CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
REPORT ON CANDIDATES’ WORK IN THE
ADVANCED PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION
MAY/JUNE 2010
CARIBBEAN STUDIES
Copyright © 2010 Caribbean Examinations Council
St Michael, Barbados
All rights reserved.
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GENERAL COMMENTS
The Caribbean Studies examination comprised three papers — Paper 01 consisted of 15
compulsory short-response questions, Paper 02 consisted of eight essay questions of which
candidates were required to answer four, and Paper 03 was the Internal Assessment component
for which candidates conducted research and submitted a research paper. Paper 03/1, the
alternative to the Internal Assessment, was written by private candidates.
Paper 01 contributed 27 per cent to candidates‘ overall grade, Paper 02 contributed 33 per cent,
and Papers 03/1 and 03/2 each contributed 40 per cent to candidates‘ overall grade.
DETAILED COMMENTS
Paper 01 – Short-Response Questions
Once again candidates are required to read all questions carefully. They are to note key elements
of questions, such as terms that are to be defined, concepts which are to be explained and/or
analysed. Also, candidates should note the limits within time periods and always provide
examples when asked to do so.
Candidates who performed well on their responses had not only prepared the topics, but also
paid close attention to the requirements of the questions.
Module 1 – Caribbean Society and Culture
Question 1
This question tested candidates‘ knowledge of the basic geography of the Caribbean area and
included three specific questions.
In Part (a), candidates were required to outline one advantage of defining the Caribbean in
geographical terms; they produced a variety of responses, not all of which were accurate. The
stronger candidates wrote succinct answers which included references to the chain of islands at
the archipelago and the central place of the Caribbean Sea. There was also mention of features
such as the nearness to the...