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By Nakinskie Robinson
The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has moved to defend the integrity of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination Chemistry Unit 2 Paper 02 examination, after concerns were raised about its structure.
Teachers and students claimed that roughly 25 to 30 per cent of the total marks were focused on material from the CAPE Chemistry Unit 1 syllabus and not Unit 2, as is custom.
A WhatsApp message that reached Radio Jamaica News on May 14, described the May 9 exam paper as cruel and unjust, and called for a revision of how it will be graded.
It also questioned the council's quality assurance practices.
It said CXC had previously assured students that Unit 1 is not a prerequisite for Unit 2.
CXC's support site says the units can be attempted in any order or simultaneously.
The message also claimed that the exam questions were also unclear.
It argued that even teachers with decades of experience in CAPE Chemistry and educators with PhDs in Chemistry found it almost impossible to solve certain questions, noting that there could have been multiple answers.
But CXC on Friday afternoon indicated that after probing the matter, it has determined that the questions were in fact designed for candidates to demonstrate knowledge of material covered by the Unit 2 syllabus.
The regional exam body says it stands by its robust quality assurance system which includes qualified professionals at all stages of the examination development process, ensuring the exams efficacy.
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