CSEC Regional Awards Criteria

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING AND RANKING OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN THE CARIBBEAN SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE  (CSEC®)

Overview

The criteria for identifying and selecting candidates for outstanding achievement were last revised by the Sub-Committee of the School Examinations Committee (SUBSEC) at its meeting in December 2007.  Awards are presented to candidates for outstanding achievement in the following categories:

Overall Outstanding Achievement

Outstanding Performance in Humanities

Outstanding Performance in Sciences

Outstanding Performance in Business

Outstanding Performance in Technical Vocational

Best Short Story

Best Visual Arts (Two-dimensional)

Best Visual Arts (Three-dimensional)

The criteria for each award is described below.

Award for Overall Outstanding Achievement 

Part I: Eligibility Criteria 

In order to be eligible for this award, a candidate must attain Grade I, at General or Technical Proficiency, in at least EIGHT subjects taken at a single sitting. These subjects must include:

English A

Mathematics OR Additional Mathematics

ONE subject from EACH of the following three groups:

French, Spanish, Portuguese

Caribbean History, Geography, Religious Education, Social Studies, English B

Agricultural Science (Single Award) or Agricultural Science  (Double Award), Biology, Chemistry, Human and Social Biology, Integrated Science (Single Award), Physics, Information Technology, Additional Mathematics (if written concurrently with Mathematics)

ONE subject from any one of the following subgroup(s):

Business Studies

Economics, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Office Administration, Principles of Accounts, Principles of BusinessTechnical Vocational Studies

Building Technology: Woods OR Building Technology: Construction, Clothing and Textiles, Electrical and Electronic Technology, Food and Nutrition, Home Economics: Management, Information Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Technical DrawingCreative and Expressive Arts

Music, Visual Arts, Theatre Arts, Physical Education and Sport

TWO additional subjects chosen from any CSEC® offerings, including those listed at c) and d) above. Agricultural Science Double Award counts as two subjects.

Part II: Ranking Criteria (Overall)

Ranking will be first on Ranking Criterion i) listed below. If a tie-breaker is required, then Ranking Criterion ii) will be considered. As necessary, subsequent criteria will be considered in order to resolve such ties as may arise.

The outstanding candidate will be selected from the eligible candidates who will be ranked in order of:

Excellence: The total number of Grade I’s attained

Profile Performance I: The profile performance in subjects considered at Ranking Criterion i) above

T-score I: The total of T-scores for subjects considered at Ranking Criterion I) above

General Capacity I–II: The total number of Grades I–II attained;

Profile Performance I–II: The profile performance on the subjects considered at Ranking Criterion iii)

T-score II: The total of T-scores for subjects considered at Ranking Criterion IV)

Award for Outstanding Performance in Humanities

Part I: Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible for this award, a candidate must attain Grade I, in at least SEVEN subjects taken at a single sitting. These subjects must include:

English A

Mathematics OR Additional Mathematics

THREE subjects from the following Group 1 subjects:

Group 1

Caribbean History

Geography

Religious Education

Social Studies

TWO subjects from the following Group 2 subjects:

Group 2

English B

French

Spanish

Portuguese

Part II: Ranking Criteria (Humanities)

Ranking will be first on Ranking Criterion i) listed below. If a tie-breaker is required, then Ranking Criterion ii) will be considered. As necessary, subsequent criteria will be considered in order to resolve such ties as may arise.

The outstanding candidate will be selected from among eligible candidates ranked in order of:

Excellence in Group 1 subjects: The total number of Grade I’s attained in the Group 1 subjects taken

Cognate Profile Performance I (a): Profile performance on the subjects considered at Ranking Criterion i) above

T-score I: The total of T-scores for subjects considered at Ranking Criterion i) above

Excellence in Group 1 & Group 2 Subjects: The total number of Grade I’s attained in the Group 1 and Group 2 subjects taken

Cognate Profile Performance I (b): Profile performance on the subjects considered at Ranking Criterion iv)

T-score II: The total of T-scores for subjects considered at Ranking Criterion iv)

Cognate Area Capacity (Group 1): The total number of Grades I–II attained in the Group 1 subjects taken

Cognate Profile Performance (Group 1) I–I: Profile performance on the subjects considered at Ranking Criterion vii)

T-score III: The total of T-scores for subjects considered at Ranking Criterion vii) above

Cognate Area Capacity (Group 1 & Group 2): The total number of Grades I–II attained in the Group 1 and Group 2 subjects taken

Cognate Profile Performance I–II (Group 1 & Group 2): Profile performance on the subjects considered at Ranking Criterion vii) above

T-score IV: The total of T-scores for subjects considered at Ranking Criterion x) above.

Award for Outstanding Performance in Sciences

Part I: Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible for this award, a candidate must attain Grade I, at General or Technical Proficiency, in at least SEVEN subjects taken at a single sitting. These subjects must include:

English A

Mathematics OR Additional Mathematics

The following THREE Group 1 subjects:

Group 1

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

TWO additional subjects from Group 2

Group 2

Agricultural Science (Single Award) or Agricultural Science (Double Award)

Additional Mathematics (if written concurrently with Mathematics)

Human and Social Biology

Integrated Science

Part II: Ranking Criteria (Science)

Ranking will be first on Ranking Criterion i) listed below. If a tie-breaker is required, then Ranking Criterion ii) will be considered. As necessary, subsequent criteria will be considered in order to resolve such ties as may arise.

The outstanding candidate will be selected from among eligible candidates ranked in order of:

Excellence in the Cognate Area: The total number of Grade I’s attained in the Group 1 and Group 2 subjects taken

Cognate Profile Performance I: Profile performance on the subjects considered at Ranking Criterion i) above

T-score I: The total of T-scores for subjects considered at Ranking Criterion i) above

Cognate Area Capacity: The total number of Grades I–II attained in the Group 1 and Group 2 subjects taken

Cognate Profile Performance I–II: Profile performance on the subjects considered at Ranking Criterion iii) above

T-score II: The total of T-scores for subjects considered at Ranking Criterion iv) above

Award for Outstanding Performance in Business

Part I: Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible for this award, a candidate must attain Grade I, at General or Technical Proficiency, in at least SEVEN subjects taken at a single sitting. These subjects must include:

English A

Mathematics OR Additional Mathematics

The following THREE Group 1 subjects:

Group 1

Principles of Accounts

Principles of Business

Economics

TWO subjects from the listed Group 2 subjects

Group 2

Office Administration

Electronic Document Preparation and Management or Information Technology

Part II: Ranking Criteria (Business)

Ranking will be first on Ranking Criterion i) listed below. If a tie-breaker is required, then Ranking Criterion ii) will be considered. As necessary, subsequent criteria will be considered in order to resolve such tie as may arise.

The outstanding candidate will be selected from among eligible candidates ranked in order of:

Excellence in the Cognate Area: The total number of Grade I’s attained of the Group 1 and Group 2 subjects taken

Cognate Profile Performance I: Profile performance on the subjects considered at Ranking Criterion i) above

T-score I: The total of T-scores for subjects considered at Ranking Criterion i) above

Cognate area capacity: The total number of Grades I-II attained in the Group1 and Group 2 subjects taken

Cognate Profile Performance I-II: Profile performance on the subjects considered at Ranking Criterion iii) above

T-score II: The total of T-scores for subjects considered at Ranking Criterion IV) above

Award for Outstanding Performance in Technical Vocational

Part I: Qualifying Criteria

In order to be eligible for this award, a candidate must attain Grade I, at General or Technical Proficiency, in at least SEVEN subjects taken at a single sitting. These subjects must include:

English A

Mathematics OR Additional Mathematics

THREE subjects from any of the following Group 1 subjects:

Group 1

Electrical and Electronic Technology (Technical)

Building Technology: Woods or Construction (Technical)

Mechanical Engineering Technology (Technical)

Food and Nutrition (General)

Clothing and Textiles (General)

Home Economics: Management (General)

TWO subjects from any of the following Group 2 subjects:

Group 2

Electrical and Electronic Technology (Technical)

Building Technology: Woods or Construction (Technical)

Mechanical Engineering Technology (Technical)

Food and Nutrition (General)

Clothing and Textiles (General)

Home Economics: Management (General)

Agricultural Science (Single Award) or Agricultural Science (Double Award)

Technical Drawing (General)

Information Technology (General)

Part II: Ranking Criteria (Technical Vocational)

Ranking will be first on Ranking Criterion i) listed below. If a tie-breaker is required, then Ranking Criterion ii) will be considered. As necessary, subsequent criteria will be considered in order to resolve such ties as may arise.

The outstanding candidate will be selected from among eligible candidates ranked in order of:

Excellence in the Cognate Area: The total number of Grade I’s attained in the Group 1 subjects

Cognate Profile Performance I: Profile performance on the subjects considered at Ranking Criterion i) above

T-score I: The total of T-scores for subjects considered at Ranking Criterion i) above

Cognate Area Capacity: The total number of Grades I–II attained in the Group 1 and Group 2 subjects taken

Cognate Profile Performance I–II: Profile performance on the subjects considered at Ranking Criterion iii) above

T-score II: The total of T-scores for subjects considered at Ranking Criterion iv) above

Award for Outstanding Performance in the Creative and Expressive Arts [New]

Part I: Qualifying Criteria

In order to be eligible for this award, a candidate must attain Grade I, at General or Technical Proficiency, in at least SEVEN subjects taken at a single sitting. These subjects must include:

English A

Mathematics OR Additional Mathematics

Any THREE subjects from Group 1:

Group 1

Music

Visual Arts

Theatre Arts

Physical Education and Sport

TWO additional subjects chosen from any CSEC® offerings, including those listed at Group 1 above.

Part II: Ranking Criteria (Creative and Expressive Arts)

Ranking will be first on Ranking Criterion i) listed below. If a tie-breaker is required, then Ranking Criterion ii) will be considered. As necessary, subsequent criteria will be considered in order to resolve such ties as may arise.

The outstanding candidate will be selected from among eligible candidates ranked in order of:

Excellence in the Cognate Area: The total number of Grade I’s attained in Group 1

Cognate Profile Performance I: Profile performance on the subjects considered at Ranking Criterion i) above

T-score I: The total of T-scores for subjects considered at Ranking Criterion i) above.

Cognate Area Capacity: The total number of Grades I–II attained in the subjects taken

Cognate Profile Performance I-II: Profile performance on the subjects considered at Ranking Criterion iii) above

T-score II: The total of T-scores for subjects considered at Ranking Criterion iv) above.

Notwithstanding the criteria above, the Council reserves the right to use its discretion in making any of the awards.

REVISED: 11 October 2016