I have spoken to the exam board but understandably they cannot recommend specific makes and models. More surprising is that they do not specify, or could be drawn on, whether compacts, bridge or SLR's are the most suitable. Naturally DSLR's would be the first choice but the cost is prohibitive. From my reading of the syllabus, advanced compacts or bridge cameras with full manual would suffice but there's no substitute for experience.
I have to place an order soon and don't want to make an expensive mistake.