-Persico
Superintendent of Examina-tions Juliet Persico said that the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) has emphasised that “no candidate will be penalised because of administrative blunders,” in response to the fears of some students that they may be marked down for an error on this year’s CSEC English A paper.

Last Friday, concerned students of the Rosignol Secondary School told Stabroek News that a question that had appeared on    the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificates (CSEC) examination paper in January reappeared on their English A paper 2. The question was identified as the eighth question in section D of the paper and was listed as compulsory.

Students said that they were told if they answered it, they would lose the 35 marks it was worth.

Further, the students stated that invigilators did not realise that there was a correction sheet which came with the package until the afternoon session.

Even after realising their blunder, the students said that the invigilators were not prepared to give them back the time to answer the question on the correction sheet.

However, the Examina-tions Division of the Ministry had issued a correction sheet to all the centres along with the question paper for the day, Persico said.

She added that the examinations division was informed that students from a number of centres across the country had encountered a similar problem because the correction sheets were not given at the appropriate time.

Persico said that the correction sheets were given with the question papers for the day but supervisors did not open the correction sheet package at the same time as the question papers.

Persico further noted that CXC was informed of the problem and has advised the exams division that measures will be put in place to address the problem.

Calling the incident an administrative blunder, Persico added that the Council will not penalise students for answering the question.