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Original poster

ABRSM, Trinity etc Spring session exams - who's on the bench?

218 replies

Floottoot · 06/03/2018 09:32

DS is taking grade 5 cello ABRSM next week, and I have a flute pupil taking grade 5 this week ( both dates different exam centres).
Pupil is destined for a merit, I think. Her pieces are pretty good, scales could go well if she concentrates, aurals should be fine as she's already passed grade 7 piano, but sightreading is inexplicably weak; she really struggles with rhythm, despite my best efforts and her piano experience.

DS's pieces are great, his scales are pretty secure but he's finding legato arpeggios a bit of a chore ( made harder by changing from a 1/2 size to a 4/4 size cello this term), his sightreading has the potential to be good ( he does well when I'm standing over him, cheering him on!) but he's prone to forgetting the last sharp/flat in the key signature and making the odd silly rhythm mistake, and his aurals are ok...IF he would just sing!
He's taking the exam at school, which is very convenient but does mean I won't be able to hiss last minute reminders at him!

So, what grades are other people's children/ pupils taking, and how's it all going?
As a parent of an exam child, I can now fully empathise with my own mum, who had to endure 2 of us taking exams in 3 different instruments, plus theory - much easier to be the child doing the exams! 🤣

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Original poster
Floottoot · 31/03/2018 09:03

cantkeepaway, hats off to your DS. Definitely the right decision,IMO - he can always retake IF he doesn't get the mark he hoped for.
Hope he's on the mend now and enjoying some r&r.

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crazycrofter · 29/03/2018 23:16

Thanks Wafflenose and Floottoot. I’m still rather puzzled by it. Dd is 13 and one of those flitty characters who’s never really given anything her best effort as she’s more interested in socialising! However she’s obviously got some musical ability after all. She’s very keen to start singing lessons and I’m inclined to let her on the understanding that she keeps up the flute.

BoundByBriars · 29/03/2018 21:32

So it turned out that it wasn't the ABRSM prep test my DD did, it was the music centre's own syllabus exam that is marked by an external examiner in the same way as the grade exams and therefore we were told that failing was a possibility!

Warm up went great but she ripped her performance apart afterwards and was convinced she'd failed it. We got the results today and she passed with 142. I'm not sure it quite compares to ABRSM marking but she's very happy and her teacher wants her to do her grade 1 exam next term.

They do ABRSM exams as well as their own so I'm not sure which she'll be doing. I don't have a very musical background so don't know much about these things.

Original poster
Floottoot · 29/03/2018 17:38

Congratulations to all DCs on some great results ( teachers too!)
140 is an outstanding mark, crazycrofter. I don't think any of my pupils have ever done that well, although I did in one of my flute exams many years ago.
Glad it's given your daughter the incentive to carry on. Hopefully, she can look at taking grade 3 this year to keep her motivated.

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Wafflenose · 29/03/2018 14:13

*I expect

Wafflenose · 29/03/2018 14:13

Very, very well done to all so far. I particularly enjoy hearing about minise22 who has been on a similar trajectory to Rara for so long (but who is expect is about to sprint off into the distance now!).

140 marks is fabulous - I haven't had many of those in my career, and I would say that your DD probably took longer over that grade than she needed to. Last time I had a 140, they could have passed the next grade really, but it was far from being their first instrument.

Grade 5 Theory - hmm, no particular tips, except to work steadily and methodically through all the topics. I took 2.5 years to do all the books and past papers with DD1, but we started young, around 7. I have yet to move beyond Grade 2 with DD2 because she makes it way more complicated than necessary!!

CotswoldStrife · 29/03/2018 13:13

I'm not sure when we'll get the results as DD has her lessons at school and it's half term now. The teacher may let us know by email but I'm resigned to a long wait.

DD said the examiner was nice though!

crazycrofter · 29/03/2018 11:13

Can I gatecrash?! Just a parent, dd did grade 2 flute. She’s been less than enthusiastic about flute really, progress has been quite slow, passed grade 1 last year and had been talking about giving up. She actually did quite a bit of practice in the final 3 weeks though.

Her results came yesterday - she got a distinction, 140 marks! I was incredibly dubious, but both the music coordinator at school and her flute teacher confirmed it to me! So now she’s not giving up 😂 How common is that sort of mark? I did lots of exams in piano, trombone and violin and never got more than a merit!

se22mother · 28/03/2018 20:26

Good solid merit for g3 Clarinet for dd

Japanese · 28/03/2018 17:26

Theory results are out for anyone waiting from this session.

DD (Grade 2) had 96
DS (Grade 1) had 98

LilyBolero · 28/03/2018 13:17

Additional comments; all fails, all distinctions, if they’ve scored 118 or 128 (though that’s not compulsory it’s recommended) or if the examiner wants to add anything, or reinforce anything. Anything less than distinction should give info on what areas brought mark down from distinction, distinction can just be well done or more info.

GreatThingsWork · 28/03/2018 07:44

DD is doing her grade 5 theory in June with any luck. It's her first theory exam so she's cramming. Any tips?

AliceLutherNeeMorgan · 28/03/2018 07:18

We are waiting for results for G4 piano and G4 theory.

A solid pass in each would be great, and probably the most we can hope for, as prep for both has been severely hampered by senior school entrance exams and various other things. I heard most of the piano exam from the waiting room and whilst the aural and sight sounded quite weak, pieces and scales went fine, and just one slip in arpeggios, so fingers crossed! School is now out though so I guess we won’t get the results for ages...

Snowyberry · 27/03/2018 18:02

Thanks Radio

Radiodependent · 27/03/2018 17:38

Snowyberry I really wouldn’t worry, the examiners just have to write so much that sometimes they have to catch up in the middle, it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the result.

cantkeepawayforever · 27/03/2018 17:14

OK, he did it! And his nose didn't bleed!

May not be the mark he has hoped for, but he tossed up the 'Will I do any better in a term's time, in the middle of exams?' against 'Will I not play quite as well as I could when feeling poorly?' and it came out in favour of going for it.

Wafflenose · 27/03/2018 16:08

Well done everyone!

Just waiting for a Grade 2 clarinet result from the 20th now, so could be waiting for another week or two. Current tally is 1 pass, 3 merit and 1 distinction this term.

catkind · 27/03/2018 15:49

My two passed their piano :) Merit for DD Initial, distinction for DS Grade 1. Very happy with that, DD entry was a bit of a last minute gamble.

stringmealong · 27/03/2018 13:54

Got by AB results from 14th - all passes, not merits or distinctions but no fails either. Phew! So the one I thought would scrape a pass got 106 & the one who I thought deserved distinction (but thought he'd got a bit nervous on the pieces & forgot all the dynamics) got 111. Such a shame as he deserved so much more for the work he'd put in! It's really made me think about getting all my pupils more performance practice with a proper pianist though - I'm sure their lack of experience at being followed puts them off !

Snowyberry · 27/03/2018 13:31

Eek! I was talking to a friend about the exam centre host finding it odd that it went quiet for a while in the middle of dd's flute exam and she said that happened when her ds failed his exam. Dd thought she did ok. Will have to wait and see!

Original poster
Floottoot · 27/03/2018 12:55

Madcats, a secure merit is still very good. A poor mark on sightseeing can take an otherwise distinction effort down, and sightreading is something that sometimes takes students a long time and experience to master.
Try not to feel too discouraged. DS took grade 4 last year and got a merit, despite his best efforts ( both his teacher and we thought it was a harsh mark, actually, which may be the case with your daughter). If she really didn't put her best effort in to prepare, it may just be the thing that gets her to up her game. She's still done well, though. (I say that as a flute teacher!)

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2ndSopranos · 27/03/2018 11:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Madcats · 27/03/2018 11:25

cantkeep.. I do hope your DS gets his nosebleeds under control. DD has had some stonking great ones in the past. Leaving really cold water in her mouth for a minute or 2 seems to help (could you give him some icecubes in a thermos). That is such bad luck. I hope you sort something.

DD got a comfortable merit for her grade 3. I was about to phone the school and ask them to look (but it turns out DD has been keeping the result to herself for the past 5 days - so results took a fortnight or less). Her teacher is a little frustrated, I suspect, but I am glad we know the result and can move on.

In a way I am pleased DD is a little embarrassed/disappointed, but hopefully this will reinforce my message that being great at things is going to start needing a bit of work as she progresses (be it in dance/swimming/running/schoolwork).

Well done to Kutik and good luck to everybody still waiting for results. Wouldn't it be great if each candidate could have a parent login too!

Original poster
Floottoot · 27/03/2018 09:16

My grade 5 pupil finally got her results today - distinction. Better than I expected, as her sightseeing and aural were distinctly dodgy but she'd worked hard on everything else.

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Original poster
Floottoot · 27/03/2018 09:14

Probably best to ring the area rep to explain and see what they say. I suspect cancellations are non-refundable but I don't know for sure.
Such a shame and such bad timing - he must be very disappointed.

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