Zayne Glenister was up many nights, wondering where he would be placed after the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) results were announced.

He has breathed a sigh of relief, however, having gained a place at Campion College and getting perfect scores. He is one of the four top GSAT students at the Emmanuel Christian Academy in St Andrew.

"It (exam) was stressful. I was always doing work and I really didn't get time to relax. I would always be up late at nights wondering which school I was going to. It got me nervous," Glenister told The Gleaner.

He said that the days of the exam were particularly scary. "I was shaking, I was crying, I was just a nervous wreck. I didn't really want to go into the exam because I was worried that my crying would make me mess up," he recounted.

"Overall, my greatest challenge was trying to stay focused because I don't really pay attention to one topic for a long period."

Xia Francis, who also gained perfect scores, recounted that many sacrifices were made but that she had no regrets.

"At first (on the day of the exam), I was pretty calm until I started to think about it. I was wondering if I would do as well as I did at the mock exam. Also, when I got into the classroom, I started to get scared because I saw people crying," she told The Gleaner. "Then when I got the paper and started to work on it, I realised that it was not so much of a big deal."

Francis related: "My challenge was trying to stay on topic in communication task and using my time wisely. It (preparation) was long. I had to stop watching TV, do more work on Sundays, and go to extra classes on Saturdays. But I know that my hard work paid off." She gained a place at the Immaculate Conception High School in St Andrew.

The other two top students at the Emmanuel Christian Academy were Kameron Buchanan and Jeanne-Marie Malcolm, who will both be going to Campion College.

jodi-ann.gilpin@gleanerjm.com [2]

See more stories of GSAT success in NEWS [3] and see your copy of our congratulatory feature in today's print edition of The Gleaner