CXC scraps SBA for most subjects

Jul 17, 2026 News

…as AI threat forces major exam overhaul
…students to write exam-based Paper 032 instead as Council moves to protect integrity of qualifications

(Kaieteur News) – The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has announced the biggest shake-up of its School-Based Assessments (SBAs) in decades, effectively scrapping the traditional take-home SBA for most non-practical subjects amid growing concerns that students are relying on artificial intelligence (AI) to complete their coursework.

CXC Director of Operations, Dr Nicole Manning

In a message delivered to students, parents and educators across the region, CXC Director of Operations, Dr. Nicole Manning, said the widespread use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has made it increasingly difficult to determine whether submitted SBA projects are genuinely the work of students.

“When GenAI is used to produce an SBA that is submitted as a student’s own original effort, we can no longer be certain whose work we are assessing,” Manning warned, adding that such uncertainty threatens the credibility of CXC qualifications.

Under the new framework, practical subjects such as Agricultural Science, Visual Arts, Music, Physical Education, Technical Drawing, and Food, Nutrition and Health will retain SBAs because hands-on assessment remains essential.

However, subjects including Mathematics, English, Caribbean History, Social Studies, Principles of Business, Information Technology and other theory-based disciplines will transition to Paper 032, an assessment completed under supervised examination conditions.

Unlike the traditional SBA, candidates will receive their assessment topics approximately one month before the examination and will be allowed to bring reference notes into the examination room. CXC said the approach preserves research and preparation while ensuring the final work reflects the student’s own knowledge and abilities.

The examination body stressed that the reforms were not imposed unilaterally. According to CXC, nearly 2,400 educators across the Caribbean were surveyed, with 77 percent supporting the changes at the CSEC level and 76 percent backing similar reforms for CAPE.

Implementation will begin with CAPE examinations in May-June 2027. CSEC candidates will have the option of completing either the traditional SBA or Paper 032 in 2027 before the new system becomes fully mandatory in 2028. Students who have already completed SBAs will retain their existing scores under the current two-year transfer rule, while Paper 032 results will also be transferable.

Manning assured teachers that CXC will provide guidance through seminars, FAQs and support from local registrars during the transition. She also urged students to view the reform as more than an anti-cheating measure.

“Integrity is not about whether a machine can detect what you did. It is about who you choose to be,” she said, maintaining that the reforms are designed to preserve the value and international credibility of Caribbean qualifications.

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Artificial intelligence, CXC, GenAI, SBA

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