Special considerations given for select students to take exams in August

Students who were unable to sit their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) exams due to the passage of Hurricane Elsa will have a chance to do so in August.

Deputy Chief Education Officer and Local Registrar for the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Dr. Roderick Rudder, revealed this during Friday’s press conference at the Education Ministry’s headquarters.

He said the Ministry made contact with CXC and requested special hardship considerations for those candidates who were affected or unable to write examinations on July 2 because of the passage of the hurricane. He said they subsequently received confirmation of how those candidates would be accommodated.

“For those candidates who missed out on the opportunity to write English B, which is English Literature, there were approximately 1,273 persons. The English B examination, which will be held on August 12th, 2021 for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, will be made available for Barbadian candidates to write as well. So the opportunity will be given to Barbadian candidates to write the Paper 1 for English B electronically on August 12th in the afternoon, that will be approximately 1 p.m.”

He added, “In the case of those persons who would have been impacted regarding the CAPE Computer Science Unit 2 Paper 1, they will have the opportunity to write that examination on August 20th in the afternoon as well and for those candidates who were unable to write their French Unit 2 Paper 1, they will have the opportunity to write that examination on August 20th as well.”

Dr. Rudder however stated, “There are approximately five subjects at the CAPE level where there will be consideration of hardship by CXC regarding the fact that there will be no alternative paper for these particular candidates, and those are in the areas of Chemistry Unit 1 the alternate paper, Accounting Unit 2 Paper 2, Building and Mechanical Engineering Drawing Unit 1 Paper 2, Geography Unit 1 Paper 2, Performing Arts Unit 1 Paper 1. Those candidates will benefit from the application of the Caribbean Examinations Council hardship policy with regard to the assessment and award of grades.” (MG)