Students have proved unfazed by sitting examinations in the early hours of the morning.

Some children on the Island are facing 5.30 a.m. and 6.30 a.m. starts in order to meet the requirements of England's biggest examinations board.

The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) has set down the early sittings to prevent students in earlier time zones passing on information to those abroad. It means pupils in Bermuda have to take their exams at the same time as those in Britain - to stop anyone cheating.

Last week, students at Saltus Grammar School became the first pupils to face the early starts. Fifteen pupils sat an 'AS Level' in Mathematics at 5.30 a.m. on Thursday, with 13 sitting their 'AS Level' in Information Computer Technology (ICT) early on Friday.

The children were provided with breakfast at the school, consisting of muffins and fruit juice, and showed no outward detrimental signs of tiredness, according to teacher John Walsh.

Mr. Walsh, Secondary Department head, said: "The exams went fine. The children got there early and had their breakfast, the staff were there in plenty of time to invigilate, and the maintenance staff also came in early to open up the building and so on, so everyone pulled together.

"The students were fine, I don't believe it impacted them at all and no one complained, they just did what they had to do."

This week, students at Bermuda High School for Girls, the Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Academy are also facing early sittings.

Yesterday, 48 children at Bermuda High School for Girls arrived by 6 a.m. to sit their GCSE in English Literature at 6.30 a.m. Members of the PTA were on hand to provide them with breakfast consisting of muffins, coffee, tea, fruit juice, yoghurts and hot chocolate.

Head of School Linda Parker said: "Some of the students had to get up at 4.30 a.m. to travel in from the extremities of the Island, but once we got them talking with the other pupils and gave them a chance to fully wake up, they were fine.

"It went well this morning and all the students arrived in time ready to sit the exam."