Guyana’s performance ‘dips’ slightly at 2023 CSEC, CAPE

For both the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), Guyana has seen slight dips in its overall performance this year.
Chief Education Officer (CEO) Saddam Hussain made this announcement on Thursday when the results were released by the Education Ministry at the Anna Regina Multilateral School (ARMS) on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
Across the country, a total of 12,118 students sat the CSEC examinations, an increase from 10,368 in 2022. There were 75,764 entries. Overall, the pass rate was 65 per cent this year, a decline from 68.5 per cent last year.
Outstanding performances – which translate to a pass rate of 80 per cent or m

ore – were reported in 14 subject areas: Agriculture Science (double award), Agriculture Science (single award), Electronic Document Preparation and Management (EDPM), Family and Resource Management, Food Nutrition & Health, Industrial Technology (Building), Industrial Technology (Electrical), Information Technology, Physical Education, Music, Religious Education, Technical Drawing, Theatre Arts, and Industrial Technology (Mechanical).
Stable performances were noted in English Language, Mathematics, Technical Drawing, Caribbean History, and Economics.
Declines were seen in Biology: from 82 per cent to 72 per cent in 2023; while Human and Social Biology saw a dip from 73 per cent to 63 per cent, and Physical Education and Sport saw a dip from 98 per cent to 88 per cent. In addition, Portuguese recorded a decline from 76 per cent last year to 62 per cent this year.
Pass percentages this year are as follows: 70 for English Language; 63 for English Literature; 34 for Mathematics; 60 for Additional Mathematics; 97 for Agricultural Science (double award); 55 for Physics; 66 for Integrated Science; 58 for Chemistry; 72 for Principles of Business; 69 for Principles of Accounts; 63 for Economics; 84 for Religious Education; 53 for Social Studies; 65 for Visual Arts; 64 for Caribbean History; 98 for Theatre Arts, and 88 for Music.
For the TVET subject areas, there was a pass rate of over 65 per cent. In modern languages, French is 55 per cent, Spanish is 51 per cent and Portuguese is 62 per cent.

CAPE statistics
However, for CAPE, a slight ‘dip’ in the overall performance was reported, at 90.85 per cent. A total of 701 students from 12 secondary schools and four private centres sat the exams. There are 17 examination centres in Guyana.
From 671 entries in 2022, this increased to 701 across units in 29 subject areas. In CAPE, Grades One to Five represent a pass in the respective subjects. Subjects that recorded 100 per cent passes were: Accounting Unit Two; Applied Mathematics Unit Two; Building and Mechanical Engineering, Units One and Two; Electronic and Electrical Technology Unit Two; Food and Nutrition Unit Two; Geography Unit One; Green Engineering Unit Two; Physical Education and Sport, Units One and Two; Physics Unit Two, and Spanish Unit Two.
A breakdown of the performance shows 386 Grade Ones, 736 Grade Twos, 981 Grade Threes, 761 Grade Fours and 493 Grade Fives. In 40 units, students scored 75 per cent or higher.
An improved performance was recorded in Accounting Unit One, from 80 per cent to 90 per cent; Agricultural Science, from 76 per cent to 91 per cent; Applied Mathematics, from 88 per cent to 100 per cent; Economics, from 81 per cent to 90 per cent; Electronic and Electrical Technology, from 80 per cent to 85 per cent; Geography, from 95 per cent to 100 per cent; Pure Mathematics Unit One, from 65 per cent to 88 per cent; Pure Mathematics Unit Two, from 80 per cent to 87 per cent; Chemistry, from 86 per cent to 88 per cent; and Literature, from 95 per cent to 97 per cent. Caribbean Studies and Communication studies – both compulsory subjects – each recorded over 90 per cent.
Stable performances were reported in: Geography, Unit Two; Law, Unit One; Management of Business, Unit One; Physics, Unit Two; Spanish, Unit Two; PE and Sports, Units One and Two; Building and Mechanical Engineering, Unit One; and Green Engineering, Unit Two.
The Ministry will, on Monday, commence the process to correct and rectify subjects wherein there is decline.
“If there is a need for review, that can be done to the local registrar in Queen’s College compound by September 7, 2023…I want to say that the SBAs are absolutely pivotal if you’re going to be a successful student at CSEC and CAPE,” Hussain underscored. (Rupa Seenaraine)