As the 2026 May-June regional examination cycle approaches, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has released a heartfelt, personal appeal to thousands of test-takers across the Caribbean, encouraging candidates to enter their exams with confidence while prioritizing self-care, and reaffirming the institution’s unwavering support for every learner sitting its assessments.
The message, delivered via a public video address to candidates, parents, teachers and regional education stakeholders, comes from CXC Registrar and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Wayne Wesley, who framed his communication as a personal note from a lifelong Caribbean educator to students in their final preparation phases. This appeal also lands at a meaningful milestone for the 54-year-old regional assessment body, which has anchored Caribbean education systems for more than half a century.
Founded in 1972, CXC was created to build and operate a locally rooted assessment system that centers the lived realities, collective aspirations, and sovereign cultural identity of Caribbean people. The first CXC examinations were held seven years after its founding, in 1979, and today, decades later, Dr. Wesley confirmed that the organization’s core founding commitments remain unchanged. “While much has shifted across education and the region over the decades, there are values that have stood the test of time: the cultural relevance of our syllabuses, the global recognition of our qualifications, the dedication of our team, and our absolute commitment to the success of every single candidate that takes a CXC exam,” he stated in his address.
The upcoming 2026 May-June session will include the full range of credentials offered by CXC, spanning the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ), Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC), and the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment™ (CPEA™).
A highlight of the 2026 cycle is the official pilot launch of the Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC) Mathematics Module 1, a development Dr. Wesley framed as proof of CXC’s ongoing work to expand accessible learning pathways for regional learners. More than 2,400 candidates from 13 CXC member states have already registered to participate in this first pilot. Participants in the pilot will earn a CTEC micro-credential as they work toward completing their full CSEC certification, marking a new flexible direction for assessment across the Caribbean.
The CTEC initiative was first introduced as a key flexible education pathway proposal during CXC’s inaugural Regional Education Conference and Ministerial Forum, co-hosted with Jamaica’s Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information in Kingston this past March. Education observers have described the four-day gathering as a watershed moment for Caribbean education; the event brought together more than 400 education leaders, policymakers, and practitioners from 27 nations to address the pressing challenges of teaching, learning, and assessment in an increasingly digital era. During the conference, Dr. Wesley emphasized that the region’s assessment systems must adapt to match how digital-native learners engage with and process knowledge, adding that educational equity is not a compromise on excellence, but rather its most authentic form.
Closing his address to upcoming exam candidates, Dr. Wesley framed current innovations like CTEC as the tangible future of Caribbean education already taking shape across the region. “As you wrap up your final preparations, use your study time wisely. Look after yourself and your mental wellbeing. Eat well, and rest when you need to. Be confident, show up for all of your examinations — you’ve got this,” he urged.
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