CXC Replaces Most CSEC and CAPE SBAs With Paper 032 Over AI Risks

Thousands of students across the Caribbean will stop doing traditional School-Based Assessments in most CSEC and CAPE subjects under major examination changes announced by the Caribbean Examinations Council on Wednesday.

Starting in the 2027 academic year, CXC will begin removing the conventional SBA from most subjects that do not involve practical work. Mathematics, English, Caribbean History, Social Studies, Principles of Business and Information Technology are among the subjects moving to Paper 032. That existing alternative assessment is completed in supervised examination conditions.

The regional body said the overhaul is designed to safeguard confidence in its qualifications as generative artificial intelligence changes how students learn and produce work.

“CXC will always act in the best interest of the region, even when that requires difficult decisions,” Registrar and Chief Executive Officer Dr Wayne Wesley said.

Wesley said SBAs have supported Caribbean learners for almost five decades, but CXC must intervene when the format can no longer dependably show that submitted work belongs to the student being assessed.

“The integrity of our qualifications is not negotiable,” he said.

SBAs will remain in practical areas such as Agricultural Science, Visual Arts, Music, Physical Education, Technical Drawing, and Food, Nutrition and Health. However, CXC plans to apply stricter moderation arrangements to those assessments.

With the revised format, candidates will learn their examination topics roughly one month beforehand. They will also get more time for the assessment and may carry reference notes into the examination room.

Director of Operations Dr Nicole Manning said the new approach retains opportunities for learning over an extended period while providing greater assurance that candidates have produced their own work.

The transition will take place across two years. Students sitting affected CAPE subjects will use Paper 032 for the May-June 2027 examinations.

At CSEC, schools will be permitted to select either the longstanding SBA or Paper 032 during 2027. Paper 032 will then become compulsory for every non-practical subject in the May-June 2028 examination cycle.