The National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) for 2023 is set to be written on May 3 and 4, as the Education Ministry works to return a sense of normalcy for the new academic year.
The last time the NGSA was executed under normal circumstances was in 2019. Following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, dates were pushed back coupled with different structures – a trend which continued in 2021 and 2022 owing to existing conditions and circumstances at that time.
As she made the announcement on Tuesday, Education Minister Priya Manickchand shared that the release of results for the NGSA will also return to the normal timeline.
“We want to resume some level of normalcy for 2023…Results are going to be ready by the 11th July, 2023,” Manickchand notified.
The Minister explained that this will give stakeholders a chance to plan and prepare for the NGSA, without any guessing games.
“Hope you see that we don’t want you guessing. We want this to be a predicable process as possible. We would like give you a chance to plan your holidays, plan your life and not be guessing and waiting on us at the Ministry. And so, we’re trying to make it as predictable as possible.”
Education Minister Priya Manickchand
Next year’s assessment will be based on the Grade Five curriculum and then a consolidated curriculum. However, it was reminded that concepts from Grades Three and Four are also tested.
“The children who will be taking the exam next year in 2023 came out of school in Grade Three and we’re very conscious of that and the work that was lost that we cannot recatch or repair. So, that was a conscious, very studied, considered decision taken and we are very happy to be able to tell you this now,” the Education Minister expressed.
NGSA is spearheaded by the Caribbean Examinations Council. Similar to the structure since 2016, CXC prepares the examination, supervises its administration, marks the scripts, conducts quality checks and conducts consequential reviews if any are requested.
Candidates are tested in four subjects namely, Mathematics, English, Science and Social Studies. The examination in each subject area consists of two papers. Paper One consists of multiple-choice items while Paper Two consists of essay type or open-ended items.
This year, 16,223 students were registered for the 2022 NGSA sitting. Some 3355 students scored above 75 per cent or in the fourth quartile ranking. Additionally, some 3456 scored above 50 per cent.
In order to increase the pass rate and prepare students during COVID-19, the Ministry had launched the Quiz Me Platform on its website earlier last year which offered students the opportunity to practice NGSA-type questions and be given their results instantaneously. The NGSA Booster Programme was also launched, whereby local teachers recorded teaching the topics featured on the examination. These videos were aired on the Guyana Learning Channel according to a timetabled schedule and are also available for streaming on the Guyana Learning Channel’s YouTube channel.
This academic year marks the first since the pandemic for full opening of schools across the country – a significant factor in students’ preparation. (G12)
