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Language Arts written examination and was informed that the current multiple-choice format of
the Language Arts final assessment along with students’ writing portfolios provided reliable and
valid data on students’ writing ability. For 2017, primary schools in Montserrat continued to
reap the benefits of the CPEA® with two schools reporting significant improvement in
performance. However, there was expressed concern about the gap created between the CPEA®
and the CSEC® and the impact that would have on the completion of SBAs at the upper secondary
level.

CCSLC

5. The CCSLC® as an inferior product remains an issue in Barbados and Jamaica. In
Barbados, there was also the perception that the CCSLC® was impacting on the CSEC® sciences
resulting in competition for instructional time. Notwithstanding, it was reported that the
Barbados government had made a national policy decision that all public schools should
implement the CCSLC®. While in Jamaica, approval was pending on a new proposal which would
result in the certification being offered to the out-of-school population.

6. In an effort to obtain buy-in to the CCSLC® programme, the Ministry of Education Youth
and Information (MoEYI), Jamaica continues to implement new marketing strategies. The
Barbados National Committee reported that the CXC had committed to assist with public

relations association with the CCSLC in Barbados.

7. Montserrat affirmed the value of the CCSLC® programme and reported that students
from the Montserrat Secondary School who wrote the CCSLC® examinations were currently
following the CSEC® programme and that past students were using the certification to seek
employment and further education.

CVQ®

8. In Jamaica, there is a strong push to have students registered for the CVQs® and it is
anticipated that the number of students registered for the CVQs® would increase in 2018.
Montserrat has reported that implementation of the CVQs® could be fully realized by September
2018. That country was in the process of conducting training in skills assessment and
verification in preparation for the implementation of a NVQ programme which could later be
upgraded to the CVQs®.

CSEC® and CAPE®

9. Country specific information on candidates’ performance in the CSEC® and CAPE® can
be found in the National Committee Reports in the Appendices.

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