I have been using Hofnote to improve my aural skills.
The trouble is I'm not seeing an improvement.
The things I can do I can still do and the rest is still a guess.
Am I wasting my time? Is it too late for me to acquire aural skills? (I'd like them before my Grade 8 exam next month ideally...)
Has anyone else used this method?

I think it's time for me to start to panic. I suddenly feel very depressed about my inability to learn this aural stuff. Unless I can do it well I might as well stick with guessing and just hope to get lucky in the exam. I feel I'm wasting time on something that wont improve.

I've not used it but I'm guessing that part of the problem might be that of testing before learning.
For the parts you are having more difficulty with do you understand the theory behind the question sufficiently to really know what you are listening for?

As far as the tests in the exam go the main problem I had was that everything seems to go by so quickly that it was really hard to get my brain moving at the same speed....

You're absolutely right, I dont know what to listen for. They all sound similar to me. I'm trying to recognise modulations and apart from modulation to the dominant which I get most of the time, I still cant predict what the others will be.
Recognising chords is also difficult but at least I can go and play with those on the piano.

Anyway, thanks for the clue sbhoa, I'll go and do some more theory.

With modulations start by thinking about what changes.
An approach my clarinet teacher uses is to start by playing a melody line which modulates and listen for the accidental.
see if you can identify by ear (and/or on the page) places where the pieces you are playing modulate then play the approach to the modulation while carefully listening to what's going on.

I remember flobiano and others commenting on hofnote elsewhere. I don't have time to hunt down the threads right now. You may find it useful to to do a search to find the comments.

I found Hofnote helped a lot in helping train my ear for the modulations and cadences.

I also combined it with doing some work on the piano listening to different modulations. When I used Hofnote - when I got one wrong I would listen to the example again, knowing what it was and then try to link the sound with the answer in my brain. Eventually it just clicked and I found that after doing hundreds of examples that I my strike rate was on the way up. I did do a lot of practising though.

There are only 3 modulations for grade 7 and I tended to find the one to the relative minor fairly straight forward. So I was just trying to differentiate between the dominant and subdominant - I never managed to pick out the accidental change but ended up getting a gut feel for the change. In my mind the modulation to the dominant feels like it could go straight back to the tonic and the subdominant feels like it needs a passing chord. So as long as I have a feel for the tonic in my mind I seem to get it right.....probably complete rubbish but it seems to help me get the right answer.

Not sure how I'll get on with the larger number of modulations for Grade 8 - I think I may need to start practising now and in about a year I maybe able to do it!

I used Hofnote last year for G8 and found it very helpful for these areas too. The final topic (something like 'style of piece') I found a bit wishy-washy though, and was a bit disappointed that all the music samples were the same as for G7!

Yes, I used it for my grade 7 too and found it very useful which is why I'm using it now.
It is nice to have lots of examples to practice with, just frustrating that I'm not improving as fast as I need to. I've been doing it for months and hoped to have it sorted by now.
I can do the cadences, I dont get them all right but most of them.
Modulations are a mystery but I am trying.
For the chord recognition I've gone back to the theory at the piano hoping that might be more efficient than trying to recognise them from listening to lots of samples.

Oh well....I probably should have started sooner. Like when I was 8.

Modulations are tricky....for me difference between dominant and subdominant is that the dominant feels really definate, the subdom more hymn-like. Try and pick out the bass note to double check. If in doubt go for the dominant!!
I also bought the aural test survival book, which I found really helpful as that explained everything too and gave ideas of how to recognise mods and cadences. Also what to listen for on the last question. It's for the old syllabus - so only available through sellers on Amazon, but the differences are slight so will still be a huge help.

I found Improve your Aural by Paul Harris useful. I bought the grades 7 - 8 book and worked through both. He explains the theory behind it too and there are exercises to work through building up to what would be expected in the exam. The only thing is the book I have is still based on the old grade 8 tests and from 2011 there are fewer modulations expected, fewer chords have to be named in test 1 and there is a slightly smaller range of chords to guess from for test 1.
Using this book and hofnote I have got the hang of the modulations and test D. Test B was never a problem. Test A is way out of my league and I am not bothering with it. I will be able to name the cadence correctly as I have practised that at great length and should be able to make a half decent guess at the chords from that but I won't be able to sing back the lower part and I am very unlikely to get the chords correct even though I can make an educated guess.

I suppose that Hofnote provides good practise for aural tests in exams, but it doesn't teach aural skills. Fundamentally, I think that simply doing things over and over again in the hope they'll improve is a pretty ineffective way of learning - sorry, that doesn't help much! I think the site might provide a good system of practising once you've acquired the skills necessary to complete the tests. Otherwise, I'm afraid I think it's a pretty good money-spinner I realise it's not always easy, but my view is that your money would be significantly better spent on finding a teacher who's prepared to work with you on your aural skills so that you have the necessary 'tools' in order to effectively complete the tests.

I know what you mean. I think if I hadn't used it in combination with the Paul Harris book I wouldn't have a clue.
The other thing is that it does not present the tests exactly the same way as the AB. I find that if they don't tell me what key it is in at the beginning of the extract then I don't have a clue! I don't know why, that is just me. I have now started working through the AB book - Specimen Aural Tests and I actually find it a bit easier than Hofnote for some reason.
So to the orginal poster, use Hofnote but use other materials as well.

Yes, I think this would be the ideal solution, the difficulty lies in finding such a teacher, and when you do find such a treasure, they generally have no vacancies. That's what I've found anyway.
So Im trying to do my best with what I have.
I am using the Paul Harris book too now and it seems very helpful.
I suppose I'm concerned about the aural tests because improving those skills from, say 10% to 30% might be easier and more effective than incerasing my scales or pieces from 90% to 91%. ( I should be so lucky to be that good but I'm just trying to illustrate my point)

Thank you all for your suggestions, also it does help to know that I'm not alone in my struggles.

I signed up to Hofnote for grade 3 Viola but am not very impressed.
The accounts side of the business works fine, no problem with taking your money.
Had a query about the singing tests, (there's no way to check your responses),
just got an automated reply.
Tried to post some tips on violin grade 3, which I have passed, just another
automated message.
Have also enrolled for a grade 5 theory class at Morley College London,
I learn a lot more from that. You can't beat some form of personal tuition.
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UPDATE They have now posted my tips (13 May). Don't know why they are
so obsessive about security.

Ha, pleased I found this thread. Very handy right now. Even more pleased that others find these things difficult. I'm not just thick then?

Even more pleased I took the decision NOT to take Grade 7 this session