By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The Ministry of Education has officially released the preliminary results for the 2026 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), recording a national pass rate of 67 percent at CSEC and broad performance gains across advanced-level subject areas.
The official performance metrics and top candidate achievements were presented on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, during a ceremony hosted at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre in Kingston, Georgetown, led by Minister of Education Sonia Parag and Chief Education Officer (CEO) Saddam Hussain.
Strong Subject Stability Across CAPE Units
Reviewing performance across the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), Chief Education Officer Saddam Hussain highlighted stability and growth across the curriculum, noting that of all the examined units, only seven recorded marginal declines between 1% and 3%.
Guyana achieved a 100 percent pass rate (Grades I–V) in numerous CAPE disciplines, including:
- Agricultural Science
- Animation and Gaming
- Applied Mathematics
- Computer Science
- Digital Media
- Environmental Science
- Entrepreneurship
A total of 666 candidates sat the 2026 CAPE examinations across 35 subject areas, generating 3,777 subject entries across 18 participating public and private institutions. This reflects a 3.8 percent increase in subject entries compared to 2025 (650 candidates; 3,632 entries).
CSEC Overview: Math Pass Rate Rises to 34.5%
At the secondary level, the overall CSEC pass rate (Grades I–III) rose to 67 percent, marking a one percentage point increase from 66 percent in 2025:
- Candidate Numbers: A total of 13,052 students wrote CSEC across 35 subject areas in 2026—a 3% increase over the 12,685 candidates in 2025.
- Subject Entries: Total subject entries rose by 4%, climbing from 80,556 in 2025 to 83,171 entries in 2026.
- Mathematics Improvements: Mathematics recorded a national pass rate of 34.5 percent, reflecting an improvement from the 32 percent recorded in 2025.
To confront historical challenges in mathematics education, the Ministry implemented targeted interventions in 2026, including dedicated math camps, digital tutoring modules via the Guyana Digital School, and specialized instructional coaching. Minister Parag indicated that a more aggressive national numeracy framework will expand across primary and secondary schools in 2027.
Outstanding Candidate Performances
Announcing the individual achievements, Minister of Education Sonia Parag commended students, teachers, and parents for their collective dedication:
Leading CSEC Top Performers:
- Nitya Narine: 26 Grade Ones, 1 Grade Two
- Anushka Singh: 25 Grade Ones, 1 Grade Two
- Shreya Ramnarine: 22 Grade Ones, 6 Grade Twos, 1 Grade Three
- Multiple additional candidates secured passes with more than 16 Grade Ones.
Record-Breaking Grade One Cohort: In a major national milestone, 264 students achieved Grade One passes in eight or more subjects, with 78 students securing Grade Ones in 12 or more subjects. The leading schools in this category were:
- Queen’s College: 87 students
- The Bishops’ High School: 20 students
- Marian Academy: 13 students
Leading CAPE Top Performers: Queen’s College dominated the advanced level, accounting for 10 of the nation’s 12 most outstanding CAPE candidates:
- David Sugrim: 11 Grade Ones, 7 Grade Twos
- Toreka Persaud: 9 Grade Ones
- Mahesa Boodhoo: 9 Grade Ones
Students across Guyana can now access their full individual score slips online via the official Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) student portal.
