For decades, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)’s School-Based Assessment (SBA) framework has provided Caribbean students with a flexible pathway to showcase their knowledge and practical skills in authentic school and community learning environments. Working hand-in-hand with regional governments across the Caribbean, CXC has spent years refining SBA administration to align with regional education goals. In recent years, however, growing gaps in the SBA’s ability to accurately measure student ability, paired with the rapid spread of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), have pushed the council to implement a multi-stage, far-reaching reform initiative that will roll out its full updated framework in 2026.
CXC’s reform process did not begin overnight. Steady adjustments to SBA oversight started in 2020, when the council expanded moderation to cover 100% of SBA submissions across all assessment centers. In 2022, CXC shifted from center-level moderation to teacher-led moderation to increase scrutiny of assessment quality, while expanding the actionable feedback provided on student work. By 2024, the council issued a formal reminder to all education stakeholders of the requirement for candidates to submit original work aligned with CXC’s official examination regulations. The most recent policy update came in 2025, when CXC launched two landmark resources for the regional secondary education system: the CXC Responsible Generative AI Policy Framework, and the CXC Standards and Guidelines for the Use of AI in Assessments. These new guidelines include the Adapted Scale Levels and Descriptors for the AI Assessment Scale (AIAS), which defines clear boundaries for acceptable AI use in student work, guidance for teachers designing SBA-aligned assessments, and structured mechanisms for educators to verify the originality of student work when GenAI is used.
The fully updated, reformed SBA framework, set to launch ahead of the 2026/2027 academic year, is designed to help the Caribbean regional education system keep pace with rapid technological change while protecting the academic integrity of school-based assessment as GenAI becomes increasingly accessible to students. Beyond upholding assessment standards, the reform will encourage responsible GenAI use among learners, deepen subject mastery, and better prepare students to demonstrate their competence in formal invigilated examinations. To further advance regional assessment transformation as a top strategic priority, CXC is also establishing a dedicated Educational Assessment Taskforce. While long-term systemic changes are already in early development, CXC moved to implement immediate updates to address widespread concerns about SBA quality ahead of the 2026/2027 academic year.
All reform changes were developed following extensive consultation with education stakeholders across 21 Caribbean states, including classroom teachers, school principals, curriculum officers, local registrars, and national Ministries of Education. The finalized reforms have been formally approved, reflecting a shared regional commitment to upholding the rigorous standards that underpin CXC’s qualification and certification awards. CXC emphasizes that it takes seriously its responsibility to all stakeholders — students, parents, teachers, employers, and governments — to protect the validity of Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) certifications for both higher education matriculation and workforce entry.
The reforms impact all 32 current CSEC subjects and 36 CAPE subjects offered by CXC, grouped into three categories each based on assessment changes. Practical, performance-based subjects will retain their existing SBA requirements, while non-practical subjects will shift to invigilated assessment via the Alternate Paper 032.
For CSEC subjects, the 32 offerings are split into three groups: 12 subjects will retain their current SBA requirements with no changes; 7 subjects will expand SBA use, phasing out the Alternate Paper 032 entirely; and 13 subjects will transition to exclusive use of the Alternate Paper 032. The CSEC transition will proceed in phased stages: Group 1 subjects retain existing assessment rules permanently. For Group 2 subjects, the Alternate Paper 032 will be eliminated starting with the May–June 2028 examination session, requiring all candidates to complete the SBA. For Group 3 CSEC subjects, both SBA and Alternate Paper 032 will be accepted in May–June 2027, with only the Alternate Paper 032 permitted starting in May–June 2028.
For CAPE subjects, the 36 offerings are similarly grouped: 11 subjects will retain current SBA requirements with no changes; 8 subjects will expand SBA use by eliminating the Alternate Paper 032; and 17 subjects will remove the SBA entirely and rely exclusively on the Alternate Paper 032. All CAPE changes will go into full effect starting with the May–June 2027 examination session.
CXC has addressed common candidate questions regarding score reuse and transfer for the updated assessment model. Alternate Paper 032 scores will be transferable over a two-year period for both CSEC and CAPE, matching the previous transfer policy for SBA scores. For syllabuses modularized for the new Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC), Alternate Paper 032 scores will be transferable over a four-year window, with full guidance available in subject syllabuses posted to CXC’s official website. For candidates pursuing modular CSEC Mathematics, Alternate Paper 032 scores from a first sitting can be reused across all modules within the four-year transfer window. Candidates registered for both CSEC English A and English B, or for CSEC Economics, Principles of Accounts, and Principles of Business, will only need to complete one combined Alternate Paper 032, matching the combined SBA structure previously in place. Longstanding score transfer policies, such as the ability to transfer CSEC Additional Mathematics scores to CSEC Mathematics (but not the reverse), and the ability to transfer CAPE Alternate Paper 032 scores between units where permitted by subject syllabi, will remain in effect.
The Alternate Paper 032 itself will also see format updates to support candidate preparation. Assessment topics will be released approximately one month before the examination date, candidates will be permitted to bring printed or handwritten prepared reference notes into the examination room, and the allotted examination time may be increased. Electronic devices with stored notes are not permitted, and full additional guidance will be released to candidates before the examination period. Sample papers, marking schemes, and answer keys for the updated Alternate Paper 032 are already available for free download in subject syllabuses on CXC’s website.
For the 2027 CSEC transition year, all decisions around assessment choice are made at the school level, not by individual candidates: a center must select either SBA or the Alternate Paper 032 for all its registered candidates across all subjects, though candidates who began an SBA in the 2025-2026 academic year will be permitted to complete and submit their existing SBA for the May-June 2027 session. For CSEC science subjects, the shift to exclusive SBA use does not take effect until May-June 2028, so the Alternate Paper 032 will remain available for January 2027 and January 2028 sittings. Starting in January 2029, only resit candidates carrying forward previously earned SBA scores will be permitted to register for January sittings of subjects where the Alternate Paper 032 has been eliminated. First-time private candidates registering for CSEC Biology, Chemistry, or Physics after May-June 2028 will be required to affiliate with a public or private examination center to complete required laboratory exercises.
A clear timeline guides the full rollout of reforms: the updated SBA framework goes into effect for the 2026-2027 academic year, giving schools and candidates time to prepare for new arrangements. All CAPE changes take full effect in May-June 2027, while CSEC operates under a transitional arrangement that year. Full CSEC changes go into effect in May-June 2028, and the updated January sitting policy takes effect starting in January 2029.