The Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) was introduced in place of the National Common Entrance Examination (CEE) for the first time in 2012.
The CPEA is a measure of the key skills required by students exiting the primary school system. It involves continuous assessment of students’ performance throughout Grades 5 and 6. Students are therefore assessed for formative, summative and diagnostic purposes. The CPEA has been developed by the Caribbean Examinations’ Council (CXC) in collaboration with the Ministries of Education throughout the region.
The 2018 Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) officially commenced with the internal component in September 2018 and culminated on Thursday, 16 May and Friday, 17 May 2019, with the external component. The assessment was opened to all students who were 11 on 1 September 2018.
The CPEA comprises 2 components:
- Internal Assessment (40% of total score)
- External Assessment (60% of total score)
Features of the internal assessment include:
- Project
- Book Report
- Writing Portfolio
- Self-assessment
- Practice in “Can-do” Skills: English, Mathematics, Science and Civics
- Teacher made test in English, Mathematics, Science and Civics
Features of the external assessment include fifty (50) multiple-choice questions in:
- (A) Language Arts
- (B) Mathematics
- (C) Science
- (D) Social Studies.
Students were given 75 minutes to complete each paper.
Registration and secondary school assignment
1,949 students were registered for the assessment. This included 1,011 males and 938 females. However, 1,931 students wrote the external component of the assessment, while 1,946 students participated in the internal aspect. 1,799 were assigned to secondary schools throughout Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. This number includes 902 males and 897 females. Therefore, 147 students were retained at the primary school; 41 females and 109 males. These students will have another opportunity to write the Assessment in 2020 if eligible or the National School Leaving Examination.
In 2018, 2,026 students were registered for the Assessment; 1,084 were males and 942 were females. However, 1,808 students were assigned to secondary schools.
Table 1: The number of students assigned to each secondary school 2019
Secondary School | Number Assigned | ||
F | M | Grand Total | |
Anglican High | 115 | 115 | |
Beacon High | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Bishop’s College | 16 | 20 | 36 |
Boca Secondary | 59 | 63 | 122 |
Grenada Boys Secondary | 151 | 151 | |
Grenada Christian Academy | 14 | 28 | 42 |
Grenada Seventh Day Adventist Comprehensive | 21 | 28 | 49 |
Grenville Secondary | 36 | 83 | 119 |
Happy Hill Secondary | 46 | 35 | 81 |
Hillsborough Secondary | 18 | 20 | 38 |
J W Fletcher Catholic Secondary | 22 | 15 | 37 |
Mac Donald College | 46 | 47 | 93 |
Presentation Brothers’ College | 75 | 75 | |
St Andrew’s Anglican Secondary | 40 | 69 | 109 |
St David’s Catholic Secondary | 61 | 58 | 119 |
St John’s Christian Secondary | 19 | 32 | 51 |
St Joseph’s Convent (Grenville) | 102 | 102 | |
St Joseph’s Convent (St George’s) | 105 | 105 | |
St Mark’s Secondary | 34 | 51 | 85 |
St Rose Modern Secondary | 33 | 21 | 54 |
Wesley College | 57 | 50 | 107 |
Westerhall Secondary | 41 | 45 | 86 |
Westmorland Secondary | 11 | 10 | 21 |
Grand Total | 897 | 902 | 1,799 |
General results
The highest score attained in the assessment was 490 out of a maximum possible score of 500 as compared to the 481 in 2018. The lowest score obtained was 7 compared to 91 in 2018. The national mean was 71.68 and the standard deviation 14.90 14.14. This reflects an increase of 2.87 when compared to 2017’s 68.81.
92.4% of the CPEA candidates writing the assessment procured 50% or above in the assessment. This reflects a 3.2% increase against 2018’s 89.2% achieving the same mark.
All primary and secondary schools would be provided with the list of students assigned to each school and the candidates’ profiles as indicated by the raw scores.
External Component
In the external component, students performed the best in Science. Out of a total possible score of one hundred, the national mean in Science was 67.64, a decline of 3.31. In Language Arts the mean was 65.83, also a decline, of 0.94 from 2018’s 66.77, but improvements were recorded in Mathematics and Social Studies of 1.43 and 9.54, respectively.
Table 2: The national mean in each subject area in the external
Subject | Maximum Possible Score | National Mean
2013 |
National Mean
2014 |
National Mean
2015 |
National Mean
2016 |
National Mean
2017 |
National Mean
2018 |
National Mean
2019 |
Mathematics | 100 | 56.45 | 56.21 | 56.93 | 60.25 | 57.16 | 54.13 | 55.56 |
Language Arts | 100 | 58.91 | 62.64 | 58.63 | 58.86 | 64.50 | 66.77 | 65.83 |
Science | 100 | 64.30 | 65.04 | 65.96 | 65.93 | 67.54 | 70.95 | 67.64 |
Social Studies | 100 | 54.66 | 64.20 |
Five students obtained the perfect score of 100% in the Social Studies, external component in 2019. Two students attained the same mark for Mathematics and 3 achieved 100 in Language Arts. No student in Science was able to meet this optimal mark in 2019.
Internal Component
In the internal assessment, the best performance was recorded in Science, followed by Social Studies, Language Arts and Mathematics at the rear. Table 3 below demonstrates the national mean in all of the areas.
Table 3: The national mean in each subject area in the internal
Subject | Maximum Possible Score | National Mean
2014 |
National Mean
2015 |
National Mean
2016 |
National Mean
2017 |
National Mean
2018 |
National Mean
2019 |
Mathematics | 100 | 70.55 | 71.07 | 74.90 | 77.86 | 79.92 | 79.95 |
Language Arts | 100 | 72.92 | 74.28 | 75.92 | 77.78 | 80.29 | 80.37 |
Science | 100 | 72.37 | 73.61 | 74.90 | 78.09 | 79.23 | 80.65 |
Social Studies | 100 | 76.68 | 74.20 | 79.37 | 81.77 | 78.62 | 80.39 |
Table 4: Number of students obtaining 50% and above in the external assessment
Percentage | Number of students by gender | Grand Total | |
M | F | ||
< 50% | 276 | 146 | 422 |
>= 50% | 723 | 786 | 1509 |
Grand Total | 999 | 932 | 1931 |
Table 5: Number of students obtaining 50% and above in the internal assessment
Percentage | Number of students by gender | Grand Total | |
M | F | ||
< 50% | 46 | 19 | 65 |
>= 50% | 964 | 917 | 1881 |
Grand Total | 1010 | 936 | 1946 |
Ministry of Education
I believe “The national mean was 71.68 and the…” should read “The national mean was 71.68 percent and the… “.
Thank you Now Grenada! Very thorough report. We do have to make a special effort for our boys in education. So proud of them all though. Good job boys and girls of Grenada!