Page 47 - SEC_2017WorkingDocument_Neat

readiness of below average and special needs students to manage in an e-testing environment.
The unreliability of the service provided by internet service providers as well as the power
company would also present in major challenges in the absence of a back-up system.

15. Trinidad and Tobago expressed a number of concerns regarding e-testing, namely:
information not received in a timely manner from CXC; issues with the platform for
submission/upload to CXC; inadequate lines of communication; late adjustments from CXC; and
examinations at unmonitored centres. That country also reported a number of concerns
regarding e-marking in that country. In particular,

I. No real-time support for examiners who may have question on the marking process;
II. Incorrect scripts sometimes uploaded causing a delay in the process;
III. Technical support on weekends was inconsistent;
IV. Technical glitches with the system; and
V. Administrative challenges with the scripts.

16. Trinidad and Tobago re-tabled the following issues that remain unsatisfactory:

I. Selected markers must demonstrate the capacity to meet the demands of their tasks and
cannot be certified as having content knowledge.

II. Challenges to recruit quality markers due to remuneration issues.
III. Improving the effectiveness of quality assurance system of using “SEEDS”.
IV. Addressing changes in mark schemes while marking is in progress and re-standardising
of markers in such cases.
V. Improving the monitoring of markers to prevent sub-contracting.

17. Syllabuses as well as examination test papers were also areas of concern in Trinidad and
Tobago. Detailed information and recommendations specific to subject areas can be found in the
full National Committee report.

18. The recruitment of UWI students to mark CXC scripts was of major concern in Barbados
where it was felt that teachers should be utilized for marking. There were also concerns in
Barbados about the new CXC policy on script reviews. It was felt that under the new policy where
CXC conducts an administrative review, candidates risked the chance of receiving a lower grade.
Trinidad and Tobago shared the same sentiment and suggested that CXC issue a well-publicised
and more comprehensive statement which clarifies what an “administrative” check involves. The
organization should also explain how the check prompts further interrogation of students’
scripts or results in no change.

4 | P a g e