A DEVOTED student went into labour as she was about to sit an exam – and still completed the one-and-a-half hour test.

Khiara Darbyshire, was attached to a Tens machine to control the pain of contractions while she completed her theatrical and media makeup test at Brighton Met college.

The 20-year-old gave birth to daughter Poppy a few hours later – and passed the exam.

Khiara had gone into hospital the weekend before the Tuesday exam because the baby was not moving.

She decided to be induced as she felt this would be a safer option.

She picked up her Tens machine – a device that uses a mild electrical current to help reduce pain – on the Monday.

She then sat the written test exam the day after, to the great surprise of her supportive teacher.

Khiara, who lives in King Edward Avenue, Worthing, said: “I told her that technically I had been in labour for a couple of days and her face dropped.

“She told me that if I needed to leave I could just leave.

“I thought it would have been better to do it in labour than to do it with a screaming baby, so I just did it.

“The machine really helped, if the pain got to the point that

it was starting to hurt I would turn it up.

“When I got a contraction I would focus on my breathing so I could get the exam done.

“The good news is I passed.”

Poppy was born two weeks early at Worthing Hospital, weighing 7lb 9oz.

Khiara, who lives with her

partner Sam Tarrant, 23, baby Poppy, and son Hugo, four, is no stranger to having contractions during exams.

The student, who is originally from Shoreham, was pregnant with Hugo during her final years of GCSEs.

And the age of 16, she sat a GCSE geography exam while experiencing labour pains with Hugo, who was born five days later.

She became pregnant again in August last year, shortly before she was due to start her advanced diploma in theatrical and media makeup at Brighton Met.

She said: “After speaking to my partner, we decided to keep the

baby.

“I told my tutor, it was the second day of college and by then I was a couple of months pregnant.

“She was very supportive and very kind and we talked about how we were going to get all my exams done.

“I carried on as best I could, my uniform got bigger and bigger.

“My college were always understanding.

“They would help me if I needed anything and would speak to me if I was worrying.”

Three days after the birth of Poppy on April 3, Khiara returned to college with the baby in tow to do some work.

She said: “That exam was the final written paper but we’ve had some practical exams where Poppy has come into college.

“And she’s actually been pretty good and well behaved.”

Khiara has now graduated from her course with a merit grade.

She said: “I’m not too sure what I’m going to do in the future.

“Hugo starts school next year so I will be there to help him.

“And then we will see what happens.”

Unsurprisingly, Khiara picked up a Commitment to Learning award at the annual Brighton Met awards ceremony to celebrate student achievements.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Julie Nerney, chairwoman of the Met’s board of governors, said: “This is the highlight of my year.

“It puts everything that everyone working at the college does into perspective.

“Our students are at the heart of what we do and the students we are here to celebrate tonight will take your breath away.

“I am overwhelmed by the nominations and the stories they tell.”