by Wayne Wesley, PhD, CMgr, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, CXC

Recent public discussions about the Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC) have raised important questions about standards, grading, and how modular assessments contribute to the award of a final Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) qualification.

These are legitimate questions, and it is important that stakeholders have a clear understanding of how the system operates.

At the outset, it must be emphasised that CTEC does not lower academic standards. The modular approach changes how learning is assessed and accumulated; it does not change what students are required to know, understand, and demonstrate.

Maintaining the Same Academic Standard

One of the most common misconceptions is that modular assessments are easier than traditional CSEC examinations. This is incorrect.

The assessments used in the CTEC modular approach are drawn from the same syllabuses, based on the same learning objectives, and developed according to the same assessment specifications that underpin the traditional CSEC examinations.

The questions presented in the modules are the same questions that candidates encounter in the full CSEC assessment. Candidates are therefore required to demonstrate the same knowledge, skills, competencies, and understanding expected of all CSEC candidates.

Furthermore, the examinations are marked and graded using the same quality assurance systems, examiner moderation processes, psychometric analyses, and grading procedures that have long ensured the integrity and credibility of CXC qualifications. The level of rigour, objectivity, and fairness remains unchanged. The only difference is that learners are able to demonstrate their achievement in manageable stages rather than through a single high-stakes examination session.

A familiar grading system

The modular grading system is not new to Caribbean educators, students, parents, employers, or tertiary institutions. Performance in CAPE subjects is reported by modules.

For decades, CSEC has reported student performance using:

• Overall Subject Grades: Grades I to VI
• Profile Grades: Grades A to F

CTEC utilises the familiar A-F scale to report performance on individual modules, making it easy for stakeholders to understand a candidate’s progress. Grades A, B, C, and D are considered acceptable levels of achievement, while Grades E and F indicate that additional development is required before the expected standard has been attained.

Module Grade descriptors

The following descriptors are used to interpret candidate performance within each module:

Grade Descriptor Definition A ExcellentCandidate shows an excellent grasp of the key concepts, knowledge, skills and competencies required by the module.B GoodCandidate shows a good grasp of the key concepts, knowledge, skills and competencies required by the module.C Fairly GoodCandidate shows a fairly good grasp of the key concepts, knowledge, skills and competencies required by the module.D ModerateCandidate shows a moderate grasp of the key concepts, knowledge, skills and competencies required by the module.E LimitedCandidate shows a limited grasp of the key concepts, knowledge, skills and competencies required by the module.F Very

Limited

Candidate shows a very limited grasp of the key concepts, knowledge, skills and competencies required by the module.

These descriptors provide meaningful feedback to students and teachers regarding performance within a specific area of learning and support targeted interventions where improvement is required.

How modular grades contribute to final certification

Another important issue concerns the relationship between module grades and the final CSEC qualification.

Module grades are not full qualifications. Instead, they are micro-credentials that represent a candidate’s achievement within individual modular components of a subject, and collectively contribute to the award of the final CSEC grade.

The final grade awarded to a candidate for CSEC is an aggregate of the grades earned across all required modules within the subject. This means that success in a single module does not constitute completion of the subject. Candidates must successfully complete all required modules before a final CSEC subject grade can be awarded.

The familiar overall CSEC grade remains the final certification awarded for the subject. The modular pathway simply provides a structured process through which students accumulate demonstrated achievement toward that qualification.

Why every module matters

Because the final grade is based on performance across all modules, candidates must demonstrate competence consistently throughout the subject. To preserve the integrity and meaning of the qualification, a candidate who receives a Grade D in any module cannot be awarded an Overall Grade I in the final CSEC qualification.

This requirement reinforces a fundamental principle of the grading system: excellence in the overall qualification requires strong performance across all aspects of the subject.

The policy ensures that the award of a Grade I continues to represent outstanding achievement and maintains confidence in the qualification among employers, tertiary institutions, and other stakeholders.

Opportunities for improvement

The modular approach also provides important opportunities for learners to improve their performance.

Candidates who are dissatisfied with the grade earned in a module may choose to re-sit that module in accordance with CXC registration procedures. This allows learners to strengthen particular areas of knowledge and improve their overall performance before the final subject grade is determined.  Such flexibility supports student success while maintaining rigorous academic expectations.

Preserving integrity while expanding opportunity

The introduction of modular assessment reflects CXC’s commitment to addressing a longstanding educational challenge across the region: supporting more learners in achieving certification without compromising standards.

The modular approach does not make qualifications easier. It does not reduce learning outcomes. It does not alter academic expectations. Rather, it provides students with a more flexible pathway through which they can demonstrate mastery of the same syllabus objectives, meet the same performance standards, and ultimately earn the same respected CSEC qualification.

The standards that have earned CXC regional and international recognition remain firmly in place. What is evolving is the way in which students are given opportunities to demonstrate their achievement.

CTEC therefore represents a balance between innovation and integrity, preserving the rigor and credibility of Caribbean qualifications while creating pathways that support greater learner success and educational attainment across the region.

CXC

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