Caribbean students delivered strong results in the January 2026 CSEC examinations. Notably, this sitting marked the first fully electronic and hybrid exams by the Caribbean Examinations Council.

Caribbean education officials say the results show students are adapting well to digital testing. In fact, pass rates increased in nine of the 13 subjects offered.

At a press conference, Nicole Manning, Director of Operations at CXC, presented the results. She said 10,481 candidates registered across 17 Caribbean states.

Together, students submitted 16,695 subject entries. Meanwhile, 96 percent of those exams were completed electronically.

According to Manning, the data supports the hybrid exam model. Therefore, she said Caribbean students appear ready for digital examinations.

Several subjects recorded major improvements this year. For example, Social Studies showed a dramatic increase. In fact, the pass rate almost doubled compared with the previous year.

Similarly, Physics saw strong gains. The subject recorded nearly a 50 percent rise in pass rates.

Manning credited the improvements to student commitment. She also praised the support provided by parents.

English subjects also improved. English A reached a pass rate of 70.7 percent. This figure rose from 61.25 percent last year.

Likewise, English B increased to 62.35 percent. The subject recorded 51 percent the year before.

Meanwhile, Principles of Business posted a pass rate of 69.94 percent. Principles of Accounts followed with 60.34 percent.

Science subjects produced mixed but stable results. Both Chemistry and Biology recorded pass rates of 49 percent at grades one to three.

However, Mathematics continues to challenge many students. The pass rate rose slightly to 31.45 percent.

Although this represents a small increase, officials want further improvement. As a result, CXC plans to address the issue at an upcoming regional education conference.

Despite the strong results, absenteeism remains a concern. About 35 percent of registered candidates did not attend their examinations.

Post-session surveys revealed the main reason. Many students reported feeling unprepared for the exams.

Therefore, CXC plans to introduce a new feedback system. The council will use QR codes to collect real-time responses from candidates after exams.

Meanwhile, Wayne Wesley, Registrar and CEO of CXC, urged governments to help out-of-school candidates.

Technical problems during the exams remained limited. Some centres reported internet issues, power outages, and platform access delays.

However, Manning said the disruptions were minor. In most cases, delays did not exceed 30 minutes.

Importantly, no student lost exam time due to technical issues. CXC granted full compensatory time when disruptions occurred.

Another key success involved exam integrity. The January 2026 sitting recorded zero irregularities.

This contrasts sharply with the May-June 2025 exams. That sitting recorded 80 irregularities, including cases of collusion.

For now, officials hope the upcoming May-June exams will produce similar results. Candidates can already access their January results through the CXC online portal.