Greetings to you, wherever you may be watching from across the Caribbean and around the world. I am Nicole Manning, Director of Operations at the Caribbean Examinations Council. Today, I want to speak with you about an important reform to CXC's School-Based Assessments, popularly known as SBAs. The changes we are making to the SBA are significant. And I want to tell you exactly what we are doing, why we are doing it, and what it means for you. For decades, the SBA has been a distinctive feature of CXC's examinations. It was designed with a clear and noble purpose: to give students the opportunity to demonstrate what they know and what they can do, over time, in the real context of their school and their community. That was, and remains, a powerful idea. But in recent years, the SBA has come under serious strain. And the single greatest source of that strain is Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). As you know, GenAI tools are widely available. They can generate text, essays, research papers and analyses in seconds. AI is part of our world, and it will be part of our future.
We are not seeking to prevent the responsible use of GenAI. Instead, we want to harness its capabilities to support students in preparation for both SBAs and written assessments. The important distinction is this: GenAI may assist preparation, but students’ competence must be demonstrated under controlled examination conditions, without the use of GenAI. When GenAI is used to produce an SBA that is submitted as a student's own original effort, we can no longer be certain whose work we are assessing... And when we cannot be certain of that, the integrity of the qualification itself is placed at risk. A CXC® qualification means something. It means something to employers, to universities, to parents, families and guardians, who have invested years of commitment and sacrifice in a child's education. That meaning depends entirely on our ability to say, with confidence: this grade reflects what this student knows, and what this student can do. It is in our collective interest that we HOLD TO THIS STANDARD, which we have all worked so hard to build. So, what are we doing?
After extensive consultation across twenty-one territories with teachers, principals, curriculum officers, local registrars, and Ministries of Education, and with the approval of our governing bodies, CXC® has approved a Reformed SBA Framework. Here is what this means in practice: For subjects that are truly practical in nature, subjects like Agricultural Science, Visual Arts, Music, Physical Education, Technical Drawing, Food Nutrition and Health, the SBA will remain. These are subjects where hands-on, project-based assessment still gives us something that an examination room cannot replicate. And for this reason, we will retain those SBAs and strengthen how they are moderated. However, for non-practical based subjects, subjects like Mathematics, English, Caribbean History, Social Studies, Principles of Business, Information Technology, and others, we will be transitioning away from the traditional SBA.
In its place, candidates will be required to sit Paper 032: the current alternative assessment conducted under examination conditions, but with important and considered adjustments. And what will these adjustments be, you might ask? 1. In preparation for these assessments, candidates will receive their topics approximately one month before the assessment and; 2. They will be permitted to bring reference notes into the examination room with them. For us at CXC, this is a thoughtful, deliberate design that achieves two important things: 1. It preserves the spirit of extended, reflective assessment, and; 2. It restores our confidence at CXC, in authorship and authenticity. Now, it is important for you to know that CXC® did not take these reform decisions unilaterally. We surveyed close to 2,400 educators across the region. Of those, 77% indicated support for this reform in CSEC®, and 76% in CAPE®.
The Caribbean education system has spoken, and CXC® has listened, and continues to listen. And, so now, this is the timeline for implementation of the reforms of the CXC® SBA, noting that more than half of the respondents in favour of the reform recommended implementation as early as the 2027 examination session. • For CAPE®, the transition to Paper 032 for non-practical based subjects takes effect in May–June 2027. • For CSEC®, ® candidates will have the opportunity to complete the SBA or Paper 032, whichever of these options your school chooses, with full implementation in 2028. Students who have already completed SBAs need not worry.
Those scores will remain transferable under the existing two-year rule. Going forward, Paper 032 scores will also be transferable under this two-year rule. So that, in a nutshell, is our reform strategy for the SBA. So, as I conclude, and I cannot say this strongly enough; to our teachers - we see you, we hear you, and we thank you. As a trained teacher myself, I know that change at this scale requires adjustment, preparation, and support. You can rest assured that CXC® will continue to communicate with you. We will issue FAQs, we will hold live seminars, and our local registrars will be on hand to guide you through every aspect of this transition.
You will not navigate this alone; that’s our promise to you. To our students: Reforming the CXC® SBA is about making sure that what you are recognised for, you have truly learnt. I have said this to you before: Integrity is not about whether a machine can detect what you did. It is about who you choose to be. And finally to parents: CXC® exists to serve Caribbean families. Every decision we make begins with a commitment to ensure that the certificate your child receives is worth exactly what it represents. These reforms are in service of our commitment and obligation to you – an extension of CXC’s duty of care. We are Caribbean, a part of the world that has always produced exceptional minds. Let us continue to prove ourselves worthy of that culture and tradition of excellence. As for us at CXC®, we will always choose to hold to that standard, firmly, fairly and always in service of the region. Thank you for your time, and best wishes from CXC®.