The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) will host a four-member delegation from the Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ), from September 26 to 30 on a study tour.{{more}}

The delegation consists of Jolly Chembe, Deputy Director of the ECZ; Maria Mulenga, Assistant Director- Examinations Administration; Teza Nakazwe Musakanya Principal Research Officer; and Banji Milumbe Shakubanza, Information Technology Specialist.

While in Barbados, the delegation will observe several aspects of the CXC operations, in particular the Examination Processing System (EPS), and CXC’s techniques for administering regional and national examinations. The team will also meet with the technical divisions at CXC, including the Information Systems Division and the Examination Development and Production Division.

The partnership with the ECZ was forged during an international study programme in the United Kingdom in May this year, attended by representatives from both boards. Following a presentation by the CXC delegation, the Zambian board expressed an interest in visiting CXC’s Headquarters to observe its operations.

The Caribbean Examinations Council is viewed internationally as a leader in administering public examinations and is particularly well known for its work with school based assessment (SBA), an aspect of assessment which many examination boards around the world are now in the process of implementing.

This is the second time in five years CXC is hosting an examination board from Southern Africa. In 2006, a delegation from the Examination Division of the Ministry of Education of Botswana visited CXC in Barbados on a similar mission.

“CXC is interested in fostering south-south collaboration with other developing states, even as the Council benchmarks its examinations and processes against international standards,” remarked Dr. Didacus Jules, Registrar of CXC. “This visit demonstrates the prestige with which CXC is held internationally in the examinations fraternity.”