QC student tops CAPE

Aug 23, 2008 News

Nazana Weeks of Queen’s College has secured the top spot at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), having attained grade ones in five subject areas.

According to Education Minister Shaik Baksh, the young man was able to secure grade ones in Computer Science I, Computer Science II, Information Technology I, Environmental Science II and Pure Mathematics.

Weeks also obtained a grade ‘A’ in Mathematics at the Advanced Level at this year’s General Certificate of Education Examination.

At a press conference on Thursday, the minister said that the examination is rated on a seven-point scale, where grades one to five are regarded as the acceptable standard for matriculation purposes.

He outlined that grade one represents an excellent performance, while grades two and three are accepted as good, along with good standards of performance.

Grades four and five, on the other hand, are deemed satisfactory performances, Minister Baksh added.
Minister Baksh disclosed that the overall pass rate this year is 87.9 per cent.

He revealed that there has been a slight decline when compared to last year’s 90.5 per cent. He noted that there was an improvement in the grade one and grade two performances.

He said that the candidates were offered units in 22 subject areas, with each unit comprising three modules (equivalent to 150 credit hours) and being separately examined and certified.

Among the single unit subjects offered this year were: Caribbean Studies, Communication Studies, and Information Technology.

The double-unit subjects that were offered included: Accounting, Applied Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Environmental Science, French, Food and Nutrition, Geography, History, Law, Literatures in English, Management of Business, Pure Mathematics, Physics, Geometrical and Mechanical Engineering Drawing, Sociology and Spanish.

According to the minister, candidates were able to obtain a 100 per cent pass rate in 20 units with grade one to five passes.

These units, he said, are: Accounting Unit 2, Biology Unit 2, Caribbean Studies Unit 1, Chemistry Unit 2, Computer Science Unit 1and Unit 2, Environmental Science Unit 1 and Unit 2, Food and Nutrition Unit 1 and Unit 2, Information Technology Unit 1, Management of Business Unit 2, Physics Unit 2, Computer Science Unit 1and Unit 2, Environmental Science Unit 1 and Unit 2, Food and Nutrition Unit 1 and Unit 2, Information Technology Unit 1, Management of Business Unit 2, Physics Unit 2, Pure Mathematics Unit 2, Sociology Unit 2, Applied Mathematics Unit 1, Electrical and Electronic Technology Unit 1 and Unit 2, as well as Geometrical and Mechanical Engineering Drawing Unit 1 and Unit 2.

Additionally, the minister disclosed that the pass rate of candidates was 75 per cent higher, with grades one to five passes in 13 units.

In four units, candidates obtained a pass rate of 50 per cent or higher (but below 75 per cent) with grade one to five passes.

However, in Physics Unit 1 and Pure Mathematics Unit 1, the pass rate was below 50 per cent, the minister noted.

Baksh opined that the performance in Pure Mathematics Unit 1 continues to be below the 50 per cent pass rate, while Physics Unit 1 has declined from 66.7 per cent last year.

However, Minister Baksh said that he is satisfied with the overall performance of the students at the examination.

A total of 392 candidates from seven sixth form secondary schools and two private centres wrote the examination this year in Guyana.

It was conducted at nine centres, namely the Mackenzie High School in Region 10, New Amsterdam Multilateral and the New Amsterdam Adult Education Association in Region Six, President’s College in Region Four, and in Georgetown at the Bishops’ High, Queen’s College, St Rose’s High, St Stanislaus College and the Adult Education Association.