CAPE Caribbean Studies study guide
CAPE Caribbean Studies · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Caribbean Studies is one of the subjects offered under the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), the certification route run by the Caribbean Examinations Council for students who, having completed a minimum of five years of secondary education, wish to further their studies. The subject is interdisciplinary: the syllabus page describes it as integrating perspectives from the humanities and social sciences to explore the region's historical experiences, cultural identities and socio-economic challenges, with emphasis on critical thinking, research skills and civic awareness. It is organised into three modules, each requiring approximately 50 hours of instruction: Caribbean Society and Culture; Issues in Caribbean Development; and Investigating Issues in the Caribbean. Assessment follows the general CAPE pattern, with performance assessed in a terminal examination and an internal assessment commonly called School Based Assessment, which contributes to the final grade. The CAPE Caribbean Studies study guide has 3 sections and about 1,078 words.
01Caribbean Society and Culture
This domain examines how Caribbean societies are organised and how culture is produced, transmitted and changed. Paper 02 questions typically ask you to define concepts, apply them to named Caribbean territories, and evaluate claims about identity, stratification and cultural diversity.
361 words, about 2 min02Issues in Caribbean Development
This domain asks whether Caribbean economies and societies are developing, for whom, and at what cost. You must distinguish growth from development, use indicators critically, explain theories, and evaluate strategies such as tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, services and regional integration.
359 words, about 2 min03Investigating Issues in the Caribbean
This domain tests whether you can design and carry out a small-scale investigation of a Caribbean issue. It underpins the Internal Assessment and is also tested in the written paper: formulating a research problem, choosing methods, collecting and analysing data, and reporting ethically and accurately.
358 words, about 2 min