Guyana has recorded improved pass rates at the general and technical level following the results received from CXC for the 2020 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), according to Chief Education Officer (CEO), Dr Marcel Hutson.
Dr Hutson, while speaking at the announcement of CSEC and CAPE results on Wednesday at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) in Kingston, Georgetown, highlighted that a total of 12,009 candidates were registered for the 2020 CSEC Examinations.
“An analysis of the 2020 results revealed that the overall pass rate at the general and technical proficiencies for Grades One to Three (passes) was 75.99 per cent,” the CEO said, adding: “The overall pass rate has improved from 2019 where a pass rate of 73 per cent was attained.”
Importantly, the subject areas of Mathematics and English – which are necessary for matriculation – have recorded improved performances. Grades One to Three passes in English Language (also called English A) increased marginally from 77 per cent to 77.91 in 2020.
English Literature (English B), on the other hand, recorded a massive increase moving from 58.1 per cent in 2019 to 78.03 per cent in 2020.
Mathematics also recorded a small increase, moving from 43 per cent in 2019 to 48.66 per cent in 2020.
Other subjects which recorded increased performances include: Integrated Science, Physics, Chemistry, Textile, Clothing and Fashion, Visual Arts, Biology, French, Economics, Industrial Technology (Electrical), Industrial Technology (Building), Family and Resource Management, Food, Nutrition and Health, and Agricultural Science (Single Award).
Contrastingly, there were 11 subject areas that recorded a decline in performance. These include: Agricultural Science (Double Award), Caribbean History, Information Technology, Office Administration, Principles of Accounts, Religious Education, Social Studies, Spanish, Human and Social Biology, Additional Mathematics and Technical Drawing.
Meanwhile, eight subject areas recorded stable performance. These are: Geography, Music, Principles of Business, Theatre Arts, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Physical Education and Sports, Portuguese and Industrial Technology (Mechanical).
INCREASES AT CAPE
Meanwhile, Dr Hutson also related that there were 853 candidates from 15 schools, including five private centres, who wrote CAPE in 2020.
At the CAPE level, he said that there was a marginal increase in the pass rate, moving from 93 per cent in 2019 to 93.16 per cent in 2020.
Aside from Caribbean Studies, Communication Studies and Integrated Mathematics, the subjects written at this level were double unit subjects. Generally, Unit One is written in the first year of CAPE while Unit Two is written in the second year.
Additionally, at the CAPE level, a pass is a grade recorded between Grades One to Five as opposed to CSEC, where a pass is any grade recorded between Grades One to Three.
Cognisant of this, Dr Hutson related that there were 33 units in which 100 per cent passes were recorded. Caribbean and Communication studies both recorded a greater than 95 per cent pass. Further, in another 30 units, the pass rate was 75 per cent or higher.
“A slight decline was recorded in Integrated Mathematics, from 83.85 per cent in 2019 to 82.14 per cent in 2020,” Dr Hutson said too.
Source: https://newsroom.gy/2021/05/19/guyana-records-improved-pass-rates-at-csec-cape/