Meaning
The high-stakes primary-school exit examination that decided which high school a Jamaican child would attend — a defining rite of passage for generations. Though officially replaced (by GSAT, then PEP), 'Common Entrance' is still widely used for the exam and the pressure around it.
Examples
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She study hard fi pass har Common Entrance.
She studied hard to pass her Common Entrance exam.
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Common Entrance decide which high school yuh get.
Common Entrance decided which high school you got into.
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Di whole family did proud wen him pass Common Entrance.
The whole family was proud when he passed Common Entrance.
Origin
The 'Common Entrance Examination', the old island-wide test for secondary-school placement; the name endures despite later reforms (GSAT, PEP).
How it’s used
The primary-exit exam and its stress; officially succeeded by GSAT/PEP but still commonly named. A cultural rite of passage.