CSEC 2021: Guyana tops Caribbean in 20 subjects

A total of 9,808 candidates were registered for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) 2021 examinations as compared to 12,009 registered for 2020. Subject entries for 2021 were 61,437. An analysis of the 2021 preliminary results revealed that the overall pass rate at the General and Technical proficiencies for Grades One to Three was 66.36%.

For 2021, 75 percent of the Guyanese candidates who were registered had received acceptable grades ( Grades 1 to 3) compared to the region’s 68 percent. Also, Guyana topped the Caribbean in 20 of the 33 subjects written at the CSEC level this year.

Improved performance was evident in four (04) subjects and remained constant in six (06) subjects. Outstanding performances were noted in eight (08) subjects where 90% and over gained acceptable Grades (Gr 1 – 3). Some subjects with outstanding performances were Agricultural Science (Double Award) with 93.14%, Information Technology with 92.59 %, Physical Education & Sports with 99.28% and Theatre Arts with 100 %.

Mathematics and English

Grades One to Three passes in English A declined from 77.76 % in 2020 to 67.72% in 2021. However, the 2021 pass rate in English A was constant when compared to 2019 with a pass rate of 68%. English B recorded a pass rate of 53.45% in 2021. Mathematics moved from a pass rate of 43% in 2019 and 48.36% in 2020 to 31.6 % in 2021. Additional Mathematics recorded a pass rate of 58.87 % in 2021.

Sciences

Agricultural Science DA and SA continue to record pass rates of over 90%, Agricultural Science DA pass rate for 2021 is 93.14% and SA pass rate is 93.36%. Performances declined in all the sciences except for Human and Social Biology. Human and Social Biology showed an increased performance in 2021 with 73.24% as against 2020 with a pass rate of 59.17%. Biology moved from 83.47 % in 2020 to 75.39% in 2021. Chemistry recorded a pass rate of 60.94% in 2021 as against 71.6 % in 2020. Physics moved from a pass rate of 80.63% in 2020 to 61.99% in 2021. Integrated Science recorded a pass rate of 68.58% in 2021 as against 79.75% in 2020.

Business

Subjects in the business cognate in addition to Office Administration and Electronic Documentation Preparation and Management recorded a decline in performance. Principles of Accounts moved from 79.28% in 2020 to 71.57% in 2021. Economics recorded a pass rate of 66.88% in 2021 as against 72.07% in 2020. Office Administration pass rate showed a decline from 87% in 2020 to 79.62% in 2021.

Humanities and Expressive Arts  

An improved performance was evident in Caribbean History with a pass rate of 70.73% in 2021 as against 64.49% in 2020. The pass rate in Geography moved from 76.26% in 2020 to 60.57% in 2021. Religious Education pass rate remained constant with a pass rate of 89.08%. Social Studies recorded a pass rate of 52.27% in 2021.

The performance in Theatre Arts recorded a pass rate of 100% in 2021.  Visual Arts pass rate moved from 71% in 2019, 78.81% in 2020 and 77.89% in 2021.

TVET Subjects

The Technical and Vocational Education cluster of subjects recorded pass rates of over 75% in 2021. Textiles, Clothing and Fashion recorded an improved performance of 93.11% in 2021 as against 86.95% in 2020. Food Nutrition and Health moved from 92.38% in 2020 to 85.53% in 2021. Family and Resource Management also moved from 86.37% in 2020 to 75.81% in 2021.  Industrial Technology – Electrical recorded a pass rate of 90.12% in 2021 and Industrial Technology – Building recorded a pass rate of 96.87% in 2021.

Modern Languages

French recorded a pass rate 61.63% in 2021 as against 77.61% in 2020. Portuguese recorded a constant pass rate of 78.41% in 2021 while Spanish moved from 66.62% in 2020 to 56.27% in 2021.

Outstanding Performance (90% and over Grades One – Three)

 Agricultural Science (Double Award) with 93.14%

Agricultural Science (Single Award) with 93.36%

Information Technology with 92.59%

Theatre Arts with 100%

Physical Education & Sports with 99.28%

Textiles, Clothing and Fashion with 93.11%

Industrial Technology Mechanical with 90.12%

Industrial Technology Building with 96.87%

Subjects with improved performance Grades I to III

Subjects with stable performance Grades I to III

Subjects with declined performance Grades I to III

For 2021, the pass rate in the Caribbean saw a decline as did Guyana, for English A, English B, Chemistry, Physics, Social Studies, Principles of Business.

While Guyana displayed a declined performance (single digit) in some subject areas, some of these subject performances were actually better than the Caribbean averages.

These include Biology, Integrated Science, EDPM and Office Administration.

Subjects with a decline pass rate for Guyana

2021 CSEC MOST GRADE ONES

For 2021 176 Candidates attained eight or more Grade Ones with 47 candidates gaining 12 or more Grade Ones. Below are the Top 11 performers with 16 or more Grade Ones.