More students to write CAPE

The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has reported significant increases in the number of persons applying to sit the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) this year.

In a release yesterday, CXC Public Information Officer, Cleveland Sam, revealed that approximately 7,336 candidates have so far registered for the exam this year as compared to the 5,741 persons who wrote the exam last year. Adding that the number of Unit entries had increased from 15,650 in 2002 to 23,145 in 2003, Sam said the largest increases came from islands such as Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Jamaica. The subjects receiving the most entries were Communication Studies, Caribbean Studies, Management of Business, Mathematics, Sociology, Accounting, History, and Literatures in English and Sociology.

Claiming that CAPE’s performance had also improved, Sam stated that over 80 percent of candidates obtained Grade I’s to V’s in 10 Units, including Caribbean Studies, Communication Studies, Computer Science, Biology, Geography, History, Literatures in English, Management of Business, Physics and Sociology. In the grading scheme used by CAPE, Grades I’s to V’s range from “Excellent” to “Acceptable.” This year, CXC examined 27 subjects (45 Units) for CAPE. CXC offered CAPE for the first time in 1998 when five subjects were examined. Sam attested that CAPE’s offerings “are intended to provide candidates with an opportunity to obtain certification for employment as well as for entry into tertiary institutions.” Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines and TT will join their Caribbean counterparts in offering CAPE from September this year.