I'm putting in an application for a standard visit this session and wondered if anyone had any experience of this?
I have got a few other local teachers on board with me as I was 1/2 hour short. I now think I have a whole day's exams.
I'm doing this as we live in a rural area and 1/2 hr away from one centre and further from the other'near' one. Some of my pupils have lessons in my house and are comfortable with the environment.

I intend to get rid of the dog for the day (sending him to a friends- not really getting rid of him). I am going to banish the cat to one room (with litter tray and food etc). I'm hoping my husband will be at work- and 2 out of 3 of my own children will probably do exams that day.
I am intending to use the back door for pupils arriving- the exams will be in the front of my house. the waiting room does have a toilet next to it. I think most instrumentalists will be able to tune up/warm up in the waiting room before the exam. (I'll have to check to see if the one candidate using the standard visit might be heard in the exam room).
What else do I need to think about?
Does the examiner contact you in advance?
I'm quite excited about it..... My pupils are pleased it's at my house and their parents are too as most of them live very local to me.

Thank you for that.... My telephone is not in that part of the house- so I probably have the phone in the waiting room. The doorbell..... Ummm.... I suppose I should put a note on the door and hope for the best?

Not doing a special visit but a standard visit- I supposeI could suggest a day of the week anyway?

Have supplies of tea, coffee and biscuits for breaks, and be prepared to give them some lunch if necessary (only had to do this once as most like to go out for the lunch hour - best to be prepared just in case).

Hope all goes well

I have had visits regularly for quite some time now, my candidates much prefer it and I think they are generally less worried. My teaching room, and therefore the exam room is at the front of the house. So whereas normally students enter and leave by the front, on exam day they go to the back. I put a notice on the front door, stuck over the bell saying to any caller not to ring the bell and to come round to the back of the house. That has always worked, postmen and even a chap collecting an old boiler once made it round to the back quite successfully!

I have 4 cats and a dog, and they are here during the exams, the children quite like it as this is normal to them. My dog is a Golden Retriever and he loves examiners as they get chocolate biscuits!! The examiner will call you about a week before and you can clear any special arrangements with them then, eg afraid of dogs / allergic to cats!

The other tip is that I have always told the examiners where I place the candidates for aural tests during their lessons and the examiners have always used the same spot, so again this helps with familiarity in the setting. When the examiner calls me I also offer to email them a timetable for the session and they are always very grateful.

I lay the examiners table out where I want it, complete with a glass of water and a nice writing board on there. They like that!

I give all my candidates a note detailing the exam time on it and also instructions about coming to the back of the house, closing the gate as this is one of the dogs escape routes! They always laugh at that. I also put on there a time for parents to collect their child, as I find candidates can be far more relaxed without an anxious parent in tow, After all they know you, and the setting. It does mean I cut down on the accompanying entourage, but it is not eliminated. I also put on the letter a warning to parents that under no circumstances must they stand outside the music room window and listen to their child, or any other for that matter. I point out that this is against regulations, I have had one parent do that in the past and I was livid!

All in all I find the whole thing works well. The funniest episode I ever had was with a lovely examiner who had 2 Retrievers herself. She thought Coda, our dog, was great. He likes to flop and listen to music, so she insisted he stayed in the exam room with her! He was quite happy, so was she and as she said the candidates would be more relaxed as they were used to him being there. He listened to about 6 exams and then simply left with one of the candidates!

Good luck with the visit, I am sure you will all find it a good experience.

Simply put sticky tape over the door bell. If you have a door knocker also, then muffle it with a rag and tape. The note should be laminated if possible so that if it rains it wont disolve and it should direct candidates to the door of entry. Good luck.

Thanks for all the replies so far. I imagine the examiner may want lunch- I live in a hamlet and although he/she could drive to the local town (!!!!!- more of a village), there isn't that much choice!!!! Some nice cafes maybe.
Well definitely put tape over the doorbell and do something to the knocker. Like Cindy, the exam room will be my usual teaching room. They'll have to just use the back door for the exams. I will have to warn the post man too.
I am a bit worried about the cars with pupils leaving and coming as the drive goes past the exam room. I can control the leaving pupils and make them leave between exams but not the arriving ones!!!!
I will direct all parents around the back and will give a note to the other teachers using my visit, detailing that they should use the back entrance.
The parents usually wait at the local exam centre, so to ban them might upset my old hands!!

I love your dog stories Cindy but I think I still might send my dog off for the day. He's a retriever but can bark quite loudly and for some reason isn't too keen on one of my students. Don't know why. It's a boy who is about the same age as my son. He really likes one of mt boy pupils but is really unsure of one of them. He's doing an exam this term!