Grade Six students will write the Common Entrance exam on June 29, while CXC examinations for Form Five students will commence on July 13; so said Chief Education Officer, Dr. Fiona Phillip-Mayer, yesterday.

“We are privileged to be able to offer the Common Entrance Exam on June 29, and together with regional partners will have the CXC Examinations commencing July 13,” she said. “We have also been allowed an extension for the School Based Assessment submissions, so the new deadline is June 30. We are happy that our teachers were able to support the students in terms of the completion of SBAs because that forms a significant part of their grades this academic year, and we want parents to know that there is still time to support their children in the event that there is any outstanding work to be completed.”

Dr. Phillip outlined this year’s exam formats.

“CXC has historically offered both paper-based and electronic examinations for larger and smaller examinations, respectively. That tradition will continue,” she said. “We are, however, working toward electronic assessments for CXC. For Common Entrance we will remain with the multiple choice paper in the same format. There will be no change to the format. However, there will be an addition of more and varied subject areas that the teachers have been working on with the students, which formed part of the Grade Five curriculum, and Term One of the Grade Six curriculum.”

She continued: “I know that there is a level of anxiety as is usual around this time of the year. We should have had the Common Entrance exam on June 10, but this year it is happening on June 29. We also want to reassure parents that everything is in place in terms of health and safety protocols, so they need not worry about that, and the fact that schools were able to partially reopen is testament to that.

“From the advice provided by the Ministry of Health and the WHO, face shields can be used, so if a parent feels more comfortable with a child having a face shield, they may do so. We are guided by the six-foot physical distancing recommendations, and there will also be allowances for children to remove their masks if they need to. All protocols are in place for the comfort and protection of the children.”

Education officials anticipate a shorter turnover period for results this year due to electronic-based assessment methods. Information on test results will be communicated as soon as it is available, Dr. Phillip said.