During the 2025–2026 academic year, Grenada’s Ministry of Education, through its Educational Testing and Examinations Unit, successfully administered both the internal and external components of the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA).
A total of 1,711 students were registered for the 2026 assessment: 876 males and 835 females. Of these, 1,709 participants completed the external component — 876 males and 833 females. All registered students completed the internal component.
In alignment with the Government of Grenada’s Universal Secondary Education Policy, 1,709 students have been successfully placed in secondary school for the upcoming academic year.
Overall Performance
The data indicates that a total of 1,601 students passed the CPEA, scoring 50% and above. This group included 802 males and 799 females. Meanwhile, 108 students (7%) scored below 50%, comprising of 74 males and 34 females.
Table 1: Number of students obtaining 50% or above overall in the 2026 CPEA
| Percentage | Male | Female | Total |
| > =50% | 802 | 799 | 1,601 |
| <50% | 74 | 34 | 108 |
| 876 | 833 | 1,709 |
External Component
The external component of the examination was completed by 1,709 students — 876 males and 833 females. 1,293 students — 619 males and 674 females achieved 50% or greater, whereas 416 students — 257 males and 159 females scored less than 50%. The table below indicates the findings.
Table 2: Performance of students in the external component of the assessment
| Percentage | Number of students by gender | Grand Total | |
| Male | Female | ||
| >=50% | 619 | 674 | 1,293 |
| <50% | 257 | 159 | 416 |
| Grand Total | 876 | 833 | 1,709 |
In this component of the assessment, students achieved their highest performance in Language Arts, which recorded a national mean of 64.13 in 2026 and 60.34 in 2025, marking the most notable gain across subjects. Social Studies also showed steady progress, rising from 62.61 in 2025 to 64.27 in 2026, maintaining strong consistency. Performance in Science remained relatively stable, with a mean of 63.06 in 2025 and a slight increase to 64.29 in 2026.
In contrast, Mathematics reflected the sharpest decline, with the national mean dropping from 55.16 in 2025 to 52.58 in 2026, underscoring the need for targeted intervention in this subject area.
Table 3: The national mean in each subject area in the external component
| Subject |
Maximum Possible Score |
National Mean | |||||||||
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | ||
| Mathematics | 100 | 60.25 | 57.16 | 54.13 | 55.56 | 49.06 | 53.88 | 58.53 | 56.12 | 55.16 | 52.58 |
| Language Arts | 100 | 58.86 | 64.50 | 66.77 | 65.83 | 65.39 | 46.92 | 59.75 | 59.82 | 60.34 | 64.13 |
| Science | 100 | 65.93 | 67.54 | 70.95 | 67.64 | 64.97 | 59.88 | 66.07 | 64.13 | 63.06 | 64.29 |
| Social Studies | 100 | 54.66 | 64.20 | 64.51 | 59.87 | 60.30 | 60.57 | 62.61 | 64.27 | ||
Internal Component
A total of 1,711 students completed the internal component of the examinations, 874 males and 837 females.
Table 4: Performance of students in the internal component of the assessment
| Percentage |
Number of students by gender |
Grand Total |
|
| Male | Female | ||
| >= 50% | 844 | 829 | 1,673 |
| < 50%` | 30 | 8 | 38 |
| Grand Total | 874 | 837 | 1,711 |
In this component of the assessment, students demonstrated their strongest achievement in Language Arts, which recorded a national mean score of 83.37. Performance in Social Studies was nearly comparable, with a mean score of 83.13, while Science followed closely at 82.56. In contrast, Mathematics reflected the most notable decline, with the national mean dropping from 82.86 in 2025 to 80.70 in 2026, marking the sharpest reduction among the subject areas. Table 5 provides a detailed summary of national mean scores from 2016 to 2026 across all subject areas.
Table 5: The national mean in each subject area in the internal component of the assessment
| Subject | Maximum Possible Score |
National Mean |
|||||||||
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | ||
| Mathematics | 100 | 74.90 | 77.86 | 79.92 | 79.95 | 81.16 | 81.70 | 84.43 | 87.71 | 82.86 | 80.70 |
| Language Arts | 100 | 75.92 | 77.78 | 80.29 | 80.37 | 82.41 | 83.56 | 84.89 | 83.63 | 84.64 | 83.37 |
| Science | 100 | 74.90 | 78.09 | 79.23 | 80.65 | 82.95 | 83.49 | 84.56 | 83.22 | 84.33 | 82.56 |
| Social Studies | 100 | 79.37 | 81.77 | 78.62 | 80.39 | 83.07 | 83.45 | 85.12 | 83.37 | 83.60 | 83.13 |
Secondary School Assignment
The table below presents the gender-based distribution of the 1,709 students assigned to the various secondary schools for 2026.
Table 6: The number of students assigned to each secondary school (2026)
| Grenada 2026 CPEA School Assignments | |||
| Assigned School | Male | Female | Total |
| Anglican High School | 0 | 105 | 105 |
| Beacon High | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Bishop’s College | 18 | 12 | 30 |
| Boca Secondary School | 42 | 45 | 87 |
| Grenada Boy’s Secondary School | 167 | 0 | 167 |
| Grenada Christian Academy | 18 | 15 | 33 |
| Grenada S D A Comprehensive Secondary | 23 | 19 | 42 |
| Grenville Secondary School | 82 | 35 | 117 |
| Happy Hill Secondary School | 44 | 54 | 98 |
| Hillsborough Secondary School | 16 | 15 | 31 |
| J W Fletcher Catholic Secondary School | 23 | 47 | 70 |
| Mac Donald College | 58 | 34 | 92 |
| Presentation Brothers College | 70 | 0 | 70 |
| St Andrew’s Anglican Secondary School | 87 | 48 | 135 |
| St David’s Catholic Secondary School | 67 | 38 | 105 |
| St John’s Christian Secondary School | 22 | 8 | 30 |
| St Joseph’s Convent, Grenville | 0 | 99 | 99 |
| St Joseph’s Convent, St George’s | 0 | 100 | 100 |
| St Mark’s Secondary School | 32 | 40 | 72 |
| St Rose Modern Secondary School | 29 | 32 | 61 |
| St George’s Institute | 11 | 8 | 19 |
| Wesley College | 21 | 49 | 70 |
| Westerhall Secondary School | 35 | 21 | 56 |
| Westmorland Secondary | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| Grand Total | 876 | 833 | 1,709 |
Each primary school will receive a customised list detailing the secondary school placements for their Grade 6 students. This list will include information specific to their students only.
BACKGROUND
The Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) replaced the National Common Entrance Examination (CEE) in 2012. The CPEA is designed to evaluate the essential skills of students completing primary education and emphasises continuous assessment across Grades 5 and 6. It measures student performance for formative, summative, and diagnostic purposes. The programme was developed by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) in partnership with ministries of education throughout the region.
The 2026 Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) began with the internal components in September 2025 and concluded with the external components on Wednesday, 13 May and Thursday, 14 May 2026.
Eligibility for this assessment was extended to all students who attained eleven (11) years on, or before, 1 September 2025. In May 2023, the Ministry of Education reinstated the policy of Universal Secondary Education, ensuring that all students writing the examinations would transition from primary school to secondary education.
The CPEA comprises 2 components:
- Internal Assessment (40% of total score)
- External Assessment (60% of total score)
Features of the internal assessment include:
- Project
- Book Report
- Writing Portfolio
- Student-made Tests
- Practice in “Can-Do” Skills: English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
- Teacher-made Tests in English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
Features of the external assessment include 50 multiple-choice questions in: A) Language Arts, B) Mathematics, C) Science, and D) Social Studies. Students were given 75 minutes to complete each paper.
REASSIGNMENT [Transfer] PROCEDURES
Grounds for REASSIGNMENT [Transfer] Requests
Reassignments will only be allowed under the following strictly adhered-to grounds:
For a student to be reassigned (from the first school assigned to another), at least one of the following criteria must be met:
- AVAILABILITY of Space: in accordance with the 1:35 teacher-to-pupil ratio
- VACATED SPACE: where a student has vacated an assigned placement at the school for which a. transfer is requested
- OTHER Special Conditions: Hinged on a) and b), but not limited to where the following conditions apply:
- Medical and/or Psychological Conditions: underlying conditions with proven history and records
- Change in Residence: Where the student now resides closer to the preferred school (proof required)
Transfers:
The following procedures will apply when requesting reassignments for students:
- Parents or guardians shall apply for reassignments electronically via a link that will be disseminated at a later date
- The application will be reviewed by a CPEA Reassignment [Transfer] Committee (comprised of the manager, the principal and vice principal of the school), chaired by the principal
- The school’s CPEA Reassignment [Transfer] Committee will meet and submit their recommendations to the Ministry of Education, through the Office of the Chief Education Officer, no later than 2 weeks after the results are released. Recommendations received after the deadline will not be considered
- Principals will send all recommendations for reassignments to the Ministry of Education through the Office of the Chief Education Officer for review and approval
- All recommendations for reassignments shall be forwarded to the Planning Unit through the Office of the Chief Education Officer for documentation and collating, which must be done within 2 business days following receipt
- All recommendations shall then be forwarded to the Ministry’s CPEA Oversight Committee (comprised of Chief Education Officer, DCEO-Testing & Measurement; DCEO School Administration; Senior Planning Officer) for reassignment review and decisions
- Reassignments [Transfers] will only be granted after the Ministry of Education has reviewed and officially documented the decision
Following the review and decisions, the following steps shall be taken:
- For all approved reassignments, the parent or guardian shall be notified in writing by the Office of the Chief Education Officer [so that all requisite steps are followed]
- For all denied reassignments, the parent or guardian shall be notified in writing by the Office of the Chief Education Officer [so that all requisite steps are followed]
NOTE
- The Ministry of Education will NOT ACCEPT any hard copies of completed forms from parents, and, accordingly, parents must refrain from making their requests physically at the Examination Unit
- Parents who DO NOT have access to electronic means of submission can contact the Help Desk via telephone (473) 440-2737 for assistance to complete the form
- Requests WILL NOT be considered after the stipulated deadline
- Based on students’ performance and the number of students placed in the school of their first choice, some schools have already met their capacity. Therefore, the Ministry of Education WILL NOT allow transfers to schools where the class size is already at its maximum
Ministry of Education
