10 Tips for Practical Grade Examinations
Please check the exam details on the appointment email sent to you by ABRSM
Arrive in the waiting room 10 minutes before your exam is due to start. Use the time before your exam to get your music and instrument ready
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
Feeling nervous before an exam is natural. Try smiling as you go into the exam room – it will help you relax
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
It’s fine to ask the examiner if you can warm up by playing a scale or a few bars of a piece
Try to keep going in the exam even if you make a mistake – it probably won’t be as disastrous as you think
Don't worry about pauses between your pieces – the examiner will be writing and will tell you when to start your next piece
Your examiner may stop you during a piece if he or she has heard enough to make a judgement
Remember – the examiner is on your side and is looking forward to hearing you perform!
10 Tips for Online Music Theory Exams
Make sure you’ve tested the compatibility of your computer here
Choose a room that is quiet so you won’t be distracted whilst you’re taking the exam
Check your exam room is clear from prohibited items i.e. no piano or notes/workbooks on show
Make sure you have used the bathroom, and have everything you need before you begin – blank paper, manuscript, and pens or pencils
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
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
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
Keep an eye on the exam timer in the top right hand corner of the screen. This counts down the remaining time in minutes
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.
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
Arrive about 10 minutes before the exam is due to start so that you have a chance to get settled
Make sure you have pens, pencils, a ruler, a rubber and a pencil sharpener
Feel free to underline any of the exam paper which you feel is important.
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
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
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
Don’t worry if you make a mistake - you can rub or cross it out and write the correct answer next to it
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.
Don’t look around and worry about what everyone else is doing - concentrate on your own paper
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
