Grenada introduces e-testing for the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment
Forty Grenada pupils were able to complete their Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) online.
Students from Mt. Pleasant Government in Carriacou, Mt. Moritz Anglican, and Mt. Rose SDA Primary took the exam on May 4 and 5.
Kade De Coteau, an ICT Officer at the Ministry of Education, stated that despite the novelty of e-testing for CPEA, students were able to readily navigate the system.
“Initially, you had to ascertain whether or not the students possess the digital skills necessary to take the exam online. Because we are starting from beginning, we had to assess all the selected schools to determine their digital skills,” he told the Government Information Service (GIS) of Grenada.
“Once the schools passed this stage, we began the training, and after this training, the district IT officers reported that the students had a very easy time with the training.”
De Coteau stated that stakeholders were consulted prior to implementing the first CPEA e-testing.
De Coteau explained that schools were selected based on their size, location, and participation in ICT throughout the academic year.
The ICT Officer noted that schools have already requested to participate in CPEA online examinations in 2024.
Kerwin Noel, acting principal of the Mt Pleasant Government School, stated, “Well, I would encourage all primary school principals, teachers, and parents to get on board, as this is the direction we’re headed.” We will have no choice in the next two years, whether we like it or not.
Encourage the children to join immediately, as it is a much simpler platform to work with.”
Grenada is the fourth territory in the region to administrate CPEA online, following Anguilla, Suriname, and Saba.
In 2023, 1,877 students from 70 primary institutions across the island took the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment.
The exam consisted of multiple-choice questions in four subject areas: mathematics, English, science, and social studies. Each presentation lasted 75 minutes.
