KINGSTON, Jamaica — In response to the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Melissa, Jamaica’s Ministry of Education has unveiled comprehensive modifications to its national and regional examination framework for the 2025-2026 academic period. The Category 5 hurricane, which made landfall on October 28, 2025, precipitated widespread displacement of students and educators, prolonged educational interruptions, and inflicted significant psychological distress across affected communities.
The ministry’s newly released bulletin emphasizes its commitment to maintaining assessment integrity while implementing responsive measures that acknowledge the extraordinary challenges facing educational institutions. “Our revised examination administration prioritizes fairness and sensitivity to the realities confronting our schools and communities,” the ministry stated.
At the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) level, institutions spared from the hurricane’s direct impact will proceed with standard Papers 1 and 2 administration, supplemented by concessions for school-based assessments (SBAs), waived late fees, and optional deferral provisions. Severely affected parishes will receive additional accommodations, including the option to complete only Paper 1 with equivalent SBA concessions and fee exemptions.
National assessments undergo significant adjustments: The Grade Two Diagnostic Test will be suspended until 2026-2027, though teachers will receive alternative diagnostic tools for school-based evaluation. Similarly, the Grade Nine Achievement Test (GNAT) will be paused for 2026, with regional education officers overseeing student reintegration into formal education systems.
The ministry has extended registration deadlines for June 2026 City & Guilds examinations in Mathematics Skills (#3850), English Skills (#3850), and Customer Service (#8992), moving the cutoff to February 27, 2026. Speaking and Listening assessments will expand from one to three weeks, with results submission extended into July 2026 and a three-week resit window introduced. Final results will publish on August 28, 2026.
To support academic recovery, the government will distribute complimentary Mathematics and English workbooks (stages one-three) and Customer Service materials (level one) to severely impacted regions by January 2026. Digital resources will be available nationwide, complemented by virtual capacity-building sessions for educators and students.
An emergency November 2026 examination series will provide additional opportunities, featuring extended registration through August 31, 2026, and results publication scheduled for February 25, 2027. The 2025 National Vocational Qualification of Jamaica examinations have been postponed indefinitely.
Financial support includes a $197.66 million fee reduction package for students in hardest-hit parishes, supplementing existing government subsidies through funding from the Overseas Examinations Commission.