Improved Performance in the 2026 Examinations

The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture welcomes the improved performance in the 2026 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. A total of 488 students - 213 males and 275 females - registered across 20 subjects for the 2026 examinations representing 2428 subject entries.

Minister of Education Hon. Rchel Taylor

The Country’s results reveal that the national pass rate for Grades I-III increased from 71.0% in 2025 to 80.2% in 2026, an improvement of 9.2 percentage points. Twenty-two of the 29 reported subjects recorded higher pass rates, and the proportion of Grade I results rose from 12.5% in 2025 to 21.0% in 2026.

The distribution of grades showed:

·      Grade I passes: 21.0% of entries, up 8.5% from 2025

·      Grade II passes: 32.0% (largest cohort, with 1.8% growth)

·      Grade III passes: 27.2% (1.0% decrease)

These figures indicate growth across two of the three performance levels, with particularly strong gains in the upper tier.

There were a number of high-achieving subjects in 2026. Nine subjects registered a 90%+ pass rate, including Biology, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Office Administration, Physical Education and Sports, Textiles, Clothing and Fashion, Food, Nutrition and Health, Family and Resource Management, and Industrial Technology (Electrical), while four subjects achieved 100% pass rates: Additional Mathematics, Music, Physics, and Visual Arts.

Passes in English A continue to show a steady increase from 75.9% in 2025 to 78.9% in 2026.

MATHEMATICS IMPROVEMENT: The Mathematics pass rate increased from 32.6% in 2025 to 51.7% in 2026. It is worth noting that the number of Grades I-III Mathematics passes rose from 91 in 2025 to 121 in 2026.

The continued improvement in Mathematics outcomes reflects the Ministry’s deliberate efforts to strengthen Mathematics teaching and learning across schools.

These efforts include the introduction of standardised instructional strategies, enhanced cross-school collaboration and professional sharing among teachers, and targeted national student engagement initiatives, including the National Mathematics Jeopardy Competition.

The Ministry said it has also strengthened regional collaboration and leveraged external expertise and best practices to support the transformation of Mathematics instruction, improve student engagement, and build stronger outcomes in Mathematics across the education system.

Education Minister Hon. Rachel Taylor is buoyed by the improved overall perofrmances.

"These results provide encouraging evidence that targeted investment, stronger teacher capacity, and purposeful student engagement can improve learning outcomes,” Taylor said in a news release. “The gains in Mathematics are particularly significant, reflecting deliberate efforts to recruit additional specialist teachers, make Mathematics more engaging through the National Mathematics Jeopardy Competition, and connect our educators with regional expertise through the University of the West Indies."

She added: "We congratulate every student who took the examinations and thank our teachers, school leaders, parents, and education partners for their commitment. While we celebrate this progress, we recognise that more work remains. The Ministry will continue to strengthen mathematics instruction, improve attendance and participation, and provide targeted support in subjects and schools where improvement is still needed.”

 Taylor added that the Ministry remains committed to using examination data to inform teacher deployment, professional development, curriculum support, and student interventions.

The Ministry said it will continue working with schools to consolidate the improvements achieved in 2026, expand access to qualified teachers, strengthen instructional leadership, and ensure that students receive the academic and motivational support needed to succeed.