The National Standards Curriculum

The National Standards Curriculum (NSC) has been introduced to the system since
2016. It is the groundwork on which the Primary exit Profile is set, and follows the
same content. The full implementation of the NSC commenced on a phased basis in
September 2016 in all public educational institutions at the Grades 1-9 levels. The
curriculum was changed to reflect a greater focus on concepts and 21st century skills
and competencies. Since the curriculum has changed to include an emphasis on
skills, the assessment must also change to measure students’ knowledge of concepts
and application of the skills. One of the measures to determine the effectiveness of
this curriculum and to assess students’ knowledge and demonstration of the 21st
century skills (creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication) is the
administration of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP).