Barbados has delivered strong academic results in the 2026 round of regional Caribbean examinations, posting a near-94% overall pass rate for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) while recording consistent improvement in key core subjects for secondary-level assessments. The outcomes were officially announced by Chief Education Officer Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw during a ceremony at the Ministry of Education Transformation, where the country’s top Scholarship and Exhibition award winners were also honored.
Breaking down the 2026 CAPE data, Dr. Archer-Bradshaw noted that candidate registrations grew slightly year-over-year, rising from 4,999 in 2025 to 5,196 this year. Of that cohort, 5,022 candidates completed their scheduled subject sittings, with 4,710 earning passing marks to bring the national overall pass rate to 93.8%. Female candidates made up 55.4% of test-takers, while males accounted for the remaining 44.6%.
Performance across the two CAPE units remained uniformly strong: Unit 1 recorded a 93.1% pass rate, while Unit 2 hit 95.1%. Female students posted a 94.3% overall pass rate, edging out their male peers who logged a 93.2% pass rate. Seventeen Unit 1 subjects achieved a perfect 100% pass rate, spanning disciplines from French, History, and Literatures in English to technical and innovative fields including Information Technology, Green Engineering, Animation and Gaming Design, and Building and Mechanical Engineering Drawing. For Unit 2, perfect pass rates were recorded for subjects including Art and Design, Food and Nutrition, Geography, Sociology, and Spanish. An additional 23 subjects across both units posted pass rates between 90% and 99%.
Dr. Archer-Bradshaw emphasized that the achievements of this year’s scholarship and exhibition recipients carry extra weight against the backdrop of the nation’s strong overall CAPE performance. She congratulated all awardees, noting that their success was the product of consistent, often unseen effort: “Your accomplishments did not happen by chance. Behind every grade one, every exceptional GPA, and every scholarship qualification lies a story that very few people see. It is a story of very early mornings and very late nights, of balancing internal assessments with examinations, of choosing commitment over convenience… Today your names are being called because your hard work spoke louder than your obstacles.” She also extended recognition to students who did not earn top honors but pushed through challenges to deliver their best possible performance, saying the education community is equally proud of their perseverance.
Alongside the CAPE outcomes, Dr. Archer-Bradshaw shared results for the 2026 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), the region’s secondary-level graduation assessment. A total of 22,967 candidates registered for the exams across 42 test centers, including 21 public secondary schools and 20 private institutions, with 21,047 completing their assessments. The national pass rate for grades one to three stood at 69.9%, just slightly below the regional average of 72.18%. For CSEC, male students recorded a 70.9% pass rate, a narrow lead over the 69.2% pass rate for female candidates.
Notably, Barbadian students outperformed regional averages in all core CSEC subjects, building on three consecutive years of progress. The national CSEC Mathematics pass rate rose to 47% this year, five full percentage points above the regional benchmark of 42.15%. Dr. Archer-Bradshaw highlighted that Barbados has now held a regional lead in mathematics pass rates for three straight years of consistent growth. CSEC English A posted an 82% pass rate, exceeding the regional average of 80% and marking a clear improvement from 2025’s lower result, while English B hit a 60% pass rate, a 1.2% increase year-over-year.
Several public secondary schools delivered dramatic turnarounds in core subject pass rates, earning official praise from the Chief Education Officer. St. George Secondary School recorded an extraordinary 61.8% jump in its mathematics pass rate compared to 2025, while other schools posting double-digit mathematics gains included Coleridge and Parris School (up 23.6%), Parkinson Memorial Secondary School (up 22.8%), The Alexandra School (up 13.1%), and Christ Church Foundation School (up 10.7%). In English, Darryl Jordan Secondary School stood out with a 48.7% increase in its pass rate, a result Dr. Archer-Bradshaw called truly outstanding.
The 2026 exam cycle also marked a historic milestone for regional assessment, with the launch of the pilot for the Caribbean Examinations Council’s new Caribbean Targeted Examination Certificate, a modular approach to CSEC certification. The pilot launched with Module One for CSEC mathematics, enrolling 589 students from six Barbadian secondary schools. Of that group, 493 completed the assessment, and 358 earned passing marks for an overall 72.6% pass rate. Female candidates posted a 76.6% pass rate in the pilot, compared to 68% for male candidates. Dr. Archer-Bradshaw added that education officials are optimistic the next phase of the pilot will deliver even stronger outcomes.
Closing the announcement, Dr. Archer-Bradshaw credited collective effort across Barbados’ education ecosystem for the year’s strong results, emphasizing that no student succeeds alone. She thanked teachers for their countless hours of lesson preparation, assignment grading, practical training, and encouragement that helps students pursue excellence. She also recognized principals and school leaders for building high-expectation learning environments rooted in strong leadership and positive school culture. Gratitude was also extended to parents and guardians for their sacrifices, encouragement, and unwavering support, as well as to Ministry of Education Transformation staff for their ongoing work to reform and strengthen the national education system, so every student can reach their full potential. Echoing a core theme of the event, Dr. Archer-Bradshaw reaffirmed that education remains one of the most valuable investments any nation can make in its future.