I am due to take my Grade 3 cello exam (first music exam), and I have little idea of what to expect. To add to my long list of anxieties is the fact that my cello (second-hand), has some very feint scratches on the fingerboard that align with some of the fingering positions. The lines are feint; I?ve only recently noticed them because I usually play with my contact lenses in and, as I am a decrepit old thing, need reading glasses to see anything that close. However, with my glasses the lines are visible to me. I have tried polishing them out to no avail. What do I do? My nephew took a violin exam with strips on the fingerboard but that was Grade 2 and with a different examining board. Is there a regulation about such a thing? I feel daft for asking but I don't want to get off on the wrong foot before I've started the exam!

No, there's no regulation against anything of this kind. I think they might baulk at you putting letter stickers on their piano keys though actually if anyone came in to do grade 1 and still needed the little strip of card to sit behind the keys reminding him what was where, in the very unlikely case of aomeone who needed it being able to cope with grade 1, I can imagine them saying it was OK.

I played the cello up to grade 6 and mine had a deep groove in the edge of the fingerbord just where my second finger lived. I'm sure there's nothing wrong with having strips on the fingerboard if a pupil is helped by it. You can probably tattoo the numbers on to your fingers or "left" and "right" on the backs of your hands if it helps, either.

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your exam.
If your teacher hasn't yet talked you through what to expect in the exam (or even if this has been done but you don't remember much of it) you will find These Music Exams to be a useful publication.

Thank you for that; I feel much better. However, I'll forgo the tattooing. I have enough to concentrate on without numbered fingers!

to the forum, and good luck for your exam. Do let us know how you get on!