ABRSM Official Poll, Exam appointments - what matters most? Options

[Cath22]

The ONE thing that would please me above anything else is if the examiners could help tune instruments before the exam - in this case i'm talking about stringed instruments. I teach full time and when my students have their exams it is very rare that i'm actually able to attend. I have a super accompanist, but she doesn't trust herself to tune my students violins, just in case she snaps a string etc. The board say that up to grade 5, students are not expected to tune their violins! - Well, who is expected to tune them then, because I can't afford to take a whole day off work (and sometimes more), just to tune violins.

This problem really came to light today when one of my pupils turned up to her exam with her E string completely out of tune. No one there could tune it and one of my grade 5 students had a go - she snapped the string. There were spare strings of course, but no one could fit it...although i'm sure the examiner could have done so, had they had the authority. She ended up having to play on one of my other pupils violins, having never played any other instrument all her life. She was NOT pleased about this, and said that the examiner wasn't at all sympathetic.

Enabling examiners to tune instruments when teachers cannot be present would be a VERY helpful thing, and i'm sure i'm not the only teacher who feels like this!

I've got over 40 students in for exams in the summer, in two different venues...I can't possibly be there all the time....who will tune their violins and violas??

[Pianoperson]

I really think that if I had to choose one option, then I would choose venue. We are very lucky in that the local 'concert hall' is used for exams. The candidates have a real sense of occasion which helps them to perform. They love playing a grand piano on the stage - their parents also enjoy sitting in the waiting area, which just happens to be the coffee shop !!

[juniorpianist]

I voted for good venue facilities especially since I'm a pianist myself and I have had bad experiences with pianos that have either hard keys which makes it seem impossible to play f and pedals which were so loose changing pedal was a major problem. It'll definitely help if the pianos were of better quality...even though over here, it's rare that one will be able to play on a grand piano. Playing on a good piano is definitely beneficial...especially at the higher grades.

[erard]

Would the problem of venue/pianos be slightly alleviated if there were easily available lists of the exact venues or facilities? I also believe some small venues do not offer exams on all weeks, but this does not seem to be well publicised either. I realise the number of applicants will vary, but there must be a reasonable idea beforehand. That way entrants could choose to travel to the next town to the concert hall if that was important, or enter at a different venue to increase the likelihood of a convenient time.

[Lisa B]

Although I agree that a convenient date and time is important, i think there are things that can be done to improve the examination system.

I think the Associated Board are stuck in a bit of a time warp. I agree that it would be nice to know a little about the examiner (other than their name), but also the examiners need to be a little more friendly. In my experience, they don't move from their desks and barely speak other than to tell you what they want you to do. How hard is it to talk to the students, say good morning and how are you, what school do you go to etc etc. It doesn't take much to make it a little less scary for people - especially younger children. I'm glad I accompany my own pupils - they always look at me at the end of their pieces wanting to see someone smiling at them. I dread to think how nervous they'd be if they were in there with a pianist that they didn't really know. The examiners from other exam boards are much friendlier - chatting to the student, helping out with chairs, stands etc and most importantly making them feel at ease so they can give their best performance.

[saxlover]

QUOTE (sbhoa @ Mar 25 2004, 05:24 PM)

Also regarding venue... I have heard people saying that sometimes the people outside the room can hear what they are playing. This would totally terrify me at least!!!

In my clarinet exam, everything I played or anyone else taking an exam played, could be heard outside the room!! That really made me worry!!!

Nat

[Manda L.]

Regarding friendliness of examiners.

I've found that the attitude of examiners in recent years is much more human than when I first entered pupils for exams nearly twenty years ago. Some are better than others, but, generally speaking, I've no complaints. One examiner pinned up a short welcome message in the waiting room, telling students to relax, not to be nervous, that he was looking forward to hearing them play. That was a lovely idea and did a lot to boost the confidence of the examinees. Several examiners have offered help in setting up music stands for my flute pupils.

The one thing that really bugs me about examiners is their impossible to read writing!!! It sometimes takes ages to decipher their comments, in one recent case I gave up! The writing was so small I could not understand it! If I have trouble I'm sure my pupils do!

Manda L.

[joy]

It would be really helpful if evening or weekend appointments were available. I don't think this is the case ( my teacher has never mentioned it to me. As a parent I find it very hard to get time off work to take my daughter to exams. Most parents work nowadays and this would be a big step forward. If anyone knows whether it is possible to specify an 'out of hours' appointment could they please let me know.

[saxlover]

I voted plenty of notice but i think that a good venue is also important.

Nat

[Ony]

For myself, having a convenient time of day is particularly important if I am playing for pupils as well as having to teach, so as to cause minimum disruption to other people's lessons.

For my pupils, better facilities are indeed the priority. Our local centre has a fairly well arranged set-up for the examiner, in a sound-proofed room, but the poor pupils have to warm up in a music shop with no privacy and no security for their possessions. Not good enough!

There are obviously many different interested parties involved in the exam process - I would have preferred to have seen the sort of poll here where you can indicate priorities in order of preference, rather than just choosing one over all the others.

[psaltrist]

Like most people (so far anyway), I voted for the convenient date as being the most important. As I am mostly teaching adults, they are usually juggling many commitments. But just a small gripe - while the entry form lets me specify a preferred week, and I always select a preferred week, I have never once got the week I selected.

I certainly wouldn't expect to get my preferred week every time, but I have been entering students for ABRSM exams for about ten years now, and surely by the law of averages I should have got at least one preferred week in that time!

So, exam schedulers, does anyone ever get their preferred week? If no-one, or very few people, do, why bother having that field at all? The danger is that it may just get people's hopes up, even although they know there is no guarantee.

[Ollie]

As a convenient way to enter my students I use the online entry form. Speaking to my HLR I have been told that if you do this you automatically get earlier weeks as the information is already on the system. I am getting sick of asking for later weeks only to be given the first or second week. My only alternative is to apply to a centre 30 miles away as I know that they only have two weeks of exams and usually get a later date. I don't think my students' parents would appreciate this trip. Regarding the moving of exams due to school trips or exams, I am usually lucky that my HLR will EVENTUALLY help but a fellow teacher tried to contact the board for this and found them extremely unhelpful!!!

[maggiemay]

QUOTE

I always select a preferred week, I have never once got the week I selected...............I certainly wouldn't expect to get my preferred week every time, but I have been entering students for ABRSM exams for about ten years now,

That's terrible, and I think you must have been extremely unlucky. I have had a few bad experiences in the past, but it's been fairly ok in the past 5 years or so.
I have to say that if I'd had such a consistently bad response for ten years, I don't think I would still be bothering to enter students, but would use another board! Do you generally get a week somewhere close to one you have asked for? I quite often get my preferred week but not always. I do use the online form, and find it easier than the postal system.

Maggie

[ValYoung]

QUOTE (Louise @ Mar 17 2004, 11:24 PM)

I'd love to be able to exclude a particular week instead giving a preference for a week.

[I'd love to be able to exclude a particular week instead giving a preference for a week. ]

How I agree.... quite often pupils of school age are on school trips during the last two weeks of term, especially in the summer, but this can apply also at Christmas and Easter. I never worry too much about a particular week, as I try to make sure all my pupils are ready for any date, including the earliest, of any examination session, but worrying about an exam appointment being on a day when the candidate is definitely not going to be available can sometimes be a bit of a headache! Although there has always been a space on the form to give a 'last available date', this is not of much help if there is only one awkward date, and it is somewhere in the middle of the examination period! I often enter my candidates with a friend who organises special visits for this very reason, as we know well in advance (in fact I will know even before the entry is submitted) exactly what date the exam will be. However, when she does not organise a special visit I use the local centre and have always been very happy with the warm welcome we receive there. The only problem is that of the date.

[kathryn@mediashak.com]

I clicked on good venue facilities, and by this I mean a good piano for pianists - they can't take their instrument with them and it doesn't matter how convenient the day of the exam is, if after months of practice candidates have to play on an inferior instrument. Also it is so useful to have a practice room, to warm up, roughly tune and do something other than sit staring at other nervous people (my local centre doesn't have a practice room). :rolleyes: