CXC PRESS RELEASE: Improved CAPE Performance in 2007

The overall performance of candidates taking the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) has improved in 2007.

In 19 of the 44 Units examined, over 90 percent of the Unit entries achieved Grades I to V, which are the acceptable grades at this level.

The biggest improvement was in the Natural Sciences. This year, for Chemistry Unit 1, 91 percent and for Unit 2, 98 percent of candidates achieved Grades I to V, compared with 63 percent and 54 percent respectively in 2006.

The results were similar for Biology and Physics. For Biology Unit 1 and Unit 2, 91 percent and 97 percent respectively achieved Grades I to V, compared with 91 percent and 90 percent respectively last year.

For Physics Unit 1, 90 percent and Unit 2, 96 percent achieved Grades I to V, while in 2006, 85 percent achieved acceptable grades in Unit 1 and 86 percent in Unit 2.

Improved performance was also seen in Sociology, Food and Nutrition, History Management of Business, Law and Geometrical and Mechanical Engineering Drawing.

All the candidates who took Art and Design Unit 1 and 2 achieved acceptable grades.

Growth in Entries
Both the number of candidate entries and Unit entries increased again this year. Unit entries increased from 69 018 in 2006 to 81 852 entries this year.

Candidate entries increased from 19 019 in 2006 to 21 489 this year.
Caribbean Studies continues to be the Unit with the largest entries - 10 768, followed by Communication Studies (8759), Pure Mathematics Unit 1 (5022), Management of Business Unit 1 (4657) and Sociology Unit 1 (3906).

Candidates who completed seven CAPE Units in a given cluster are eligible for the CXC Associate Degrees. Candidates must have completed seven Units including Caribbean Studies and Communication Studies and must have achieved Grades I to V in each Unit. The overall top performer will receive the Dennis Irvine Award. Jansen Seheult of Naparima College, Trinidad and Tobago won the first Dennis Irvine Award last year.
For additional information, please contact Cleveland Sam, CXC Public Information Officer at telephone number (246) 436 6261 or via e-mail CSam@cxc.org