Jamaica named ground zero for CSEC exam leak

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Dr Wayne Wesley, has confirmed that Jamaica is the territory in which the leak of this year's Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Mathematics Paper 2 originated from. 

Wesley made the disclosure to members of the media in a virtual press briefing on Friday. 

He stated that the source of the leak was pinpointed to one location in Jamaica and was subsequently disseminated across various social media platforms reaching to other Caribbean nations. 

He added that further investigation was needed to offer specific information regarding the number of countries affected.   

Students’ grades will now be calculated through use of the scores from the CSEC Mathematics Paper 1 and marks from the School-Based Assessment (SBAs) or CSEC Mathematics Paper 3 – an alternative to the SBA research requirements, a decision which has been communicated to regional ministries of Education. 

While stating that this “entire episode” has been of “great concern,” Wesley sought to reassure candidates that the security of regional examinations was paramount, and that their best interest remained at the centre of the organisation’s decisions and processes. 

“We recognised that the matter requires a great level of sensitivity, confidentiality,” he said, while noting that there was a level of urgency that is required and have executed the relevant due diligence to ensure that the matter was treated  

Wesley said that CXC was currently working with Jamaica's Ministry of Education in its investigations. Although the problem has not been referred to the police, he stated, that this was still an available option for the Council to utilise as investigations continued.  

- Asha Wilkes

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