I'm a freelance accompanist. Over the past couple of years I've accompanied exams for ABRSM, Trinity-Guildhall and London College of Music at seven different centres so date clashes are a very real possibility. The sooner we know about a clash the more likely it is that an exam can be rescheduled.

As always I'll be very grateful if people will post here to say when they get their notification and the date of the exam. Last term someone kindly posted the ABRSM calendar for publication of practical exam appointments, and I've just tried and failed to find an equivalent for this term on the web site. Has anyone seen one yet? If so a link (or the list itself) would be very welcome.

I haven't entered any candidates of my own for many years. I don't always know which week the teachers I'm accompanying for have asked for, or whether they made their entries by post or on line. When I do know, I can sometimes alert them to check for dates if a number of people have already reported knowing theirs for the same week. Even when no strike is threatened I don't completely trust either the postal service or email!

Very best wishes to all this term's candidates. Give your examiner a nice concert, and remember that NERVES ARE NORMAL!

Yes thanks, that's what I was after. Where did you find it? It's half term in this area in the week starting Oct.26, so very good news that they are expecting to have the dates out for the first two weeks before that.

I wonder how they plan to cope with the postal strike for anyone who didn't apply on line. Please will people help me to keep track of what actually happens. Thanks in advance.

I got my online notification on Tuesday for our upcoming exams on 13th November. "Friday 13th" has caused great amusement amongst the candidates!

I hope they will all do specially well. I'm always happy to knock a superstitious belief on the head!

Is anyone who requested one of the first two weeks still waiting to hear? My dates aren't up yet and I'm really hoping I get one of these weeks! Also, I put in a special request for a Saturday exam session so fingers crossed.

The suggested publication dates for appointments for those 2 weeks (see earlier message) were Oct.21-23, so it's not quite panic time yet! I hope you will hear soon. Does anyone know what's planned to cope with any postal strikes, assuming there are still people who enter by post?

Clare, my teacher put me in for the first two weeks and we haven't heard yet either.

I've just had exam times through (online) for 27th November - that's more than a months notice! A definite Record for me!

Just had mine through - all on Tues 24th Nov. My preferred week so I am pleased.

Vicki1433

Ditto. The 27th was my last available date too, as one of my candidates is going back to Australia the week after! We decided to squeeze in G5 before she went. I'll miss her - a promising 11-year-old.

I've got that date too - with mixed reactions! I also had online notification on Tuesday. I had online notification for jazz piano on Wednesday, for Tuesday 17th November.

Just had my date through. Sat 21st Nov. Exactly as I asked.

Just found that mine are on the website, although I haven't had an email message. Thurs 26th Nov.

I'm in for 26 November; was notified last week. I did ask for the last possible week in December, but never mind. There's only so long I can put it off.

Oh carp, my teacher has asked for the latest possible date, but I won't be happy if I've only got a few weeks!!!! Might find out tonight then.

I don't know what determines how the slots are allocated. My guess is that the local examiner will review all requests and then decide which she can do and which she can't. It may be that my local examiner just can't do any slot in December, so my only chance would be to go back to ABRSM and try and find another examiner e.g. in London. (I'm pretty sure there is some provision for this, I recall reading about it on the website). As it is, I'm happy with my slot.

Slots are allocated by ABRSM admin - the examiners get no say in this, they are just asked to go to place X on day(s) Y and are almost never local to avoid the possibility of them knowing the teachers/candidates involved. The admin staff have to balance the number of entries for exams with the times available at the venue. You are more likely to get the week that you want if you ask for earlier weeks - more people ask for the later ones to get more time to practice! I always ask for the first week and start preparation a little earlier - that wat you know exactly how long you have got and the chances of either not being ready, or being stale, are reduced.

The problem is that I am trying to work on several other pieces so exam stuff has taken a back seat. I'm hoping I can get away with what I did at grade 1 and spend a few weeks hammering away at the exam pieces to get reasonable marks!

I entered my private pupes to be added to a Standard Visit at school. We asked for 3rd/4th December and got it I've been away but just looked online.

Bag x

I've just heard that my pupils will have their exams on November 30th. I'm pleased about this because the school ones have a special visit in mid-December so at least none of them will clash.

Got mine today for 30th November-standard visit at my house.....

Received confirmation of exams on 10th December yesterday, which is a very impressive amount of notice!

It does seem that we're all getting more notice than we used to, which is great. I've also found that my local rep. knows almost a year in advance which week the exams will be, because she has to book the venue so early. That's really helpful for me!

I got over a month's notice. Asked for w/b 23rd nov and got notice earlier this week for the requested week...

Excellent - got date today, 28/10 for 11/12, G4 flute. Very good - and the rep took account of my request for specific days of week etc.

It's very helpful to know that people are already hearing about dates through to the final week. So far I'm only booked to accompany 4 exams but they are at 2 centres probably about 15 miles apart (with seriously busy roads between, so unpredictable journey times). The more time available to sort out clashes the better!

If you are taking an ABRSM exam I don't think the rep. will have had any control over your date/time. You can ask the Board to help if you have limited availability but they don't guarantee even to allocate the requested week. It's a very complex jigsaw puzzle, putting candidates, venues and examiners together. I assume we have pretty sophisticated computer programming to thank for the increased notice.

I wonder if 3.15 is the time of day when such e-mails are sent out, David, as I've literally just had mine - one pupil doing Grade 1 on 8th December.

This could be a fun exam, as it falls on my birthday and so I'm going out to lunch that day. Fortunately the exam is quite late in the afternoon (and so I should be back in time), but I must remember not to overdo the Pinot Noir at lunchtime - I suspect staggering into the exam room declaring undying love for my best friend the examiner might not do anyone any favours!

Had my 2 pupils exam dates yesterday for 30 November which should suit very well I hope.

I'm wondering whether numbers of entries are down. Our centre, which usually runs for 5 weeks, is only running for three this time - and these are not complete weeks.

Has it previously run for 5 weeks even in the autumn term? I always used to avoid it as the entries had to be in so soon after the schools went back that it was hard to judge whether the little dears could compensate for x weeks of no practice... Also we had a very good local festival that took place towards the end of the autumn term and I preferred to concentrate on that.

I got mine while I was away this week - for 30 November.

Over a month's notice - excellent - thanks AB.

Have just checked. Last year the autumn term exams ran for four weeks, the year before they ran for five. I'm not sure about the year before that, but going on the amount I received for stewarding it looks like a five week period. I've only got two half days this time!

I got mine yesterday for 10th December