For both the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), Guyana has seen slight dips in the overall performance this year.
Chief Education Officer, Saddam Hussain made this announcement on Thursday when the results were released by the Education Ministry at the Anna Regina Secondary School on the Essequibo Coast.
Across the country, 12,118 students sat the CSEC examinations, an increase in 10,368 in 2022. There were 75,764 entries. Overall, the pass rate was 65 percent this year – a decline from 68.5 percent last year.
Outstanding performances – which translates to a pass rate of 80 percent or more – were reported in 14 subject areas: Agriculture Science (Double Award), Agriculture Science (Single Award), Electronic Document Preparation and Management (EDPM), Family and Resource Management, Food Nutrition & Health, industrial Technology (Building), Industrial technology (Electrical), Information Technology, Physical Education, Music, Physical Education, Religious Education, Technical Drawing, Theater Arts and Industrial Technology (Mechanical).
Stable performances were noted in English, Mathematics, Technical Drawing, Caribbean History and Economics.
Declines were seen in Biology from 82 percent to 72 percent, Human and Social Biology from 73 percent to 63 percent, Physical Education and Sport from 98 percent to 88 percent, and Portuguese from 76 percent to 62 percent.
Pass percentage this year shows 70 for English Language, 63 for English Literature, 34 for Mathematics, 60 for Additional Mathematics, 97 for Agricultural Science (double award), 55 for Physics, 66 for Integrated Science, 58 for Chemistry, 72 for Principles of Business, 69 for Principles of Account, 63 for Economics, 84 for Religious Education, 53 in Social Studies, 84 for Religious Education, 65 for Visual Arts, 64 for Caribbean History, 64 Caribbean History, 98 for Theater Arts and 88 for Music.
For the TVET subject areas, there was a pass rate of over 65 per cent. In modern languages, French is 55 per cent, Spanish is 51 per cent and Portuguese is 62 per cent.
CAPE statistics
For CAPE, a slight ‘dip’ in the overall performance was reported at 90.85 percent.
A total of 701 students from 12 secondary schools and four private centers sat the exams. There are 17 examination centers in Guyana.
From 671 entries in 2022, this increased to 701 across units in 29 subject areas. In CAPE, Grades One to Five represent a pass in the respective subjects.
Subjects which recorded 100 percent passes were: Accounting Unit Two, Applied Mathematics Unit Two, Building and Mechanical Engineering: Units One and Two, Electronic and Electrical Technology Unit Two, Food and Nutrition Unit Two, Geography Unit One, Green Engineering Unit Two: Physical Education and Sport Unit One and Two, Physics Unit Two and Spanish Unit Two.
A breakdown of the performance shows 386 Grade Ones, 736 Grade Twos, 981 Grade Threes, 761 Grade Fours and 493 Grade Fives. In 40 units, students scored 75 percent or higher.
An improved performance was recorded in Accounting Unit One from 80 percent to 90 percent, Agricultural Science from 76 percent to 91 percent, Applied Mathematics from 88 percent to 100 percent, Economics from 81 percent to 90 percent, Electronic and Electrical Technology from 80 percent to 85 percent, Geography from 95 percent to 100 percent, Pure Mathematics Unit One from 65 percent to 88 percent, Pure Mathematics Unit Two from 80 percent to 87 percent, Chemistry from 86 percent to 88 percent, and Literature from 95 percent to 97 percent.
Caribbean Studies and Communication studies – both compulsory subjects – recorded over 90 percent.
Stable performance was reported in Geography Unit Two, Law Unit One, Management of Business Unit One, Physics Unit Two, Spanish Unit Two, PE and Sports: Units One and Two, Building and Mechanical Engineering Unit One, and Green Engineering Unit Two.
The Ministry will commence the process on Monday to correct and rectify subjects where there is decline.
“If there is a need for review, that can be done to the local registrar in Queen’s College compound by 7th September, 2023…I want to say that the SBAs are absolutely pivotal if you’re going to be a successful student at CSEC and CAPE,” Hussain underscored.
