2010 Reports

The CAPE (Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examination) Approach to Mathematics

Charles, Abigail S.

The transition process from the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level Examinations, to the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) that began in 1998, is still rife with discussion from students, teachers and policy makers. Policy makers are interested in having a uniform examination system that is suitably rigorous to test Mathematical concepts for entering the tertiary level, while also having the cultural stamp that distinguishes it from the previous system under the British rule. Teachers are interested in the receiving suitable professional development in order teach the new format of materials. They are also concerned about the timeframe in which the allotted material ought to be taught and absorbed before the exams are taken. Students are parochially interested in learning the material in order to pass the examination. Given these three positions of major stakeholders, a detailed tour of the structure of the CAPE Mathematics curriculum will be explored in this article.