MUSLIM pupils in Oxfordshire say a decision by exam boards to hold some tests early to avoid Ramadan will help them achieve their full potential while remaining committed to their faith.

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which represents exam boards, said timetables for GCSEs and A-levels would be scheduled before the month of fasting begins on June 6.

Other exams will be held in the morning where possible, as practising Muslims do not eat or drink during daylight hours in the holy month, which this year finishes on July 5.

Muslim students at Oxford Spires Academy in East Oxford, where 40 per cent of pupils are of the Islamic faith, welcomed the attempt by JCQ to accommodate their religious beliefs.

Abdullah Ramzey, 16, will be sitting his GCSE exams this summer.

The Year 11 pupil said: “The way they have scheduled the exams to try to avoid Ramadan is a really good idea because exams and Ramadan are two of the main events of the year.

“Ramadan is a test of our faith, but if it collides with exams we might not be able to do as well as we would like in both.

“This will mean we have equal opportunities to everyone else.”

As well as not being able to eat or drink during the day, many Muslims will stay up late or wake up very early to eat before sunrise.

They will also spend more time than usual praying, which again could see them staying up late or may give pupils less time to revise.

There were also some changes made to the exam timetable last year to avoid Ramadan, but fewer tests clashed as the holy month did not begin until June 18.

It moves earlier in the calendar by about 11 days each year, which led to a bigger clash this exam season.

Oxford Spires AS-level student Aala Deyab, who is studying maths, chemistry, biology and psychology, sat GCSEs last year when she was in Year 11.

The 16-year-old said: “I had three exams during Ramadan and it was very tough because I also had to study.

“I found that hard during Ramadan, and then taking exams on top of having to revise was also hard – it meant I had a lack of knowledge.

“We had a lack of sleep too because we would eat just before start fasting at sunrise. It was really tiring.

“I recently heard about the exams being moved and I thought it was good news.”

The exam timetable also takes into account other religious events such as Easter and Passover.

Oxford Spires headteacher Sue Croft said: “I really welcome it as there is no doubt dehydration will affect performance. It is not right that one group of students could do worse.There is no impact on other students who are not Muslim.

“They always work around the exam timetable anyway so moving exams about a bit will not have a negative impact.”

Most pupils at English state schools will sit exams with boards that are members of the JCQ such as AQA, Oxford and Cambridge and RSA Examinations and the Northern Ireland-based Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment in May and June.

JCQ spokeswoman Katherine Shirley said: “Each year the timetable is reviewed to ensure it meets the current needs of students, schools and colleges.

“This review includes a consultation and considers comments from a wide range of stakeholders including schools, colleges and religious groups.

“However, each year there are only minimal changes.”