An overall two per cent increase in candidates’ performance at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations throughout the region was recorded this year.

A Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) press release said that 62 per cent of the 563,302 entries received acceptable grades.
Performance in the CSEC Science subjects have improved throughout the region, while two business subjects have shown improvement and the others have shown a decline, the release said.

Agricultural Science (single award) and Physics showed the most significant improvement with a 27 per cent and 26 per cent increase respectively. Eighty-three per cent of the entries for Agricultural Science this year received grades one to three, compared with 57 per cent last year. Seventy-seven per cent of entries for Physics received grades one to three compared to 51 per cent last year.

Human Biology saw a 17 per cent improvement, Biology and Agricultural Science (Double award) both had a five per cent increase this year. For both subjects 68 per cent of entries received grades one to three compared to 51 per cent last year. Chemistry and Integrated Science recorded a four per cent increase from 2007. Sixty-eight per cent of entries for Chemistry received grades one to three compared to 64 per cent last year. While for Integrated Science 85 per cent received acceptable grades compared to 81 per cent last year.

Meanwhile, two business subjects — Economics and Principles of Business — showed increases while two showed a decline and one remained constant. Economics saw the highest improvement with 68 per cent of entries receiving grades one to three compared to 56 per cent last year. Principles of Business showed a four per cent increase with 75 per cent of the entries achieving acceptable grades compared to 71 per cent last year.

Principles of Accounts declined by two per cent; 63 per cent of entries received acceptable grades this year compared to 65 per cent last year. Office Administration saw a three per cent decline, 83 per cent acceptable grades this year compared to 85 per cent last year.

The release further said that candidates continue to perform well in Electronic Document Preparation and Management with 95 per cent of entries receiving acceptable grades; a similar performance to last year’s.