The Examination Process
(For practical piano exams)
This page is mainly for Serenity Students but website visitors may find it useful too!
Having lived through the ABRSM Examination Process as a child, right through to entering my own students as an adult, I feel like I know the examination process very well! Here is a breakdown of the ABRSM Examination Process from start to finish!
Exam Entry
- There are 3 seasons for Practical Piano Exams (Performance Exams can be taken all year round – click the link below to find out about both types of exams). The seasons of exams are March/April, June/July and November/December.
- Exam entry is roughly 10 weeks before the date of the exam (for my students).
- I will contact parents/ adult students directly to arrange exam entry.
- It is possible to specify a particular day for your exam, but not a particular time. Times of exams are usually released around 3 – 4 weeks prior to your exam.
Preparing for your exam
- An important part of the ABRSM Examination Process is for students to increase the amount of practice they do between the exam entry date and the date of their exam. They need to be working on all areas of the exam at home which includes scales, pieces, aural tests and sight reading. You can find out more about each area of the exam, what it entails and how to prepare for it by clicking the green link above.
- Make sure you have purchased a sight reading book, a scales and arpeggios book and all your pieces books, as a minimum. I also recommend students subscribe to an aural tests website and download and purchase an app on note reading. You can find all of the essential and recommended resources by clicking the green link above.
The Exam Day
- Probably the most important part of the ABRSM Examination Process – the day of the exam! On the day of your exam, ensure you have all of your pieces books with you. You also need to take a programme form with you which will show the order in which you have chosen to play your pieces. I will give this completed programme form to you during your last lesson with me before your exam. You can play your pieces in any order you choose and this is something we will discuss in lessons in advance of your exam.
- You should leave plenty of time to get to the exam centre, bearing in mind that traffic can be variable depending on the time of your exam. The link to directions to the Liverpool of Chester centres is shown above (for Serenity students). ABRSM requires you to arrive 10 minutes before the exam start time as you will be allowed a quick practice before taking your exam. Personally, I would arrive 15 minutes early so you can settle yourself, make yourself comfortable and become accustomed to your surroundings.
- When you arrive at the exam centre, there will be a friendly and helpful steward on duty. Please give your name to the steward. They will then direct you to sit down in the waiting area. They may take your programme form off you at this point or they may ask you to hand it directly to the examiner when you go into the exam room.
- If you are taking your exam in the Liverpool centre, there is a separate practice room where you can play a piece or two and a couple of scales prior to your exam. This will help you warm up and focus. Please wait until you are directed to go into the practice room by the exam steward.
- If you are taking your exam in the Chester centre, the practice piano is in the waiting area. Once the previous exam candidate has had their turn on the piano and gone into the exam room, you can use the piano for your practice time. playing through a piece and a couple of scales will help you warm up and focus.
- Exams can be very daunting and it completely normal to feel nervous. Try to take some deep breaths whilst you are in the waiting room You will find the exam is over and done with very quickly (grades 1 to 3 exams only last for 12 minutes!)
- Once it is your turn to go into the exam room, you will be directed to do so by the steward. You must go into the exam room alone, without any family members. Don’t worry – family members will remain in the waiting room until your exam is over. The examiner will be in the exam room and will welcome you and direct you to sit at the piano. Remember! Examiners are very friendly and want you to do well. Sit on the piano stool and adjust the height if needed.
- If you are a Serenity student, the examiner will direct you to play your scales first. Playing scales first will allow you time to settle into the exam and get a feel for the piano and the weight of its keys which will help when you perform your pieces. You will not be required to play all of your scales – just a small selection. You might notice the examiner typing your marks and comments onto an Ipad while you play. They may continue to type after you finish playing your scales. This is completely normal. Following your scales, you will play your pieces. Again, the examiner will tell you when to begin playing. When you have finished your first piece, open the music to your second piece and wait for the examiner to tell you to begin playing. The same goes for your third piece. You will then do your sight reading. As soon as the sight reading extract is placed on the music stand, find your starting notes/hand positions, check the key signature (sharps and flats) and play as much of the piece through as you get chance to. After 30 seconds, the examiner will direct you to play the sight reading extract. The final part of the exam is the aural tests. Once everything is over, the examiner will say goodbye and you will be able to return to the waiting room.
- Remember that the examiner will not chat to you like I do! They will welcome you into the room and then after that they will likely just say ‘thank you’ after you have played each component. There will be some silences in between pieces and in between each component and this is completely normal. It will be very different to how I am with you in lessons!
- Once the exam is over, the examiner will direct you to leave the room and head back to the waiting area.
- Well done for completing your exam!
After the Exam
- You will not be given a mark/grade on the day of the exam. Marks and grades are released to me, usually a few days after the exam, but I have known this to be longer. The longest I have waiting for exam results is 2.5 weeks. I will send over your digital certificate and mark form on the same day as I receive them. I will then order your snazzy certificate, if you selected to receive one.