The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) is expressing concern over the increase in irregularities among candidates sitting the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
There were 106 reported cases of irregularities among CSEC candidates and 22 among CAPE candidates in the May-June 2026 sitting, bringing the total number of incidents to 128.
This is up from a total of 80, 54 and 36 in the May-June sittings for 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
CXC Director of Operations, Dr. Nicole Manning, explained that the irregularities include offences such as disruptive or unruly behaviour and the use of cellular phones, among other breaches of examination regulations.
“Candidates who commit an irregularity… have any of those misconducts… their grades are either cancelled or they’re disqualified. We saw quite a bit of this this year, not only from an individual candidate but candidates doing the same thing over and over. So they’re entering different examinations and doing the same thing,” she said.
Dr. Manning was addressing Tuesday’s (August 18) Ceremony for the Release of the CXC 2026 May-June Examination Results in Anguilla.
She disclosed that the use of unauthorised devices was the most frequently reported irregularity in this year’s sittings.
Rounding out the top-three irregularities were collusion, where candidates attempted to work together to complete examinations, and the use of unauthorised materials, including the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
Meanwhile, Dr. Manning reported that 3,534 CAPE candidates were absent from their examinations.
“A candidate who is absent has no opportunity to be graded, because they have missed a component. For CSEC, it is even more worrying; 32,403 candidates not turning up for exams is something that the education system across the region has to be concerned about,” she said.
Dr. Manning urged students to attend their examinations regardless of how unprepared they may feel.
“This is not a reason to be absent. Just try. Nothing beats a trial but [a failure],” she emphasised.
