The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) yesterday reported an improvement in the performance of candidates across the region who sat the January 2008 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

According to CXC, 57 per cent of the entries achieved grades one to three compared with 51 per cent of entries in 2007.

Office administration and social studies were the two subjects with the best performance with 84 per cent and 81 per cent of the entries achieving grades one to three, respectively.

In both cases the performance was an improvement over 2007 when 75 per cent and 71 per cent of entries achieved grades one to three, respectively.

Recovery in science

CXC also reported that human and social biology recorded a significant improvement in performance this year, the third time the subject was being offered at the January sitting. Seventy-nine per cent of the entries achieved grades one to three compared with 46 per cent in 2007.

CXC said last year's trend of improved performances in all three science subjects continued this year.

Performance in biology increased from 66 per cent in 2007 to 68 per cent; chemistry recorded a two per cent improvement, from 53 per cent to 55 per cent; and performance in physics improved from 55 per cent to 63 per cent.

Both English language and mathematics recorded improved performance this year. Performance in mathematics improved from 43 per cent to 56 per cent, while performance in English moved from 43 per cent to 49 per cent.

Subject entries and candidates' entries declined slightly this year when compared with 2007. Some 40,567 subject entries were received this year compared with 40,705 in 2007, while 24,311 candidates registered for the examinations this year compared with 24,833 in 2007.

Twelve subjects were offered this year.