Guyana faces critical questions over its readiness to implement fully digital examinations as announced by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC). Karen Abrams, MBA, AA, Doctoral Candidate in Education Technology, co-founder and Executive Director of STEMGuyana, highlighted that the transition to online testing requires careful preparation, access, and responsibility from both students and the government.
“Digital exams should measure knowledge and skill, not access to electricity or familiarity with a mouse,” Abrams wrote in a recent op-ed published by Kaieteur News. She stressed that students unfamiliar with navigating screens, scrolling, clicking, flagging questions, managing on-screen timers, and typing responses must divide attention between content and mechanics, creating a cognitive load that could undermine performance.
Abrams noted that CXC began e-testing with CSEC multiple-choice exams as early as 2017 across several Caribbean countries, reporting smooth administration and positive feedback from students, invigilators, and education officials. “If students are learning in one environment and tested in another, we are setting them up to struggle for reasons that have nothing to do with subject knowledge,” she said.
The expert urged parents to ensure that their children, especially those in Grades 10 and 11, are registered on the government’s digital learning platform, describing it as an essential resource. “This platform should not be considered an optional add-on. They are part of how students are increasingly expected to learn, revise, and interact with content. Regular use helps students become comfortable navigating lessons, assessments, and digital tools long before exam day.”
Abrams emphasised that digital fluency is a skill in its own right. Platforms such as Pathway Online Academy allow students from Grades 1 to 10 to reinforce the Ministry of Education curriculum while learning to complete online quizzes, submit work digitally, and move confidently through structured digital environments. “That fluency gives them a significant advantage when assessments move online,” she said.
However, Abrams cautioned that access remains a major hurdle in Guyana. “Not all students have reliable devices, stable internet, or consistent electricity. Indigenous communities, rural villages, and under-resourced coastal areas face challenges that go far beyond motivation or effort. A move to digital exams that does not account for these realities risks widening existing inequities rather than modernising assessment.”
The government’s role is critical in ensuring a fair transition. Abrams questioned whether there are enough examination centres equipped with functioning computers, sufficient bandwidth to support hundreds of students simultaneously, and onsite technical support ready to respond to issues. She also raised concerns about contingency plans for electricity interruptions or network outages outside Georgetown.
Abrams concluded that while the shift to fully digital exams is not inherently problematic, it requires deliberate preparation. “Parents must prepare children early and consistently. Schools must integrate digital practice into everyday learning. And government must ensure that no child’s results are compromised by circumstances beyond their control,” she wrote.
“If we get this right, the transition can strengthen learning and fairness. If we do not, we risk leaving too many capable students behind,” Abrams warned, underscoring the need for readiness, access, and responsibility at every level.
