8 Tips for Practical Grade Examinations

  1. Please check the exam details on the appointment email sent to you by ABRSM. This was emailed to you at the time of booking: please check your junk mail and save noreply@abrsm.ac.uk to your contacts

  2. Arrive in the waiting room 15 minutes before your exam is due to start. Use the time before your exam to get your music and instrument ready

  3. If there is a warm-up room at the exam centre (which will be indicated in the exam appointment email), play through a couple of scales and arpeggios and the beginning of each piece

  4. Feeling nervous before an exam is natural. Try smiling as you go into the exam room – it will help you relax

  5. Make sure you are comfortable before you begin. If the stool or music stand is the wrong height, don’t be afraid to adjust it or ask for help

  6. Try to keep going in the exam even if you make a mistake – it probably won’t be as disastrous as you think

  7. Don't worry about pauses between your pieces – the examiner will be writing and will tell you when to start your next piece

  8. Remember – the examiner is on your side and is looking forward to hearing you perform!

10 Tips for Online Music Theory Exams

  1. Make sure you’ve tested the compatibility of your computer here

  2. Choose a room that is quiet so you won’t be distracted whilst you’re taking the exam

  3. Check your exam room is clear from prohibited items i.e. no piano or notes/workbooks on show

  4. Make sure you have used the bathroom, and have everything you need before you begin – blank paper, manuscript, and pens or pencils

  5. When you do your room scan, make sure you show your desk area, the walls close to where you’re taking your exam and all blank paper you will be using to the camera

  6. Once logged in to the exam system, remember you can do the questions in any order as well as changing the colour or size of the exam to suit you

  7. Don’t worry if you make a mistake or aren’t sure of an answer. You can edit your responses or ‘flag’ a question which will remind you to go back and check your work before you submit your final answers

  8. Keep an eye on the exam timer in the top right hand corner of the screen. This counts down the remaining time in minutes

  9. Remember to tell the proctor (online invigilator) if you need to leave the room to use the bathroom. Talk clearly to the camera as they will be able to hear this on review of the exam recording.

  10. Check your answers once you have finished, and remember to destroy any used scrap paper in front of the camera before you click the ‘end test’ button

 

10 Tips for Paper-Based Music Theory Exams

  1. Arrive about 10 minutes before the exam is due to start so that you have a chance to get settled

  2. Make sure you have pens, pencils, a ruler, a rubber and a pencil sharpener

  3. Feel free to underline any of the exam paper which you feel is important.

  4. You will be given a blank piece of manuscript paper (for rough working). You can use this as you wish throughout the exam – some candidates find it useful to draw a keyboard as it may help with any interval questions

  5. Don’t feel that you have to work the paper question by question. Do the parts you know first and then go back to the more difficult bits – this may help with any exam nerves

  6. Keep an eye on the time so that you know how long you have left. If you have done some past papers you will have a good idea how long to allow yourself on each question

  7. Don’t worry if you make a mistake - you can rub or cross it out and write the correct answer next to it

  8. Try to be as neat as you can – your work needs to be of a legible standard so that the examiner understands what you intended.

  9. Don’t look around and worry about what everyone else is doing - concentrate on your own paper

  10. Check your work once you have completed the paper. You may leave the exam room any time after 40 minutes if you have finished, but make sure you have done everything as well as you can