hhaannddbbooookk ffoorr pprriinncciippaallss · 19. the principal may submit, through the local...

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..


UUnnwwiittttiinnggllyy oobbttaaiinniinngg eexxaammiinnaattiioonn qquueessttiioonn

ppaappeerrss oorr rreellaatteedd mmaatteerriiaall bbeeffoorreehhaanndd..


WWiittttiinnggllyy oobbttaaiinniinngg eexxaammiinnaattiioonn qquueessttiioonn

ppaappeerrss oorr rreellaatteedd mmaatteerriiaall bbeeffoorreehhaanndd..

Disqualification and debarment.

CCooppyyiinngg iitteemmss aanndd ttaakkiinngg tthheemm ffrroomm tthhee

eexxaammiinnaattiioonn rroooomm..


PPllaaggiiaarriissmm,, ffoorr eexxaammppllee,, iinn SSBBAA aassssiiggnnmmeennttss

aanndd aarrttwwoorrkk..


PPeerrssiisstteenntt ccooppyyiinngg ffrroomm,, oorr ccoolllluussiioonn wwiitthh,,

aannootthheerr ccaannddiiddaattee((ss)):: ooccccuurrrriinngg iinn mmoorree tthhaann

oonnee sseessssiioonn..

Disqualification


PPeerrssiisstteenntt uunnrruullyy ccoonndduucctt:: ooccccuurrrriinngg iinn mmoorree

tthhaann oonnee sseessssiioonn..

Disqualification


TTaakkiinngg tteexxttbbooookkss,, wwoorrkkeedd aannsswweerrss iinncclluuddiinngg

aarrttwwoorrkk aanndd nnootteess rreellaatteedd ttoo tthhee eexxaammiinnaattiioonnss

iinnttoo tthhee eexxaammiinnaattiioonn rroooomm..

Disqualification


TTaammppeerriinngg wwiitthh ssccrriippttss aafftteerr tthheeyy hhaavvee bbeeeenn

ssuubbmmiitttteedd ffoorr mmaarrkkiinngg..


CCoonnssppiirriinngg ttoo ttaammppeerr wwiitthh ssccrriippttss aafftteerr tthheeyy

hhaavvee bbeeeenn ssuubbmmiitttteedd ffoorr mmaarrkkiinngg..


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.

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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

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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.

http://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).

http://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.

http://www.cxc.org/markers

mailto:[email protected]

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


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


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

Appendix III

R E V I S E D


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


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


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




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


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.


http://www.cxc.org/

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


(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.


(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


(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.


(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


(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.


Removal of CXC confidential material from

the examination room.


Unwittingly obtaining examination question

papers or related material beforehand.


Wittingly obtaining examination question

papers or related material beforehand.


Copying items and taking them from the

examination room.


Plagiarism, for example, in SBA assignments

and artwork.


Persistent copying from, or collusion with,

another candidate(s): occurring in more than

one examination session.


all subjects).

Persistent unruly conduct: occurring in more

than one examination session.


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.


Conspiring to tamper with scripts after they

have been submitted for marking.


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.

http://www.cxc.org/

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

http://www.cxc.org/

http://www.cxc.org/

http://www.cxc.org/

http://www.cxc.org/

Appendix VII

UNDER REVIEW


EXTRACT FROM

SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT MANUAL

FOR PRINCIPALS

CARIBBEAN SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE (CSEC®)

2011

iii

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TThhee SScchhooooll’’ss RRoollee iinn SSBBAA 4

RReemmiinnddeerrss ttoo PPrriinncciippaallss 5

TThhee CCoommppiillaattiioonn aanndd SSuubbmmiissssiioonn ooff SSBBAA MMaarrkkss 6

GGuuiiddeelliinneess ttoo TTeeaacchheerrss SSuubbmmiittttiinngg SSBBAA SSaammpplleess 7

SSBBAA RReeqquuiirreemmeennttss 8

1

SSCCHHOOOOLL BBAASSEEDD AASSSSEESSSSMMEENNTT MMAANNUUAALL

FFOORR PPRRIINNCCIIPPAALLSS

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

http://www.cxc.org/

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).

http://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


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.

http://www.cxc.org/

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


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.


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


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)


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)


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)


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).



AppendixX II(d)


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).


disqualified.

Appendix XII(e)


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.



Appendix XII(f)


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).


disqualified.

Appendix XII(g)


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


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)