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14. However, with respect to the other areas highlighted above, it was clear the a more equitable
payment arrangement was needed.

15. The council engaged the services of Professor Andrew Downes to undertake a study of the
marker payment structure focusing of the fairness principle of the model and to make
recommendations as to the best method by which the council could remunerate its examiners.

16. The study has recommended a new formula for the per unit/item fee payment based on the
relative work effort involved in marking three of the five categories of questions and whole scripts.
The categories 4 and 5 refer to payment made for Whole Script and School based assessments
respectively which are not changed.

Table 3.

NEW FEE STRUCTURE
Item
Designation Old Fee New Fee
Category 1 $0.35 $0.35
Category 2 $0.58 $0.70
Category 3 $1.05 $1.22
Category 4 $4.00 $4.00
Category 5 $8.00 $8.00

17. In essence the payment arrangement for chief examiners and assistant chief examiners
remains in place with the recommendation that revisions be made on a periodic basis to reflect
changing economic conditions and in keeping with the council’s mandate.

18. The recommendations also suggest that consideration be given to the introduction of an
incentive scheme to ensure that scripts are marked within a given time frame.

19. It is not expected that the new costs associated with the adoption of this new arrangement
will significantly increase the council’s financial outlay. The increased cost in the case of CSEC marker
compensation is approximately BDS$325,000 and in the case of CAPE it is approximately BDS$130,000.
This cost increase will be tempered by the better categorization of the payment model to the
particular item types under consideration and the council’s parallel efforts to adopt a more robust test
plan and structure for all subjects over the short term. The effect of this will be to reduce the overall
increases noted and will take effect from the 2019 examination period.

20. Council is asked to give consideration to the proposed new formula that is recommended
which is designed to bring greater equity into the fee payment structure and to accept this proposal
as the method to be deployed from the year 2018.

24 November 2017

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