just want to know how hard it is to get full mark?

I've had 29 perhaps half a dozen times (in 26 exams!) but a student of mine had 30 for one of his pieces in Grade 5 Saxophone. It's incredibly unusual.

In one exam I got 28 for 2 pieces and 29 for the other! I was very chuffed and surprised wasn't expecting it at all!

Clara Taylor said in one issue of Libretto she has given 30 about 4 times in her 10 years examining. It is very very rare. I got it for one grade 8 piece though.

highest i got was 24 on Grade 4 Descant recorder playing a Telemann Partita in G

I got 27,28,29 for my pieces in grade 8. I might have managed 27,29,29 but I had to replay a small section in the middle of my second piece . Still, I wasn't too bothered - 28 is still a good mark .

28

14/20 in a Trinity exam

I got 28, 28, 28 in 4 exams. I think once I also got 27, 29, 29.
Let's just not mention the sight-reading!!

28 for a Grade 1 piece (Tempo di Menuetto in C).

Car Expert

I got a 30 for my G2 piano C piece, called Strawberry Flip. I didn't know it was that rare... I've got 29 twice and 28 a few more times.

didnt seems rare here...

I've never managed 30; 29 is my highest but I'm delighted to get that anyway .

30 for Grade 8 List B.

ah i remember strawberry flip, when it was on the syllabus my piano teacher taught 11 students that piece at the same time, including 2 of my friends who are doing Grade 4/5 now and been playing since year 7 (in year 12 now)

I got 30 in one of my grade 6 piano pieces this summer. I'm still floating...

To answer your question, though, I think it depends a lot on what the examiner thinks of your interpretation as they are subjective human beings. I've thought I played things better in the past and scored less. This time, I thought I smudged the pedalling a bit too much - but the examiner obviously liked it.

I remember that 1!!!!!! I love that!! I got 29 for that I think...I can't remember all my individual scores of pieces, only in scales for some reason, but I got 29 for Prayer of the Matador in my grade 6. I've got it a few times before as well and that's the highest I've got!

I love Strawberry Flip, and a not-particularly-talented pupil of mine got 26 for it in her exam. We were thrilled. It must have driven your teacher mad, GCBS!

I've never had 30 as I said, although I've played pieces flawlessly, with all the correct articulation and plenty of expression. I think there is almost always room for the examiner to disagree with your interpretation though. And when I get 29 I'm gobsmacked anyway! It doesn't happen that often.

for my grade 3 piano I had two 29s.

suprisingly, she was the only person to not go crazy about it! all the students did though

very unfortunately, examiners just don't seemed to give full marks often. I have never got a friend who get 30 and either do I.><

The highest will be my grade 8 exam, I got 24/27 for Bach and 32/36 for Hummel. Nevel got very high marks .

But Pavel, you did great!!! Merit at grade 8 shd not be lightly discounted! Compared with VN's 29/30 playing at grade 3 level, which I seriously admit is a good mark and I do give her due credit for it but I'm pretty sure she'd rather have your grade 8 merit, for sure!!! Well done, Pavel and by the way, we have enjoyed your playing very much at the concert. It was very nice to meet you!

This is interesting. It seems unfair though that you did better in the past and didn't get better marks! Interpretation must surely differ from one examiner to another. Surely the ABRSM would know of a fairer way given all that experience they have in examining, wouldn't they??? Let's hope you are mistaken about the importance of interpretation? Any other thoughts???

I've spoken to a few examiners (I know two personally) and a lot of them apparently NEVER give 30 marks. Like someone said, Clara Taylor has given out 4 in 10 years. I think that when that really special performance occurs, they must just know it's deserving of full marks and be unable to resist giving 30. But if I, or a student, gets 29, I know that the performance must have been flawless. I don't think you can have actual mistakes and get 29, and equally, your tone, expression and interpretation must be amazing. It's the highest mark a lot of them will give. Maybe that extra mark is for interpretation - or whether the examiner agrees with it? Or maybe just for something which goes beyond special.

ive had 29 a few times.

but i met a pianist once who got 30/30/29 for her grade 8 pieces. i was so stunned!!! and she played for me later and it was absolutely amazing!!

27/30 for:
mozart list A grade 7 flute
poulenc list B grade 7 flute
bach list A grade 8 flute

I got 30/30 last year for one of my pieces in my grade 6 alto sax exam. It was such a shock as I didnt feel it was my best piece out of the three either! The examiner commented that I had "played with obvious enjoyment" which I guess must've been what got me the full marks? Who knows! It was a nice surpise when I picked up my results though :-)

I got 29,30,29 for my Grade 7 piano last year. The difference was that the examiner put things like "A few blemishes here and there" for the ones with 29, but didn't mention that for the List B.

My teacher's husband was an examiner for Trinity and the AB, and for piano was told to ask himself the question, "Could it be played any better by Ashkenazy?". If the answer was "no" then 30 marks should be awarded!!

I don't think I've ever got above 26 for AB exams.

Still time yet, Nicki.

I think my highest mark in AB exams before that flute exam was maybe 24 ish? And for the BMG exams I took before that I think I ONCE got 27!

For my G4 piano i got 26, 26, 28. For my G5 piano that i did this autumn i managed to get 29, 30, 29. I never knew it was so rare to get full marks in a piece! I played Sonata in A, Le Chevaleresque and Jackson Street Blues if anyone wondered lol

aw well, i got 30/30 for my grade 8 peices..i was pretty surprised, i don't think i deserved it

Another old thread, but oh well.

I got 28, 28, 27 for my last exam - I've never got below 24 though.

I've managed 21/21 on scales before too

In my last flute exam I got 27, 28, 29 and 21 for scales The examiner was obviously having a good day, eespecially as I'd learnt the scales the night before...

I got 29 in grade 7 piano for "The Tide Came In". The comments at the bottom just said "I really enjoyed your third piece! A well deserved merit." I got 24, 27, 29 I think.



I might have had a 28 before but I'd need to look out my mark sheets.

I've had two 27s for the B pieces in my grade 5 and 6 exams (dream, and vals poetico i think they were called)

I think i must be the only person who failed strawberry flip! (18 or 19)

Mine was 28 for the grade 8 piece 'Jazzy' by Copland! Totally unexpected... although I think showmanship had something to do with it.. my teacher forced me to practice ending the piece with utmost flair.

I know someone who's scored 30 for a piece (at a high grade too).
Best I've managed myself is 29.

Grade 2 Flute - 29/27/29
Grade 4 Flute - 27/29/27
Grade 3 Organ - 27/27/29

T.

I've had quite a lot 29's but I've had a few 30s as well Can't remember what grades they were though!!!

A friend of a friend got full marks for every aspect of his grade 8 piano - except aural, for which he achieved a mark of zero...

how can you get 0? he must have refused to do it or something!!

You can only get 0 if you don't make an attempt.

I got 27/28/29 for Grade 8 Organ.

For grade 8 Cello I didn't get higher than 27, but I'll have to find my other result lists from past exams to tell you if I've got any higher

I can't remember!! That's asking quite a lot...!

I do know that I've always got really high marks for sightreading in every instrument except in piano, when my sightreading has always been dire!

And the thing which most impressed the examiner in my Grade 8 drum kit exam was the fact that I retuned the kit before beginning the exam!

28 - but I've had a lot of 28s so at least I'm consistant

My highest mark, as far as I can remember, was 26/27 for grade 8 - shows how ancient I am, in those days grade 8 pieces were marked out of 27,36,27. A lot of my pupils have scored 29, but none has managed 30 yet. One has got 29 29 29 several times.

29. My latest were 28-29-29

One of my students got 30 for a G1 piano piece - can't remember what is was called now but it was a slow B piece from the 2005-2006 listing. Something about woods :-)