Queen’s College students Youni Abdool and Kelly Ann Persaud, who both secured grade one passes in five units, are the country’s top performers at this year’s Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE).
Abdool, an Upper Sixth student, obtained grade one passes in Caribbean Studies (Unit 1); Chemistry (Unit 2); Biology (Unit 2); Spanish (Unit 2); Pure Mathematics (Unit 1); and grade two in Pure Mathematics (Unit 2). Persaud, on the other hand, secured grade ones in all five unit one courses that she sat; Biology, Chemistry, Communication Studies, Environmental Science, and Pure Mathematics.
The other top students include: Deondrene Holford of Bishops High School; Sophia King, Raphael Bascom, Stefan Farier, and Kia Persaud all of Queen’s College, who all secured 4 grade ones and a grade two. Sheniza Haniff and Kibwey Peterkin, also of QC, both secured grade one passes in four units that they sat.
During a media briefing yesterday, Minister of Education Shaik Baksh said that 627 candidates from eight secondary schools in Guyana sat the exams this year, as compared to the 474 in 2010. The pass rate comparisons are 80.4% in 2010, and 82.5% this year; the gender distribution being 29.6% males and 75% females.
He stated that unsatisfactory performances were recorded in three units, where the pass rate was below 50%. The units are Geometrical and Mechanical Engineering Drawing Unit 1; Pure Mathematics Unit 1; and Computer Science. He added that the performance in Pure Mathematics Unit 1 continues to be below the 50% pass rate, but has however improved from 38% last year to 47.72% in 2011.
Candidates obtained a 100% pass rate (with grade one to five passes) in Art and Design Unit 1; Food and Nutrition Unit 1; Literatures in English Unit 1; Sociology Unit 1; Spanish Unit 1; Environmental Science Unit 2; Food and Nutrition Unit 2; Information Technology Unit 2; and Spanish Unit 2.
Further, the pass rate of candidates was 75% or higher with Grade One to Five Passes in: Accounting Units 1 and 2; Applied Mathematics Unit 1; Caribbean Studies Unit 1; Communication Studies Unit 1; Economics Units 1 and 2; Environmental Science Unit 1; Geography Units 1 and 2; Information Technology Unit 1; Law Units 1 and 2; Management of Business Units 1 and 2; Physics Units 1 and 2; Biology Unit 2; Literatures in English Unit 2; and Sociology Unit 2.
Candidates also obtained a pass rate of 50% or higher (but below 75%) with grade one to five passes in Biology Unit 1; Chemistry Unit 1; Computer Science Unit 1; Electrical and Electronic Technology Unit 1; Applied Mathematics Unit 2; Chemistry Unit 2; and Pure Mathematics Unit 2.
The performance rate for this year are as follows: 164 candidates (6.91%) secured grade ones; 301 (12.68%) grade twos; 503 (21.19%) grade threes; 551 (23.21%) grade fours; 440 (18.53%) grade fives.
