The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has reported stronger regional results in its 2025 exams, with more students meeting the benchmark required for university matriculation and employment.

Announcing the results at a ceremony hosted by the Cayman Islands government on Thursday, CXC Registrar and CEO, Dr. Wayne Wesley, said 44 percent of candidates sitting the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations achieved five or more passes including Mathematics and English. That’s up from 41 percent last year.

“Every child can and will achieve their true potential,” Dr. Wesley said, noting that the five-subject standard remains the critical marker of readiness for higher education and the world of work.

Subject Performance

CXC’s Director of Operations, Dr. Nicole Manning, outlined the detailed results, pointing to gains in several core areas. English Language continued to perform strongly with more top grades, while Mathematics registered modest improvement in the General paper and stronger results in Additional Mathematics.

Physical Education and Sport delivered its best performance in three years, with 52 percent of students earning Grade One. Music also stood out, with both higher registration and stronger outcomes, Grade One passes jumped from 74 percent in 2024 to 86 percent this year.

Social Studies, the largest subject area, showed an increase in Grade One scores but a drop in overall performance, which Dr. Manning described as worrying.

“These improvements are encouraging,” she said. “We must continue to build on this progress, especially in literacy and numeracy. The regional strategies being implemented are clearly beginning to bear fruit.”

Mixed Results at CAPE

For the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), results were less consistent. Biology and Physics improved across both units, while Chemistry and Environmental Science produced mixed outcomes. Mathematics subjects all showed gains, and newer offerings such as Green Engineering and Design & Technology achieved a 100 percent pass rate.

The arts also recorded strong performances, with Performing Arts Unit 1 achieving a 100 percent pass rate. Spanish results improved, but Communication Studies and Literature in English both fell. Business subjects were mixed, with Accounting Unit 1 improving but Unit 2 declining.

Dr. Manning also highlighted a drop in registrations for traditionally high-enrollment subjects such as Communication Studies and Caribbean Studies. “We are not where we want to be just yet,” she admitted, “but the indicators are moving in the right direction.”

Regional Reach

More than 100,000 candidates across the Caribbean sat over 600,000 subject entries in the 2025 examinations, which included CSEC, CAPE and the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC).

CXC congratulated students across the region and commended educators and ministries of education for their continued efforts to raise academic standards.