CXC launches New initiative

The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), has officially launched its highly anticipated Caribbean Targetted Education Certificate (CTEC), following a wildly successful modular mathematics pilot that yielded a staggering 88 percent pass rate.

The historic announcement was made by CXC Registrar and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Wayne Wesley during the official ceremony for the release of the May-June 2026 regional examination results, which was held in Anguilla on Tuesday, August 18.

Sixteen months ago, CXC announced the piloting of this regional initiative to address the perennial underperformance of Caribbean students in specific subjects, particularly mathematics.

Wesley described CTEC as a game-changer and promised that this initiative marks a historic shift for the council.

“…today we keep that promise and we make history in Anguilla by announcing that the achievement of the highly successful CTEC pilot in mathematics in the May/June, 2026 examinations, and with the approval of our Board of Governors, CXC is pleased to officially launch…CTEC,” Wesley declared.

He explained that the initiative utilizes the same subjects, syllabus, and rigorous standards as traditional exams, but breaks them down into focused modules that students can master, be assessed on, and finish step-by-step.

“In other words, CTEC is fit, focused, individualized learning….Under its guiding target framework, every module completed is a credential earned that is banked, portable, and that will…build towards the qualification.”

He added that if life interrupts a learner’s journey, they will no longer leave the education system empty-handed.

Instead, they will depart with clear evidence of their competency and an open door to return to complete their education later.

“At CXC, we hold to the position that competence is competence, no matter how long it takes to achieve…and no matter the route by which it comes.”

The CXC Registrar emphasised that educational models must adapt to meet this generation of learners where they are.

“Our Gen Z learners and our Generation Alpha behind them live in a world of on-demand learning,” he noted, adding that youth master complex skills in structured stages every day on their own screens and schedules.

He urged the public to recognize that children are not less capable than previous generations, but are simply differently wired, digital-first, and hungry for credentials that keep pace with their lifestyles.

“CTEC is assessment redesigned for learners without lowering by a single degree the standard to which we hold,” he noted.

While the CXC team was initially hesitant about whether the region would accept this new framework, Wesley stated they now have definitive proof of widespread acceptance across the territories.

“When we invited the region to pilot CTEC Mathematics Module One, more than 2,500 candidates stepped forward as pioneers across 15 territories and 42 centers, from Jamaica to Belize, from Barbados to the Cayman Islands, and yes, here in Anguilla, which was among the first countries to sign on to the pilot.”

He recalled the excitement of school principals regarding the pilot examinations, and noted that a team from CXC went directly into the field to speak with students and was thoroughly pleased with their responses.

“And so, for CTEC mathematics, we have observed that parents have taken keen interest, teachers have embraced this modularized examination format.”

During the May-June session, 2,535 candidates wrote the Module One examination alongside those sitting the traditional, full CSEC examinations.

“I am pleased indeed, and I am proud to announce that of these 2,535 candidates who wrote CTEC Module 1 in the mathematics pilot examination, 88% achieved acceptable grades.”

Across the entire Caribbean, Wesley revealed that only a single candidate received the lowest grade tier.

“Only one, right? So it simply means that most candidates are benefiting from the approach, measured against a generation in which barely one in three candidates succeed in a typical sitting.”

While he declared that this achievement represents a remarkable turnaround, he clarified that a single module does not equate to an entire subject qualification.

“The full qualification still requires completion of every module at the full standard, but that…is precisely what these results demonstrate.”

Wesley explained that when learning is assessed in focused, achievable stages, students do more than just cope.

“They excel, they engage, persist, and succeed. The May-June mathematics pilot proves that the modular approach works for students, for classrooms, and for the region.”

He commented that this landmark result belongs to the young people who earned it, applauding them for their dedication.

“Let me also make this important point: the competences assessed in CTEC Mathematics Module One are already embedded in CSEC Mathematics Examination taken by tens of thousands of young people this year.”

He announced that 35,000 candidates from the May/June 2026 CSEC mathematics sitting, will be awarded the CTEC mathematics module one credential. This new evolution comes on the heels of a steady three-year climb for CSEC Mathematics, where the regional pass rate rose from 36 per cent in 2024, to 38 per cent in 2025, and reached 42 per cent in 2026.

Following this triumphant debut for CTEC, the Council plans to expand the initiative next year to include English Language, English Literature, and Integrated Science, with a broader goal of scaling CTEC to nine distinct subjects by the 2027–2028 academic year.