Six S1 students at the Berkeley Institute sat a math GCSE two years before most students usually would – and passed.

Azra Smith, Peter Roser, Alexandra Francis, Whitney Riley, Sierra Symonds and Jumoke Stovell, all 15 years old, sat the GCSE at the end of last school year – earning grades in the A* through C range.

They were all given the option by their teachers to sit the exam and came to school on the weekends to learn the information, but the rigorous study schedule hasn't put any of them off as they will all sit more exams at the end of this school year.

Sierra said: "We were given the option of whether we wanted to take it. We thought it would probably prepare us."

Even though they studied, all six of them agreed the exam was very difficult. Whitney said: "It was really hard. We didn't expect to do well." And Sierra added: "We had a lot less study time for it."

Alexandra explained how the studying went, saying: "We studied for six weeks. We had tutorials on Saturdays and Sundays because we were so behind. Everyone was older than us. It was S2s and some S3s."

Asked if attending Berkeley helped prepare the students for their exams, all of them said yes. They also felt their teachers not only cared, but put in the time to make sure they knew the material.

Sierra added: "They took time out on their Saturdays and Sundays. It was two hours every Saturday and Sunday for six weeks."

The teachers were Rebekah Matthews, Bermuda Union of Teachers president Keisha Douglas and Laquita Ebbin.

Student Whitney said: "They broke down the concepts and helped us a lot."

Taking a GCSE exam early was just the tip of the iceberg for these students who all have high aspirations and goals.

Alexandra said: "I want to be an investment banker. I like math and I know it uses math. I like tell people what to do. I want to go to the University of Manchester."

Jumoke said: "I want to be an actuary or an accountant because I like math and I am good with calculations and I know there's not a lot of Bermudian actuaries."

Sierra said she was not sure what she wanted to be, but felt psychiatry might be the right avenue as she enjoys helping people with their problems.

Whitney said: "I know that I want to be an entrepreneur. I want to do something to do with math. I want to be an author as well. I really like Peyton Sky books. I want to go somewhere in France because I want to speak French fluently."

Azra, who wants to be a radiologist, said: "I like science and I like human biology and studying how the body works and I think it would be interesting to find out how people get cancer and how to find cancer in a body or broken bones and stuff. I want to go to London for college."

Peter said he wanted to be a forensic accountant and added: "It's basically dealing with criminal justice money and fraud. I am really into criminal justice and I want to do math with it."

Asked what they would say to encourage other students to take GCSEs early, Whitney said: "You have to be really committed. You have to want it. It's really something hard to work for."

And Alexandra said: "If you want it, go for it. You can't be halfway through and decide you don't want it. You've go the full way or you don't go at all."

Deputy Principal Sandra Burrows said: "We're proud of them and they are a reflection of what we do here at the Berkeley Institute. We have committed teachers, committed students and committed parents and when we marry the three, you can have nothing but excellence."