If there was a forum exclusively for examiners - a bit like the teachers' forum, but password protected - I wonder what sort of comments there would be about us teachers and our pupils... ?

Any thoughts?

I expect there'd be quite a cross section of opinions, much the same as we have on teachers forum because the examiners come from quite a cross section of musicians.

(Interestingly we had 2 renowned pianist performers as our last examiners (summer and autumn exams), and I sent my pupils in rather in fear and trembling (me, that is, not the pupils) and I had a really pleasant surprise (well, it shouldn't have been really ) because of their positive comments.)

But I might also expect that some examiners might live and move in rarified atmospheres where they don't quite appreciate that we have to contend with some pupils who don't practise as they should, etc etc.

The password protection would have to be cast iron!!!

It'd probably full of rants about the pupils who will put in the least amount of practice possible, the teachers who obviously produce the next set of exam pieces in the lesson following an exam, pupils who can't/won't do scales/sight-reading/aural, the lack of teaching of scales/sight-reading/aural, general lack of musical awareness...

Oh, hang on, that's what happens anyway, isn't it?

A former piano teacher of mine is an AB examiner, and he reckoned the worst was if he had a series of Grade 1 violinists, all entered by the same not-very-good teacher. By the time of about the fourth candidate he could predict where the mistakes would be.

I expect there would be a thread on:

I posted my marksheets to the AB early enough
Moaning Parents/Teachers (notice I put Parents first )


Has anyone seen the AB Forum? People are still complaining that they've not had their results form the middle of December. I hope none of my marksheets ahve gone astray. Anyone elses results not yet processed?



Mods it's a joke and I'm not having a go at anyone honestly......... But my child is fed up of waiting.

They might thave a thread on exam centres too... who makes the best coffee etc...

Probably "Did someone examine person X before? What was (s)he like?"

Or which one was the warmerst/coldest

When I had my flute exam it was just after lunch and I saw the examiner talking to the steward saying how the room was too cold in the morning. When I went in about half an hour afterwards they'd clearly put the electric heater on and the place was boiling

I've heard that too...friends who examine or adjudicate often say that it is usually the weaker teachers who put in twenty kids for pre-grade one exams, playing the same pieces with all the same problems. I don't know how the examiners do it! I don't think I would have the patience!

On the other hand I have also heard that it can be very impressive to hear how accomplished some people's pupils are: consistently good at all grades. It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall and hear all the different candidates!

They would probably say that they don't have time for such things (as messageboards) and find it curious that WE have enough time!

Good one!

Maybe New Year's Resolution material here?

I was in a waiting rom once when a kid took in a bucket in case he was sick, having been sick all morning. That would have been a good one:

"Wait till you hear this one, guys..... "

I dont get the joke...

I think examiners do live in the real world. Most seem to do a mixture of examining and teaching and other jobs so are well aware of all the issues we have with exams as they are often entering candidates in other centres themselves.

Its been quite interesting to see the debate going on around my children's recent LAMDA (speech and drama) exams - many of the same problems that have been mentioned in relation to music exams - a very harsh examiner who made the candidates feel uncomfortable, asked questions in an odd way, wrote bizarre comments (often unfinished!) on the mark sheet, gave very low grades etc etc - the teacher is compiling her complaint letter...

When the girls danced they had a couple of instances of this at two different schools in the same session for two different exam boards (one ballet the other ballroom). There were no complaints made it was just accepted as part of the nature of the thing.

I had an examiner help me with my aural skills somewhat before I took grade 8. She also played with me in a little local "orchestra" (word used lightly there ) for a while. She taught piano and flute, and almost certainly had the same issues with students as every teacher does. They aren't all professional performers and suchlike.

Interesting, my appauling aural skills didn't come as a suprise to her at all, though she did get a bit frustrated at times. It also meant that I had the tests presented exactly as they would be in an exam. She also said that many of her own students found aural very difficult, so perhaps even examiners aren't always sure how to teach what is required...

As a ABRSM steward for the last few years, I've probably got enough humourous stories to fill a book!

The examiners on th whole have been a good bunch, with a couple of exceptions, and I hope they all reported that my coffee making and sandwich collecting skills were first rate.

I hope that if examiners do have a forum, that centres/stewarding get a good mention, because its not easy, especially when you are trying to keep the candidate, examiner, parent, hlr, centre staff happy