High schools in Melissa-affected parishes given option to adopt modified approach for CXC exams

High schools in seven parishes have been given the option to adopt a modified approach for the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) May/June 2026 examinations.

This decision was taken under CXC’s Regional Disaster and Business Recovery Protocol, following the passage of Category Five Hurricane Melissa in October 2025.

The parishes that will benefit from this measure are St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Manchester, Hanover, St James, Trelawny and St Ann.

CXC administers the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Wayne Wesley, said CXC stands with Jamaica as the country recovers from the unprecedented devastation and dislocation caused by Hurricane Melissa, and has approved an agreed plan of action with the Ministry of Education Skills, Youth and Information.

The Modified approach includes Paper 01 (multiple choice) and the School-Based Assessment (SBA) or Paper 03/02.

“Modifications and adjustments will be facilitated for Jamaican-based candidates with respect to school-based assessments,” Wesley said, during a press conference at the Overseas Examinations Commission (OEC) in St Andrew on Wednesday, January 7.

School administrators are required to make submissions to CXC by January 14, indicating whether they intend to use the modified approach.

“Late registration has been accommodated for candidates from schools negatively affected without any late fee requirements. CXC will extend the timeline for submission of SBAs for schools negatively impacted to June 15, 2026 without any late fee requirements,” Wesley said.

He advised that all Jamaican candidates will receive their results in August 2026 with the rest of the region.

Wesley added that candidates who register and pay for their examinations but no longer feel ready to sit the examinations, can seek a refund or defer to another sitting in 2027.

CXC Director of Operations, Dr Nicole Manning, advised that special cases outside of these parishes will be considered.

She noted that the modified approach will not be applied to seven subjects, including CSEC Theatre Arts, Human and Social Biology, Music, Physical Education and Sport and CAPE Performing Arts.

“They're very competency-based subjects and CXC, as you know, takes that very seriously. If it is that for any reason, they feel that they're ill-prepared at the point closer to examination, they can defer or they can seek a refund,” Manning said.

- JIS News

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