The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has given formal approval to an overhauled School-Based Assessment (SBA) framework that will roll out across Caribbean nations over the next two examination cycles, Grenada’s Ministry of Education has announced. The regulatory changes were greenlit during CXC’s 64th quarterly business meeting held on June 29, 2026, with the core goal of reinforcing the integrity, public credibility, and overall effectiveness of school-based assessment within the regional standardized examination system.
The revised restructures how assessments are administered across different subject types, creating clear distinctions between practical and non-pacademic non-practical subjects. Moving forward, SBAs will only be mandatory for practical subjects, and the CXC has put in place substantially strengthened monitoring and moderation protocols to uphold assessment standards for these evaluated projects. For students enrolled in non-practical subjects, the traditional SBA requirement will be replaced by a new assessment component called Paper 032.
Paper 032 is designed with greater flexibility to reduce student stress while still accurately measuring learning outcomes. Key accommodations built into the new assessment format include the release of examination topics one full month ahead of the test date, extra completion time for students who require it, and explicit permission for candidates to use approved reference notes during the assessment. Mirroring the existing SBA system, scores earned on Paper 032 will also be transferable across examination years, allowing students to carry over valid scores if they need to retake other components of their exams.
Implementation of the full reform package will follow a staggered, phased timeline to give education systems, schools, and students sufficient time to adapt to the new structure. The new framework will first be introduced for Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) candidates ahead of the 2027 examination administration. For candidates sitting the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams, the transition to the revised framework will begin with the 2028 examination cycle.
Grenada’s Ministry of Education confirmed it is collaborating closely with CXC leadership and local education stakeholders—including school administrators, teacher associations, and parent groups—to prepare for a smooth transition. The ministry notes that detailed, subject-specific implementation guidance will be distributed to schools, teachers, students, and families well in advance of each group’s first examination under the new framework, to ensure all parties have adequate time to adjust their preparation strategies. The ministry has also called on all education stakeholders to monitor official updates as more details are released, and reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to delivering targeted support through the transition period to minimize disruption for learners across the country.