MOE continues adjusted PEP exams for 2027 due to ongoing Melissa recovery

The Ministry of Education has extended adjustments made to the sitting of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations as the education sector, particularly in western Jamaica, continues to recover from Hurricane Melissa.

One of the changes that has been maintained is that Grade 6 students will not sit Social Studies and Science.

The adjustments were made to this year's PEP examinations following the passage of Hurricane Melissa last October, and the Ministry has decided to continue the changes for 2027 in light of ongoing challenges facing students and schools in western Jamaica.

Portfolio Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon, speaking on the matter at today's post-Cabinet press briefing, said the Ministry was mindful of the impact of the hurricane on students and their schools and believed retaining the adjusted Grade 6 PEP examination was the right move given the circumstances.

Morris Dixon said the decision was made in consultation with stakeholders.

“As many people would realise, I think the entire Jamaica, we’re still rebuilding in the west, and our children in the west are still struggling. We have the trauma of what happened still affecting them, and for many of them, they're still having to deal with the reconstruction happening in their homes, and we're still doing reconstruction at the schools. And so we had to consult on how do we do the exam. Last year, we made some adjustments to the examination, and so what we're doing this year is to maintain those adjustments for one more year so that our students have time in order to recover from what happened with Hurricane Melissa,” she said.

For Grade 6, students will sit the Mathematics Curriculum-Based Test (inclusive of Numeracy items), Language Arts Curriculum-Based Tests (inclusive of Literacy items) and the Ability Test for PEP 2027, which is scheduled for April 21-22.

The Ministry, in an advisory, said a system had been worked out to determine how Grade 6 students will be placed in high schools.

This will be determined using the grades from PEP in Grade 4, which was sat in 2025, the results from PEP in Grade 5 this year, and the results from Grade 6.

PEP Grade 4 will carry a weight of 10 per cent, Grade 5 will carry 20 per cent and Grade 6 will carry 70 per cent in determining the overall placement score.

The maximum score for Grade 4 is 40, while Grade 5 has a maximum score of 80 and Grade 6 will carry a maximum score of 280, for a total of 400 points.

“If there are students with profiles which differ from what is stated above, or students who have a valid reason for missing assessments from the profile, the principal is required to submit a letter explaining the variation in the student’s profile and submit documentary evidence to support the explanation. This must be submitted during the registration phase,” the Education Ministry said.

Regarding the other PEP examinations for next year, Grade 5 students will sit Mathematics Performance Tasks and Language Arts Performance Tasks on June 16, 2027, and the Literacy Test and Numeracy Test on June 2, 2027.

The Education Ministry said the Grade 4 PEP assessments would be administered before the Grade 5 PEP assessments to provide students’ literacy and numeracy levels early enough for schools and parents to decide on the retention of students in Grade 4, where applicable.

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