Credential Evaluation in USA: Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)

Written by Jeremy Yan | 07/03/2025

According to MPI, there were approximately 4.5 million Caribbean immigrants resided in the United States in 2019, representing 10 percent of the nation’s 44.9 million total foreign-born population.

As one of them, you might need to evaluate your foreign credentials, in order to work, go to school, apply for immigration statues or join the military in the US.

Founded by an immigrant just like you, AET knows your pain and struggles. That’s why it’s important for us to talk about education evaluation and CSEC equivalent in USA to better help you succeed in this country.

Read on, you’ll find more useful information:

Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)

(CXC Website)

Established in 1972, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) is an examination board that provides educational certifications and conducts examinations in the Caribbean. It was created to replace the old system of the General Certificate of Education (GCE) from the UK.

CXC offers a range of exams including the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), which are crucial for students in the Caribbean region for their academic and professional advancement.

It now comprises 16 participating territories: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Council now has two main goals:

• To conduct examinations in the public interest.
• To award certificates, provided that the certificates did not represent lower standards of attainment than equivalent certificates of examining authorities in the United Kingdom (GCE).

Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC)

The Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) is an examination administered by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).

CSEC exams cover a wide range of subjects, including the sciences, mathematics, languages, social sciences, and vocational subjects.

CSEC is designed to be taken after 11 years of elementary and secondary education and constitutes the standard secondary school leaving qualification in the CXC® member states and territories.

CSEC Equivalent in USA

The U.S. equivalence of CSEC is High School Diploma.

When an applicant orders a service at a credential evaluation agency, they’re often curious about what US equivalent of their foreign credentials can be.

In the case of CSEC, it is equivalent to the Ordinary Level (O-Levels) exams and is typically taken by students at the end of their secondary education, around the age of 16 or 17. Hence, the U.S. equivalence of CSEC is a high school diploma.

In fact, in order to be accepted by an undergraduate program, U.S. universities generally take 5 passes of CSEC. With that said students from CXC countries can use CSEC results to study in the USA.

CSEC Grading System and Its U.S. Equivalence

Besides its overall US equivalence, it’s also important understand CSEC grading system and what it means in the U.S. grading system.

The Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) grading system used by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) follows a six-point scale, ranging from Grades I to VI. Here's a brief overview:

Regarding the equivalence of CSEC grades to the U.S. grading system, it's important to note that such comparisons can be somewhat subjective, as grading standards and criteria differ between educational systems. However, a general equivalence can be outlined as follows:

• Grade I (CSEC) is often equated to an A (U.S.).
• Grade II (CSEC) could be considered similar to a B (U.S.).
• Grade III (CSEC) might align with a C (U.S.).
• Grade IV (CSEC), being a basic pass, could be equated to a C- (U.S.).

Grades V and VI in the CSEC system are generally below the threshold for a standard pass, so they may not have direct equivalents in the traditional U.S. grading system.

It's also important for students and institutions to consult with specific educational institutions or evaluators for the most accurate conversion, as interpretations can vary.

How to Get Your CSEC Evaluated in USA?

Currently in the USA, there are no laws and regulations in terms of foreign credential evaluation.

The U.S. Department of Statestates that they don’t affiliate or endorse any foreign credential evaluation agencies. Even though their website does include two organizations, they still disclaim that “The order in which names appear has no significance, and the links may be removed at any time at the discretion of the Department.”

With that said, having a CSEC evaluated isn’t restricted by choosing certain evaluation agencies.

Therefore, you can simply go to a trusted credential evaluation agency for their convenience.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, a CSEC is equivalent of a high school diploma in the USA. Applicants who have a report done by a foreign credential evaluation agency can use it for employment and education purposes.

We hope this article answers all of your questions about CSEC and its US equivalency, because we care at American Education and Translation Services.

Our owner, Jeremy Yan, who is also the Director of Evaluation, worked for a prominent NACES agency for 10+ years as a senior associate director. He was just like you, coming to the US from a foreign country to better his life. And that’s why he wanted to help people like you by providing reliable credential evaluation services with quality service and competitive pricing.

We guarantee:

• Experienced credential evaluators. Our Evaluation Director has had over a decade experience and was a Senior Associate Director at a well-known NACES agency.
• Reply to your email in 30 mins. To save your valuable time, we respond you rapidly via email.
• Easy to be reached out. You can always contact us via phone, email, WhatsApp and more.
• Customer service that puts you in first. We understand your pain of being ignored if you go to bigger agencies.
• Reasonable pricing and quality service.

Contact us today for a Free Estimate!

Jeremy Yan, President & Director of Evaluation at AET

Immigrated to the U.S. back in 1998, Mr. Yan had worked for over 10 years in a prominent company as a senior associate director and team leader. He has completed hundreds of thousands of foreign credential evaluation of documents from numerous foreign countries for various universities, licensing boards, U.S. government, and immigration services. He is a leading expert at American Education and Translation Services and was invited several times to be a keynote speaker to hundreds of admission counselors of U.S. universities.