According the Holness, the existing exam system, which has been used for years to establish performance targets at the secondary school level, is in need of an overhaul.

"CSEC is considered as the basic entry level examination for pursuing tertiary studies or entering the labour market, and so many of our students have failed it," said Holness.

"We have to take a second look at it and analyse truths to see if this exam adequately reflects the competence of the student," said Holness.

The minister's comments were made at the Joint Board of Teacher Education annual professional development conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston yesterday.

He said the 2009 CSEC statistics in English and math for Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad were extremely frightening, noting that Jamaica's averaged 42 per cent and 37 per cent passes respectively.