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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

Absrm performance exam

38 replies

dandelionsticks · 30/09/2020 07:08

Hi there, I see that Performance Exams have been introduced by ABSRM. Is anyone opting to do this instead of the Practical exam? It says on the ABSRM website that performance exams have been introduced to "complement" the practical but it also offers another way to progress. I read this to mean a student might choose a performance exam only for their level and skip the practical with the dreaded sight reading and aural test! As a video is submitted, it seems like this would be an advantage too.

I feel like I must be missing something here. Or is the performance exam truly an equal alternative to the practical?

Does anyone know?

Ps have asked our music school but they aren't sure as it's new and haven't had a response from ABSRM.

OP posts:
horseymum · 30/09/2020 13:33

I'm not totally familiar as we are not doing any this year ( apart from grade 5 theory). I understood it to be you could do either and swap between them. Eg Grade 1 performance, grade 2 practical, grade 3 performance. Or if you don't like the sight read, look at trinity instead as there is a choice of technical exercises, it seems more people are moving over after bad experiences.

blueblueblue4 · 01/10/2020 13:59

My son did one performance exam and one normal exam recently (normal exam in summer hols, perf one now to submit by half term. In all honesty the performance one was harder as getting four pieces in one take without too many flaws is a lot more tricky than it sounds and you can't regain marks on the aural/sight reading if pieces have slips. He has done the aural for the grade and sight reads a lot in orchestras so I don't feel that he has missed out by not having those elements, and actually he learned a lot doing several takes of the performance grade. I believe Trinity have now launched a performance grade style remote exam too.

blueblueblue4 · 01/10/2020 14:00

Should say they were different instruments, he didn't do two exams in the same subject at the same time!

lunar1 · 01/10/2020 14:03

My children are doing the performance exam this year, just to consolidate the grades they should have done in July. They have actually both moved on to the next grade and are just maintaining the old pieces until we have done the recording.

They have continued to learn all the other skills with their teacher. I suspect they will go back to the standard exam, covid permitting next year.

onemouseplace · 08/10/2020 08:35

DD's teacher has just suggested she takes the performance exam next term - it'll be her first exam (Grade 3 piano) and I think doing the recording from home will work well for her.

Her teacher has her first tranche of pupils trying it out this term, so hopefully we'll get some feedback on how well it works/ how well the marks reflect ability first.

Yippeeforme · 10/10/2020 09:18

MTB do a far better job. They're Ofqual related and have an app that you record the exam into. They made this demo video for lockdown:

Yippeeforme · 10/10/2020 09:19

*regulated

blueblueblue4 · 10/10/2020 19:16

Both boards are regulated by Ofqual so it's a choice of whether to do mtb or Abrsm. Abrsm is four pieces in one take, which is quite a challenge and believe Mtb you only have to upload one at a time? I don't think you can compare as they are different qualifications and suit different children.

DorotheaDiamond · 10/10/2020 19:25

My reading of mtb rules was you had to upload all pieces at once...

blueblueblue4 · 10/10/2020 21:05

That's interesting - def makes it harder!

DorotheaDiamond · 11/10/2020 14:12

Yes it’s pieces, all the scales for that grade (that’s quite a lot), technical exercises and some sort of aural test too...

blueblueblue4 · 11/10/2020 15:50

But are pieces all in one take as with Abrsm (continuous video like a concert) or uploaded one at a time?

DorotheaDiamond · 11/10/2020 16:43

I read it as whole exam (pieces scales etc) in one take...

essexmum777 · 11/10/2020 23:07

I was reading the ABRSM guidelines on this today, it is done in one take with the emphasis on performance - it is preferred that you have a live accompanist but a remote person to accompany, playing alone or a recording is also acceptable.

lunar1 · 17/10/2020 16:43

These performance exams are not as easy as they seem getting it all in one take and deciding which one to send off. I'm really hoping we can get them done by the end of this weekend!

lunar1 · 20/10/2020 18:18

I submitted my boys piano exams today. Fingers crossed!

blueblueblue4 · 22/10/2020 14:40

I got two performance exams back only 5 days after submitting! Marking seems quite harsh without aural to fall back on for some though.

lunar1 · 25/10/2020 13:02

Thats my worry @blueblueblue4, the trinity one my DS did was harshly marked. My children normally score very highly on the aural, sight reading and scales. I wonder how ABRSM will score it.

Did you submit yours on the deadline or early? Our deadline isn't until the 30th so I'm wondering if we will have to wait till after then for results.

blueblueblue4 · 25/10/2020 17:06

They were some that were recorded a few weeks ago so we submitted early but they don't mark them till after the official submission day so no need to

FiddleOnTheRoof · 26/10/2020 17:05

@blueblueblue4 just getting our pieces ready and also worried about how it will be marked. Have yet to get a take without at lease 2 mistakes in ‘every’ song Confused . When all played back to back without breaks, these mistakes sound compounded. Would you mind sharing how your DC did in the end?

My DC has only ever received merits and distinctions. Anything less will be a shock to the system and would deffo result to reverting back to old style once the centres re-open... will delay progress though... Sad

lunar1 · 26/10/2020 18:09

@FiddleOnTheRoof, listen back to the recordings, the mistakes don't sound as dramatic as they feel while they are playing the piece.

DS2 had a pause on one piece that felt like an eternity when we filmed, when I listened back it was nowhere near as long as I thought. Probably only a second.

I hope we get the results soon, I'm nervous for them.

blueblueblue4 · 26/10/2020 21:21

They are looking for an overall feel so a few little mistakes are ok as long as the performance keeps going, things like faffing with the sheet music are penalised though in the performance as a whole mark. I would say if your dc get merits/distinctions normally then you shouldn't worry much, unless they were getting low piece marks and super high aural/sight reading/scales ones.

Noteventhebestdrummer · 27/10/2020 06:12

Are there many centres not open as usual?

I've been lucky to tag students onto special visits at a local studio so we have had exams face to face as normal (with screens, distancing, air conditioning) in August, October and more planned in December.

lunar1 · 27/10/2020 07:49

I didn't want to risk an in person visit in case it was cancelled again last minute. DS1 really missed going to the exam centre though.

Onthetrain75 · 30/10/2020 18:17

I have just submitted my daughter’s performance exam today. It really was very tricky. I am not sure we would opt to do them again and I’m now very worried having read that they are harshly marked!!