Page 47 - 2019 CXC Annual Report

World Class Exams – Syllabus Development

Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE )
®

The Panel also revised the requirements of the School-Based The Specific Objectives were revised to ensure the
Assessment (SBA) and the associated assessment instruments appropriate taxonomic level and that the knowledge, attitudes
and developed a Paper 032, the Alternative to the SBA, which and competencies that students are required to develop were
will assess similar skills assessed by the Paper 031. The related sufficiently covered. Consequently, new General and Specific
mark schemes were also revised to ensure increased construct Objectives were added to better reflect the focus of the
validity and inter-rater reliability. The draft syllabus containing syllabus.
the proposed amendments was sent to subject specialists and
a sample of teachers of the subject in Participating Territories The committee recommended a change in the layout to
for their comments. Their responses were analysed and used have the Content adjacent to the Specific Objectives for
at a Panel Meeting to finalise the syllabus in August 2018. The easier reference. They also revisited and reorganised the
finalised syllabus will be submitted to SUBSEC for approval in Content to ensure a more appropriate sequence, greater
April 2019. If approval is granted the approved syllabus and clarity, specificity, currency and relevance as well as to more
copies of the Specimen Examination Papers, Keys and Mark effectively delineate the Content. The committee also updated
Schemes will be distributed to schools in September 2019, for the list of resources in the syllabus to ensure currency and
first examination in May–June 2020. relevance and refined the Suggested Teaching and Learning
Activities to ensure integration of technology and Twenty-first
The Digital Media Syllabus was approved at the SUBSEC Meeting Century Skills to enhance the implementation of the syllabus.
held in April, 2019 and released for distribution to schools in
September 2019, for first examination in May–June 2020. Additionally, the Committee recommended the review of the
Assessment Component of the syllabus and changing the
ENTREPRENEURSHIP weighting for the SBA, Paper 032, external assessment for
The Review Committee met 14–16 October 2019 and each Unit to 50 per cent, redesigning the Paper 032 using a
analysed teachers’ comments and concerns as expressed case or scenario as a basis for assessing similar skills to those
in questionnaires, interviews and reports. As a result of this assessed in the SBA, including a pitch deck valued 5 marks
analysis and in light of the policy requirements of the Council, as part of the oral presentation requirement for Unit 2. They
amendments to the syllabuses were proposed. Amendments also recommended that the supporting instructions and mark
to the syllabus and examinations were also proposed based schemes be clearly articulated to provide greater guidance,
on evaluation of candidates’ performance in the examinations. enhanced reliability and reduced ambiguity and subjectivity.
The Committee recommended that the Panel revise all aspects Additionally, they recommended that the syllabus be aligned
of the Syllabus including refining the Rationale and the General with the required policies.
Objectives to ensure they reflected the Twenty-first Century
skills, attributes of the Ideal Caribbean Person, UNESCO Pillars The draft syllabus will be submitted to the April 2020 meeting
of Learning and the political, philosophical and psychological of SUBSEC requesting approval to complete the revision of
considerations for syllabus development. The Rationale was the syllabus. If the request is approved, a Panel meeting will
adjusted to include the recommended approaches to teaching be convened in June 2020 to complete the revision of the
the syllabus as well as a focus on team work positive work syllabus. The final draft of the syllabus along with the Specimen
ethics, and independent and critical thinking. Examination Papers, Keys and Mark Schemes will be submitted

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