THE Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has announced sweeping reforms to its School-Based Assessment (SBA) framework, replacing the traditional SBA in most non-practical subjects with an examination-based assessment from the 2027 academic year in a move aimed at preserving the integrity of its qualifications amid the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI).
The changes, which follow extensive consultations across 21 Caribbean states and territories, will affect both the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) programmes.
Announcing the reforms on Thursday, CXC Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Wayne Wesley, said the council’s decision was driven by the need to ensure that assessments continue to accurately measure students’ knowledge and abilities in an era where AI-generated content is becoming increasingly prevalent.
“The SBA has served Caribbean students well for nearly half a century, and we do not reform it lightly,” Dr. Wesley said.
“But the integrity of our qualifications is not negotiable. When the system that was designed to assess a student’s work can no longer reliably do so, we have an obligation to act, and to act decisively.”
He emphasised that the council is not seeking to discourage the use of generative AI as a learning tool, but rather to ensure that student assessments continue to reflect authentic individual work.
Under the new framework, School-Based Assessments will remain for subjects where practical, hands-on work is essential to demonstrating competency. These include Agricultural Science, Visual Arts, Music, Physical Education, Technical Drawing, and Food, Nutrition and Health.
However, traditional SBAs will be phased out for non-practical subjects such as Mathematics, English, Caribbean History, Social Studies, Principles of Business and Information Technology.
Instead, students will complete Paper 032, an existing alternative assessment that will now be administered under examination conditions with several new features designed to retain elements of extended learning.
Candidates will receive their assessment topics approximately one month before the examination, be given additional time to complete the paper, and be permitted to bring reference notes into the examination room.
According to CXC Director of Operations, Dr Nicole Manning, the redesigned assessment seeks to balance academic reflection with greater confidence in the authenticity of students’ work.
“The new, deliberate and necessary design of the SBA preserves the spirit of extended, reflective assessment while restoring CXC’s confidence in authorship and authenticity,” Dr Manning said.
She urged students, parents and educators to support the reforms, stressing that the value of a CXC qualification depends on its credibility.
“A CXC qualification means something. It means something to employers, to universities, to parents, families and guardians who have invested years of commitment and sacrifice into a child’s education,” she said.
CXC has outlined a phased implementation schedule for the changes.
CAPE candidates will transition fully to Paper 032 beginning with the May–June 2027 examinations.
For CSEC candidates, schools will be given the option in 2027 to choose between the traditional SBA and Paper 032. The transition will become mandatory for all non-practical subjects in the May–June 2028 examination sitting.
The council also confirmed that existing SBA scores will continue to be transferable under the current two-year policy. Paper 032 scores will likewise be transferable under the same rule from 2027.
CXC said the reforms are intended to ensure that its qualifications remain credible and internationally respected while adapting to the rapidly evolving educational landscape shaped by advances in artificial intelligence and digital technologies.
