By Shanna Moore
The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has revealed a concerning rise in exam irregularities, driven by the increased use of smartphones and smartwatches to cheat during the May/June 2024 exam period.
Speaking at the official release ceremony for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) results in Roseau, Dominica, Dr Nicole Manning, the director of operations for CXC’s Examination Services Division, reported that examiners had encountered a disturbing spike in cheating incidents.
Some 50 instances of candidates caught using cell phones during exams were reported compared to 36 last year—a jump that the CXC official described as concerning.
One particularly troubling incident involved a candidate who admitted to doing an online search during the exam, while another case saw the resurgence of impersonation, where individuals attempted to take exams on behalf of others.
“One candidate said they were googling the question . . . we are not just making this up,” she said. “Candidates have to sign and agree to what happened.”
The penalties for such offences are severe, with candidates facing disqualification and a two-year ban from sitting any CXC exams.
“You also have unauthorised materials where candidates try to take paper [with information] in and they are caught . . . and sometimes candidates share information [with each other],” the official said.
Dr Manning also noted that the rise in irregularities correlates with reports of increased absenteeism, with students citing a lack of preparation as the reason for either skipping exams or attempting to cheat.
The director emphasised that the council is committed to investigating the root causes of these irregularities and working with educational stakeholders to find solutions. She called for a collective effort to reinforce the values of ethics and integrity amongstudents.
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