16 March 2021
CXC invests in digital assessment by extending e-marking contract
RM, a leading provider of digital assessment solutions that enable the improvement of educational outcomes around the world, today announced an extension to its long-standing contract with the Caribbean Examinations Council® (CXC®). This relationship – which dates back to 2014 – has now been extended until December 2023.
CXC® is an institution in the Caribbean, established in 1972, that has become a premier provider of globally competitive curriculum development services, examinations, certification and education services.
Following a competitive procurement process in 2014, CXC® selected RM as their partner to develop an e-marking service for its candidates. The organisation has now decided to extend the contract for three more years, to continue the implementation of their digital assessment strategy.
Under the remit of the service, when a candidate finishes their exam, the completed scripts are scanned and uploaded securely to the RM Assessor e-marking platform, so that CXC® examiners are able to access an image of the completed script and mark it on-screen.
This enables examiners to mark scripts without the need to travel to marking centres, as they had previously, from the 16 islands across the Caribbean; it leads to improved efficiency as the system removes the manual addition of marks by the examiner; and examiners are now able to commence marking as soon as the scripts are made available online, rather than waiting until the scheduled event at a marking centre.
As the contract has evolved, RM has introduced new features such as supporting the marking of digital submissions as well as paper scripts – something that CXC® has started to use for School Based Assessments and will increasingly adopt as the institution moves into more on-screen testing.
John Baskerville, Managing Director of Assessment at RM comments:
“RM is proud of the work we have been doing with CXC® for the last seven years, and we are excited to be supporting them in their constant drive to adopt and exemplify new digital technologies. Digital assessment is an area of the educational portfolio where examining bodies are investing increasing amounts of time and money and one where CXC® is keen to play a leading role in setting the standards for others to follow. Work on this new contract started in May 2020, so it has been negotiated entirely under COVID-19 conditions, where we have not been able to meet with the customer face-to-face, so a special thank you to everyone involved in this work”.
Dr Wayne Wesley, Registrar and CEO of CXC® confirmed the importance of the RM partnership:
“CXC® has identified a number of goals in our Strategic Plan for the period 2021 – 2025. These include harnessing the power of new and emerging information and communication technology to drive innovative solutions. Our renewed partnership with RM for the provision of digital assessment solutions, affirms our commitment to this goal and ensures seamless and efficient stakeholder interactions.”
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About RM
RM enables the improvement of educational outcomes around the world through the innovative use of existing and emerging technologies. From software and technology services for UK schools and colleges, to digital assessment solutions for worldwide awarding organisations.
About RM plc
RM’s technology division is part of the listed company RM plc – the £189m turnover British business, with c. 1,837 employees globally, established in 1973. A leading supplier of technology and resources to the education sector, supporting schools, teachers and pupils across the globe – from pre-school to higher education – including examination boards, central governments and other professional institutions. rm.com
About CXC®
The Caribbean Examinations Council® (CXC®) was established in 1972 under Agreement by the Participating Governments in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). CXC® assures the global human resource competitiveness of the Caribbean through the provision of syllabuses of the highest quality; valid and reliable examinations and certificates of international repute for students of all ages, abilities and interests; services to educational institutions in the development of syllabuses, examinations and examinations’ administration, in the most cost-effective way.
CXC® comprises 16 Participating Countries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Turks and Caicos Islands.
The first examinations for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate® (CSEC®) were offered in 1979 in five subjects. Subsequent to CSEC®, CXC® has introduced a comprehensive suite of qualifications to meet the needs of the region: Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment™ (CPEA™), Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence® (CCSLC®), *Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ), Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination® (CAPE®) and the CXC® Associate Degree (CXC®-AD).
The organisation also collaborates with countries in the Dutch Caribbean – Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten, as well as Suriname.
Additional information about the Caribbean Examinations Council® can be found at www.cxc.org
*Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) is the trademark of the Caribbean Association of National Training Authorities. CXC® is one of the National Training Agencies in the Caribbean which awards CVQs.
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