OF all the subjects written for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) this year, the results of physical education and sport were the best overall.
Public information officer for the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Cleveland Sam yesterday issued a news release revealing CSEC’s statistics and analysis.
This year, there were 142,884 candidates—41 per cent male and 59 per cent female.
Mathematics was the largest subscribed subject, with 98,542 entries; followed by English A and social studies.
The CSEC exam is written in 19 Caribbean countries and 35 subjects are offered on the syllabus.
Sam said since 2012, there was an upward trend in the exam, with 66 per cent achieving grades one, two and three. Last year, 65 per cent received those grades; and in 2012, some 62 per cent.
Sam said: “Of the subjects offered, performance improved in 12, declined in 19 and remained constant in five.”
He said 99 per cent of the 10,000 entries for physical education and sport received the top three grades compared with last year’s 94 per cent. Theatre arts was the subject with the next best results, with 94 per cent obtaining acceptable grades; followed by food and nutrition, with 91 per cent.
Sam said: “Mathematics saw the most improved performance of all subjects offered in 2014 compared with 2013.
“Forty nine per cent of entries achieved grades one to three, which is a 14 per cent improvement over 2013.
The Subject Awards Committee attributed the performance to improvement in most areas on the examination with the exception of trigonometry and geometry.”
Additional mathematics also recorded an improved performance, he said.
Performance in English A saw a one per cent improvement, and there was a marginal decline in English B, Sam said. There was improvement in chemistry and physics, but a decline in biology.
All the subjects in the business cluster recorded a decline in performance.
Sam said: “The Subject Awards Committee noted that questions relating to the business environment, exchange rates, economic integration and balance of payments posed challenges to candidates. Candidates were also challenged by topics such as financial services, closing stock, and operating balances.”
With the exception of visual arts, the subjects relating to expressive arts recorded improved performance. There were mixed performance in the technical and vocational subjects, and a decline in performance in humanities.
According to Sam, “Performance in geography remained steady over the two-year period, at 67 per cent.
“The Subject Awards Committee noted once again that there is a general weakness in map reading, physical geography and exposure to field work.
During the Final Awards Committee meeting, it was noted that several teachers of geography are not geography graduates, and this impacts their ability to adequately deliver the syllabus.”
On Monday, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) will be officially releasing results during a function in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The event will be streamed online.