CXC Billing CXC Fees
CXC Final Register Final Register - Late Entries
Final Register by Centre
Final Register by Centre and Subject
Final Register ORS
Late School Entries
Local Fees
Order of Merit
Possible Duplicate Candidates
Results - Broadsheets
Results - Centre Grade Summary
Results - Merit List
Results - Preslips SBA - Candidates who did not submit SBA
SBA - Candidates without Rank or Grades
SBA - Candidates without Scores
SBA Declaration Form
SBA Declaration Form Pg 2
SBA Forward Status
SBA Forward Status - CXC to Action
SBA Forward Status - to be forwarded
SBA Samples
SBA Scores
SBA Scores by Total
SBA- CCSLC Module 1 Samples
SBA- CCSLC Module 2 Samples
SBA- CCSLC Module 4 Samples
SBA- CCSLC Module 5 Samples
School Entries
Subject Entries
Subject Entries (XLS)
Subject Entries by School
Subject Entries by Subject
Subject Registered Territorial Subject Entries
Territory Entries
Territory Entries - By School
Territory Entries - Gender
Territory Entries - Gender 2
Territory Entries - Subject and Gender
Territory Entries - Subject and School Type
To be Forwarded
Appendix V
Scale of Fees
FEES PARTICIPATING TERRITORIES EXTERNAL TERRITORIES Entry:
CSEC BDS$35.00 per candidate BDS$70.00 per candidate
CAPE BDS$35.00 per candidate BDS$70.00 per candidate
CCSLC BDS$0.00 per candidate BDS$0.00 per candidate
Subject:
CSEC BDS$35.00 per subject BDS$70.00 per subject
CAPE BDS$50.00 per Unit BDS$100.00 per Unit
CCSLC BDS$25.00 per subject BDS$50.00 per subject
*Transfer: BDS$27.00 (additional charge
may be made for any cost
incurred in sending additional
question papers to new centre)
BDS$27.00 (additional
charge may be made for any
cost incurred in sending
additional question papers to
new centre)
**Amendment/Late
Entries:
CCSLC BDS$50.00 BDS$50.00
CSEC and CAPE (see Tables1 1 and 2 below)
TABLE 1
Late and Amendment Fees: January CSEC Examinations
Fee Received 1 – 15
November
Received 16 – 30
November
Received After 30
November
Late Entry BDS$45 BDS$75 Late Entries not
accepted
Amendment (subjects
and options)
BDS$45 BDS$75 Amendments not
accepted
Amendment (personal
details)
BDS$45 BDS$45 BDS$50
1 Fees in Tables 1 and 2 are applicable to both Participating and External Territories.
2
TABLE 2
Late and Amendment Fees: May-June CAPE and CSEC Examinations
Fee Received 31 December
– 31 January
Received 1 February
– 15 March
Received After
15 March
Late Entry BDS$45 BDS$75 Late Entries not
accepted
Amendment (subject
and option changes)
BDS$45 BDS$75 Amendments not
accepted
Amendment (personal
details changes)
BDS$45 BDS$45 BDS$50
* A fee equivalent to the Transfer Fee will be charged to each candidate for each subject written
at a centre other than his/her own
** The Amendment Fee is charged each time a request is made on behalf of a candidate and not
per subject/ personal detail. For example, if a request is made to amend two subjects and the name
of a candidate, only one Amendment Fee will be charged. However, if a request is made to amend
one subject/personal detail and a second request is made at a later time period to amend another
subject/personal detail, two Amendment Fees will be charged
Review of Results for CSEC BDS$50.00 for each subject to be
reviewed
Review of Results for CAPE BDS$50.00 for each Unit to be reviewed
Replacement Certificate/Diploma/Associate
Degree
BDS$210.00
Associate Degree (if type of award was not
selected at registration but requested after
candidate qualified for the award)
BDS $150.00
Late submission of SBA
(31 July is the deadline for the receipt of
outstanding SBA)
BD$50 per candidate per subject or
$250 per sample per subject
Late submission of scripts to marking venues
A fee will be charged for having the scripts
marked. The fee will be dependent on the
cost of marking the scripts
Submission of scripts to the incorrect marking
venue
A fee will be charged for the cost involved
in re-routing scripts sent to the incorrect
marking venue. The fee will be dependent
on the cost of transporting the scripts to the
correct venue
3
CERTIFYING STATEMENT (TRANSCRIPT):
A statement of an examination sitting may be obtained by candidates who have
written any of the examinations offered by CXC. The transcript may be processed
in 3 weeks (standard time) or in one day (rush time), depending on the urgency
required by the applicant.
(a) 3-week processing service – BDS$25.00 (per transcript per sitting)
(b) 1-week processing service – an additional BDS$30.00
(c) Next-day processing service – an additional BDS$50.00
Transcripts will usually be sent by regular local or air mail service
An additional BDS$80.00 (per institution) if the applicant requires the transcript to
be sent by courier service
Appendix VI
CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
GUIDELINES FOR CANDIDATES
WRITING EXAMINATIONS OFFERED BY CXC®
CONTENTS PAGE
Purpose
Definitions
2
2
Role of CXC 3
Territories Offering CXC Examinations 3
Copyright 3
Communication between CXC and Candidates 3
Examinations Offerings 3
Preparation for Examinations 4
Components of Examinations 4
Registering for Examinations 5
Fees for Examinations 8
Time of Examinations 8
Candidates who Arrive Late for Examinations 9
Resolving Clashes on Candidates’ Timetables 9
Identification of Candidates 9
Examination Material to be Supplied by the Candidate 10
Material and Equipment not Permitted in Examination Room 10
Use of Calculators 10
Use of Mathematical Instruments 11
Use of Dictionaries 11
Use of Compact Discmans 12
Entering the Examination Room 12
Leaving the Examination Room while Examination is in Progress 12
Conduct During the Examination 12
Conduct At the End of the Examination 13
Misconduct and Penalties 14
Candidates with Disabilities 15
Transfer of Candidates 16
Results 17 Grading and Awarding System 18
Certificates/Diplomas/Associate Degrees 19
Certifying Statements 20
Disposal of Candidates’ Work 20
New Subject Offerings 20
2
Purpose
1. The information provided in this document is intended to provide guidance to
candidates who are preparing to write examinations offered by the Caribbean
Examinations Council. Learners who are planning to register for any of the Council‟s
examinations in the future should also find the document useful.
Definitions
2. For the purposes of this document, the following acronyms/terms have been adopted:
(a) CXC® – Caribbean Examinations Council;
(b) Council – Caribbean Examinations Council;
(c) CCSLC® - Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence;
(d) CSEC®
- Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate;
(e) CAPE®
- Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination;
(f) SBA – School Based Assessment (for CCSLC, CSEC and CAPE);
(g) Participating Territories – territories that are members of Council;
(h) External Territories – territories that are not members of Council;
(i) ORS – Online Registration System;
(j) Regulations - Regulations for the Conduct of the Council‟s Examinations,
Definitions, Regulations and Procedures, Revised September 2008;
(k) Local examinations authority – a Principal, a Head of an Examination
Centre, or the Examinations Section in the Ministry of Education (the
Overseas Examinations Commission in the case of Jamaica);
(l) “Resit” candidate – a candidate who is repeating a subject (Unit in CAPE)
AND is re-using the moderated SBA mark achieved in that subject (Unit)
from a previous sitting. At the time of registration, the candidate must be
registered for the “Resit” option;
(m) Moderated SBA mark - the mark awarded by CXC after a review process
was undertaken of the SBA mark/sample submitted by the school or
examination centre. The moderated mark awarded by CXC may be higher,
lower or the same as the mark awarded by the school (centre);
(n) Alternative Paper – an examination paper offered to a candidate (registered
at a private examination centre) who opts not to submit SBA or reuse his/her
moderated SBA mark achieved at a previous sitting. At the time of
registration, the candidate must be registered for the “Alternative” option. The
Alternative Paper at CSEC is usually referred to as “Paper 3/2” and that at
3
CAPE as “Paper 3/B” (4/B in the case of the CAPE®
Modern Languages).
The Alternative Paper is not offered at CCSLC;
(o) Private examination centre – an examination centre that is not recognised by
the Council as a school or full-time educational institution;
(p) OEC – Overseas Examinations Commission in Jamaica.
Role of CXC
3. The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) was established in 1972. The mission
of CXC is to:
provide the Region with syllabuses of the highest quality; valid and reliable
examinations and certificates of international repute for learners of all ages,
abilities and interests; services to educational institutions in the development
of syllabuses, examinations and examinations administration, in the most cost-
effective way.
Territories Offering CXC Examinations
4. Candidates from the 16 Participating Territories write examinations offered by CXC.
The territories are: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, The British
Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Guyana,
Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines,
Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands.
5. Candidates from three External Territories write examinations offered by CXC. The
territories are: Saba, St Maarten and Suriname.
Copyright
6. CXC holds copyright ownership of all candidates‟ work, written or practical,
produced for examinations.
Communication between CXC and Candidates
7. CXC shall not communicate directly with candidates, their parents/guardians or any
person acting on their behalf regarding matters such as registration, timetables, SBA,
examination results or the issue of certificates. Queries on these matters should be
brought to the attention of the Principal in the case of school candidates or to the
attention of the Head of the Examination Centre in the case of out-of-school
candidates.
Examinations Offerings
8. CXC offers the following examinations:
(a) CCSLC® - designed to certify the knowledge, generic competencies,
attitudes and values that all secondary school leavers should have attained.
Six subjects are offered at the June sitting;
4
(b) CSEC®
– aimed at learners who have reached the end of the secondary
education level (16+ age cohort). 13 subjects are offered at the January sitting
and 35 subjects (including Additional Mathematics) at the May-June sitting;
(c) CAPE®
– aimed at post-secondary learners entering the world of work and
those who wish to continue their further education at the tertiary level (18+
age cohort). 24 subjects (comprising 22 Unit 1s and 22 Unit 2s in all subject
areas except Caribbean Studies and Communication Studies both of which are
single Unit subjects) are offered at the May-June sitting.
Preparation for Examinations
9. Candidates should:
(a) obtain or have access to the relevant syllabus so that they could follow the
programme outlined in the syllabus;
(b) practise responding to questions in CXC’s past essay-type question papers
(usually Paper 02s);
(c) practise responding to questions in CXC’s past Alternative to SBA question
papers (Papers 3/2s or 3/Bs), if they are private candidates and registered for
the Alternative Paper to SBA.
10. Candidates must not:
(a) practise responding to CXC’s past Multiple Choice question papers (usually
Paper 01s);
(b) come into contact with “live” question papers (examinations not yet
administered) either wittingly (intentionally) or unwittingly (unintentionally);
(c) candidates found in possession of past Multiple Choice question papers or
“live” question papers are in breach of the Council‟s Regulations and subject
to the appropriate penalties.
Components of Examinations
11. All CCSLC subjects carry an SBA component and a Multiple Choice component.
12. All CSEC subjects carry a written component. Most of the subjects carry an SBA
component and a Multiple Choice component. A few subjects carry a practical
component external to the SBA. French and Spanish carry an oral component.
13. The CSEC subjects that do not carry an SBA component are: English A, English B,
French, Human and Social Biology, Mathematics, and Spanish.
14. The CSEC subjects that do not carry a Multiple Choice component are: Electronic
Document Preparation and Management (EDPM), English B, Music, Physical
Education and Sport, Theatre Arts and Visual Arts.
5
15. The CSEC subjects that carry a practical component external to the SBA or written
component are: Music (Paper 02) and Physical Education and Sport (Paper 02).
16. The CSEC subjects that carry the Alternative Paper to SBA (for private candidates
only) are: Additional Mathematics, Biology, Caribbean History, Chemistry,
Economics, EDPM, Geography, Integrated Science SA, Office Administration,
Physics, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, and Social Studies.
17. All CAPE subjects carry an SBA component and a written component. Some
subjects carry a Multiple Choice component and a few, a practical component
external to the SBA. Communication Studies, French and Spanish carry an aural/oral
component.
18. The CAPE subjects which carry a Multiple Choice component are: Accounting
Units 1 and 2, Applied Mathematics Units 1 and 2, Biology Units 1 and 2, Chemistry
Units 1 and 2, Computer Science Units 1 and 2, Economics Units 1 and 2,
Environmental Science Units 1 and 2, Food and Nutrition Units 1 and 2, Geography
Units 1 and 2, History Units 1 and 2, Information Technology Units 1 and 2, Law
Units 1 and 2, Management of Business Units 1 and 2, Pure Mathematics Units 1
and 2, Physics Units 1 and 2, and Sociology Units 1 and 2.
19. The CAPE subjects that carry a practical component external to the SBA or written
component are the Paper 3/Bs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
20. The CAPE subjects that do not carry the Alternative Paper to SBA option are: Art
and Design, Computer Studies, Electrical and Electronic Technology, Food and
Nutrition, and Geometrical and Mechanical Engineering Technology. Private
candidates desirous of writing these examinations must complete the SBA
requirements.
Registering for Examinations
21. In order to write examinations offered by CXC, candidates must be registered at one
of the official examination centres. Prospective candidates should contact the
Ministry of Education (OEC) about the names and locations of the examination
centres.
22. Once permitted by the Ministry of Education (OEC) in the territory, school
candidates are allowed to register at more than one examination centre during any
given sitting. Candidates will receive a separate registration number for each centre.
On the award of a grade, candidates will receive a certificate from each centre.
23. Candidates should contact a local examinations authority about the deadline dates for
registering for examinations. The registration deadline dates published by CXC are
normally different from those set by the Ministry of Education in each territory.
Candidates must be guided by the deadline dates given by the Ministry of Education
(OEC).
24. It is recommended that candidates use, at the time of registration, their first name,
middle name (or initial) and last name. The name used at registration time will
appear on the candidate‟s certificate.
6
25. The format of the date of birth used by CXC is day, month, year (dd/mm/yyyy).
26. A candidate‟s registration number consists of 10 digits. Digits 1-6 comprise the
centre or school code; digits 7-9 comprise the candidate‟s sequence number; digit 10
is a check digit which is computer generated.
27. Candidates who have written CXC’s examinations at a previous sitting, must
register with the same name format as that provided at the earlier sitting. If a
candidate registered as John Marc Brown at one sitting, that is the name he
MUST use at all subsequent sittings. The candidate must not register as John M
Brown, John Brown or any other variation in the name at a subsequent sitting.
28. Candidates who have written CXC’s examinations at a previous sitting should
provide the person responsible for the keying of the registration data with the
candidate number given to them at the earlier sitting. If they have more than one
candidate number, then the number from the most recent May-June sitting is
preferred.
29. It is necessary for candidates to provide exact details of their previous registration
data in order for CXC to track their performance over a number of sittings or years.
If the performance of a candidate is not linked from one sitting to another, the
candidate would not be eligible to:
(a) carry forward his/her SBA marks from one sitting to another;
(b) receive, if the examinations were done over more than one sitting, a CCSLC®
certificate, a CSEC® Business Studies certificate, or a CAPE
®
Diploma/Associate Degree.
30. When candidates register for examinations, they should ask the person carrying out
the registration to provide them with a printout of the personal and subject details
keyed into the registration system. The details can be found in a report called
“Subjects Registered” in the ORS. Candidates should review the printout to ensure
that all details have been entered correctly. Any errors should be brought
immediately to the attention of the person responsible for entering the data or the
appropriate authority.
31. Candidates must be registered as “Resit” for the particular subject if they are re-using
moderated SBA marks attained at a previous sitting. When candidates are registered
as “Resit”, they do not have to submit new SBA assignments or marks.
32. For all CCSLC subjects, the moderated SBA mark may be re-used on two separate
occasions immediately following the first sitting, however, a candidate must have
attained at the first sitting a moderated mark which was at least 50 per cent of the total
SBA marks. For example, if a candidate achieved a moderated SBA mark of 50 per
cent or more in Mathematics at the June 2010 sitting, the candidate would be eligible
to register as a “Resit” for that subject at the June 2011 sitting and/or the June 2012
sitting.
33. For CSEC subjects with an SBA component, the moderated SBA mark may be re-
used on one occasion immediately following the first sitting, however, a candidate
7
must have attained at the first sitting a moderated mark which was at least 50 per cent
of the total SBA marks. For example, if a candidate achieved a moderated SBA mark
of 50 per cent or more in Biology at the May-June 2010 sitting, the candidate would
be eligible to register as a “Resit” for that subject at the January 2011 sitting or the
May-June 2011 sitting, but not at both sittings.
34. For all CAPE subjects, the moderated SBA mark achieved, regardless of the level,
may be re-used on two separate occasions immediately following the first sitting. For
example, if a candidate achieved an SBA moderated mark in Physics Unit 1 at the
May-June 2010 sitting, the candidate would be eligible to register as a “Resit” for
Physics Unit I at the May-June 2011 sitting and/or the June 2012 sitting. Paragraphs
36-38 present the exceptions for the number of times the moderated SBA marks may
be re-used.
35. There are nine CAPE subjects in which the SBA mark achieved in Unit 1 or Unit 2
may be transferred between the Units of the same subject. The subjects are
Economics, French, Geography, History, Law, Literatures in English, Management of
Business, Sociology and Spanish. If candidates complete the SBA in one Unit,
they can opt not to complete the SBA in the other Unit.
36. The re-use of the moderated SBA marks in the nine CAPE subjects in which the
marks are transferrable between Units presents several scenarios. For example, a
candidate who registers at the May-June 2011 sitting for Law Units 1 and 2, may opt
to complete the:
(a) SBA for both Units 1 and 2; or
(b) SBA for Unit 1 only and transfer the SBA mark to Unit 2, or vice verse.
37. If the candidate opted for (a) above, he/she may re-use the SBA marks for Unit 1 and
Unit 2 to register as a “Resit” at the May-June 2012 sitting and/or May-June 2013
sitting. The candidate may also choose to transfer the higher SBA mark achieved in
one Unit to the other at the May-June 2012 sitting and/or May-June 2013 sitting.
38. If the candidate opted for (b) above, he/she will be eligible to register as a “Resit” for
Unit 1 and as a “Transfer” for Unit 2 at the May-June 2012 sitting. At the May-June
2013 sitting, the candidate will also be eligible to register as a “Resit” for Unit 1 and
as a “Transfer” for Unit 2. The SBA mark can be re-used up to four separate
occasions immediately following the first sitting.
39. In order to provide guidance to candidates about their eligibility status to register as
“Resit” for CSEC and CCSLC examinations, a note is placed on the preliminary
results slips (pre-slips) issued for the May-June examinations indicating the subjects
in which candidates are not eligible to “Resit” because they did not achieve 50 per
cent or more of the total moderated SBA marks. Candidates who do not receive any
notes on their pre-slips are eligible to register as “Resit” for the subject(s).
40. In order to provide guidance to CAPE candidates about their moderated SBA marks,
a note is placed on the pre-slips issued for the May-June examinations indicating the
Unit(s) in which candidates did not achieve 50 per cent or more of the total
moderated SBA marks.
8
41. To be eligible to write the Alternative Paper to SBA (Paper 3/2 in CSEC or 3/B in
CAPE), the candidate must be registered at a private centre. Candidates registered at
schools or other full-time educational institutions are not eligible to write the
Alternative Paper. When candidates register for the Alternative Paper, they do not
have to submit any SBA assignments/marks. Before registration takes place, non-
school candidates should check a local examinations authority to ascertain whether
they are eligible to write the Alternative Paper.
42. Unlike moderated SBA marks, marks achieved in the Alternative Paper cannot be re-
used at a subsequent sitting.
43. Once candidates have been registered, they can obtain access to the registration data
keyed into the ORS on their behalf by the centre. To access the ORS, candidates
must log onto www.ors.cxc.org/studentportal and provide their candidate number
(obtainable from the school or examination centre), last name and date of birth.
Candidates should review the report “Subjects Registered” to ensure that all details
keyed are accurate. Any errors noticed should be brought immediately to the
attention of the appropriate local examinations authority. Access to the Subjects
Registered report in the student portal should be available from 15 November in the
case of the January CSEC sitting, 21 January for the May-June CSEC and CAPE
sittings, and 1 March for the June CCSLC sitting.
Fees for Examinations
44. A list of fees can be found on CXC‟s website (www.cxc.org).
45. The Ministry of Education (OEC) reserves the right to impose local fees in addition
to the fees published by CXC in order to cover various administrative costs.
46. There are special conditions under which the Council may refund a percentage of the
examination fees paid by a candidate who did not write an examination. Candidates
should consult a local examinations authority to find out those conditions. One
condition for a refund is where a candidate had registered simultaneously at both the
January and May-June CSEC sittings in the same subject(s), and was subsequently
successful at the January sitting. In such a case, 90 percent of the candidate‟s Subject
Fee(s) and/or Registration Fee may be refunded. The request for refund must be
submitted to the appropriate local examinations authority no later than 01 April
following the release of the January results. Once the refund has been approved by
CXC, the candidate will be ineligible to write the subject(s) at the May-June sitting.
Time of Examinations
47. Candidates should read their individual timetables carefully so that they would
present themselves at the correct time on the day of the examination.
48. The individual candidates‟ timetables for the January CSEC sitting are normally
issued in the month of November of the year preceding the examinations, those for
the May-June CSEC and CAPE sittings in the month of April in the year of the
examinations and those for the June CCSLC sitting in the month of May in the year
of the examinations.
9
49. Once the registration data have been loaded by CXC, candidates may, at the
discretion of the Principal or Head of the examination centre, obtain access to their
timetable details through the ORS. To access the ORS, candidates must log onto
www.ors.cxc.org/studentportal and provide their candidate number, last name and
date of birth. Access to the timetable details is available on the dates given for
accessing the Subjects Registered report at paragraph 43.
50. The starting time for examinations in the morning session is 9:00 am and in the
afternoon session is 1:00 pm.
51. Candidates are advised to report for examinations in the morning session between
8:30 am and 8:45 am, and for afternoon examinations between 12:30 pm and 12:45
pm, unless otherwise directed by the relevant local examinations authority.
Candidates who Arrive Late for Examinations
52. Candidates who arrive late (after the start of the examination) may be admitted during
the first 30 minutes of an examination session. Candidates who arrive after the
elapsed of the first 30 minutes of an examination, WILL NOT be admitted to the
examination. The candidates will be marked “Absent”.
53. Candidates who arrive after the start of an examination will not be allowed extra time
to make up for the time lost. The examination must end at the time prescribed on the
timetable.
54. A candidate who presents himself/herself for an examination paper which has already
taken place will not be allowed to write the examination.
Resolving Clashes on Candidates’ Timetables
55. The Ministry of Education (OEC) in each territory has the authority to resolve, in
consultation with CXC, timetable clashes. Where two subjects offered by the Council
clash on a candidate‟s timetable, the candidate should immediately consult the
Principal or Head of the examination centre at which he/she has been registered to
ascertain whether the clash could be resolved. If the clash involves a subject of
another awarding body, no special provision exists in the Council‟s Regulations to
resolve it.
Identification of Candidates
56. The invigilating staff must satisfy themselves as to the identity of EACH candidate.
57. Candidates attending a school or full-time institution must:
(c) present themselves to the examination room in the school‟s uniform;
(d) produce, if requested, the relevant proof of identity such as one issued by a
local examinations authority.
58. Candidates attending a private or part-time institution must produce the relevant
proof of identity such as a passport, national identification card, or a certified
10
photograph issued by a local examinations authority. A candidate may not be
allowed to write an examination if he/she does not have proof of identity.
59. A female candidate wearing facial attire, whether for religious belief or custom, will
be required to reveal her identity to a female member of the invigilating staff. The
candidate may request to be taken to a private area or separate room before the attire
is removed. Once the candidate‟s identity has been established, she will be allowed to
replace the attire before commencing the examination.
60. A candidate must not impersonate another candidate or allow any person to
impersonate him/her in the examination room.
Examination Material to be Supplied by the Candidate
61. Candidates must provide their own pens (black or dark blue), ink, pencils (for
example, 3B pencils to answer Multiple Choice questions), erasers, rulers, and where
permitted for the specific examination: calculators, dictionaries and geometry sets.
62. Candidates should liaise with their Art teachers about the materials that can be
brought into the examination room for the CSEC® Visual Arts, and CAPE
® Art and
Design examinations.
63. Unless specifically requested, ALL other materials, except those at 61 and 62 above,
will be supplied to candidates by the invigilating staff.
Material and Equipment NOT Permitted in the Examination Room
64. MOBILE TELEPHONES, iPods, MP3/4 players and other electronic devices,
whether in the “off” or “on” position.
65. Calculators and dictionaries, unless specifically stated that they are permitted for the
subject paper.
66. Books, notes, plain paper, bags, boxes of instruments bearing data or any other article
bearing data, blotting paper, graph paper or tracing paper.
67. Paper for rough work. Rough work should be written on the answer booklets or
single sheets provided by the invigilating staff. Rough work for Multiple Choice
examinations should be written in the question booklet.
68. Unauthorised material and equipment brought into the examination room, whether
the candidate intended to use it or not, is an offence and subject to the appropriate
penalties.
Use of Calculators
69. Once permitted for the specific subject paper, candidates must use only silent non-
programmable scientific calculators.
70. Calculators must not be capable of retrieving data stored, performing symbolic
mathematical manipulation, integration or differentiation. The calculators must not
11
have the function to communicate with other devices, whether internally or externally.
Instruction manuals and external storage media (for example, card, tape, disk,
smartcard or plug-in modules) are not permitted in the examination room.
71. Calculators should be battery or solar operated. Calculators requiring the use of an
electric supply will not be permitted.
72. Candidates may not use pocket organisers, hand-held computers, lap-top computers,
electronic writing-pads or pen-input devices, calculators with typewriter-like keypads
known as QWERTY, calculators with tape, calculators with graphical display,
calculators that make noise or talk, or calculators in mobile telephones.
73. Candidates will not be permitted to borrow calculators from one another.
74. The use of calculators is permitted in the following CCSLC subjects: Integrated
Science and Mathematics.
75. The use of calculators is permitted in the following CSEC subjects: Building
Technology – Construction, Building Technology – Woods, Chemistry, Economics,
Electrical and Electronic Technology, Geography, Integrated Science SA,
Mathematics Paper 02 only, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Office
Administration Papers 02 and 3/2, Physics, Principles of Accounts, Principles of
Business Paper 3/2 only, and Technical Drawing Papers 02 and 03.
76. The use of calculators is permitted in the following CAPE subjects: Accounting
Units 1 and 2, Applied Mathematics Units 1 and 2, Biology Units 1 and 2, Chemistry
Units 1 and 2, Economics Units 1 and 2, Electrical and Electronic Technology Units 1
and 2, Environmental Science Units 1 and 2, Geography Units 1 and 2, Geometrical
and Mechanical Engineering Drawing Units 1 and 2, Management of Business
Units 1 and 2, Pure Mathematics Units 1 and 2, Physics Units 1 and 2, and Sociology
Units 1 and 2 Paper 01 only.
77. Prior to the start of the examination sitting, candidates should consult their
Mathematics teacher or the Principal/Head of Examination Centre to find out
whether the calculators they plan to use are permissible in the examination
room.
Use of Mathematical Instruments
78. The use of mathematical instruments (geometry sets) is permitted in the examinations
for CSEC® Biology (Paper 02 only), Geography, Mathematics and Technical
Drawing. They are also permitted for CAPE® Applied Mathematics, Environmental
Science, Geometrical and Mechanical Engineering Drawing, Geography and Pure
Mathematics.
Use of Dictionaries
79. The use of dictionaries is permitted in the CAPE® French and Spanish Paper 03.
Candidates are also allowed to use one text related to each theme to assist them in
answering Section B. Texts that are heavily annotated are not permitted in the
12
examination room, therefore, candidates should seek the assistance of teachers in
determining the suitability of their texts for use during the examination.
Use of Compact Discmans
80. The use of Compact Discmans with earphones is permitted in the CAPE®
French and
Spanish Units 1 and 2 Paper 01. Each candidate will be provided with a compact disc
(CD) containing the examination material for his/her individual listening.
Entering the Examination Room
81. Candidates must:
(a) enter the examination room when advised to do so by the invigilating staff;
(b) follow all instructions given by persons invigilating the examination;
(c) stop communicating with one another once they enter the examination room.
The examination is regarded as in progress once candidates enter the room;
(d) sit at the designated seat provided for them.
Leaving the Examination Room while Examination is in Progress
82. A candidate is not allowed to leave the examination room during the first 30 minutes
of an examination session unless there are exceptional circumstances. Where a
candidate is allowed to leave the examination room temporarily because of a pressing
necessity, he/she must be accompanied by a member of the invigilating staff or an
attendant.
83. A candidate may be allowed to discontinue work and leave the examination room at
any time after the first 30 minutes of an examination session provided that he/she
surrenders the question paper and answer booklet. There will be no re-admittance to
the examination room of the candidate.
Conduct During the Examination
84. Candidates must:
(a) read and follow the instructions on the question paper and those given by the
invigilating staff;
(b) write on the front cover of the answer booklets for essay-type question
papers, their name, date of birth, gender, candidate number, school code, year
of examination, test code and Proficiency/Unit. Only the school code and
candidate number should be written on supplementary sheets (single sheets,
graph paper, et cetera);
(c) sign the answer sheet provided for Multiple Choice examinations;
13
(d) write their names in CAPITAL letters in the designated area on the cover
page of the Multiple Choice question booklet;
(e) start each answer to a question on a new page. Parts of a question, for
example, 2(a), 2(b), 2(c), may be written on the same page. If a
supplementary sheet is used to complete the answer, it must be fastened with
string next to the answer in the answer booklet;
(f) indicate to the invigilating staff by raising their hand if the question paper or
answer booklet is defective or if they need supplementary answer
booklets/single sheets;
(g) indicate to the invigilating staff by raising their hand if they are ill or need to
go to the washroom.
85. Candidates must not:
(a) engage in dishonest conduct such as cheating or copying the work of other
candidates;
(b) use any unauthorised means or method to gain an advantageous position over
other candidates;
(c) leave the examination room without the authorisation of the invigilating staff;
(d) give assistance to, or seek assistance from, any candidate in the examination
room;
(e) lend to, or borrow from, any candidate examination materials or equipment;
(f) talk to or disturb any candidate while the examination is in progress.
Conduct at the End of the Examination
86. Candidates must:
(a) number the questions attempted at the front cover of the answer booklet;
(b) ensure that all questions attempted are numbered in the answer booklet;
(c) ensure that all relevant details are completed on the answer booklet/answer
sheet;
(d) tie any loose sheets/rough work to the answer booklet;
(e) complete the Candidate‟s Receipt (normally found at the back of the answer
booklets) and ensure that it is signed and returned to them (the candidates) by
a member of the invigilating staff on the handover of the answer booklet or
answer sheet;
14
(f) store the Candidate‟s Receipt in a safe place until the results for each subject
have been received and any issues relating to queries or reviews resolved;
(g) place the Multiple Choice answer sheet at the front (on the top) of the Multiple
Choice question booklet. This procedure was introduced at the January 2011
CSEC sitting.
87. Candidates must not:
(a) insert the answer sheet into the Multiple Choice question booklet. The
procedure requiring the insertion of the completed answer sheet into the
Multiple Choice question booklet was discontinued after the administration of
the 2010 examinations;
(b) remove from the examination room any Multiple Choice question booklets;
(c) remove from the examination room any examination materials including
mathematical tables, used or unused answer booklets, single sheets, graph
paper, tracing paper, et cetera;
(d) leave the examination room unless instructed by the invigilating staff to do so.
Misconduct
88. Candidates must not:
(a) bring any unauthorised material or devices into the examination room;
(b) communicate in any way with other candidates when in the examination room;
(c) indulge in any other form of unfair or dishonest practice.
89. Candidates who disobey the Regulations of the Council or otherwise misconduct
themselves will be subject to the appropriate penalties.
Penalties for Misconduct
90. A candidate guilty of any misconduct, or unfair or dishonest practice, may have
his/her examination papers cancelled, be disqualified and be barred from entry to
future examinations offered by the Council. The normal period of debarment of a
candidate from examinations is two years.
91. A candidate may appeal any decision of the Final Awards Committee in respect of a
disciplinary matter, by giving notice in writing within 14 days of being notified of the
decision. The notification should be made through the relevant local examinations
authority.
15
92. The penalties for offences committed are given in the table below.
OFFENCE PENALTY
Possession of mobile telephones or other
electronic devices, whether in an “off” or
“on” position.
Disqualification (cancellation of results for
all subjects).
Copying from, or collusion with, another
candidate(s) in the examination room in one
examination paper.
Cancellation of the results in the subject. If
the evidence in the script(s) indicates that the
candidate(s) copied from was/were party to
the copying/collusion, the same penalty is
imposed.
Unruly conduct: failure to obey instructions
given by the invigilating staff.
Loss of a grade (mark down of grade),
depending on the gravity of the offence.
Unruly conduct: conduct in the examination
room which interferes with the proper
administration of the examination.
Cancellation of the results in the subject.
Removal of CXC confidential material from
the examination room.
Cancellation of the results in the subject.
Unwittingly obtaining examination question
papers or related material beforehand.
Cancellation of the results in the subject.
Wittingly obtaining examination question
papers or related material beforehand.
Disqualification and debarment.
Copying items and taking them from the
examination room.
Cancellation of the results in the subject.
Plagiarism, for example, in SBA assignments
and artwork.
Cancellation of the results in the subject.
Persistent copying from, or collusion with,
another candidate(s): occurring in more than
one examination session.
Disqualification (cancellation of results for
all subjects).
Persistent unruly conduct: occurring in more
than one examination session.
Disqualification (cancellation of results for
all subjects).
Taking textbooks, worked answers including
artwork and notes related to the examination
into the examination room.
Disqualification - cancellation of results for
all subjects.
Tampering with scripts after they have been
submitted for marking.
Disqualification and debarment.
Conspiring to tamper with scripts after they
have been submitted for marking.
Disqualification and debarment.
Impersonation. Disqualification and debarment.
Candidates with Disabilities
93. Candidates with physical, psychological, or other disabilities may be given on request,
sympathetic consideration with regard to having special arrangements made to allow
them to write the examinations. Such request, if not made at the time of the
candidates‟ entry, should be made as soon as it is believed that the candidates‟
disability may require special accommodation arrangements.
94. Candidates may be given special consideration if they fall into any of the categories
below.
16
(a) Reading Accuracy: they are likely to experience severe difficulty in reading
the examination material with sufficient accuracy to avoid making mistakes
that will affect the understanding of what they read.
(b) Reading Speed: their speed of reading is so slow that they lose the sense of
what has been read.
(c) Spelling: their very weak spelling ability creates difficulties which
significantly slow their work rate.
(d) Handwriting Speed: their writing speed may be so slow, that they will be
unable to complete the paper without special assistance.
(e) Handwriting Legibility: they may be unable to write legibly even if given
additional time to complete the examination.
(f) Sight Problems: they may be blind or visually impaired.
(g) Illness: they may be recovering from illness as a result of injuries, surgery, et
cetera.
(h) Psychological disorders: they may be suffering from psychological disorders
such as dyslexia and attention deficit disorders.
95. Some of the services made available to candidates with special needs include use of:
an Amanuensis, a Reader, an Interpreter for the hearing impaired, a Practical
Assistant, and specialised equipment (Word Processor, Braille machine, et cetera) and
software (screen reader).
96. Modified question papers in the form of Braille, Enlarged Print and CDs (where text
is converted to audio – suited to the visually impaired candidates not familiar with
Braille) are also provided to candidates with special needs.
97. Candidates may be given special consideration due to exceptional circumstances
beyond their control, if they have been prevented from sitting a paper(s) for a subject,
or if they consider that their performance in any paper(s) has been seriously impaired.
98. On the day of the examination, a candidate whose examination work is affected by
adverse circumstances should inform the invigilating staff at the centre before, during
or soon as possible after the examination. In appropriate cases, the candidate may be
required to provide a medical certificate to the invigilating staff or to the relevant
local examinations authority.
Transfer of Candidates
99. Candidates are not allowed, except in very special cases, to change the examination
centre where their registration took placed.
100. Candidates registered at one centre may apply to write their examinations at another
centre, either in the same or in another territory. Candidates should seek guidance
from the relevant local examinations authority on the correct procedure to follow
17
when requesting a transfer. The deadline dates by which the request for a transfer
must be made should also be obtained from a local examinations authority.
101. Within the same territory: candidates may seek a transfer from one centre to another
within the same territory. Approval of the transfer is at the discretion of Ministry of
Education (OEC).
102. From one territory to another: candidates who are relocating to another territory,
whether on a permanent or temporary basis, may seek a transfer to, or permission to
write examinations in, the territory. Approval of the transfer is at the discretion of the
Ministry of Education (OEO) in the territory where the candidates will be relocating.
103. A Transfer Fee must be paid to complete the transfer. The Transfer Fee should be
paid, preferably, in the territory where the original registration took place. If the
transfer necessitates the delivery of separate question papers to the centre of transfer,
the candidate may be required to meet the delivery charges.
Issue of Provisional Results
104. Preliminary examinations results in the form of a Preliminary Results Slip (pre-slip)
will be issued to the Ministry of Education (OEC) on the date published in the CXC
Year Planner (calendar).
105. On receipt of the pre-slips, candidates should review them carefully to ensure that
they have received results in ALL the subjects written.
106. An enquiry should be made immediately to the relevant local examinations authority
about results not received or where a grade has not been issued.
107. Candidates may, at the discretion of the Principal/Head of the examination centre,
obtain access to their examination results through the ORS. To access the results,
candidates must log onto www.ors.cxc.org/studentportal and provide their candidate
number, last name and date of birth. The results will be placed on the student portal
on the published date for the official release of the results.
Eligibility for Results
108. Candidates MUST sit all papers and, where applicable, meet the SBA requirements
stipulated in the syllabus in order to receive an award in the subject/Unit.
109. A candidate who is marked “Present” for a session but for whom no script was
received for that session will be reported “Ungraded” in the subject.
110. A candidate who does not submit SBA, notwithstanding completion of the externally-
assessed components of the examination, will be reported “Ungraded – SBA
component not received”.
111. There are special conditions under which the Council may award an “Assessed
Grade” to a candidate who did not write all the components of an examination.
Candidates should consult a local examinations authority to find out those conditions.
18
Query on Results
112. A candidate who receives a note on his/her pre-slip marked “Withheld FAC” or
“Cancelled” should immediately seek clarification from a local examinations
authority on the reason for the results being withheld or cancelled.
113. A candidate who receives a note on his/her pre-slip marked “Withheld Registration”
should immediately seek clarification from a local examinations authority on the
reason for the results being withheld.
114. Candidates who do not receive results in a subject/Unit must bring the issue
immediately to the attention of the relevant local examinations authority.
115. Candidates are usually given a limited time period to raise queries concerning their
results. They should consult the relevant local examinations authority about the
deadline for the submission of queries. Queries received outside of the deadline
period WILL NOT be processed.
116. Candidates who receive results but are of the opinion that they should have received a
higher Grade in the subject/Unit, may request, through the relevant local examinations
authority, a review of their script(s). The fees for script reviews are given on CXC‟s
website (www.cxc.org).
117. Candidates are usually given a limited time period to raise requests for a review
of their scripts. They should consult the relevant local examinations authority about
the deadline for the submission of requests for reviews. Requests for reviews
received outside of the deadline period WILL NOT be processed.
Grading and Awarding System
118. The awards normally made by CXC to candidates are given below.
(a) CSEC Subjects – candidates‟ performance in each subject will be classified as
falling into Grades I-VI with Grade I being the highest level of attainment.
(b) CSEC Profiles – candidates‟ grades will be classified in terms of performance
on the profile dimensions associated with the subject. Profiles range from A
to F, with A being the highest level of attainment.
(c) CSEC®
Business Certificate – awarded for successful completion within a
five-year period in a cluster of Business Studies subjects, in addition to
English A and Mathematics which are compulsory subjects. Candidates must
achieve Grades I-III in at least five subjects.
(d) CAPE Units - candidates‟ performance in each Unit will be classified as
falling into Grades I-VII with Grade I being the highest level of attainment.
(e) CAPE Modules – candidates‟ grades will be classified in terms of
performance on the Modules associated with the subject. Module grades
range from A to G with Profile A being the highest level of attainment.
19
(f) CAPE®
Diploma – awarded for successful completion of six Units including
Caribbean Studies within a five-year period.
(g) CAPE®
Associate Degree – awarded for successful completion of seven Units
including Caribbean Studies and Communication Studies within a five-year
period.
(h) CCSLC® Certificate – awarded for successful completion within a five-year
period of five CCSLC subjects with English and Mathematics being
compulsory. The CCSLC® Certificate may also be awarded if the candidate
obtains a combination of CCSLC®
subjects including English and
Mathematics, and :
i. subjects (Grades I-IV) chosen from CSEC® Technical and
Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Business Studies
programmes or CSEC® Creative and Expressive Arts programme;
ii. subjects in the TVET and other programmes certified by other
awarding bodies;
iii. subjects in the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) Level 1
programme available in the Region;
iv. subjects in any locally certified enrichment programme which
satisfies the criteria set by CXC.
119. A certificate will be awarded after a candidate achieves a minimum grade of
“Competent”. The grading categories are: Master, Competent, and Developing
Competence with Master being the highest level of attainment.
120. CXC also offers Regional Awards to candidates for outstanding performance in the
May-June CAPE and CSEC examinations.
Issue of Certificates/Diplomas/Associate Degrees
121. Certificates/Diplomas/Associate Degrees will be issued to the Ministry of Education
(OEC) on the published date in the CXC Year Planner.
122. Certificates/Diplomas/Associate Degrees not collected by candidates from the school
after three years may be returned to the appropriate local examinations authority for
disposal. Where a certificate/Diploma/Associate Degree has been destroyed by the
local examinations authority, a candidate desirous of obtaining a replacement will be
required to follow the procedure outlined at paragraphs 123-125 below.
Replacement Certificates/Diplomas/Associate Degrees
123. Candidates may request replacement of certificates/Diplomas/Associate Degrees that
were lost, misplaced, destroyed or stolen.
20
124. The procedure for making an application for a Replacement
Certificate/Diploma/Associate Degree as well as the application form is given on
CXC‟s website (www.cxc.org).
125. Fees for a Replacement Certificate/Diploma/Associate Degree can be found on
CXC‟s website (www.cxc.org).
Certifying Statements
126. Candidates may request that a Certifying Statement (transcript) be sent to an
educational institution, prospective employer or any other institution. The certifying
statement is a confirmation of the performance of a candidate at a particular sitting.
Candidates do not receive copies of the Certifying Statement directly although they
receive notification when the statements have been sent to the institution(s).
127. The procedure for applying for a Certifying Statement as well as the application form
is given on CXC‟s website (www.cxc.org).
128. Fees for a Certifying Statement can be found on CXC‟s website (www.cxc.org).
Disposal of Candidates’ Work
129. CXC may return examination work (other than a written paper) to a candidate. The
request should be made through the school (examination centre) or the Examinations
Section of the Ministry of Education (OEC).
130. SBA samples in any of the subjects, if submitted to CXC, may be returned to
candidates on request.
131. Production pieces submitted for examination purposes in CSEC® Visual Arts, and
CAPE® Art and Design may be returned to candidates on request. Production pieces
selected by CXC as exemplars will not be returned.
132. All unclaimed, returnable examination work will be disposed of by 31 October in the
year of the examination.
133. A fee covering the cost of postage/courier service will be charged for all work
returned. The fee must be paid before the work is returned.
134. CXC normally disposes of examination scripts three months after the issue of results.
New Subject Offerings
135. CSEC® English B, General Proficiency, was offered for the first time at the January
2011 CSEC sitting.
136. CSEC® Additional Mathematics, General Proficiency, will be offered for the first
time at the May-June 2012 CSEC sitting.
26 April 2011
Copyright © Caribbean Examinations Council 2011
CSEC®, CAPE
®, CCSLC
® are registered trademarks of the Caribbean Examinations Council
Appendix VII
UNDER REVIEW
CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
EXTRACT FROM
SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT MANUAL
FOR PRINCIPALS
CARIBBEAN SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE (CSEC®)
2011
iii
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ASSESSMENT MODEL
1. CXC uses the assessment model shown below.
Multiple Essay Other Project Practical Other Choice
2. External assessment is under the direct control of CXC and is usually conducted
using a set of multiple choice items and a set of essay or short response questions.
However, some subjects, for example, Electronic Document Preparation and
Management, and Visual Arts, have different types of external assessment modes.
3. Internal assessment is usually described as School Based Assessment (SBA). Its main
activity includes teachers‟ assessment of specified assignments set according to
guidelines provided by CXC. Although the format of assignments may differ for
some subjects, there are a number of common requirements; these include:
(a) candidates must undertake specified assignments over a given period of time,
fulfilling specific skills as outlined by the syllabus;
(b) class teachers must assess the work and submit the marks to CXC;
(c) CXC moderates the marks awarded by the teachers;
(d) candidates‟ final grades include the marks awarded as a result of the moderation
process.
Assessment of Candidate
Performance
Internal Assessment (SBA)
External Assessment
2
4. CXC ensures adherence to a common standard and consistency by:
(a) the use of moderation procedures;
(b) providing assistance to territories in mounting orientation workshops for teachers
in setting assignments, guiding students and assessing assignments;
(c) providing feedback reports for teachers on the moderation results.
MODERATION
5. CXC moderates the SBA in order to ensure that the assessment of the work of
different schools carried out by different teachers using different tasks (sometimes) is
aligned to the standard of assessment defined by CXC.
Moderation Techniques
6. There are three major strategies used to ensure that the assessment work of teachers is
aligned to the standard defined by CXC; the strategies are visiting moderation,
moderation by remarking and oral examination.
Visiting Moderation
7. Moderators or assessors trained by CXC visit the schools or centres and mark tasks
on-site. The assessment may involve observing process skills and/or evaluating the
product. In some instances, all the tasks are assessed; in other instances, only samples
of tasks are assessed.
Moderation by Remarking
8. Trained examiners remark samples of assignments, practical work or projects during
the Marking Exercise. These samples are carefully chosen so as to analyse the quality
of the marking and the consistency with which the teachers at the centres apply the
Marking Scheme. First, teachers are required to rank the scores of candidates‟
assignments in order of quality. Second, teachers are required to send to CXC the
assignments of candidates at the top, the middle and the bottom of the range of scores,
as well as those midway between the top and the median, and midway between the
median and the lowest score.
9. This method is the one predominantly used by CXC. Besides providing a moderation
procedure, the remarking of the SBA has another critical purpose. It is intended to
assess whether teachers have understood CXC procedures. CXC provides
moderation feedback reports to teachers with comments designed to help teachers to
3
improve their professional expertise in assessment. This diagnostic concept is a
critical feature in the development of the teachers of the Region.
Centre Moderation
10. From the May-June 2008 examinations, all CSEC® SBA samples have been
CENTRE-MODERATED. Each centre is required to submit ONE SAMPLE
CONSISTING OF THE WORK OF FIVE (5) CANDIDATES.
11. FOR VISUAL ARTS, each centre is required to submit ONE sample (5 pieces of
work) for EACH OPTION. The sample should consist of the work of five candidates,
(one piece of work per candidate.)
Oral Examination
12. Approved examiners conduct oral examinations at a school or a centre using a set of
tasks or examination questions prescribed by CXC. (There is no moderation of these
scores because the assessors have been trained to do these tasks.)
REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO SBA
13. The CXC Regulations and Procedures (see the document “Regulations for the
Conduct of the Council‟s Examinations, Definitions, Regulations and Procedures,
Revised April 2008”) applicable to SBA are given below.
Regulation 2.1.10 (page 14): Candidates presented by recognised
educational institutions must submit within the year of the
examination, their SBA/IA assignments as required by the
syllabus.
Procedure 13.4.3 (page 36): Candidates will be reported
“UNGRADED: NO IA/SBA RECORDS/SAMPLES RECEIVED” if
the required IA/SBA was not submitted by the presenting
institution on their behalf or if, the Council having requested
samples of the work done by the class, none was submitted by the
presenting institution.
4
THE SCHOOLS’ ROLE IN SBA
The Teacher’s Role in Assessing Student’s Achievement
14. The teacher‟s role is central in assessing the students‟ achievement for the reasons
listed below.
(a) Tests prepared by the teacher responsible for a subject provide the most
appropriate measure of the students‟ achievement of the objective of a unit
of work or of a period of instruction.
(b) The relevance of teacher assessment is high since the teacher is the best
judge of what has been done with the student.
(c) Teacher assessment allows observation to be made on a wide sample of
student behaviour in a more natural setting than would occur in a single
externally assessed paper.
(d) In subjects with high practical elements, the teacher is in the best position
to observe not only the students‟ manipulative skills, but also their general
work habits.
(e) Teaching and testing go hand in hand. Teachers measure the effectiveness
of their instruction on the assessment of the students‟ grasp of the
objectives of the instruction. Feedback from testing allows teachers to
refine their objectives, rethink their teaching strategies, select the most
appropriate instructional materials and plan their next unit of work.
(f) Tasks selected by teachers provide the opportunity for self-directed
learning in which the student can assume responsibility for work on
aspects of the subject area.
Integrating SBA into the Schools’ Curriculum
15. SBA ensures a better match between what is done in individual schools by individual
students and what is being examined. It can also generate more meaningful
assessment scores.
16. On the other hand, external assessment ensures that all candidates are assessed
identically.
5
Validity
17. Validity of CXC examinations requires that the teacher should be involved in the
assessment. School Based Assessment provides opportunities for the teacher to assess
skills which cannot be adequately assessed externally by means of written tests. Skills
such as those linked to activities that require time for exploration, investigation and
planning are best assessed internally (through SBA) by teachers. However, all
teachers as managers of SBA need guidance and orientation in order to ensure that
internal assessment in every school for every subject is planned and conducted
appropriately and that positive achievement is emphasised.
REMINDERS TO PRINCIPALS
18. Principals should ensure that:
(a) adequate facilities and equipment are available for the conduct of the SBA,
for example, computers in good working condition and laboratories that
are well-equipped;
(b) teachers are using the appropriate syllabus;
(c) teachers and Heads of Department receive the appropriate guidelines;
(d) teachers are aware of the relevant materials, such as the Guidelines for the
Submission of SBA Samples and the Moderation of SBA Form, required
for the administration of the SBA;
(e) adequate quantities of the DOCUMENTS ISSUED BY CXC are
available;
(f) teachers offer assistance to candidates only as permitted in the syllabus;
(g) teachers verify that the work submitted is that of the candidate;
(h) a completed Declaration Form is submitted indicating each subject for
which submissions are made;
(i) teachers complete all the relevant information on the appropriate forms
and submit the SBA marks and SBA samples by the deadline dates;
(j) the SBA marks (electronic) and samples are submitted to the Local
Registrar’s office by the dates stipulated by the Local Registrar. The
Local Registrar will forward the SBA marks to CXC and despatch the
samples to the relevant CXC marking centres by the date prescribed by
CXC.
6
COMPILATION AND SUBMISSION OF SBA MARKS
Online Submission of SBA Marks and Order of Merit
19. The submission of SBA marks electronically was piloted in 2007. From 2008, all
centres were required to submit electronically both SBA marks and the Estimated
Grade and Order of Merit. The SBA Data Capture Module of the Online Registration
System (ORS), a web-based application which was implemented in 2010, must be
used for the submission of ALL SBA marks.
20. This online application displays all candidates registered for a given subject.
Teachers must immediately report to the Principal any errors or omissions noted.
Teachers are required to enter the marks for the candidates who are registered for the
SBA component. The application will not permit the input of any data for candidates
registered as “Resit” or those registered for the Alternative Paper to SBA.
21. The SBA marks must be submitted using the import/export menu. The programme
will not permit the submission (export) of marks unless SBA marks and the
Order of Merit and Estimated Grades have been entered for all candidates for
all subjects.
22. The relevant documentation is available online for download from the Council‟s
website (www.cxc.org) and all enquiries concerning the programme should be
directed to the Local Registrar‟s office.
23. Great care should be exercised in the recording and totalling of all SBA marks submitted. SBA
marks must be whole numbers.
24. Principals and teachers should ensure that all candidates registered at the May-June
sitting for subjects with an SBA component, either:
(a) have marks for the current year;
(b) are “Resit” candidates from the PREVIOUS year; or
(c) are private candidates registered for the Alternative Paper to the SBA. The
Alternative Paper is offered in Biology, Caribbean History, Chemistry,
Economics, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Geography,
Integrated Science, Office Administration, Physics, Principles of Accounts,
Principles of Business and Social Studies.
25. Candidates who did not submit any work for the current year or have no SBA marks
from the previous year must be identified by selecting the “No SBA” checkbox on
7
the SBA Data Capture screen. Zero scores must not be keyed for these candidates.
26. The school must obtain confirmation from the Local Registrar that the SBA marks
submitted online were received.
GUIDELINES TO TEACHERS SUBMITTING SBA SAMPLES
27. Teachers of subjects which include an SBA component must also submit to the Local
Registrar, the SBA work of a sample of candidates in accordance with the guidelines
set by CXC.
28. After the SBA marks have been entered online, a list of the candidates whose work
should comprise the sample for the centre must be generated using the SBA
programme.
29. The work of each candidate selected must be submitted together with the completed
SBA Moderation Form. The printed list indicating the sample selected by the
SBA programme must also be enclosed.
30. The SBA Moderation Form must not be used as an SBA record sheet. The
moderation form should be used to record the registration numbers, names and
marks of the candidates whose work is being submitted as part of the sample and
must be submitted with the SBA sample ONLY.
31. If a teacher is unable to submit the work of particular candidates or samples of the
candidates‟ work, a full explanation of the school‟s non-compliance with the
Council‟s Regulations must be submitted by the Principal to the Council through the
Office of the Local Registrar by 15 June.
32. Each item of the selected samples of work must be clearly identified with a bold
inscription of the:
(a) candidate‟s name;
(b) candidate‟s registration number;
(c) subject and the proficiency.
33. All samples of work in a particular subject must be secured together in ONE package
or envelope.
34. The package or envelope must be clearly marked, on the labels provided by the
Council, with the:
8
(a) centre code;
(b) name of the subject and the proficiency;
(c) name of the teacher(s) who marked the sample of work.
35. The Principal must obtain from the Local Registrar, receipts detailing the centre,
number of samples, and the name(s) of the teacher(s) for ALL samples of work
submitted.
36. The teachers must indicate if they wish the samples of work to be returned to the
school. This information must be submitted no later than 30 June to the Council
via the Office of the Local Registrar. The cost of returning samples of work must
be borne by the school or Local Registrar and must be paid before the samples are
returned.
Random Sampling
37. Random Sampling has been implemented in the following CSEC® subjects:
Biology Physics Technical Drawing.
Chemistry Principles of Accounts
Caribbean History Principles of Business
38. For these subjects:
(a) samples MUST only be submitted IF requested by CXC;
(b) samples must be selected in accordance with the procedures (Centre
Moderation);
(c) Principals will be provided with Moderation Feedback Reports on the samples
which are submitted;
(d) results will be withheld for those centres which do not submit the samples
requested.
SBA REQUIREMENTS
Issue of SBA Documents
39. All SBA documents are available on the CXC website, (www.cxc.org).
9
Deadlines for Submission
40. LOCAL REGISTRARS WILL SET THEIR OWN DEADLINE DATES FOR
SUBMISSION OF MARKS AND SAMPLES FROM SCHOOLS. Principals
should follow the deadline dates set by the Local Registrar for the submission of SBA
marks and samples since the deadline dates published by CXC in the CXC Year
Planner or the syllabus may be different. Failure to submit SBA marks and
samples by the deadline dates will result in candidates being classified as
“ungraded” on their preliminary results slips.
Retention of Assignments
41. The work of the candidates whose SBA assignments were not sent to the Council as
samples, should be retained at the school for at least 3 months following the
publication of results.
Examination Work – Copyright
42. CXC holds copyright ownership of all candidates‟ work (assignments, projects and
assessment sheets) that are produced for examinations...
Resit Candidates
43. SBA marks can be carried forward only ONCE and only for the year immediately
following the first sitting. Candidates are only eligible to register as “Resit” if the
moderated SBA mark (SBA mark awarded after review by CXC) obtained is at least
50 per cent of the total SBA marks obtainable for the subject.
44. Candidates wishing to register as “Resit” must ensure that their registration
information (names, dates-of-birth and gender) is identical to that submitted for the
previous year‟s May-June sitting.
45. If a candidate does not receive at least per cent of the total SBA marks, a note will be
placed on his/her preliminary results slip indicating the subject(s) for which the
candidate is ineligible to carry forward the SBA mark for registration as a “Resit”.
14 February 2011
Appendix VIII
UNDER REVIEW
CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
EXTRACT FROM
SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT
MANUAL
FOR PRINCIPALS
CARIBBEAN ADVANCED PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION
(CAPE®)
2011
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to SBA 1
Regulations and Procedures Applicable to SBA 2
Reminders to Principals 2
Compilation and Submission of SBA Marks 2
Moderation
Guidelines to Teachers Submitting SBA Samples
3
4
SBA Requirements
Order of Merit and Estimated Grades
5
6
1
INTRODUCTION TO SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT
1. School Based Assessment, in other literatures referred to as Internal Assessment, is an
integral part of candidate assessment in the course covered by the syllabus. It is
intended to assess certain knowledge, skills and attitudes of a subject that are not
easily assessed in external examinations. The activities constructed under School
Based Assessment (SBA) are linked to the syllabus and should form part of the
learning activities to enable the candidate to achieve the objectives of the syllabus.
2. During the course of study for the subject, candidates are awarded marks by their
teachers for specified knowledge, skills and attitudes they demonstrate in completing
their SBA assignments. These marks contribute to the final marks and grades that are
awarded to candidates for their performance in the examination.
3. Two distinct sets of guidelines (provided in the syllabus) for selecting appropriate
tasks are intended to assist teachers and candidates in selecting assignments that are
valid for the purpose of SBA. The guidelines for assessing the candidates‟
assignments are intended to assist teachers in awarding marks that are reliable
estimates of the achievement of candidates in the SBA component of the course. In
order to ensure that the marks awarded by teachers are not out of line with the
Council‟s standards, the Council undertakes the moderation of a sample of the SBA
assignments marked by the teachers.
4. SBA provides many opportunities for teachers and candidates to organise the learning
activities of selected sections of the curriculum to meet the individual needs of each
candidate. It facilitates feedback to the candidate at various stages of the experience.
This helps to build the self-confidence of candidates as they proceed with their
studies. SBA also facilitates the development of the critical skills and abilities
emphasised by the subject and enhances the validity of the examination on which the
performance of the candidate is reported. SBA, therefore, makes a significant and
unique contribution to both the development of relevant skills and the testing and
rewarding of candidates for the development of those skills.
5. The Council seeks to ensure that the SBA marks are valid and reliable estimates of
accomplishment. The guidelines provided in the syllabuses are intended to assist in
achieving this objective.
The regulations and guidelines pertaining to the completion and submission of SBA
remain the same for the CAPE Diploma and the Associate Degree.
(a) The CAPE Diploma will be awarded to a candidate who completes six Units,
including Caribbean Studies, with Grades I-V.
(b) The CAPE Associate Degree will be awarded to a candidate who completes at least
seven Units, including Caribbean Studies and Communication Studies, with Grades I-
V. All candidates must register in the Online Registration System for the Associate
Degree during the year of expected award.
2
(c) Associate Degrees may be awarded in any of the following areas:
- Business Studies
- Environmental Science
- General Studies
- Humanities
- Information Technology
- Mathematics
- Modern Languages
- Natural Sciences and
- Technical Studies.
REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO SCHOOL
BASED ASSESSMENT
6. The CXC Regulations and Procedures (see the document “Regulations for the
Conduct of the Council‟s Examinations, Definitions, Regulations and Procedures,
Revised April 2008”) applicable to SBA are given below.
Regulation 2.1.10 (page 14): Candidates presented by recognised
educational institutions must submit within the year of the
examination, their SBA/IA assignments as required by the syllabus.
Procedure 13.4.3 (page 36): Candidates will be reported “ungraded:
no IA/SBA received” if the required IA/SBA was not submitted by the
presenting institution on their behalf, or if, the Council having
requested samples of the work done by the class, none was submitted
by the presenting institution.
REMINDERS TO PRINCIPALS
7. Principals should ensure that:
(a) adequate facilities and equipment (or example, computers in good working
condition and laboratories that are well-equipped) are available for the conduct of
the SBA;
(b) teachers are using the current syllabus;
(c) teachers and Heads of Department receive the appropriate guidelines;
(d) teachers are aware of the relevant materials, such as the Record of
Marks/Assessment Sheet (for internal use only) as well as the ORS requirements
for the submission of marks and samples;
(e) teachers download from the CXC website, www.cxc.org , the documents that are
required for the administration of the programme;
(f) teachers offer assistance to candidates as permitted in the syllabus;
(g) teachers verify that the work submitted by each candidate is that of the candidate;
(h) a completed Declaration Form is submitted indicating each subject for which
submissions are made.
3
COMPILATION AND SUBMISSION OF SCHOOL BASED
ASSESSMENT MARKS
8. Great care should be exercised in the recording and totalling of all SBA marks
submitted.
9. All SBA marks must be submitted online using the SBA data capture module of the
Online Registration System (ORS). Principals must not submit marks using the
paper-based format. ALL relevant information, for example, the name of the
teacher, the candidate‟s name, registration number and the complete record of marks
must be submitted for each candidate registered for the current examination.
The MODERATION FORM should be used to record the candidate’s registration
number, name and marks for the samples chosen by the ORS and must be
submitted with the SBA sample ONLY. The ORS Samples Report must also be
downloaded and submitted with the samples.
10. Principals should ensure that all candidates registered for subjects with an SBA
component, either:
(a) have marks for the current year:
(b) are recorded as “Resit” for at the most two years, immediately following the first
sitting; or
(c) are recorded as transferring SBA marks from one Unit to another (where
applicable).
11. Principals should note that the ORS file cannot be exported unless all marks have
been entered.
12. Candidates who did not submit any work for the current year or have no SBA marks
from a previous sitting within the preceding two years, must be identified by
selecting the “No SBA” check box in the ORS.
THE DEADLINE FOR THE RECEIPT OF SBA MARKS AND SAMPLES WILL
BE STRICTLY ENFORCED. CENTRES WILL BE LOCKED OUT OF THE
ORS AFTER THE DEADLINE DATES INDICATED BY THE LOCAL
REGISTRAR HAVE PASSED.
MMOODDEERRAATTIIOONN
13. CXC moderates the SBA in order to ensure that the assessment of the work of
different schools carried out by different teachers using different tasks (sometimes) is
aligned to the standard of assessment defined by CXC.
4
Centre Moderation
14. All CAPE subjects are centre moderated. Each centre will be required to submit
ONE sample consisting of the work of a maximum of five candidates per subject.
Teachers of a specific subject are therefore required to collaborate on ALL aspects of
the SBA requirements.
15. The SBA data capture module of the ORS will select the five candidates whose SBA
should comprise the sample. A Samples Report Form must be generated from the
ORS, downloaded and submitted with the samples. The selection criteria will include
the candidate with the top, the middle and the bottom of the range of marks, as well as
those midway between the top and the median, and midway between the median and
the lowest mark. Teachers are reminded to adhere to the instructions for the
submission of samples for specific subjects.
Failure to adhere to instructions for submission will result in ungraded results for the candidates.
MMooddeerraattiioonn TTeecchhnniiqquueess
16. There are two major techniques used in CAPE to ensure that the assessment work of
teachers is aligned to the standard of assessment defined by CXC; the strategies are
moderation by remarking and oral examinations.
Moderation by Remarking
17. Trained examiners remark samples of assignments, practical work or projects during
the Marking Exercise. These samples are carefully chosen so as to analyse the quality
of the marking and the consistency with which the teachers apply the Marking
Scheme.
18. Besides providing a moderation procedure, the remarking of the assignments has
another critical purpose. It is intended to assess whether teachers have understood the
Council‟s procedures. The Council provides moderation feedback reports to teachers
with comments designed to help them improve their professional expertise in
assessment. This diagnostic concept is a critical feature in the development of the
teachers of the Region.
Oral Examination
19. Approved examiners conduct oral examinations at a school or a centre using a set of
tasks or examination questions prescribed by the Council.
5
GUIDELINES TO TEACHERS SUBMITTING SCHOOL BASED
ASSESSMENT SAMPLES
20. In addition to sending the SBA marks online, teachers of subjects which include an
SBA component must send, by the date prescribed by the Local Registrar, the SBA
work of the sample of candidates and submit that work to the Council in accordance
with the guidelines set.
21. The work of the selected candidates must be submitted together with the completed
SBA Moderation Form as well as the Samples Report Form which must be generated
from the ORS. If a teacher is unable to submit the work of particular candidates or
samples of the candidates‟ work, a full explanation of the school‟s non-compliance
with the Council‟s Regulations must be submitted by the Principal to the Council
through the Local Registrar by 15 June.
22. Each item in the selected samples of work must be clearly identified with a bold
inscription of the:
(a) candidate‟s name;
(b) candidate‟s registration number;
(c) subject and the Unit, for example, Accounting Unit 1;
(d) candidate‟s mark.
23. All samples of work in a particular subject must be secured together in ONE package
or envelope.
24. The package or envelope must be clearly marked, on the labels provided by the
Council, with the:
(a) full centre name and code;
(b) name of the subject and the Unit;
(c) name(s) of the teacher(s) who marked the sample of work.
25. The school must generate and keep a copy of the SBA Scores Report and use it for
verification of the candidates‟ marks as well as the SBA Status Report which provides
evidence of the marks exported. The school must also obtain confirmation from the
Local Registrar that the SBA marks submitted online have been received.
26. The teachers must indicate if they wish the samples of work to be returned to the
school. This information must be submitted to the Local Registrar no later than 30
June. The cost of returning samples of work must be borne by the school or Local
Registrar and must be paid before the SBA is returned.
6
SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS
Deadlines for Submission
27. LOCAL REGISTRARS WILL SET THEIR OWN DEADLINE DATES FOR
SUBMISSION OF MARKS AND SAMPLES FROM SCHOOLS. Principals
should follow the deadline dates set by the Local Registrar for the submission of SBA
marks and samples since the deadline dates published by CXC in the CXC Year
Planner or the syllabus may be different. Failure to submit SBA marks and
samples by the deadline dates will result in candidates being classified as
“ungraded” on their preliminary results slips.
Retention of Assignments
28. CXC holds copyright ownership of all candidates‟ work (assignments, projects and
assessment sheets) that are produced for examinations...
29. The Council may request the SBA assignments of other candidates for moderation.
The work (assignments, projects and assessment sheets) of ALL candidates should be
retained at the school for at least three months following the publication of results.
Inspection of Additional Samples
30. Officers of the Council visit randomly selected schools to inspect additional samples
across a range of subjects. Principals and teachers must produce all assignments,
projects and assessment sheets of candidates when asked to do so by Officers of the
Council.
Resit Candidates
31. For all CAPE subjects, the SBA moderated mark achieved in one Unit, regardless of
the level of the mark, may be re-used in the same Unit on two separate occasions
immediately following the first sitting. A candidate re-using the SBA in such cases
must be registered for the “Resit” option. The candidate’s previous registration
number must also be provided at the time of registration.
32. In order to assist candidates in making decisions about whether or not to reuse a
moderated SBA mark, a note is placed on their pre-slip if their moderated SBA mark
was less than 50% of the total SBA marks in a particular Unit.
ORDER OF MERIT AND ESTIMATED GRADES
33. In accordance with Regulation 12.1 on page 35 (see “Regulations for the Conduct of
the Council‟s Examinations (Definitions, Regulations and Procedures) Revised April
2008”), the Order of Merit list for each class must be submitted to Council. Teachers
7
are therefore now required to use the SBA data capture module in the ORS for the
submission of the Order of Merit of candidates. Principals and teachers should note
that the SBA marks, Order of Merit and Estimated Grades for all candidates in all
subjects, must be entered before the SBA file can be exported under the
Import/Export menu of the ORS.
34. Teachers are asked to note that Rank Order and Estimated Grades must be based on
candidates‟ overall performance over the period of preparation for the examination
and NOT SOLELY on the SBA marks.
14 February 2011
Appendix IX
CCAARRIIBBBBEEAANN EEXXAAMMIINNAATTIIOONNSS CCOOUUNNCCIILL
CSEC DECLARATION FORM 2011
I, , Principal of
(NAME) (SCHOOL/COLLEGE)
Centre No: __________________, hereby declare that I have taken reasonable steps to satisfy myself that the teachers have made a truthful declaration that the School Based Assessments (SBA) have been carried out and the marks assigned in accordance with the Council’s procedures, and that the samples of work forwarded to the Council for moderation have not been prepared and marked specifically for submission. I understand that a false or misleading declaration, if detected by the Council, could result in the cancellation of the examination results of the candidates.
This school has completed SBA in the CSEC subjects indicated below:
SUBJECT G T SUBJECT G T
Agricultural Science (DA) Integrated Science SA
Agricultural Science (SA) Information Technology
Biology Mechanical Engineering Technology
Building Technology Music
Option I - Woods Office Administration
Option II - Construction Physical Education and Sports
Caribbean History Physics
Chemistry Principles of Accounts
Clothing & Textiles Principles of Business
Economics Religious Education
Electrical & Electronic Technology Social Studies Electronic Document Preparation and Management Technical Drawing
Food & Nutrition Theatre Arts
Geography Visual Arts
Home Economics: Management
G-General Proficiency T-Technical Proficiency
2
COMMENTS:
(i) Were any subjects taught by more than one teacher?
Yes No
(ii) Did the teachers of the same subject collaborate in the:-
a. setting of assignments?
Yes No
(where applicable)
b. marking of assignments?
Yes No
(iii) What strategies were employed to ensure that the teachers were marking to a common standard?
(SIGNATURE) (DATE)
NB: A Centre’s Records will not be processed if the Principal’s Declaration
is not submitted to the Council by May 31.
PRINCIPALS ARE ASKED TO NOTE THAT THE DEADLINE FOR THE RECEIPT OF RECORD SHEETS AND SAMPLES WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED.
Appendix X
CCAARRIIBBBBEEAANN EEXXAAMMIINNAATTIIOONNSS CCOOUUNNCCIILL
CAPE DECLARATION FORM 2011
I, , Principal of
(NAME) (SCHOOL/COLLEGE)
Centre No: __________________, hereby declare that I have taken reasonable steps to satisfy myself that the teachers have made a truthful declaration that the Internal Assessments (IA) have been carried out and the marks assigned in accordance with the Council’s procedures, and that the samples of work forwarded to the Council for moderation have not been prepared and marked specifically for submission. I understand that a false or misleading declaration, if detected by the Council, could result in the cancellation of the examination results of the candidates.
This school has completed IA in the CAPE subjects indicated below: SUBJECT UNIT 1 UNIT 2 SUBJECT UNIT 1 UNIT 2
Accounting French
Applied Mathematics Geography
Art & Design Geometrical and Mechanical Engineering Drawing
Biology History
Caribbean Studies Information Technology
Chemistry Law
Communication Studies Literatures in English
Computer Science Management of Business
Economics Physics
Electrical & Electronic Technology
Pure Mathematics
Environmental Science Sociology
Food and Nutrition Spanish
2
COMMENTS:
(i) Were any subjects taught by more than one teacher?
Yes No
(ii) Did the teachers of the same subject collaborate in the:-
c. setting of assignments?
Yes No
(where applicable)
d. marking of assignments?
Yes No
(iii) What strategies were employed to ensure that the teachers were marking to a common standard?
(SIGNATURE) (DATE)
NB: A Centre’s Records will not be processed if the Principal’s Declaration is not
submitted to the Council by May 31.
PRINCIPALS ARE ASKED TO NOTE THAT THE DEADLINE FOR THE RECEIPT OF RECORD SHEETS AND SAMPLES WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED.
CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS
The Council requires all applicants to complete this form before Special Assessment
Arrangements can be approved. Before completing this form, please read the Council‟s manual
which provides further information on special assessment arrangements.
Any relevant documentation must be provided to support this application, including a report and
recommendation from an independent specialist, for example, medical practitioner, education
consultant or psychologist. (ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS ONLY)
A. TO BE COMPLETED BY CANDIDATE
EEXXAAMMIINNAATTIIOONN PPEERRIIOODD
Year: 20 Sitting: (select one only) : January CSEC®
May/June CAPE®
CCSLC®
CCEENNTTRREE DDEETTAAIILLSS
Centre No: Centre Name: ________________________________
Name of Principal: ________________________________________________________________________
Telephone No(s): ( )______________________________ ( ) ____________________________
Fax No: ( )_______________________
E-mail Address: _______________________________________________________________________
APPLICANT‟S PERSONAL DETAILS
Candidate‟s Registration Number (if known):
Candidate‟s Last Name: ________________________________________________________________
First Name(s): ___________________________________________________________________________
Date of Birth: _____ / _____ /______ Gender: Male Female
DD / MM / YY
Appendix XI
2
RREEAASSOONN FFOORR AAPPPPLLIICCAATTIIOONN
State the reason for the application as precisely as possible, for example, impaired vision, cerebral palsy,
learning disability, temporary physical disability, etc.
If the candidate has previously applied to CXC for Special Assessment Arrangements, please indicate the
year of the most recent application and whether it was approved:
Year: Approved Not Approved
B. TO BE COMPLETED BY THE PRINCIPAL OR HIS/HER NOMINEE
SSPPEECCIIAALL AASSSSEESSSSMMEENNTT AARRRRAANNGGEEMMEENNTTSS GGRRAANNTTEEDD BBYY CCEENNTTRREE
Has the candidate been granted special arrangements in school examinations by the centre?
No Yes
A. If NO, give reasons why special arrangements have not been provided in school examinations before
this application.
B. If YES, use the codes below to indicate the types of special assistance given during each year of
attendance.
CODES*
001: Reader/writer assistance and extra time up to 15 minutes in the hour
002: Reader assistance and extra time up to 15 minutes in the hour.
003: Writer assistance (Amanuensis) and extra time up to 15 minutes in the hour
004: Extra time up to 10 minutes in the hour.
005: Signer for the hearing impaired and extra time up to 15 minutes in the hour
006: Braille question papers and extra time up to 20 minutes in the hour
007: Enlarged question papers
008: Use of a Computer (Word Processor)
009: Rest periods
010: Other (give details below):
3
Subject
Special Assessment Arrangements
(CODES*)
Subject
Special Assessment
Arrangements (CODES*)
CCCCSSLLCC®® CCSSEECC®® CCAAPPEE®® CCCCSSLLCC
®®
CCSSEECC®® CCAAPPEE®®
YYeeaarr 33 YYeeaarr 44 YYeeaarr 55 YYeeaarr 66 YYeeaarr 77 YYeeaarr 33 YYeeaarr 44 YYeeaarr 55 YYeeaarr 66 YYeeaarr 77
4
SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS REQUESTED
Indicate the type of special arrangements that are being requested for each subject the candidate is registered
to write:
Subject Name Unit
(CAPE)
Proficiency
(CSEC)
Required
Arrangement(s)
(Use codes on pg 2)
PRIVATE CANDIDATES
ONLY
ALTERNATIVE
PAPER? CXC USE
ONLY
YES
NO
OTHER COMMENTS
Please add any other comments you wish to make in support of the application.
PPRRIINNCCIIPPAALL’’SS DDEECCLLAARRAATTIIOONN
I declare that to the best of my knowledge the information provided in this application is correct.
Name: _______________________________________________ _____________________________
(Block Capitals) Principal/Nominee Designation
Signature: _____________________________________________ Date: __________________________
Principal/Nominee DD/MM/YY
Affix school stamp
5
CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION
Special assessment conditions may not be approved if this declaration is not fully completed and signed.
I _______________________________________________________________________________________
Candidate’s name in block capitals
understand that if this application for special assessment arrangements is approved, the certificate and
preliminary slip may be endorsed as appropriate.
Signature: _______________________________________________ Date: _________________________
Candidate DD/MM/YY
Signature: _______________________________________________ Date: _________________________
Parent/Guardian DD/MM/YY
(if candidate is less than 18 years of age)
LOCAL REGISTRAR’S DECLARATION
(FOR PRIVATE CANDIDATES NOT ENROLLED IN AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION)
I declare that to the best of my knowledge the information provided in this application is correct.
Name: ___________________________________________________________ (Block Capitals)
Local Registrar*
Signature: ______________________________________________ Date:________________________
Local Registrar*
*The Local Registrar must sign on behalf of all private candidates who are not enrolled in an educational
institution.
FOR OFFICIAL USE
Date Received: __________________________________
Completed Form Approved Not Approved
Medical Report/Psychologist‟s evaluation Date LR notified __________________________
December 2010
CCAARRIIBBBBEEAANN EEXXAAMMIINNAATTIIOONNSS CCOOUUNNCCIILL
GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF AN AMANUENSIS
AAnn AAmmaannuueennssiiss ((oorr ssccrriibbee)) iiss aa ppeerrssoonn,, wwhhoo,, wwrriitteess ddoowwnn aa ccaannddiiddaattee’’ss ddiiccttaatteedd rreessppoonnsseess ttoo qquueessttiioonnss,,
dduurriinngg aann eexxaammiinnaattiioonn.. TThhee uussee ooff aann AAmmaannuueennssiiss iiss ppeerrmmiitttteedd wwhheenn aa ccaannddiiddaattee iiss uunnaabbllee ttoo pprroovviiddee aa
hhaannddwwrriitttteenn rreessppoonnssee oorr uussee aa WWoorrdd PPrroocceessssoorr.. IItt iiss iimmppoorrttaanntt tthhaatt tthhee AAmmaannuueennssiiss aaccccuurraatteellyy rreeccoorrddss oonnllyy
tthhee wwoorrddss ddiiccttaatteedd bbyy tthhee ccaannddiiddaattee..
The Amanuensis is appointed by the Local Registrar who must arrange for the candidate and the Amanuensis
to practice working together prior to the examination.
1. Additional time will be permitted for the use of an Amanuensis and will normally be up to 25 per cent
of the prescribed duration of the examination (15 additional minutes in the hour).
2. A candidate who is utilizing the services of an Amanuensis must be accommodated in a separate room
so that the dictated responses of the candidate are not overheard by other candidates. An Invigilator
must be present in addition to the Amanuensis.
3. If the candidate is permitted both an Amanuensis and a Reader, the Amanuensis should also act as a
Reader.
4. The use of an Amanuensis must not be an advantage or disadvantage to the candidate.
5. The Amanuensis must be able to produce an accurate record of the candidate‟s responses and must,
therefore, write legibly and record the response exactly and at a reasonable rate.
6. The Amanuensis must be familiar with the terminology used in the subject; and in the case of a
scientific, mathematical or technical subject, should have a working knowledge of the subject.
7. The Amanuensis must not be the candidate‟s own teacher, friend, relative, caregiver or any other
person with whom there may be an apparent or perceived conflict of interest.
8. The Amanuensis must:
a. write down the candidate‟s responses exactly as they are dictated (verbatim);
b. draw all visual material (for example, maps, diagrams, tables and graphs) strictly in accordance
with the candidate‟s instructions;
c. not advise the candidate regarding which questions to do, when to move on to the next question,
the order in which the questions should be answered, or give information on the appropriateness
of the response;
d. read back what has been recorded, as requested by the candidate; and
e. alter or delete answers at the request of the candidate.
9. A candidate should, wherever possible, have adequate practice in the use of an Amanuensis.
10. The Amanuensis must submit the candidate‟s responses to the Multiple Choice question paper on the
official multiple choice answer sheet.
11. The Amanuensis must immediately refer any problems to the Invigilator, who, in consultation with the
Examination Supervisor, will submit the necessary report to the Council through the Office of the
Local Registrar.
12. The Amanuensis must complete and submit the Special Report Form (on the reverse side of this sheet).
It should be noted that failure to comply with these conditions may result in the candidate being disqualified from
the examinations.
Appendix XII(a)
CCAARRIIBBBBEEAANN EEXXAAMMIINNAATTIIOONNSS CCOOUUNNCCIILL
GUIDELINES FOR
THE USE OF A COMPUTER (WORD PROCESSOR)
Computers are normally permitted for written examinations if a candidate is unable to provide a handwritten
response because of a particular difficulty, for example visual impairment, physical disability, temporary
injury or specific learning difficulty. The computer is therefore only used for the sole purpose of providing an
alternative to handwriting.
The computer will not be permitted for Multiple Choice examinations.
The following conditions must be met:
1. The candidate should be examined in a separate room, with an Invigilator, and the examination must be
closely monitored.
2. The candidate must have access only to the word processing software and must not be able to gain
access to files or documents stored in the memory of the computer or on disk (the hard drive, CD or
flash drive).
3. The use of the spell check and Thesaurus is not permitted and the hard drive must be cleared of all
other files.
4. The centre/candidate must ensure that the Word Processor is working correctly before the start of each
examination.
5. An examination folder* should be created and the candidate advised that all work must be saved in that
location.
6. The automatic save option must be used to ensure that the candidate‟s work is regularly saved to disk.
Frequent saving of the work throughout the examination is strongly recommended.
7. There must be some backup option in case of mechanical or power failure.
8. The printing of answers may take place at the end of the examination. The candidate should be present
in order to verify that his/her printing is complete. After this, all files must be deleted from the
examination folder*. The printed work must be clearly labelled and submitted for marking.
9. The Invigilator must ensure that the candidate uses only the software and files which have been
approved. The Word Processor must therefore be checked by an Invigilator who is computer
literate. The checks must be done at the following times:
prior to each examination; during the examination; and the end of each examination.
10. The Computer must remain at the school and must be secured after each examination.
11. The Invigilator must immediately refer any problems to the Examination Supervisor, who will submit
the necessary report to the Council through the Office of the Local Registrar.
12. The relevant Special Report Form must be completed and submitted to the Examination Supervisor.
It should be noted that failure to comply with these conditions may result in the candidate being
disqualified from the examinations.
Appendix XII(b)
CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
GUIDELINES FOR USE OF A READER
A Reader is a person who, on request, will read to the candidate either the entire or any part of the
examination paper; and any part of the candidate’s answers.
TThhee RReeaaddeerr iiss aappppooiinntteedd bbyy tthhee LLooccaall RReeggiissttrraarr wwhhoo mmuusstt aarrrraannggee ffoorr tthhee ccaannddiiddaattee aanndd tthhee RReeaaddeerr ttoo pprraaccttiiccee
wwoorrkkiinngg ttooggeetthheerr pprriioorr ttoo tthhee eexxaammiinnaattiioonn..
1. Additional time will be permitted for the use of a Reader and will normally be up to 25 per cent of the
prescribed duration of the examination (15 additional minutes in the hour).
2. A candidate who is utilizing the services of a Reader must be accommodated separately from other
candidates and in addition to the Reader, an Invigilator must be present. Several candidates
attempting the same paper may be accommodated with a single Reader. However, if a candidate requests
that his/her responses be read, that candidate must be accommodated separately.
33.. IIff tthhee ccaannddiiddaattee iiss ppeerrmmiitttteedd bbootthh aann AAmmaannuueennssiiss aanndd aa RReeaaddeerr,, tthhee AAmmaannuueennssiiss sshhoouulldd aallssoo aacctt aass aa
RReeaaddeerr..
4. The use of a Reader must not be an advantage or disadvantage to the candidate. The Reader must be able
to read accurately and at a reasonable rate. The examination paper must be read out loud without any
alteration to the wording.
5. The Reader must be familiar with the terminology used in the subject and must pronounce words clearly,
as any mispronunciation could disadvantage the candidate.
6. The Reader must not be the candidate‟s own teacher, friend, relative, caregiver or any other person with
whom there may be an apparent or perceived conflict of interest.
7. A candidate should, wherever possible, have adequate practice in the use of a Reader.
8. The Reader may, if requested:
(a) repeat the instructions given on the question paper and may answer any questions about the rubrics
on the question paper (for example, how many questions must be answered or the duration of the
examination); and may give information regarding time lapsed and remaining;
(b) give the spelling of a word which occurs in the question paper, but must not otherwise spell a word
for a candidate; and
(c) assist visually impaired candidates by describing information that is visually enhanced or presented
in a tactile format. However, the information provided must be limited to that which is available to
a sighted candidate.
9. The Reader must not:
(d) explain, interpret or reword a question; or
(e) advise the candidate which questions to answer, how much time to spend on any one answer, or the
order in which questions should be answered.
10. The Reader must immediately refer any problems to the Invigilator, who, in consultation with the
Examination Supervisor, will submit the necessary report to the Council through the Office of the Local
Registrar.
11. The Reader must complete and submit the Special Report Form (on the reverse side of this sheet).
It should be noted that failure to comply with these conditions may result in the candidate being disqualified from
the examinations.
Appendix XII(c)
CCAARRIIBBBBEEAANN EEXXAAMMIINNAATTIIOONNSS CCOOUUNNCCIILL
GUIDELINES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A TRANSCRIPT
A transcript is a candidate‟s response submitted in a form other than the candidate‟s own handwriting. The
purpose of a transcript is to aid the Examiner(s) in the marking of a candidate‟s script. This facility is
primarily used to process Braille responses.
The Local Registrar is required to ensure that all Braille responses are transcribed prior to despatch to the
marking centres. The responses for multiple choice examinations must be submitted on the candidate’s
pre-slugged multiple choice answer sheet.
The conditions listed below must be met:
1. The transcript must be produced by a person who is fully competent in the Braille code for the subject
concerned.
2. The transcript must not be produced by the candidate‟s own teacher, friend, relative, caregiver or any
other person with whom there may be an apparent or perceived conflict of interest.
3. The transcript must be produced in a separate copy of the question paper/answer booklet or on lined
or unlined white paper as appropriate.
4. The transcript may be handwritten, typed or word-processed as appropriate. If handwritten, dark blue
or black ink must be used. Pencil must never be used.
5. The transcript must be produced immediately after the examination under secure conditions. The
candidate must not be involved in the production of the transcript.
6. The transcript must include the candidate‟s registration number and relevant examination information.
7. The transcript must be produced verbatim with no corrections to the candidate‟s work.
8. The transcript together with the relevant Special Report Form must be securely attached to the back of
the candidate‟s script and be included with the centre‟s scripts for despatch to the Local Registrar in
the normal way. The production of the transcript must not delay the despatch of scripts to the
marking centre.
9. The person who transcribes the script must complete and submit the Special Report Form (on the
reverse side of this sheet).
It should be noted that failure to comply with these conditions may result in the candidate being
disqualified from the examinations.
AppendixX II(d)
CCAARRIIBBBBEEAANN EEXXAAMMIINNAATTIIOONNSS CCOOUUNNCCIILL
GGUUIIDDEELLIINNEESS FFOORR TTHHEE UUSSEE OOFF
AANN IINNTTEERRPPRREETTEERR FFOORR TTHHEE HHEEAARRIINNGG IIMMPPAAIIRREEDD
Interpretation may be required at the beginning of the examination to translate instructions from the
Invigilator, for the duration of any listening components, or throughout the examination if it is an oral
assessment and the student communicates by signing. Candidates using a signing interpreter may require the
use of a separate room and an Invigilator.
1. The use of an Interpreter must not advantage or disadvantage the candidate.
2. The Interpreter:
(a) must be a qualified teacher of the deaf;
(b) must be someone who knows and has worked with the candidate, but must not be the candidate‟s
own teacher, friend, relative, caretaker or any other person with whom there may be an apparent or
perceived conflict of interest;
(c) should provide support to give the candidate access to the questions so that he/she can demonstrate
the required knowledge;
(d) may alter only the carrier language;
(e) may not interpret or explain the technical language, but may fingerspell technical terms which do
not have a meaningful corresponding sign;
(f) should use a means of communication appropriate to the needs of the candidate, which may include:
- saying words or phrases
- lip speaking
- oral rephrasing of the carrier language but not the technical language
- using signing mode
- a combination of the above;
(g) may interpret and explain the instructions to the candidate;
(h) must not give any clues to the answer when communicating questions; and
(i) should communicate only as requested by the candidate and at the candidate‟s own pace.
AURAL EXAMINATIONS
3. In situations where audio-cassette tapes/CDs are being used, the Interpreter should be allowed
supervised access to these tapes/CDs at least one hour before the examinations. This is to allow time
for preparation necessary for adequate communication. In order to comply with security requirements,
it may be necessary to delay the start of the examinations for the candidates concerned and to place
them under supervision whilst preparation takes place.
4. If the content of the tape/CD involves the use of two or more characters, it is preferable, to use a
separate Interpreter for each role. If this is not feasible, then adequate alternative arrangements should
be made.
5. The Interpreter must immediately refer any problems to the Examination Supervisor, who will submit
the necessary report to the Council through the Office of the Local Registrar.
6. The Interpreter must complete and submit the Special Report Form (on the reverse side of this sheet).
It should be noted that failure to comply with these conditions may result in the candidate being
disqualified.
Appendix XII(e)
CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF
SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT/DEVICES
The use of specialized equipment is approved if a candidate is unable to provide a handwritten response or
requires assistance in doing so. (For example, a Braille Machine may be used by a visually impaired
candidate.) These forms of assistance are permitted when they are the candidate‟s normal method of working
and do not provide the candidate with an advantage.
The conditions listed below must be met:
1. The use of the equipment must not give the candidate an unfair advantage.
2. The equipment must be used solely by the candidate and not by someone acting on the candidate‟s
behalf.
3. The equipment must remain at the school and must be secured after each examination.
4. The centre/candidate must ensure that the equipment is working correctly before the start of each
examination.
5. There must be some backup option in case of mechanical or power failure.
6. The candidate should be examined in a separate room where the examination must be closely
monitored. An Invigilator who is familiar with the operation of the equipment/device must be present.
7. The Invigilator must ensure that the candidate does not use any components of the equipment in a
manner which would give him/her an unfair advantage. The equipment must therefore, be checked by
an Examination Supervisor/Invigilator who is familiar with its operation. The checks must be done at
the following times:
on submission of the equipment to the school;
prior to each examination;
periodically during the examination; and
at the end of each examination.
8. The Invigilator must immediately refer any problems to the Examination Supervisor, who will submit
the necessary report to the Council, through the Office of the Local Registrar.
9. At the end of the examination, the Invigilator must complete the relevant Special Report Form and
submit it to the Examination Supervisor.
It should be noted that failure to comply with these conditions may result in the candidate being
disqualified from the examinations.
Appendix XII(f)
CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF A PRACTICAL ASSISTANT
A Practical Assistant is a helper who, in Practical Assessments, transmits visual observations and/or carries
out some or all of the tasks as instructed by the candidate. A candidate may be eligible to use a Practical
Assistant if he/she suffers from disabilities or indispositions which prevent him/her from carrying out the
practical tasks themselves. A Practical Assistant is used in situations where there is a concern for the
candidate‟s health or safety.
1. The use of a Practical Assistant must not be an advantage or disadvantage to the candidate. The
Practical Assistant must not, therefore, perform any task which would give the candidate an advantage.
2. A Practical Assistant must not be the candidate‟s own teacher, friend, relative, caregiver or any other
person with whom there may be an apparent or perceived conflict of interest. A teacher must be
present to invigilate/supervise the proceedings.
3. Candidates utilizing the services of a Practical Assistant must be accommodated separately from other
candidates and, in addition to the Practical Assistant, an Invigilator must be present.
4. Additional time will be permitted for the use of a Practical Assistant and will normally be up to 25 per
cent of the prescribed duration of the examination.
5. The Practical Assistant must:
(a) be familiar with the apparatus being used; (b) restrict all communication to clarifying the candidate‟s instructions if they are not understood;
and (c) carry out instructions exactly as they are given unless to do so will cause a hazard. If the
assistant does not understand the candidate‟s instructions, he/she may ask for clarification but
must not lead the candidate in any way nor must the assistant attempt to interpret the
candidate‟s wishes. If accurate or inaccurate instructions are given by the candidate, they
must be followed.
6. The Practical Assistant must not:
(a) advise the candidate regarding which questions to do, when to move on to the next question,
or the order in which the questions should be answered; or (b) give assistance in all activities but should allow the candidate to perform activities without
assistance unless there is a health or safety concern.
7. A candidate should, wherever possible, have adequate practice in the use of a Practical Assistant.
8. The Practical Assistant must immediately refer any problems to the Invigilator, who, in consultation
with the Examination Supervisor, will submit the necessary report to the Council through the Office of
the Local Registrar.
9. The Practical Assistant must complete and submit the Special Report Form (on the reverse side of this
sheet).
It should be noted that failure to comply with these conditions may result in the candidate being
disqualified.
Appendix XII(g)
CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
GUIDELINES FOR LOCAL REGISTRARS AND SCHOOL AUTHORITIES
APPLYING FOR SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS ON BEHALF
OF CANDIDATES
The Caribbean Examinations Council has produced this document to assist Local Registrars and
Principals in preparing applications for candidates requiring Special Assessment Arrangements in
examinations.
1. The Council endeavours to ensure that each candidate is allowed to demonstrate his/her
ability under assessment conditions that are as fair as possible. Where standard assessment
conditions could disadvantage a candidate with special needs, by preventing him/her from
demonstrating his/her level of attainment, special assessment arrangements may be
authorized.
2. Special Assessment Arrangements may be requested by candidates affected by a long-term or
permanent physical disability or illness, a sensory impairment, a learning disability such as
dyslexia, or temporary disability at the time of assessment.
3. Requests for Special Assessment Arrangements must be submitted and supported by the
Principal in the case of a school candidate, and the Local Registrar in the case of a private
candidate. The Council is responsible for the consideration and approval of such
applications.
4. All completed application forms (EXA 51) for Special Assessment Arrangements, any
special inquiries and requests for advice, must be sent to the Registrar at the Council‟s
Headquarters through the Local Registrar’s Office.
5. Local Registrars are required to ensure that in all cases, the Supervisor submits, with each
paper written by the candidate, a Special Report Form containing all of the details, including
the actual time taken. The Examining Committees may be asked to review the candidate‟s
work based on the report submitted.
A. REGULATIONS FOR THE ASSESSMENT, EXAMINATION AND
CERTIFICATION OF CANDIDATES
The Council‟s guidelines on special assessment arrangements are as follows:
1. Candidates with long-term/permanent disabilities
(a) Applications for Special Assessment Arrangements should be made by 31 January in
respect of the May-June sitting, and 31 October in respect of the January sitting.
NB: Candidates requesting Braille or enlarged print question papers must submit
their requests by 15 October in respect of the May-June sitting, and 15
September in respect of the January sitting.
Applications must be made on the prescribed form EXA 51.
Appendix XII(h)
2
(b) The Registrar, in deciding what special arrangements should be made for the
candidate, will consider the recommendations of the Principal and take cognizance of
any special arrangements granted to the candidate during the teaching and assessment
programme conducted by the institution.
2. Endorsement
If a Special Assessment Arrangement is approved by the Registrar, then the candidates‟
Preliminary Results slips and certificates may be endorsed with a statement. This will take
the form of an asterisk or appropriate symbol against the subject(s) concerned and the
following statement on the reverse of the certificate:
Certain aspects of the assessment for this award were amended or restricted
to meet the particular needs of this candidate. Details of these changes are
available from the Registrar on request.
Exceptions will be made in the cases of candidates who are manifestly disabled, for
example, blind.
3. General Guidance on Special Assessment Arrangements
The Council must ensure that a grade awarded to a candidate in any subject is not a
misleading description of that candidate‟s level of attainment. The Special Assessment
Arrangements are intended to reduce the adverse effects of a candidate‟s disability when
demonstrating his/her level of attainment. Therefore, the special arrangements must not give
the candidate an unfair advantage. The arrangements are intended to enable candidates to
demonstrate their level of attainment and should not:
(a) reduce the validity and reliability of the assessment or compromise the credibility of the
award; or
(b) mislead the user of the certificate about the candidate‟s level of attainment.
It is important to ensure that, before sitting the examination, the candidate has had practice
in the use of any special assessment arrangements which are requested.
The Special Assessment Arrangements applied for should be the same as those provided to
the candidate in the school‟s internal examinations.
4. Documentation
Before making an application for Special Assessment Arrangements, it is advisable to consult
an external advisory service (for example, a medical doctor or psychologist) for
documentation of the candidate‟s condition since all requests must be supported by evidence
from a qualified practitioner.
Documentation supporting requests for Special Assessment Arrangements must be
current, that is, psychological evaluations must have been administered within the last
four years and medical certificates must be applicable to the period for which the
request is being made.
3
Documentation must:
(a) be submitted on paper bearing a letterhead, signed and dated;
(b) state the title, name and professional credentials of the person(s) who evaluated the
candidate;
(c) state specifically the nature of the disability, and the tests/techniques used in the
diagnosis;
(d) describe the functional limitations arising from the disability;
(e) include recommendations for specific Special Assessment Arrangements.
B. IDENTIFICATION OF CANDIDATES FOR WHOM SPECIAL ASSESSMENT
ARRANGEMENTS MAY BE REQUESTED
Candidates for whom applications are made are likely to have experienced difficulties in at least one
of the areas given below. Please note that these are guidelines for making recommendations on
whether a candidate needs special assessment arrangements. The Council will require information
about the candidate to support a request for Special Assessment Arrangements. This information
should provide details on the precise nature of the candidate‟s difficulty and its effects on the
candidate‟s performance. In the case of candidates with reading and writing difficulties, it is
expected that an educational psychologist has been involved in the identification of the candidates‟
difficulties.
Special Assessment Arrangements may be requested by candidates who are affected by one or more
of the following:
(a) Specific learning difficulty, for example, dyslexia
(b) Sensory impairment, for example, hearing impaired, visually impaired
(c) Medical condition, for example, epilepsy
(d) Emotional/behavioural difficulty, for example, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
(e) Mental health problems
(f) Physical disability
(g) Temporary illness or injury at the time of assessment.
C. SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS WHICH MAY BE REQUESTED
(a) Additional Time
Additional time is usually restricted to 15 minutes for each hour of the examination
(25 per cent more time). For periods of less than one hour, the additional time should
be given on a pro-rata basis.
An allowance of more than 30 minutes for the entire paper may be permitted if the
professional advisory service considers it necessary. It should be borne in mind that
too much extra time in an examination may be tiring to the candidate and thus
counter-productive.
4
(b) Rest Periods/Supervised Breaks
Extra time in the form of rest periods and/or supervised breaks either in or out of the
room may be permitted in special circumstances. Candidates are not permitted to
read, write notes or continue working during a rest period; and the candidate‟s script
and examination paper must be turned face down on the desk.
(c) Assistance
Candidates may require assistance from an Amanuensis (Scribe)*, a Reader* or
Practical Assistant*. Where such examination assistance is provided, an extra 15
minutes in the hour is permitted and separate accommodation must be arranged.
The Assistant must be appointed by the Local Registrar in consultation with the
Principal and must not be the subject teacher, a relative or a family friend, caregiver,
or any other person with whom there may be an apparent or perceived conflict of
interest. The Assistant must be able to read and write in a manner appropriate to the
examination content. For example, he/she must be able to pronounce technical terms
and/or write special symbols correctly.
Hearing impaired candidates may be allowed an Interpreter for the Hearing
Impaired*, someone to sign instructions and/or questions, if this is the usual method
of communication in the classroom and access to the examination cannot be achieved
by any other means.
It should be noted that assistance will not be provided if the validity of the
assessment would be compromised. For example, the use of an Amanuensis
(Scribe) will not be approved for the Visual Arts Production examinations.
*Guidelines governing the use of these Assistants are detailed on pages i -vi of the
Appendix.
(d) Modified Question Papers
Visually-impaired candidates may be provided with modified question papers:
(i) enlarged-print question papers for the partially sighted;
(ii) Braille versions of the question papers for the blind (Braille Grade 2 only); and
(iii) electronic versions of question papers (on compact disk) to facilitate the use of
appropriate software (screen reader) for the visually impaired. Candidates should
advise CXC in advance of the type of screen reader used as well and the type of
computer used for example, IBM compatible or Macintosh.
N.B: Blind candidates may also be allowed the assistance of a Reader/Amanuensis if
they are not proficient in Braille.
5
(e) Modified Stationery
Modified stationery and answer booklets, if approved, may be provided, for example:
(i) enlarged print graph paper
(ii) enlarged print mathematical tables.
(f) Presentation of Responses
Candidates may be permitted to use a Computer (Word Processor), solely as an
alternative to handwriting. The relevant guidelines are on page (iv) of the Appendix.
The use of other mechanical or technological aids will be permitted for candidates
who are unable to write or have difficulty in writing, if this is the usual method of
written communication. Use must not be made of a thesaurus, spell checker or similar
electronic device, whether part of word processing software or otherwise.
Permission will not be granted if the request is made on the grounds that a candidate
has untidy writing.
(g) Separate Accommodation
Separate accommodation must be provided for candidates who require assistance
from a reader, writer or reader/writer. An Invigilator must be assigned to the room.
Under exceptional circumstances, for example, medical reasons, separate
accommodation may also be granted to a candidate.
(h) Furniture
Specially-adapted furniture may be approved, if required.
(i) Referral of Scripts to SAC
Candidates who have specific learning disabilities or who have a hearing impairment
may have certain of their examination scripts referred to the Subject Award
Committee. The purpose of referral is to ensure that no undue penalty has been
imposed by a marker who has no knowledge of the candidates‟ difficulties. Only
those scripts which require the candidates to produce significant amounts of extended
writing will be referred.
11 January 2011
UNDER REVIEW EXA 52
CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
CAPE AND CSEC EXAMINATIONS APPLICATION FOR COMPASSIONATE CONSIDERATION
This form must be completed by candidates who have suffered from a temporary illness, non-permanent
disability or other medical or non-medical event shortly before or during the examinations which they
believe has significantly impaired their performance in particular examinations. Any claim for
compassionate consideration MUST be supported by the relevant documentation.
Before making an application for compassionate consideration, read the guidelines which accompany
this application form.
This form is not to be used to report absence from the examinations unless special consideration is requested on grounds of illness or other extenuating circumstances. The relevant documentation must be submitted.
1. TO BE COMPLETED BY THE CANDIDATE
EEXXAAMMIINNAATTIIOONN PPEERRIIOODD
YEAR: 20____ SITTING: (SELECT ONE ONLY) : JANUARY MAY/JUNE: CAPE CSEC
CCEENNTTRREE DDEETTAAIILLSS
CENTRE NO
CENTRE NAME__________________________________________________________________________
NAME OF PRINCIPAL: ______________________________________________________________________
TELEPHONE NO.(S) ( )_______________________ ( ) ____________________________
FAX NO: ( )_______________________
EMAIL ADDRESS: ________________________________________________________________
APPLICANT’S PERSONAL DETAILS
CANDIDATE‟S REGISTRATION NO:
CANDIDATE‟S LAST NAME: __________________________________________________________
FIRST NAME(S): ________________________________________________________________________
DATE OF BIRTH: _________________ GENDER: Male Female MM/DD/YY
Appendix XIII
EXA 52
2
SUBJECTS FOR WHICH THE REQUEST IS BEING MADE Please indicate the subjects and papers for which compassionate consideration is being requested.
C A P E
SUBJECT UNIT PAPER DATE OF
EXAMINATION
C S E C
SUBJECT PROFICIENCY PAPER DATE OF EXAMINATION
3
The reasons for applying for compassionate consideration are:
If the application is not for medical reasons (for example, late arrival), details should be recorded
here. Any other information or supporting evidence must be included or attached, e.g., a police
report in the event of an accident. Where possible, any witnesses to the event must sign the
supporting evidence.
I certify that the information above is accurate.
Name of
Parent/Guardian:
(Name in Block Capitals)
Signature:
Date
Candidate Signature:
Date
The completed forms and supporting documents must be submitted by the Principal, through
the Local Registrar to reach the Council‟s Headquarters no later than
15 February January Sitting
15 July May-June Sitting
4
2. TO BE COMPLETED BY THE PRINCIPAL OR HIS/HER NOMINEE
The school‟s observations of this student indicate that the impairment could have had the following
effect on his/her performance in the examination:
No effect Minor effect Moderate effect Considerable effect
COMMENTS:
(Please indicate with reason, whether or not you support the candidate’s application)
I confirm that the teacher‟s estimate of performance and rank order of the group(s) in which the
candidate was prepared for the examination(s) have been submitted to the Council.
Name: ____________________________ Designation ____________________________
Signature: _________________________ Date: _________________________________
The completed forms must be submitted by the Principal, through the Local Registrar to
reach the Council‟s Headquarters not later than
15 February January Sitting
15 July May-June Sitting
5
3. TO BE COMPLETED BY THE MEDICAL PRACTITIONER A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE MUST ACCOMPANY THE APPLICATION FOR COMPASSIONATE
CONSIDERATION. Please note the following before completing this form:
(1) Any impairment should be of an acute nature with onset close to the examination. (Please include relevant data on the application)
(2) Significant impairment in the weeks prior to the examination which would interfere with preparation for the examinations may be considered as well as impairment occurring during the actual examinations.
(3) Impairment can include acute emotional upsets such as death or serious injury to, a
close relative or friend or serious illness in the immediate family. It does not include emotional traumas such as a panic attack or stress due to the examinations.
(4) Details of any impairment should include a brief history, essential clinical findings
such as fever or rashes, any relevant investigations, the dates of onset and recovery, diagnosis and an estimate of the degree of impairment of functions relevant to the sitting of an examination.
These details are required by the Council to allow a fair assessment of your patient’s application. Such assessment must be based on a principle of fairness to the patient and to candidates who have taken the examination(s) under normal circumstances. I ________________________________________________________ Medical Practitioner (Name in Block Capitals) of _________________________________________________________________________ (Hospital/Clinic/Surgery) (Town/City) certify that I examined ________________________________________________________ on ____________________________ (Date of consultation)
6
Diagnosis: (Brief note only required)
Dates of onset and functional resolution of the problem: From _________________ to _____________________. Estimate of the degree of functional impairment:
Minimal Moderate Severe
As a result of the above impairment I consider that the applicant was (please tick all that apply ())
Disadvantaged when studying between_________________ and ______________ for the examination(s).
Unfit to sit the examination(s) between ___________________ and ______________
Disadvantaged when taking examination(s) held/to be held between _______________ and ____________________________
Signature: __________________________________ Date ______________________ Medical Practitioner (Affix stamp here)