EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS

BAHAMAS JUNIOR CERTIFICATE (BJC)

BJC, is an examination curriculum designed by the Ministry of Education of the Bahamas which is typically sat after three years of study by junior high students at the end of Grade 9. Junior students at Queen's College usually sit most, if not all, of their BJC examinations by the end of Grade 8. Students at Queen's College HIgh School sit BJC examinations in English Language, Mathematics, General Science, Health Science, Religious Education, Social Studies, Art, and Home Economics.

BAHAMAS GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION (BGCSE)

BGCSE, is based on the United Kingdom GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and the IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) models, but it has been tailored to meet the specific needs of the Bahamas. BGCSE examinations are designed to be taken after three years of high school study culminating at Grade 12. At Queen's College, most BGCSE are taken between Grades 10 and 11, and usually after only two years of accelerated study. Queen's College prepares its students to sit the following BGCSE examinations: English Language and Literature, Mathematics, Religious Studies, Biology, History, Geography, French, Spanish, Chemistry, Physics, Accounts, Commerce, Art and Design, Food and Nutrition, and Music.

Most BGCSE examinations have two levels; a core level that covers the fundaments skills of the course and students are awarded grades G through C and; an extended level that covers more advanced concepts and in which students can receive a grade of A through C for the subject.

Many BGCSE examinations have a practical component that accounts for 30% or more of the examination grade. This practical component comes in the form of a written coursework or a series of laboratory practicals.

PITMAN'S

Pitman Qualifications are part of the British City & Guilds vocational product range. Gaining a City & Guilds Pitman Qualification provides students with an internationally respected award recognising important workplace skills such as communication, IT, accounting, and administration. Pitman exams can be taken at the Basic, Elementary, Intermediate, Higher Intermediate and Advanced levels. Queen's College High School offers Pitman examination preparation in Computer Word Processing, Accounting and Desktop Publishing. [Back to the top]

PRELIMINARY SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST (PSAT)

PSAT is a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT I: Reasoning Test and SAT II: Writing Test. It also gives you a chance to enter National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) scholarship programs. The PSAT/NMSQT measures:

SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST (SAT)

The SAT is a three-hour test that measures verbal and mathematical reasoning skills students have developed over time and skills they need to be successful academically. Many colleges and universities use the SAT as one indicator among others-class rank, high school GPA, extracurricular activities, personal essay, and teacher recommendations-of a student's readiness to do college-level work. SAT scores are compared with the scores of other applicants, and the accepted scores at an institution, and can be used as a basis for awarding merit-based financial aid. The SAT is scored on a scale of 200-800 (for math and verbal) and is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors. The test is administered several times a year, but all Eleventh Grade students are entered sit the exam in November, giving them opportunities to re-sit late, if necessary.

SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE SUBJECT TESTS (SAT II)

The SAT II are one-hour, mostly multiple-choice tests, which measure how much students know about a particular academic subject and how well they can apply that knowledge. Many colleges require or recommend one or more of the Subject Tests for admission or placement. Used in combination with other background information (your high school record, scores from other tests like the SAT I, teacher recommendations, etc.), they provide a dependable measure of your academic achievement and are a good predictor of future performance.

GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION-ADVANCED SUBSIDIARY LEVEL, AS-LEVELS GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION-ADVANCED LEVEL, A-LEVELS

For a long time Queen's College has been the only high school in the Bahamas that offers GCE A-level examinations to its students. Recently, the GCE A-level curriculum has been re-structured to allow the full advanced GCE to made up of six units. Students can sit unit examinations individually, or in groups, to received certificates in Advanced Subsidiary GCE (GCE-AS), and upon taking all subject units, will lead to the student earning a certificate for Advanced GCE (GCE A-level) in that particular subject area.

Presently Queen's College enters students to sit Advanced Subsidiary units in History, English Literature and Mathematics.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP)

Through college-level AP courses, students enter a universe of knowledge that might otherwise remain unexplored in high school; through AP Exams, students have the opportunity to earn credit or advanced standing at most of the American colleges and universities. Presently, Queen's College High School is revising its timetable and curriculum to include the opportunity for advanced students to sit at least three Advanced Placement examinations in Spring of their senior year. Currently QC offers the following AP Courses: English Language and Writing, Spanish, French, Psychology and Microeconomics.