Hey guys...just wondering....does the examiner deduct alot of marks for making a small mistake in the piece and having to stop for around 3-4 seconds and start off from were you had stopped? Because I played 2 pieces brilliantly but I made a mistake in 1 of the pieces and i stopped for those 3-4 seconds....Did the chance of a distinction slip away?

Marks aren't taken off or added but the mark is given on overall impression of how you performed.
A break in continuity need not be a major problem though it's better if you can recover quickly from any slips.

As for the distinction, there's so many other factors, like how well you do on your scales, aural and sight reading, etc. I think your style and interpretation is important too, besides having a perfect performance that particular day.

I didn't pause for 3-4 sec, but I did pause for about 1-2 sec once during my Grade 8 since my left/right hand were out of sync with each other, and I still managed a 27/30 on that piece. Don't worry too much, I'm sure you did fine.

Thanks for the replies...it's just I love the piano so much and it's the first exam I've done in around 8 years....and I've only been playing for 8 months because I had stopped hehe. I will post and let you know how I did. Thanks again

good luck with your results! hope you'll do well

ShArOn

Best of luck!