DECLINING PASS rates, including an 18 per cent plunge in Mathematics, 8 per cent fall-off in Chemistry and a 7 per cent drop in Physics, have cast a shadow over this year's Caribbean Examin-ations Council results.
Less than half of the candidates sitting the Mathematics exam passed the CXC, held in January, mainly for re-sit candidates and persons out of school.
The CXC Headquarters report that the number of persons sitting the 14 subjects offered, increased from 14,129 last year to 15,549 this year.
Candidates taking the Inform-ation Technology exam more than doubled, from 70 in 2000 to 169 this year. Pass rates for this subject also increased from 89 per cent to 94 per cent, the highest among the subjects offered.
However, according to the CXC "the overall performance of candidates in the January 2001 examinations was slightly below the performance in 2000".
In total, 57 per cent of candidates achieved Grades I-III, compared with 61 per cent last year.
In English 'A', pass rates rose by a mere one per cent, to 66 per cent, while less than half of candidates sitting the Mathematics exam 42 per cent achieved passing grades.
"Candidates scripts showed weaknesses in measurement, geometry and statistics," the CXC Headquarters reports.
Just over 60 per cent of candidates passed Principles of Business, down from 78 per cent in 2000.
However, passes in Office Procedures rose from 60 per cent last year to 77 per cent. "Cand-idates knowledge of the concepts and procedures... showed significant improvement," the CXC administration said.
A two per cent gain was recorded for Principles of Accounts, which 51 per cent of candidates passed.
In the sciences, the CXC administration said "examiners' reports indicate the need for candidates to more accurately interpret questions, as well as to improve their knowledge of the subject content and experimental skills."
Fifty-one per cent of candidates passed Biology, a one per cent decline from last year, while Chemistry passes were down to 42 per cent, compared with 50 per cent in 2000.
"Performance in Integrated Science, which was offered for the first time in 2000, was good, although 70 per cent of the candidates achieved Grades I-III, compared with 93 per cent in 2000".
