CXC absenteeism remains a concern as thousands skip exams

The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) is raising fresh concerns about absenteeism among candidates sitting its regional examinations, with more than 35,000 students failing to turn up for this year's CSEC and CAPE papers.

Dr Nicole Manning, director of operations at CXC, said absenteeism remains a major concern despite a reduction in the number of candidates missing examinations.

Speaking during the official launch of the 2026 CXC examination results in Anguilla today, Manning said 3,534 CAPE candidates were absent from examinations, while a significantly higher 32,403 CSEC candidates failed to turn up.

More than 100,000 students sat the May-June exams earlier this year.

“This is a big concern of the Caribbean Examinations Council and continues to be a concern for us: absenteeism,” Manning charged, underscoring that an absent candidate has little opportunity to earn a grade because of the structure of the examinations.

“An absent candidate has no opportunity to be graded because they have missed a component. So that candidate would have lost out on that opportunity,” she said.

Manning said the situation was particularly worrying at the CSEC level.

“For CSEC, it is even more worrying. 32,403 candidates did not turn up for exams. It is something that the education system across the region must be concerned about. It is something that the CXC is concerned about, and we are working very hard to encourage our candidates to turn up,” she said.

She appealed to parents, guardians and educators to play a greater role in ensuring students sit the examinations for which they have registered.

According to Manning, CXC surveys suggest that some candidates stay away because they feel inadequately prepared for the examinations.

Still, she urged them not to allow fear to prevent them from making the attempt.

“This is not a reason to be absent; just try,” she said, adding that absenteeism at the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) level was lower in percentage terms, but remained a concern for the council.

Meanwhile, CXC is also examining the gender disparity among candidates sitting its examinations.

Manning said females accounted for 62 per cent of CAPE entries this year, compared with 38 per cent for males.

At the CSEC level, females represented 59 per cent of candidates, while males accounted for 41 per cent.

The pattern was reversed at the CCSLC level, where males made up 52 per cent of participants and females 48 per cent.

Manning said the disparity, particularly at the secondary level, warrants deeper examination by the region's education systems.

“There must be a deeper assessment regarding the disparity between female and male candidates,” she said, arguing that educators must ensure that boys are given the support necessary to succeed.

“For me, men are born leaders, and we have to respect that and help them to stay in that place,” Manning said.

“This disparity has come about for whatever reason, and together as educators we are going to try to see what we are doing to ensure that the candidates, our own children, that start at the primary level 50/50; we remove that disparity,” she said.

Manning also highlighted changes in examination entries this year.

CAPE recorded increases in both subject and candidate entries.

At CSEC, however, there was a decline in candidate entries alongside an increase in subject entries, suggesting that fewer candidates were registering but those who did were taking more subjects.

- Corey Robinson

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.