Increase in CSEC Pass Rate by Over 3 Percent

By Zaya Williams

The performance of Antiguan and Barbudan students in the CSEC examinations has witnessed a noteworthy improvement, with a pass rate that exceeded expectations.

According to preliminary data released by education authorities, this year saw 75.4 percent of students achieving passing grades, an increase from the 72.3 percent recorded the previous year.

Local CXC Registrar Myrick Smith commended the students’ performance, stating, “I would like to commend the students who wrote CXC for a performance that is higher than the performance in 2022, and remember these are preliminary results. There are a number of instances where grades were not given, were not rewarded, persons got ungraded, the grades were withheld, those issues would be resolved later on and we might even see this figure of 75.4 percent increase.”

Further insights into the results revealed that this year, 606 students successfully passed five or more subjects, albeit slightly fewer than the 634 who achieved this feat in 2022. In terms of individual subjects, 283 students passed five or more subjects, including English A, compared to 272 in the previous year.

Similarly, 283 students passed five or more subjects, including Mathematics, in 2023, up from 270 in 2022.

However, only a total of 267 students managed to pass five subjects or more, including both Math and English this year-a requirement for matriculation-compared to 250 in 2022.

Smith further disclosed that out of the 33 subjects offered by CXC, Antigua and Barbuda excelled and surpassed the regional average in 23 areas, including Biology, History, Agricultural Science, and English A, among others. Nevertheless, there remain areas where improvement is sought, notably Mathematics, where the local average is 32.6 percent compared to the regional average of 45.7 percent.

The country also faced challenges in subjects such as French, Economics, and Geography, indicating areas where focused efforts may be needed to bridge the performance gap.

Turning to the CAPE exams, Smith reported that 88 percent of students achieved success in their subjects, a commendable result, even though it was slightly lower than the 87 percent pass rate recorded the previous year.

However, Smith hinted that this figure “may go up because there are some areas outstanding,” suggesting that some results were yet to be finalized.

As the education authorities work towards resolving any outstanding issues and fine-tuning the results, these preliminary figures already reflect the dedication and hard work of Antiguan and Barbudan students on their path to academic success.