Sitting CSEC or CAPE on your own
You do not need to be enrolled in a school to sit CXC exams. Adults, re-sit candidates, and self-study learners register as private candidates through their country’s Ministry of Education. This guide walks you through the process and links you straight to the right office for where you live.
The one thing to understand first
CXC does not register candidates directly and will not deal with you one-on-one about registration, timetables, or results. Every territory runs registration through a Local Registrar inside its Ministry of Education. Whatever country you are in, your first step is to contact that office. The directory below takes you straight to it.
How registration works, step by step
- 1
Find your Local Registrar
You cannot register directly with CXC. Every territory runs registration through a Local Registrar inside its Ministry of Education. Use the directory to find the office for the country where you live, then call or email to confirm the current sitting, deadline, and fee.
- 2
Choose your sitting and subjects
CSEC runs twice a year: a January sitting (about 13 subjects, for private and resit candidates only) and the main May/June sitting (all 35 subjects). CAPE runs only at May/June. Decide which subjects you want and check each one is open to private candidates (see the SBA section below).
- 3
Decide how you will handle the SBA
Most CSEC and all CAPE subjects normally include School-Based Assessment (coursework). As a private candidate with no school, you usually sit an Alternative Paper (Paper 03/2) in place of it. A few subjects have no alternative and cannot be completed without doing the SBA. Confirm your subjects before you pay.
- 4
Pay and submit your registration
Each territory has its own process: some use an online portal, some take payment at a government treasury or revenue office, some register you in person. The registrar will tell you exactly what to bring. Keep your receipt and your registration number.
- 5
Sit your exams at an assigned centre
The Local Registrar assigns private candidates to a designated examination centre, usually near where you live. CXC exams are now largely electronic: Paper 1 is sat on a computer and Paper 2 is often a hybrid (read on screen, answer in a booklet). Try the official demo e-tests before exam day.
When to register
As a rough guide, January-sitting registration usually opens in September and closes in October of the year before. May/June registration usually opens in October or November and closes between November and December. Exact dates are set by each territory and change every year, so confirm with your registrar before relying on them.
The SBA, and what it means for you
Most CSEC subjects and all CAPE units include a School-Based Assessment (SBA) — coursework normally done over the year under a teacher’s supervision. As a private candidate you have no school to supervise or submit it. CXC solves this with an Alternative Paper (Paper 03/2): an extra written paper you sit in place of the SBA. You register for the “Alternative” option and you do not submit any coursework.
Two things to keep in mind. A few subjects have no alternative paper and cannot be completed without the actual SBA or a practical/portfolio. And unlike a moderated SBA mark, an Alternative Paper mark cannot be carried forward to a later sitting. If you previously sat a subject in school, you may be able to re-use your moderated SBA mark for up to two years — ask the registrar about registering as a “Re-sit”.
CSEC: alternative available
Private candidates can sit these without coursework.
- Additional Mathematics
- Biology
- Caribbean History
- Chemistry
- Economics
- Electronic Document Preparation and Management (EDPM)
- English A
- English B
- Geography
- Human and Social Biology
- Information Technology
- Integrated Science (Single Award)
- Mathematics
- Office Administration
- Physics
- Principles of Accounts
- Principles of Business
- Social Studies
- Theatre Arts
The science alternatives (Biology, Chemistry, Integrated Science, Physics) include a practical and are not offered at the January sitting. Languages have an oral instead of an SBA, arranged through the registrar.
CSEC: SBA required
No alternative paper. Hard or not possible as a private candidate.
- Agricultural Science
- Family and Resource Management (Home Economics)
- Industrial Technology
- Music
- Physical Education and Sport
- Religious Education
- Technical Drawing
- Visual Arts
CXC does not publish a single list here, so always confirm a specific subject with your registrar before you pay.
CAPE: SBA required
These CAPE units have no alternative; the SBA must be completed.
- Agricultural Science
- Animation and Game Design
- Art and Design
- Building and Mechanical Engineering Drawing
- Electrical and Electronic Technology
- Food and Nutrition
- Performing Arts
- Physical Education and Sport
Every other CAPE unit offers an alternative to the internal assessment for private candidates.
Find your country’s registration office
Every CXC territory and the office that handles private-candidate registration. Contact details come from CXC’s own directory and were last reviewed in June 2026. Fees, deadlines, and the exact documents change every sitting, so call or email to confirm the current cycle before you act.
Anguilla
Examinations Division, Department of Education (Ministry of Social Development and Education)
(264) 497-2874 / (264) 497-2875
Antigua and Barbuda
Examinations Unit, Ministry of Education, Sports and Creative Industries
(268) 462-4959 / (268) 481-5331
Barbados
Jan sitting
Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training
Register online; pay at the Ministry Accounts Section (Elsie Payne Complex) or through the Government EZpay portal, then upload your receipt with the application.
(246) 535-0614
Belize
Assessment, Certification and Examinations Unit, Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology
(501) 203-4977
British Virgin Islands
Jan sitting
Examinations Unit, Ministry of Education and Culture
(284) 468-3339 / (284) 468-2757
Cayman Islands
Department of Education Services (Testing and Examinations)
(345) 926-8303 / (345) 244-1836
Dominica
CXC Local Registrar, Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training and National Excellence
The Ministry publishes a dedicated CXC page with the current subjects, fees, and registration window.
(767) 266-5537 / (767) 449-9867
Grenada
Jan sitting
Educational Testing and Measurement Unit, Ministry of Education
Register through the CXC Online Registration System, pay at the Treasury or any District Revenue Office (or online at pay.gov.gd), then take your printed receipt with your birth certificate or passport to the Educational Testing and Measurement Unit.
(473) 440-2791
Guyana
Jan sitting
Examinations Division, Ministry of Education
The Government has announced funding of CXC fees for up to eight subjects for Guyanese students; ask the Examinations Division whether private candidates qualify.
(592) 226-1094
Jamaica
Jan sitting
Overseas Examinations Commission (OEC)
Register through the OEC online portal. Payment is by debit or credit card only; the OEC does not accept cash for CXC exams. Acceptable ID: passport, electoral ID, driver’s licence, or school ID.
(876) 929-1813 / (876) 618-3721
Montserrat
Department of Education, Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports
(664) 491-2541
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Jan sitting
Examinations Section, Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture
In St. Kitts: collect a payment form from the Government Treasury, pay, then send your receipt by WhatsApp to 869-760-1877 to receive the online registration link. In Nevis: register at the Examinations Office, Stanford Building.
(869) 467-1104 / (869) 467-1877
Saint Lucia
Jan sitting
Educational Evaluation and Assessment Unit, Ministry of Education (Francis Compton Building, Castries)
Registration runs through the Educational Evaluation and Assessment Unit at the Ministry of Education. January-sitting registration usually runs September to October; May/June usually runs from late October to December.
(758) 468-5238
Sint Maarten
Jan sitting
Division of Examinations, Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport
Email the completed registration form to the Division of Examinations together with valid photo ID and proof of payment; the Division sends an invoice in return.
1-721-542-3296
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Jan sitting
Examinations Unit, Ministry of Education and National Reconciliation (Richmond Hill, Kingstown)
Register in person at the Examinations Unit during the published window. Bring valid photo ID (national ID, driver’s licence, or passport).
(784) 485-6064
Suriname
Bureau of Examinations, Ministry of Education, Science and Culture
(597) 498383
Trinidad and Tobago
Jan sitting
Examinations Division (DERE), Ministry of Education
Collect a stamped deposit voucher from your nearest Education District Office, pay the fees in cash at a District Revenue Office, then complete the online application and upload your receipt. T&T nationals get one free registration opportunity (CSEC or CAPE, once overall).
(868) 622-2181
Turks and Caicos Islands
Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture and Library Services
(649) 338-3811
Not seeing your country?
These territories do not run CXC as a registration centre: The Bahamas, Bermuda, Aruba, Bonaire. If you live there and want CSEC or CAPE, you would register through a private school that is an approved CXC centre, or sit in another territory. Contact CXC or the nearest Local Registrar to find an approved centre.
Official CXC resources
Go straight to the source. These are CXC’s own pages, not ours.
The office that handles registration in every territory. Start here.
CXC’s master rules on private candidates, the SBA, and the Alternative Paper.
How registration works and why it runs through your Local Registrar.
The regional fee scale (in Barbados dollars). Your territory adds local fees.
Download official syllabuses free; buy past papers.
Practise the on-screen exam format before exam day.
Preparing on your own? You don’t have to study alone
Registration gets you a seat in the exam room. Bridge Point gets you ready for it. A free account opens our CSEC and CAPE question banks, full diagnostics, the AI tutor, flashcards, and writing tools — built on real past-paper content and the CXC syllabuses. No payment method needed to start.
Create a free accountThis guide is provided for orientation only and is not official CXC or government advice. Registration offices, deadlines, fees, documents, and subject rules change between sittings. Always confirm the current details with your territory’s Local Registrar before registering. Bridge Point Scholars is an independent educational resource hub and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Caribbean Examinations Council.