Education Minister Highlights Improvements in PEP Exam

There have been marked improvements in the results of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations at the grade-five level, says Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams.

“We are very encouraged with the improvement in students’ performance in Language Arts. Approximately 68 per cent of the students achieved proficiency or higher, a substantial increase from 40 per cent last year,” Minister Williams said, while delivering the keynote address at the official launch of the new school year, held at Clarendon College, on September 17.

In Mathematics, 47 per cent of the students who sat the exams achieved proficiency or higher, a noticeable increase from the 21 per cent proficiency level for 2023, the Minister noted, adding that in Science, 43 per cent of the students scored at or above the proficiency level, compared to the 35 per cent for last year.

“In Social Studies, 44 per cent of students achieved proficiency, an increase from the 37 per cent recorded last year. Transformation is happening and we are delighted to present these results,” Mrs. Williams said.

Under PEP, the exam is administered over a three-year period, starting in Grade 4, and an average is taken for a cumulative score at the end of grade six.

It is geared at testing students’ aptitude, knowledge and skills in Mathematics, Science, Language Arts and Social Studies.

During the three-year testing, students are required to apply their knowledge to real-life situations.

This task is given to students in Term 3 for grades four and five, and Term 1 for grade six.

The tests allow them to demonstrate their critical reasoning skills in areas outside of the curriculum and are done in Term 2 for grade-six students.

The third and final assessment is administered in Term 3 to grade six students and focuses on Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts.

The assessments are done by the classroom teachers at a pre-established time during regular contact classroom hours.

Students are not allowed to do the assessments at home, and the results are made public during the third week of June.