Page 4 - 2020 CXC Annual Report

CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2020

Introduction

Chairman’s Statement

It gives me great pleasure to present this
introduction to the 2020 Annual Report
of the Caribbean Examinations Council

(CXC®).

As a region, we were tested in 2020 in unprecedented ways.
However, our people are resilient, and even as we continue to
face ongoing uncertainties relating to the COVID-19 pandemic
and its impact on the region, I am confident that the Council,
executives and staff of CXC®, are committed to taking the
institution and the region into the future, no matter how
turbulent.

CXC® has accumulated a tremendous amount of respect
due to its expertise, competence, knowledge and sound
management. It is because of these characteristics that CXC®
was able to confront and respond to the COVID-19 crisis when
other global examining bodies retreated in the face of the
difficult circumstances that the pandemic presented. A key
response mechanism was the modified examination strategy
in 2020. It was innovative, fit for purpose and professional, and
allowed the organisation to adapt to the crisis. This was heroic
in every sense and CXC® must be commended.

However, there were some challenges encountered. Following
concerns raised in the public domain with respect to the
efficacy of the procedures and systems used by CXC® for the
2020 examinations, I convened an Independent Review Team
(IRT), to review the modified approach for examinations; the
moderation process applied to the School-Based Assessment
(SBA) and the grading process for the examinations, among
other related matters. The IRT submitted its Report to the
Council and made some recommendations for immediate,
mid- and long-term action, for improvement in the delivery
and management of the examination process as well as in the
communication modalities with stakeholders.

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