CXC’s AI fix doesn’t add up

The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) announced it will scrap school-based assessments (SBAs) for five CSEC and CAPE subjects from 2027, citing concerns that students might use artificial intelligence (AI) to undermine exam integrity. However, the council's proposed alternative has drawn criticism for potentially failing to solve the problem.

For subjects like Mathematics, English, Caribbean History, Social Studies, and Principles of Business, standard SBAs will be replaced. The new framework allows students to receive their examination topics a month in advance, grants them extra time to complete the paper, and permits them to bring reference notes into the examination room. This approach is contrasted with practical subjects such as Agricultural Science and Visual Arts, where hands-on skills are less susceptible to AI enhancement.

The core of the criticism lies in how these changes will prevent AI misuse. Critics argue that knowing the topics in advance, combined with the ability to bring reference notes, could enable students, or those assisting them, to use AI to create the notes and even draft entire papers. These could then be rewritten during the exam, with invigilators facing the difficult task of detecting such fraud by scrutinizing every student's notes.

Dr. Nicole Manning, CXC's director of operations, defended the redesigned assessment, assuring it preserves the "reflective nature" of the SBA and restores confidence in the authenticity of student work. She emphasized the value of a CXC qualification for employers and universities. However, the article references economist Bryan Caplan's argument that education's primary function is signaling desirable traits to employers, rather than imparting knowledge. AI's ability to generate correct answers or well-written essays without genuine understanding distorts this signal, a problem the new CXC format may not fully address.

“

A CXC qualification means something. It means something to employers, to universities, to parents, families and guardians who have invested years of commitment and sacrifice into a child’s education. It is in our collective interest that we hold to this standard.