Guyana records improvements in CAPE, CSEC
With a total of 12,009 students sitting the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) 2020 examinations, Guyana has recorded an overall pass rate of 75.99 per cent as compared to 73 per cent in 2019.
Minister of Education, Hon. Priya Manickchand and Chief Education Officer (CEO), Dr. Marcel Hutson announced the CSEC and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) results today.
Providing an analysis of the examinations, Dr. Hutson said improved performances have been recorded in 15 subject areas. While it remained constant in nine subjects and declined in eleven subjects, outstanding performances were noted in 12 subjects where more than 90 per cent of the students gained acceptable grades.
Notable improvements were also recorded in English and Mathematics. The two subjects are critical areas for matriculation to university. Grades One to Three passes in English A remained constant with a pass rate of 77.91 per cent in 2020 as against 77 per cent in 2019. English B improved significantly from 58.1 per cent in 2019 to 78.03 per cent in 2020.
Dr. Hutson said that Mathematics saw a pass rate of 48.66 per cent in 2020 compared to 43 per cent in 2019. Additionally, Mathematics recorded a pass rate of 74.3 per cent in 2020.
Some other subjects with outstanding performances were Agricultural Science (Double Award) with 97.27 per cent, Industrial Technology – Electrical with 95.78 per cent, Information Technology with 93.89 per cent, Physical Education and Sports with 99.9 per cent, Religious Education with 91.16 per cent and Theatre Arts with 98.93 per cent.
Improved performances were also recorded in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Integrated Science. Biology moved from 77 per cent in 2019 to a pass rate of 83.63 per cent in 2020. Chemistry recorded a pass rate of 71.6 per cent in 2020 as against 62 per cent in 2019 and Physics moved from a pass rate of 70 per cent in 2019 to 80.63 per cent in 2020. Integrated Science moved from a pass rate of 69.1 per cent in 2019 to 79.8 per cent in 2020.
Some 853 candidates from ten Secondary Schools and five private centres wrote the CAPE examination in May/June 2020.
Dr. Hutson said while there was a slight decrease in the number of candidate entries, the number of subject entries increased in 2020 from 2019. There was also a marginal increase in the pass rate for 2020.
“The overall pass rate in 2020 is 93.16 per cent. An increase was noted in the number of candidates securing grades I and II, passes,” he said.
Dr. Hutson commended the students for their hard work and dedication, which saw them performing exceptionally last year, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also lauded the efforts of the teachers, technical personnel of the Ministry, parents and all the other stakeholders who contributed to this success.