I had my first Special Visit on 16th October. I was really nervous about it. Although I have often had enough candidates I have never thought about it before. This time, however, the exams would have taken place either a week before or a week after our Christmas concert, and I felt that wouldn't be a good idea. So we chose a date (we being accompanist and me), entered, and off we went.
The students were happier knowing so far in advance the exact date, and said they were less nervous singing in the room they have lessons in, rather than a big empty church.
The examiner rang in advance to agree a time and I sorted out the timetable myself within the allotted time.
The examiner arrived in plenty of time and put us completely at ease. Although I had arranged a steward, it wasn't necessary because the examiner came to the door when he was ready for the next candidate (or shouted yoo hoo!). We had lunch together (sandwiches and mother-in law's home made sponge cake) and the result were online within 7 days.
The bonus was that, for the very first time, we had a singer, and the comments, for once, were pertinent to singers and much appreciated by all.
One interesting thing - we have always had comments about pitch problems (just under the note today, etc.), and I have firmly believed that acoustics in an empty church is a problem, with the sound bouncing off the walls and dropping in pitch before it gets to the examiner's ear. I know my students don't generally have tuning problems even in a stressful situation. A former head of singing at Trinity College of Music was at my last student concert in a big hall, but with 180 in the audience, so the acoustics were dampened. She said we had no tuning problems, so that's good enough for me. This round of exams, in a smaller room, with a singer examiner, we had no comments either. I will certainly do it again.

It sounds great. I would love to do that one day as I have plenty of space. I have a good piano, which is regularly tuned but I'm not sure if it is good enough ? How would I know? My old teacher did one recently but had a lot of hassle with people requesting certain times, which of course is totally out of your hands for a centre. I was guilty of doing this as well but the exam day was in the last week of school which is always packed with visits, shows, end of term assemblies,etc. - having a special visiy like you did in October, or like my sax teacher does, in May, seems like a better idea.

As long as your piano is tuned to concert pitch it will be fine. I don't have loads of space, but the citeria is that the candidates should not be able to read what the examiner is wrtiting. As for time requests, I accommodated a couple pf people who had work committments. Thereafter I simply told them - this is your appointment.

You have to have 3 hours worth of examining, but you can join up with another teacher to achieve this.

Bagpuss has organised Special Visits for years, and I think jo.clarinet does too.

I'd be interested to hear how you deal with practicalities like people arriving at the door, if you're doing this at your own home. If I was to do it here I'd need to employ a doorman otherwise every exam would be interrupted by my out of tune doorbell! And they'd need to tiptoe past the exam room with sellotape over their mouths!

I disable the doorbell, sellotape down the door knocker and put a notice telling candidates/parents to tap gently on the front-room window - my front room is the waiting room, so usually either I can let them in or another candidate does. If I'm in the exam room accompanying and no-one is in the waiting room, so that no-one comes to the door to let them in straight away, they are told (on the same notice) to wait for a few minutes and then try again - though in practice this only happens rarely.

I have a 'Quiet Please - Examinations' notice which the Board sent me on request when I first started having visits, and I put that on the front door. My house isn't huge, and welcoming people at the door vocally would be heard in the exam room, so I usually put a finger to lips as I open the front door and sign them to the front/waiting room rather than say anything. Once the front-room door is shut we can talk normally!

I've been having Visits for years - they're really convenient!

I also have alot of signs - depending on which venue I use - inlcuding obvious things like mobile phones must be on silent/where the nearest loo is/not to ring the doorbell etc. I share the stewarding with a colleague (vital as I do alot of accompanying too) so there's always one of us to man the door.

The Special Visit system is fab, much easier to plan around and ensures a relaxed atmosphere for all candidates.

Drop me a PM if you have any other specific questions.

Bag x

I do have special visits at home as well - have done this for years - and found lots of advantages. I, too, organise with colleagues and I am normally able to give pianists some time to practise on my piano a few days before the exam dates. Only real problem is that I have not got warm-up room far enough from the exam room and i have had a few candidates (well, parents actually) moaning about the lack of it...

hero

I don't have a warm-up room either. Luckily most of my pupils are fairly local, so they can warm up at home just before they come for their exam!

I don't organise a special visit, but often "use" one that happens locally - absolutely brilliant in SO many ways and I'm really glad it happens. I don't have the facilities to do one