Anguilla recorded strong performances in the 2026 Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) examinations, including 100 per cent acceptable-grade rates in several CSEC subjects, as the island hosted the regional release of the May-June results on Tuesday, 18th August, 2026.
Held at the Teachers’ Resource Centre, the ceremony marked Anguilla’s return as host of the official regional results release after a decade. CXC reported an overall acceptable-grade rate of 93.52 per cent for CAPE and 72.18 per cent for CSEC across the region.
For Anguilla, several subject areas stood out. The territory recorded 100 per cent acceptable grades in CAPE Communication Studies. At CSEC level, the island recorded 93 per cent in EDPM, with 43 per cent of candidates achieving Grade 1, compared with just one per cent the previous year. Anguilla also recorded 100 per cent acceptable grades in Principles of Accounts, Physics and Social Studies.
Mathematics remains an area requiring attention, although Anguilla performed above the regional CSEC Mathematics average of 42 per cent. Dr. Nicole Manning, CXC’s Director of Operations, noted that the territory has also moved beyond the roughly 30 per cent performance range seen in previous years, representing an improvement even though the subject remains an area for continued focus.
The results also highlighted some wider regional concerns. Manning drew attention to the number of students who registered for examinations but did not sit them: 32,403 CSEC candidates and 3,534 CAPE candidates were absent. She noted that some students may avoid examinations because they feel unprepared, but stressed that a candidate cannot receive a grade for an examination component they do not attempt.
Another concern was the changing nature of examination misconduct. CXC recorded 128 examination irregularity cases, up from 80 the previous year, with unauthorised devices, candidate collusion and unauthorised materials among the leading issues. For the first time, misuse of artificial intelligence emerged as a category.
Against that results picture, the ceremony also introduced a major change in how student achievement could be recognised through CXC’s new Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC).
CXC Registrar and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Wayne Wesley described the launch as part of a broader effort to ensure that students’ learning is recognised, even when they do not succeed in a traditional examination format.
“No learning must go to waste,” he declared.
CTEC was introduced initially through Mathematics, a subject that continues to present challenges across the region. Wesley noted that traditionally only about one-third of candidates achieve acceptable grades in CSEC Mathematics. The new qualification breaks the subject into three focused modules, allowing students to demonstrate competence in stages rather than having their entire qualification depend on one examination sitting.
The first Mathematics pilot involved 2,535 candidates across 15 territories and 42 centres, with 88 per cent achieving an acceptable grade in Module 1. Only one candidate received the lowest grade.
Dr. Manning explained that the pilot candidates will be able to complete Modules 2 and 3 without additional cost and will have up to four years to complete the qualification. Students will also have flexibility in the order in which they complete the modules.
The results have already produced a significant number of recognised achievements. CXC reported that 69,567 candidates earned Module 1 recognition, including 41,367 students whose learning might otherwise not have resulted in a recognised credential. Approximately 35,000 candidates from the May-June 2026 CSEC Mathematics sitting will also receive the CTEC Mathematics Module 1 credential because the competencies assessed are already contained within the CSEC Mathematics examination.
Manning said the modular approach is expected to extend beyond Mathematics as CXC revises additional syllabuses.
That development tied closely into remarks from Hon. Minister of Education Mrs. Shellya Rogers-Webster, who said the question is no longer whether artificial intelligence belongs in education because “AI is already here.”
Rogers-Webster highlighted both its potential to support personalised learning, accessibility and teachers, and the risks involving academic integrity, privacy and independent thinking.
She pointed to Anguilla’s April 2025 agreement with CXC on the responsible integration of generative AI in education and announced that the Government has since developed its National Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education Policy 2025–2030. The policy, approved by Executive Council following consultation with education stakeholders, covers areas including AI literacy, academic integrity, data privacy, cybersecurity, inclusion and educator training.
Dr. Bonnie Richardson-Lake, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development and Education, meanwhile reminded those gathered that examination results should be viewed as more than numbers. They provide students with pathways to further education and employment while giving education authorities evidence about where teaching and learning systems are performing well and where greater support is needed.
She also highlighted Anguilla’s growing relationship with CXC, particularly its work on responsible AI integration.
The ceremony brought both recognition and a clear reminder of the work ahead. The exam results showed areas of strong performance, while CXC’s new approach to assessment and its growing focus on AI point to an education landscape that is already changing.
For the students receiving their results, however, the immediate task remains the same: take what the results show, build on the successes, address the gaps and keep moving forward.
