The annual Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) testing window has officially kicked off across the region, with local examination officials confirming that more than 1,700 total candidates are registered to sit for this year’s battery of secondary and post-secondary assessments. Local Registrar Magalie Celestine shared details of the exam timeline and new testing initiatives, noting that the 2026 season got an early start on April 13 with music practical examinations, which have already wrapped up successfully.
Currently, the next wave of practical and oral assessments is in progress: Physical Education and Sports practical tests, along with French and Spanish oral examinations, are being administered through April 30, according to Celestine. The main written exam portion of the season is scheduled to launch on May 4, falling this year on the May Day public holiday, and will follow a staggered end date. For students pursuing the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), written exams will conclude on June 9, while candidates sitting for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) will continue their assessments through June 16, bringing the full six-week exam season to a close.
Celestine reported that preparations have proceeded smoothly so far, with all 70 trained invigilators in place and 17 testing centers activated across the island to accommodate all registered candidates. Breakdowns of candidate numbers show 965 registered for CSEC, split between 743 school-based candidates and 222 private candidates. An additional 119 candidates are registered for CAPE, 641 for CCSLC, and all testing centers will also host GCE A-Level Cambridge Exams alongside CXC assessments, Celestine confirmed.
The most notable addition to this year’s exam calendar is the launch of a first-of-its-kind pilot program for the Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC), a new modular alternative to the traditional linear assessment model used for CSEC. Unlike the standard full-length linear exams, CTEC breaks subject syllabi into smaller, focused modules that reduce testing time per sitting.
To illustrate the new structure, Celestine used the example of the CTEC Mathematics assessment: the full CSEC syllabus is split into three separate modules, and candidates sit a shortened version of each exam paper alongside traditional CSEC test-takers. Where standard CSEC Mathematics Paper 1 requires 60 multiple-choice questions completed over 90 minutes, CTEC candidates answer 20 questions in 30 minutes. Similarly, CTEC Paper 2 is trimmed to four structured questions to be completed in 50 minutes, compared to the longer traditional version.
Fifty private candidates are registered for this inaugural CTEC pilot, marking the first time the modular assessment program has been rolled out anywhere in the Caribbean. Celestine noted that the pilot is the first step in a broader long-term plan to convert all 33 existing CSEC subjects to a modular format, which will eventually give all students the flexibility to choose between the traditional linear assessment pathway and the new modular CTEC option that better fits their learning pace and needs.