I have a pupil going in for an exam (Grade 1) for the first time this session. I was wondering whether the examiner is going to ask how the scales are going to be played or not. I have been getting my pupil to practise answering the question "Even notes or long tonic?" so she's prepared but I'm not completely sure if it will be asked or not.

Good question...since the syllabus change, it hadn't occurred to me that they might ask, and haven't prepared any of my pupils that way

I don't think they will ask, given that at grades 2-5 they don't ask which form of minor scale is going to be offered, and I've not had any examiners ask my pupils yet...Even when they're not played totally correctly, it's normally obvious which form was intended!

Fair enough - I'll let my pupil know that the examiner may not ask. I've been preparing her quite effectively for that possibility given that I keep forgetting to ask the question myself - she never forgets!