No breach, says CXC | Students won’t be re-sitting exams

Following what the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) called a ‘due diligence’ probe, the regional body has announced that there will be no need for students around the region to re-sit any exams.

CXC had launched the probe after a video surfaced on social media, showing Trinidad & Tobago students sitting an exam while using their cellular phones.

The Examination Council said the results of their probe is that there was no breach of any examination papers.

However, CXC’s Registrar Glenroy Cumberbatch said: “It is clear that there was lapse supervision in some examination centres”.

“That has been addressed,” he added via a recent media release. “Any irregularities in any centre will be addressed as is done after every examination.”

Cumberbatch further said he wishes to “give the assurance that the principle of fairness will be paramount in our dealings with these unfortunate incidents.”

Meanwhile, Education Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley said steps would be taken to reduce the probability of security breaches while BVI students sit exams from external bodies such as the CXC.

Precautionary measures for BVI

“We will increase spot checks and monitoring of exam centres throughout the exam season. They (local exam invigilators) will also continue to sign oaths of confidentiality each year,” he told BVI News at the time.

As for current measures, Dr Wheatley said local examination personnel are typically interviewed and trained on CXC’s expectations and procedures before the start of the exams.

“They are reminded of the implications to the territory if such a breach occurs … They are also required to report any cases of misconduct to the Local Registrar and are aware that they will be held accountable for any discrepancies in their work. This may lead to immediate dismissal without pay, depending on the severity,” he said.

He said one of the repercussions to a security breach would mean that students would have to re-sit the exam and it would come at a cost.

“For us [in the BVI] it means we have to pay for examination personnel, shipping and accommodation, among other things a second time,” he said.

While the country in breach would have been expected to pay for all of CXC’s costs associated with the re-sit of the examinations, he said.