Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE)

The Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination is for tertiary level education or junior college studies. The CAPE is for pupils who have completed their secondary studies and want to go for higher education in the Caribbean. CAPE has academic, technical and vocational courses of study in a single system of certification. 
The CAPE examinations assess the skills and knowledge gained by pupils in subjects that are organized in 1-Unit or 2-Unit courses with each Unit comprising of 3 modules.

CAPE Certifications and Diploma

The CXC offers 3 types of certification: 
A CAPE certificate is awarded to the students after successful completion of 1 year of study in the CAPE programme. Also, students must achieve a minimum of 10 credits that is equal to 1 unit.

A CAPE diploma is awarded to students after successful completion of a minimum of 6 units, including Caribbean studies, and after achieving a minimum of 60 credits.

A CAPE associate degree is awarded to students who have satisfactorily completed a preset group of 7 CAPE Units including Caribbean Studies and communication studies. 

CAPE Level Subjects

CXC offers CAPE examinations in 22 two-unit subjects and 2 one-unit subjects. 
Two one-Unit Subjects are:
  • Caribbean studies and Communication studies

  • Mathematics: Covers Pure mathematics and applied mathematics. It is the only subject with 2 dissimilar syllabuses, each with 2 units. The following are the two-unit combinations for Mathematics:
    • Pure Mathematics Units 1 & 2
    • Applied Mathematics Units 1 & 2
    • Pure Mathematics Unit 1 and Applied Mathematics Unit 2
22 two-unit Subjects are:
  • Accounting
  • Art and Design
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computer Science
  • Digital Media
  • Economics
  • Electrical and Electronic Technology
  • Environmental Science
  • Food and Nutrition
  • French
  • Geography
  • Geometrical and Mechanical Engineering (GMED)
  • History
  • Information Technology
  • Law
  • Literatures in English
  • Management of Business
  • Physics
  • Physical Education and Sport
  • Sociology
  • Spanish

CAPE Grading System

Candidates get a performance report on each Unit. For each Unit, candidates obtain:

An overall grade that ranges from I to VII; this grade shows the quality of performance on the Unit

A module grade from A to G indicates the performance on each module of the Unit

CAPE Passing Grades: Overall grades I -V are the passing grades for further studies

Overall Grades Description

Grade I: Indicates an excellent understanding of the concepts, principles and skills included in the curriculum. Can easily apply principles and concepts to the problem cases; and can communicate ideas effectively.

Grade II: Indicates a very good understanding of the concepts, principles and skills included in the curriculum. Can easily apply principles and concepts to the problem cases; and can communicate ideas effectively.

Grade III: Indicates a good understanding of the concepts, principles and skills included in the curriculum. Can easily apply principles and concepts to the problem cases; and can communicate ideas effectively.

Grade IV: Indicates an acceptable understanding of the concepts, principles and skills included in the curriculum. Can easily apply principles and concepts to the problem cases; and can communicate ideas effectively.

Grade V: Indicates a limited understanding of the concepts, principles and skills included in the curriculum. Can easily apply principles and concepts to the problem cases; and can communicate ideas effectively.

Grade VI: Indicates a very limited understanding of the concepts, principles and skills included in the curriculum. Cannot communicate ideas effectively, and indicates a basic flaw in the application of principles and concepts.

Grade VII: Indicates a poor understanding of the concepts, principles and skills included in the curriculum.

Module Grades Description 

  • A means Excellent
  • B indicates Very Good
  • C refers to Good
  • D means satisfactory
  • E refers to Acceptable
  • F means very limited
  • G means Very limited

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