OEC to clear outstanding PEP payments by Friday

The Overseas Examinations Commission (OEC) has pledged to pay all outstanding claims from invigilators and presiding examiners who worked during the 2026 Grade 4 and Grade 5 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations by tomorrow.

In a statement yesterday, the commission said it had received 845 claims from 537 examination personnel, all of which were submitted in June.

Nine of the 15 payment batches, covering 44 per cent of the claims, have been paid, while the remaining six batches are being processed for settlement by direct bank transfer.

The OEC acknowledged that the payments had taken far longer than they should have and apologised for failing to communicate clearly with examination personnel about when they would receive their money.

This is the first examination cycle in which the commission has processed the payments directly.

“Our examination personnel did their part. It is our responsibility to pay them promptly and to keep them informed, and we fell short on both this cycle. We are fixing the process so that this does not happen again,” said Executive Director Hector Stephenson.

The commission said a small number of claims could not be processed because payment details were incomplete. It is contacting the affected individuals directly to resolve the issues, with payments to follow once the required information is received.

Examination workers who have not received payment or notification of a deposit by the end of Friday may contact the commission at help@overseasexams.org.jm, using ‘PEP Claim’ as the subject line, or call (876) 618-3721.

To prevent a recurrence, the OEC said it would collect complete payment details and provide a payment schedule when personnel are engaged, confirm receipt of each claim upon submission, and publish payment updates on its website.

The commission thanked the teachers and other examination personnel whose service supports the national assessment process.