The May 12 quake demolished their school and homes, killing hundreds of schoolfriends and forced surviving students to live in tents.

But despite a few extra weeks to prepare, the annual testing rite -- which will shape their working life -- continues for children here as China tries to bring normality back to the region's shattered education system.

"The 'gaokao' is a key point in our lives," said Tian Maoying, 18, using the Chinese term for the pressure-packed placement test that determines whether students will enter the educated elite or remain in the faceless masses.

The rest of the country took the test last weekend, but quake-zone students were given a brief respite, with Beichuan students set to face the music on July 3-4.

"Without the gaokao, we cannot go to university. Without university, we cannot realise our dreams," said Tian, a girl who spoke with a maturity well above her years.

For her as for thousands of students across the disaster-hit region, those dreams took a heavy blow in the quake, which destroyed an estimated 7,000 schools and killed about 9,000 pupils and teachers.

More than 700 students were killed or remain missing at the school in Beichuan, a town hit so hard that it will be rebuilt elsewhere.

The survivors, more than 1,000 of them, now live together in army tents at an electronics company's training centre in the city of Mianying, about two hours' drive from Beichuan.

Separated from their parents, most of whom remain in tent camps elsewhere, the students are nonetheless staying on task.

"We have to use all our strength now to prepare for the gaokao," Tian said, before ducking back into a pre-fabricated classroom erected for the refugee students.

You could hear a pin drop in the room as students pored over a practice test on maths, English and other subjects.

"Many of the students were troubled when we first got here (about two weeks earlier)," said teacher Ying Youtao.

"But having to focus on their studies has helped take their mind off the bad things."

Getting the region's school system back up and running has been one of the key focuses as China picks up the pieces after the 8.0 magnitude quake, which killed more than 69,000 people.

"It is extremely important to bring back a sense of normalcy after a disaster like this, and getting students back into classrooms is one of the best ways," said Dale Rutstein, spokesman for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in China.

"China has made herculean efforts in that regard."

For many students, that means being evacuating from the worst-hit areas -- and from their parents. For most, it remains unclear when or where they will eventually be resettled.

"I miss my parents. But at least I know they are OK," said Zhu Hua, 16, one of dozens of students from the devastated town of Yingxiu now living and studying at the Southwest University of Finance and Economics in Chengdu.

However, she admits being troubled by the deaths of three classmates, a grandmother and an aunt. All told, 44 children were believed killed in the collapse of their Xuankou Middle School.

"The earthquake has put an enormous strain on the kids. They lost family and friends. It has been very difficult to face," said Zhu's teacher, Li Weili, who also lost her home.

Nearby, a student sat at her desk in one of the college's classrooms, wiping away tears as she pulled photos of people from an envelope.

"Only by studying can we improve our fate," said Zhu.

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