Over a four-day span from October 8 to 11, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) brought more than 300 educators, students, employers and other stakeholders together in Guyana to deliberate on the incorporation of artificial intelligence into regional assessment practices. The engagement sessions—part of a broader regional tour—sought to lay the groundwork for a standards and guidelines framework that balances innovation with integrity.
Wayne Wesley, the council’s registrar and CEO, framed the initiative as part of a transformation that privileges competency-based assessment over rote learning. He stressed that as CXC develops new knowledge products and modes of assessment, alignment with the member states’ educational policies is vital.
During a courtesy call, Wesley briefed Guyana’s newly appointed minister of education, Sonia Parag, on CXC’s plans including modular programmes like the Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC). The modular approach is intended to broaden access to certification for out-of-school youth, part-time learners, and adult students. Parag welcomed the integration of AI into the CTEC and other innovations as consistent with her ministry’s push for a “digital school initiative.”
CXC has already staged similar sessions in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and within the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The series will conclude with an online webinar on October 17. Nicole Manning, director of operations at CXC and a chief driver of the AI initiative, highlighted the strong turnout and engagement at these forums.
In Guyana, stakeholders and CXC officials reached a preliminary agreement: while students will not be permitted to include AI-generated content in their School-Based Assessment (SBA) submissions for the May–June 2026 examinations, they may use AI tools for ideation or to enhance work, provided they reference their sources appropriately.
The council recognizes that students must still master foundational skills such as literacy and numeracy if they are to use AI tools meaningfully. Wesley has underscored that AI cannot compensate for deficits in fundamental competencies. Meanwhile, CXC has previously indicated it is developing a regional policy framework to guide governments in formalizing their own AI strategies.
