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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

Wrong Grade 5 theory paper given to central London venues

26 replies

salinalee · 19/06/2019 12:10

Been informed by ABRSM that wrong paper was given to Grade 5 candidate in two central venues for during 15th June exams. Option to is to have another sit in either July or November.

OP posts:
PopWentTheWeasel · 19/06/2019 12:17

Can you do the July date, because of holidays etc? I'd be fuming. Can they not give them a grade based on the paper they were given (presuming they weren't given a grade 1 or grade 7 paper or something way out)?

Original poster
salinalee · 19/06/2019 14:22

called them this morning and no way to get around except resitting another exam..
just think it's not fair for the kids who worked so hard and ready to have some relaxing time.
candidates were given 2018 summer paper instead of 2019. completely printing and packaging mistake..

OP posts:
Luckyfab · 19/06/2019 15:41

@salinalee
I received the same email. I m so upset, my Dd still doesn't know. We were so happy it was over. I did not call the office as I can predict their reply... we are so sorry...
I don't do much with their apologies, the exam needs to be repeated.
I'm fuming!!!

Original poster
salinalee · 19/06/2019 15:58

same here.. hardest bit is to explain the whole situation to DD and persuade her to take another exam!

OP posts:
Ermina · 19/06/2019 19:44

We are, unfortunately, in the same boat but fundamentally disagree with ABRSM that our children should resit the exam. They should not be punished for infathomable maladministration by ABRSM itself. There is no undeniable evidence that they benefitted in any way and they did perform on the day itself. ABRSM should take the moral high road and give them all the benefit of the doubt. They should apply to themselves the same standards they expect from others. Moreover, those of us who are away on 13th July should not be discriminated against by being forced to wait until November. We would encourage you all to write to ABRSM to make your views known. Every voice counts!!!

Luckyfab · 19/06/2019 19:58

@Ermina
I agree with you. It is beyond ridiculous but not really sure that calling or writing to them will change to outcome.

Luckyfab · 19/06/2019 20:50

I just received another email. They are adding another day for the exam: 29th June.

Ermina · 19/06/2019 20:57

@Luckyfab
Maybe, maybe not... I am counting on the power of solidarity and the moral compass of the institution...

Ermina · 19/06/2019 21:00

@luckyfab
Is there a way you could share? Have not received that email (yet).

Luckyfab · 19/06/2019 21:09

@Ermina
they might have sent it to me because I already gave them the availability for my Dd to resit the exam on 13th July.
Have you accepted one of the offered dates in July or November?

Ermina · 19/06/2019 21:22

No, July date doesn't work. The deadline for indicating availability for July or November in this morning's email is 28th June so ABRSM should send this new date (29th June) to all candidates, especially those who have not yet responded with a new date, I would think. Upside down world...

ebc67 · 19/06/2019 23:33

We are in the situation and initially got the same response. I think it is REALLY important that we put in formal complaints and say that this is fundamentally unjust. When the Maths Level papers were leaked last week, there was no sense that the students had to redo the paper. This would never normally be the case. I don't think we should be defeatist about this. I have asked them to mark them all and see if there is any compelling reason to suggest the marks are out of kilter. I initially had a very poor response from the people on reception, but when I spoke to more senior people, they were more sympathetic, and encouraged me to complain and to make the same point. I don't know if they will change their minds, but I definitely think there is a legitimate case. Someone should go to the press with this? And also tweet them as much as possible.

Ermina · 20/06/2019 07:58

@ebc67
Fully agree! That's exactly what we've done and we've used those exact same arguments. Imho, there is no need to be holier than the Pope and stress children out unnecessarily when they are tired at the end of School year.

ebc67 · 20/06/2019 09:59

I think collective action is really important. Can you think of any other fora to do this? There are important procedural reasons why this should not have been the decision.

Comefromaway · 20/06/2019 10:07

This is appalling. Ds is autistic and we are currently preparing him to take Grade 5 in November. Expecting the children to sit the exam again is unacceptible. Considering that Grade 5 is often a pre-requisite for entry to certain courses and ABRSM exams are regulated on the QCF I am wondering if there is a higher body you can complain to.

(Ds is doing theory exams becasue some univerisites accept it at various levels for btec candidates who ar not doing A level music. )

Original poster
salinalee · 20/06/2019 10:39

Feel ABRSM only cares about its reputation without caring how much the children would suffer... Told my DD last night which made her cry...

OP posts:
ebc67 · 20/06/2019 11:02

I would argue that this is reputationally damaging for ABRSM and if they cared about this, then they would revoke decision, mark papers and show that they have compelling evidence that candidates were unduly affected. The spread of marks should be compared with the normal distribution. We should all be demanding this - and loudly! Suggest you write to chief examiner, John Holmes c/o of ABRSM pointing out that their procedure is at variance with that taken by A level boards.

Ermina · 20/06/2019 12:36

ABRSM keeps referring to the rules and regulations (OFQUAL) they are bound by; there is not the slightest sense about wanting to do the right and reasonable thing. They will mark the papers but results would be considered invalid anyways, because compromised...To ensure a level-playing field, everyone should be asked to resit the exam (unlikely, but at least less discriminatory)

TwoBeesMusic · 20/06/2019 12:53

Hi everyone,

I am a specialist Music Theory teacher in London and have several students affected by this.

I have emailed this morning to them requesting that they allow the marks from this exam to be used since this is their mistake and it is extremely unfair to ask a few students to resit when they have now moved on to other things. Most of my affected students cannot do the July date anyway as they are away and it is unreasonable to expect them to resit next term when they will be preparing for Grade 6 practical exams as well as other school exams.

It would be great if everyone affected could pressure them to do this - they did imply that if enough people complained they would look into it.

This is not the kind of exam that can be easily learned even if they have seen the paper before, they still need to be able to use the skills on the day to work out intervals, scales, transposition etc. I have suggested that if they will not accept the grade as it is then they should allow these affected students to be exempt from the theory requirement for the higher grades.

I hope that with enough voices we can make them listen...

Hannah Cahill
Two Bees Music School

Original poster
salinalee · 20/06/2019 14:01

I have emailed them this morning.. there are so many resources available in the market and no one would only focus on only one past paper.. candidates might feel the question looks familiar but still need to work out the correct answers....

OP posts:
PaddingtonPaddington · 21/06/2019 08:17

This is awful, DD thankfully took hers 2018 but @salinalee so sorry to hear your DD was upset.
@ebc67 absolutely agree with you about they wouldn’t make pupils resit their GSCEs/A levels if it was entirely the exam boards error.

Original poster
salinalee · 21/06/2019 15:07

Received couple of responses from ABRSM, mainly copy & paste from first email. This error has not been made publicly aware. They should put it on the official website and let all the candidates know what has happened.
If only affected candidate needs to take resit, then everyone who took grade 5 exam should be offer a second chance.
It is not fair for the candidate who took the right paper neither, as there are extra 4 weeks for the affected candidate to prepare the exam.
Where is the justice?

OP posts:
CruCru · 23/06/2019 13:55

A friend is affected by this. She is an adult who sat it for fun and is upset about it so can’t imagine how children who sat it feel. She also can’t do either of the dates offered (because work / childcare commitments).

ebc67 · 23/06/2019 16:05

I think it is really important that we continue to pile on the pressure, so please @crucru ask your friend to write in. I am also wondering whether we should get the children to write in as well!
The sloppiness of their approach feels in stark opposition to the letter of the law they are imposing on the children, the average age of whom was about 11

Madcats · 24/06/2019 10:38

Just about everybody I know has "done" all their school/ABRSM/LAMDA exams for the summer and they are de-mob happy. I can't imagine telling one of them to get their books out again because ABRSM made a mistake.

I would have thought it best to mark all the papers as normal and moderate the "2018 paper" candidates' results against the others.

I imagine 90% of the candidates only sit G5 theory because they have to. It is hardly going to encourage them to continue with theory, is it!

I hope ABRSM see sense (luckily we're not doing it until the Autumn).

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