2nd November Theory - How was yours? Options

[Bella-drum]

Well, I've just returned home after my grade 4 theory. And I'm happy, happy, happy. But that might be because of the large glass of wine I'm downing! After feeling really nervous all day, once I'd got the children from school and was on my way to the exam the nerves got a lot better. The exam centre was at our local 6th Form Centre, in their sports hall, and was freezing! Glad I had lots of layers and fingerless mittens. The exam officials were really nice and smiley, and well organised. And no shocks from the paper. It was more or less as expected after doing the last 4 years worth of past papers. I did think the intervals question was a little harsh - lots of sharps and naturals and things. I'm feeling well pleased with myself ..... and can't wait for the result. Distinction .... please, please and pretty please. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed! I hope the exam went well for everyone else.

[Bella-drum]

Oh my. Oh my. Oh my ..... I've just looked at the posting from the lady who did her Grade 6 in one and a half hours. I had to be evicted after the full two hours. Maybe I shouldn't be feeling quite so happy. Oh dear. Now I'm starting to worry. And if I start to fret it'll be another glass of wine .........

[barry-clari]

Oh my. Oh my. Oh my ..... I've just looked at the posting from the lady who did her Grade 6 in one and a half hours. I had to be evicted after the full two hours. Maybe I shouldn't be feeling quite so happy. Oh dear. Now I'm starting to worry. And if I start to fret it'll be another glass of wine .........

I would say that staying for the full 2 hours = you've given everything a thorough checking over (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Sunrise]

Oh my. Oh my. Oh my ..... I've just looked at the posting from the lady who did her Grade 6 in one and a half hours. I had to be evicted after the full two hours. Maybe I shouldn't be feeling quite so happy. Oh dear. Now I'm starting to worry. And if I start to fret it'll be another glass of wine .........

I would say that staying for the full 2 hours = you've given everything a thorough checking over (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Absolutely! It should take that time....

[flautando]

I needed the full two hours for my Gr 5 tonight, at the 40 minute mark I was just over half way through and at the end I had time to double check questions and answers. It was a good experience there were over twenty in our room taking 3, 4 & 5 and in another room there were grades 1 & 2 - nothing over 5 in our neck of the woods! I was the oldest by far and stayed the longest (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) At first my hands were shaking and I couldn't get my head around the counting of notes to put in the bar lines, then I gradually calmed down and wasn't distracted by anyone or anything. It was such a relief getting a nice easy performance direction, I still can't get over how lucky I was to get that paper.

[Bella-drum]

Thank you Barry, Dawn & Flautando for reassuring words. I'm glad I'm not the only person who needed to full time! I did take my time and checked, re-checked and re-checked again. And just to be sure I checked again! I did really enjoy the experience and my mind is already thinking Grade 5? Maybe I'll just have a little peek and make my mind up when I get my Grade 4 results.

[flautando]

Hope you get a distinction Bella-drum, I think you'll be doing Gr 5 very soon (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I taught myself, starting in August, with the help of past papers, the Gr 5 workbook and Dorothy Dingle's book. I'd like to have a look at Gr 6 and was going to buy the workbook today on my way to the exam, but the shop only had 5,7 & 8. Maybe they had had a rush of buyers today (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[barry-clari]

Thank you Barry, Dawn & Flautando for reassuring words. I'm glad I'm not the only person who needed to full time! I did take my time and checked, re-checked and re-checked again. And just to be sure I checked again! I did really enjoy the experience and my mind is already thinking Grade 5? Maybe I'll just have a little peek and make my mind up when I get my Grade 4 results.

Oh, do have a little peek anyway, it'll probably help your motivation (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Lemontree]

My Grade 5 was on 29 October. Germany was a little earlier. I hate those after exam checks though, although I have to admit I had a peek into the other thread and think I actually might have done quite well. Time will tell, when the results finally come back. But I have to admit, I find it a bit unfair that obviously those who had their exam at a later date got exactly the same questions. That would certainly give someone a significant advantage.

But never mind. It was my thingie. I chose this, and I think I did quite okay. Actually, I am quite grateful. The questions were quite nice in comparison to the things I practiced. But that counting note values question got me quite confused. Geez. Someone would think someone my age could count till 16! But obviously that was quite an achievment for poor me.

The exam setting was very well organised this time. Information up front properly done, enough paper for ones one musings. Very nice when it works that way. No reason to get agitated upfront.

Oh, by the way, I used all 120 minutes as well. To the last second. And I erased I think in the last 5 probably the worst mistakes I had made. So that time was put to good use.

[flautando]

I am really surprised that the same exam paper was used in your exam Lemontree, but as you say, it was quite a good one.
Forgot to mention before that I got an extra sheet of manuscript paper - I asked if I could have 2 pieces and there was no problem. Phew, I was worried about that, and I used all 4 sides (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
I didn't do any modulation in the compose a meoldy section and hope it works ok, the cadences were in the right places anyway.
It's a pity you have to hand all your rough paper as it would have been nice to try out the meoldy at home. Why do they want all your rough paper handed in does anyone know ?

[amybalcomb]

Oh my. Oh my. Oh my ..... I've just looked at the posting from the lady who did her Grade 6 in one and a half hours. I had to be evicted after the full two hours. Maybe I shouldn't be feeling quite so happy. Oh dear. Now I'm starting to worry. And if I start to fret it'll be another glass of wine .........

That lady was me.

I was incredibly thorough about checking, double checking and triple checking. I made some corrections along the way and made sure that I answered the question. Reading the question really carefully is the key to getting good marks.

I spoke to the invigilator after the exam and he asked me if the paper had been easy given that I'd come out so early. I told him that it wasn't; I told him I just thought I was lucky with the questions. Some were incredibly easy, some weren't.

Only the mark will tell...but it certainly won't be due to me completing the paper in half the time allocated. That was the most prepared I've ever been for a theory paper...and there's a lot to be said for good preparation. So I don't feel bad about leaving in 1.5hrs because I did the best I could and that's all anyone can hope for.

[saxophile]

I needed the full two hours for my Gr 5 tonight, at the 40 minute mark I was just over half way through and at the end I had time to double check questions and answers. It was a good experience there were over twenty in our room taking 3, 4 & 5 and in another room there were grades 1 & 2 - nothing over 5 in our neck of the woods! I was the oldest by far and stayed the longest (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) At first my hands were shaking and I couldn't get my head around the counting of notes to put in the bar lines, then I gradually calmed down and wasn't distracted by anyone or anything. It was such a relief getting a nice easy performance direction, I still can't get over how lucky I was to get that paper.

Ooh - I hope it genuinely was nice and easy! Son No.1 did his Gr 5 yesterday, and performance directions have always been his Achilles heel. So far he has refused to be drawn on how the paper went (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) , but he was under strict instructions to stay right to the end and check, double-check, triple-check etc. It was quite easy to make sure he stayed, at least - we pointed out that noone would be coming to collect him until 7 pm, so there was no point coming out early (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) .

[Scooby Doo]

Oh dear, my student appears to have had a bit of bother with her grade 5 paper yesterday. Apparently she created an entirely new time signature on the first question. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

[slblc]

My daughter did her's G5 theory yesterday too and could not get a word from her about how was it :-( .... It was her first time taken the Theory test tho !
Please advise did they use the same paper in each town across uk yesterday? And what types of questions did they ask? Were they reasonable or a quite hard?

[Scooby Doo]

Same paper everywhere. There will always be some questions that some people find difficult, but the fact is that this is a highly formulaic exam in which the same types and standard of question come round time and again. The exam papers vary very little in format or level of difficulty. Don?t take too much notice of other people?s comments. Nothing to be done now except relax, forget about it and wait for the result!