In a landmark educational reform, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda has announced comprehensive state funding for all Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) tests commencing with the May/June 2026 cycle. The Ministry of Education, Sports and Creative Industries has issued an official directive confirming that the government will assume financial responsibility for examination fees across three key assessment tiers: the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).
This progressive policy initiative mandates immediate full refunds for all examination fees previously collected from students or their guardians for the specified examination period. The Ministry has established a structured reimbursement mechanism through which funds already deposited into the Ministry’s Examination account will be channeled back to respective educational institutions for subsequent disbursement to eligible parties.
Educational authorities have explicitly prohibited further collection of CXC examination fees for the 2026 cycle. Both educational institutions and parents/guardians have been instructed to cease all payments and deposits to the Ministry of Education External Examination Fees Account at ACB Caribbean. The Ministry emphasizes the critical importance of stakeholder cooperation in successfully implementing this transformative educational policy, which represents a significant investment in the nation’s human capital development and educational accessibility.