The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has announced sweeping reforms to its School-Based Assessment (SBA) system, with the traditional SBA set to be phased out across several Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) subjects beginning in 2027. According to Antigua.news, the changes are driven by growing concerns over the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies that threaten the integrity of regional examinations.
Under the new framework, CXC will retain SBAs exclusively for subjects requiring practical, hands-on demonstration of skills and competencies. Those subjects include Agricultural Science, Visual Arts, Music, Physical Education, Technical Drawing, and Food, Nutrition and Health — areas where project-based assessments remain central to evaluating student performance.
For non-practical subjects, the traditional SBA will be replaced by an updated version of Paper 032, the council's existing alternative assessment instrument. Subjects affected by this shift include Mathematics, English, Caribbean History, Social Studies, Principles of Business, and Information Technology.
To ensure students retain meaningful opportunities for research and critical thinking, CXC has introduced several modifications to the Paper 032 format. Candidates will receive their examination topics approximately one month before the assessment date, allowing adequate preparation time. They will also be granted additional time to complete the examination and permitted to bring reference notes into the examination room.
CXC stated that the reforms are designed to preserve reflective and extended learning while addressing the risks posed by AI-generated content, which has become increasingly accessible to students across the region.
The council believes the revised model will strike a better balance between independent learning and secure examination conditions, ensuring students continue to develop analytical and critical thinking skills without compromising confidence in the region's examination system.
The new SBA framework is scheduled to take effect for examinations beginning in 2027.
