Results of student achievement testing in Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

This article discusses the role that achievement testing plays in the educational system of Trinidad and Tobago, and results from the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) tests administered in 1989. The educational system of Trinidad and Tobago is based on British tradition. Education is free and competition for secondary school openings is keen. At the end of primary Standard 5, decisions are made about which students will go to secondary school, or vocational or craft training, and which will end their formal education. Significant decisions are made on the basis of scores received at the end of primary Standard 5 and secondary Form 5, as well as at Form 3 and Form 6. Classroom testing has less impact but is considered indicative of performance on comprehensive tests. The Common Entrance Examination (CEE) at the end of Standard 5 and the CXC examinations at the end of Form 5 are extremely important for students. Since students are solely held responsible for their performance on examinations, and since entrance to subsequent educational levels is solely based on these test scores, the stakes for students and their parents in Trinidad and Tobago are far higher than those of students in the US taking achievement tests