CXC head declares Caribbean ready for digital examinations

Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Dr Wayne Wesley, has declared the Caribbean ready for electronic examinations following their implementation during the January 2026 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams.

“The success demonstrates that digital examination delivery is not only viable; it is the future of our Caribbean,” Wesley said at a press conference on Friday.

The majority of the exams were administered on screen, using CXC’s digital e-assessment and hybrid e-assessment approach.

More than 10,000 candidates sat examinations across 17 countries. The exams, which were conducted on January 4-29, had 17,695 subject entries.

Wesley stated that examinations in Jamaica were carried out successfully despite the scale and novelty administering examinations in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, which struck the island in October 2025.

A total of 708 subject entries, across 29 centres were permitted to complete examinations using paper methods, covering 12 subjects. Wesley, who is also the registrar of the CXC, said this highlighted CXC’s commitment to equity and compassion.

Although there were challenges which revealed room for improvement, Wesley said they were addressed swiftly and did not compromise the integrity of the exams.

“The initial feedback from our student candidates, who in the vast majority are digital natives, has been very positive,” he said. “Living and operating in the digital domain comes naturally for our students. We must design learning assessments that are congruent and aligned with how they process knowledge and learn and improve new and existing competencies.

-Sashana Small

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