OEC Earmarks $188.24M for External Tests and SBAs in Fiscal Year 2025/26

The Overseas Examinations Commission (OEC) has earmarked $188.24 million in sponsorship for external tests and school-based assessments (SBAs) for fiscal year 2025/26.

Details of the provision are contained in the 2025/26 Public Bodies Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the Year ending March 2026, which was recently tabled in the House of Representatives by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams.

According to the document, the sponsorship comes as the OEC continues to implement strategies that promote affordable access to examinations, thereby ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to sit their exams, while maintaining the organisation’s long-term financial sustainability.

It further states that the examination landscape has undergone a total transformation, with all regional Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) external tests administered by the OEC now available online.

Additionally, several international examining bodies are transitioning their paper-based examinations to digital platforms.

“In response to this shift, the OEC has expanded its capacity, increasing seating availability in 2024/25 and bringing the total number of testing stations to over 200.

Additionally, following the successful pilot in 2024/25, the OEC will offer proctor services to at least two clients during the 2025/26 financial year,” the document indicated.

These proctors, it further stated, “will be used for online examinations where students will be monitored remotely by the proctor”.

In the meantime, the OEC will commence construction of a 32,000 square-foot digital examination hub in Kingston during 2025/26.

This facility will be an integral component of the Commission’s e-learning framework.

“This multipurpose facility, anticipated to reach 65 per cent completion by March 2026, is poised to be a centre of excellence for local and international examinations,” the document stated.

Meanwhile, in preparation for increased online testing, the OEC will implement tranche seven of its computer in schools programme in 2025/26.

This will be the culmination of the programme’s thrust to instal 30 computers in all public secondary high schools islandwide.

The Overseas Examinations Commission was established by an Act of Parliament in 2005, and is the only organisation mandated by the Government of Jamaica to administer external examinations.

The entity partners with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information and external examining bodies on a number of key initiatives related to the administration of local and international examinations.