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CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

WESTERN ZONE

SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS COMMITTEE (SUBSEC)
THURSDAY 12 OCTOBER 2017 at 10:00 A.M.
Conference Room, Barbados

SUBSEC (25) 2017

Proposal for the establishment of the CXC Learning Institute

Introduction

1. The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has pioneered a number of innovations in assessment
since its inception. The CXC syllabuses, from the outset, provided greater guidance to users of these
documents in terms of the detailed descriptions of the requirements for teaching, learning and assessment
that were included in the syllabuses. In addition, CXC was one of the first public examinations board to
include School Based Assessment (SBA) as part of its assessment from as early as 1980. The inclusion of
the SBA was based on the principle that essay writing on a single examination paper was an unreliable
index of student abilities, introduced multiple-choice testing and school-based assessment. CXC also
differed from overseas examinations in the way the question papers were structured. Inevitably, the CXC’s
innovations demanded modes of delivery that were distinct from those of the traditional overseas
examination boards (Bryan, 2014).

2. The Caribbean Examinations Council continues to pioneer innovations in assessment in the
Caribbean. In 2013 CXC introduced e-marking of its examination scripts. Additionally, the introduction
of e-testing commenced with CAPE Digital Media in 2014. Subsequently, CXC offered in January 2017,
electronic tests for a number of CSEC subjects and for both CSEC and CAPE subjects in May/June 2017.
The Caribbean Examinations Council is also one of the few examinations board that offers criterion
referenced testing.

3. With over 40 years’ experience as the regional examinations board, the Caribbean Examinations
Council has a wealth of experience and developed expertise in a number of areas that are worth sharing
with the Region and internationally. From time to time, CXC receives requests from both regional and
international stakeholders for consultancy services as well as training opportunities and events in areas
where the Council has considerable expertise. There are significant opportunities for CXC to share its
innovations and expertise with a number of stakeholder groups across the Region as well as to explore the
prospect of sharing this expertise and experience with examination boards outside the Region.

4. Most major examinations boards across the world have a training arm. The Educational Testing
Service (ETS) out of North America has the ETS Global Institute that offers training opportunities to a
worldwide audience. Cambridge offers professional development courses through their Professional
Development arm, also to an international audience. The training arm of these boards serves as a major
revenue earner in addition to the core services that they offer.